
Leading in times of crisis: How healthy optimism works
Crises are as much a part of business as stormy weather at sea. But what if the storm lasts longer? 3 impulses for strong leadership in a crisis.
Two top graduates happily received the Münster Study Award Business Chemistry at the end of 2021: Kathrin Kirchhoff and Maria Nero. Their master’s theses focus on cell proteins, 3D printing and venture capital – underscoring once again the great variety of topics in business chemistry.
Even if you don’t specialize in cell biology, you may have heard of the term: cytokines play an important role in the human body, including immune reactions. For instance, these proteins are of particular interest for cancer therapies. They are therefore an attractive field of research for life science companies – including Evorion Biotechnologies GmbH, the cooperating company for Kathrin Kirchhoff’s thesis. In her study, she worked on two topics: the detection of cytokines in individual cells and a market strategy that would enable the company to offer this particular service.
Let’s move out of the lab, into the startup scene. During an internship at Evonik Industries AG, Maria Nero found her master’s topic. In her thesis, she investigated the question of whether and how geographic location affects investments in young companies in additive manufacturing. For this purpose, Maria Nero took a close look at financing rounds of 3D printing startups and additionally interviewed experts from different countries. The result: Apart from costs, other location-specific factors are relevant, including English language skills, risk tolerance and university support.
Both studies are not only relevant for business practice, but also outstanding in terms of methodology. For their great achievements, Kathrin Kirchhoff and Maria Nero recently received the Münster Study Award Business Chemistry. Since 2012, Grosse-Hornke has been granting this prize, which is endowed with 1,000 euros each, together with the Institute of Business Administration at the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy at Münster University.
Crises are as much a part of business as stormy weather at sea. But what if the storm lasts longer? 3 impulses for strong leadership in a crisis.
He conveyed confidence in a desperate situation: British polar explorer Ernest Shackleton and his team survived a two-year battle for survival in the Southern Ocean. What can leaders learn from him in times of crisis?
Getting an IT project across hundreds of organizational units to the finish line? Our colleague Mathis takes a sporty approach. In our interview, he tells us what excites him about project management as a consultant and why he goes to the boxing ring to compensate.
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