Johannes Meuer is Associate Professor for Sustainability Strategy and Operations at Kühne Logistics University (KLU) and Co-Director of KLU’s Center for Sustainable Logistics and Supply Chains (CSLS). He also serves as the President of the Group for Research on Organizations and the Natural Environment (GRONEN), an international network of researchers concerned with the role of companies in the environment and society.
His research focuses on understanding the tensions that corporate decision-makers face when taking sustainability decisions, and relatedly, how firms effectively integrate sustainability into their strategy and business operations. He has studied these questions in various settings and industries (e.g., energy, plastics, automotive supply chains, food retail). Johannes has also been at the forefront of developing new methodological approaches for studying configurational phenomena based on set-theoretic analytics such as fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA).
He is affiliated with several institutes and centers such as the Group for Sustainability and Technology (SusTec) at ETH Zurich, the Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM) at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, and the Faculty of Management at the University of Warsaw. He has published his research in leading academic journals, including the Journal of Operations Management, Organization & Environment, Research Policy, and Organizational Research Methods.
Johannes actively integrates insights from both academia and practice in his research, teaching, and professional service activities. He conducts translational research together with industry partners, using in-depth case studies, action and participatory research approaches. Johannes has developed innovative teaching approaches that center around translating relevant industry experience into the foundational concept of corporate sustainability.
He has received a number of honors and awards for his research, teaching, and commitment to professional service, including grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Federal Government (Energy Department), the German Science Foundation, and the Society for the Advancement of Management Studies (SAMS). He received Best Paper Awards from the Academy of Management’s Organization and Management Theory (OMT) and the Human Resource (HR) Division as well as a best reviewer award from the Organization and the Natural Environment and the “Above and Beyond the Call of Duty” Award of the OMT Division. Johannes has also been awarded the “Golden Owl 2020” Award at ETH Zurich for providing exceptional education. Several of his courses have received awards for innovation in teaching. For his teaching cases, he received the ecch Case Awards for the Best Case in Category Strategy and General Management and the AESE Case Writing Competition.
Prior to joining the KLU faculty, Johannes was a senior researcher at ETH Zurich. Prior to completing his PhD, he spent time at USC Marshall Business School in Los Angeles, and the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai. Johannes has earned an MSc in International Economics from Corvinus University Budapest, a PhD degree from the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and a habilitation (Venia Legendi) from ETH Zurich.
Research Projects
Academic Positions
Since 9/2021 | Associate Professor of Sustainable Operations, Kühne Logistics University, Hamburg, Germany |
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| Since 6/2022 | President, Group for Research on Organizations and the Natural Environment (GRONEN) |
| 2015 - 2021 | Senior Scientist and Lecturer, ETH Zurich, Switzerland |
| 2019 | Visiting Scholar, Faculty of Management, University of Warsaw, Poland |
2012 - 2015 | Post-doctoral Researcher, University of Zurich, Switzerland |
2011 - 2016 | Visiting Fellow, School of Management, University of Cranfield, United Kingdom |
2010 | Visiting Researcher, Marshall Business School, University of Southern California, USA |
Education
| 2006 - 2011 | PhD in Management, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, The Netherlands |
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| 2003 - 2005 | MSc in International Economics, Corvinus University Budapest, Hungary |
| 2005 | Semester abroad, China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Shanghai, China |
| 2000 - 2003 | Diplom-Kaufmann (FH), International School of Management, Dortmund, Germany |
| 2001 | Semester abroad, Villanueva Centro Universitario, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain |
- Meuer, Johannes; Gergek, J.; Girod, B. (2020): Resource orchestration chains in Corporate Sustainability: Case Studies in the Swiss Retail Industry. Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Vancouver, Canada.
- Meuer, Johannes; Rupietta, C. (2020): Comparative configurational process analysis. EGOS Colloquium, Hamburg, Germany.
- Meuer, Johannes; Gergek, J.; Girod, B. (2020): Resource orchestration chains in Corporate Sustainability: Case Studies in the Swiss Retail Industry. EGOS Colloquium, Hamburg, Germany.
- Meuer, Johannes (2019): Case selection: From single and multiple case studies to Qualitative Comparative Analysis. Annual Academy of Management Meeting, Boston, USA.
- Meuer, Johannes; Abele, M.; Chadwick, C.; Weller, I. (2018): Administrative Intensity and Managerial Resources in Emerging Firms. Strategic Management Society Annual Conference, Paris, France.
- Meuer, Johannes (2018): QCA in a multilevel environment. Annual Meeting of the Academy Management, Chicago, USA.
- Meuer, Johannes; Koelbel, J.; Hoffmann, V. (2018): Mapping Definitions of Corporate Sustainability. Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Chicago, USA.
- Meuer, Johannes; Arellano, C.; Netland, T. (2018): Micro-foundations of improvement initiatives in MNCs: A fuzzy-set analysis of operations managers´beliefs. Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Chicago, USA.
- Meuer, Johannes; Rupietta, C.; Backes-Gellner, U. (2018): How hybrid change agents moderate innovation complementarities. Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Chicago, USA.
- Meuer, Johannes; Koelbel, J.; Hoffmann, V. (2018): Mapping Definitions of Corporate Sustainability. GRONEN Conference, University of Almería, Spain.
- Meuer, Johannes; Rupietta, C. (2018): Comparative process analysis: A new set theoretic technique for longitudinal case analysis. EGOS Colloquium, Tallinn, Estonia.
- Meuer, Johannes; Arrellano Caro, M.; Netland, T. (2018): Micro-foundations of improvement initiatives in MNCs: A fuzzy-set analysis of operations managers´ beliefs. International QCA Summer Workshop, Jackstädtzentrum für Unternehmertums- und Innovationsforschung, University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany.
- Meuer, Johannes; Brophy, A. (2017): Talking about renewables: Tensions in the emergence of field identity. EGOS Colloquium, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Meuer, Johannes; Petersen, M. (2017): Bringing energy-efficient building technologies to the market: Exploring managerial challenges at the intersection of technological and sectoral innovation systems. EGOS Colloquium, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Meuer, Johannes; Petersen, M. (2016): Innovation for sustainable and energy-efficient buildings. Future Energy Efficient Buildings & Districts, EMPA, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
- Meuer, Johannes; Balakrishnan, D.; Haney, A. B. (2016): What MES(s)! A bibliometric analysis of the evolution of research on multi-energy systems. Smart Build Environment Conference, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Meuer, Johannes; Angstmann, M.; Tröster, C. (2016): Embeddedness and the repatriation intentions of company-backed and self-initiated expatriates. Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Anaheim, CA, USA.
- Meuer, Johannes; Furnari, S. (2016): A Case-oriented Approach to Longitudinal QCA: Analyzing Patterns of Organizational Change. Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Anaheim, CA, USA.
- Meuer, Johannes; Ellersiek, A.; Rupietta, C.; Caves, K. (2015): QCA in Evaluations: Aflateen`s Child Funding Program, 3rd International QCA Expert Workshop, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Meuer, Johannes; Rihoux, B. (2016): Mapping 30 years of QCA research. 3rd International QCA Expert Workshop, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Meuer, Johannes (2015): A set-theoretic analysis of high performance workplace systems. Academy of Management Meeting, Vancouver, Canada.
- Meuer, Johannes; Kluike, M.; Backes-Gellner, U.; Pull, K. (2015): Expatriation strategies for the adaptation of employment modes to different market economies. European Academy of Management, Warsaw, Poland.
- Meuer, Johannes; Rupietta, C.; Backes-Gellner, U. (2015): Vocational Education and Innovation Interdependencies. 27th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science.
- Meuer, Johannes; Kluike, M.; Backes-Gellner, U.; Pull, K. (2014): Expatriation strategies for the adaptation of employment modes to different market economies. Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Philadelphia, USA.
- Meuer, Johannes, Felps, W.; van Eck, N.; Waltmann, L. (2014): Mapping the Management Discipline - A Bibliometric and Qualitative Synthesis. Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Meuer, Johannes; Rupietta, C. (2014): Qualifying "Fit". The performance dynamics of firms´ change tracks through organizational configurations. EGOS Colloquium, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Meuer, Johannes; Rupietta, C. (2014): Vocational Education and Innovation Interdependencies. EGOS Colloquium, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Meuer, Johannes; Rupietta, C.; Backes-Gellner, U. (2014): Idiosyncracies within and Interdependencies between Innovation Systems. A mixed method approach. DRUID Society Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Meuer, Johannes; Rupietta, C.; Backes-Gellner, U. (2014): Co-existing innovation systems: A configurational and seemingly unrelated regression analysis in the Swiss economy. Jacobs Foundation "Economics of Education" Conference, Marbach, Switzerland.
- Meuer, Johannes; Rupietta, C. (2014): Under the Surface: Firms´ Learning (from) Organizational Forms. Managing Complexity within and across Organizational Boundaries. Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK.
- Meuer, Johannes; Rupietta, C.; Backes-Gellner, U. (2014): Workshop in Personnel Economics and Economics of Education" with Prof. Edward Lazear. Co-existing innovation systems: A configurational and seemingly unrelated regression analysis in the Swiss economy.
- Meuer, Johannes; Rupietta, C.; Backes-Gellner, U. (2013): Co-existing innovation systems: A configurational and seemingly unrelated regression analysis in the Swiss economy. Jacobs Foundation "The Optimal Skill Mix for a Modern Economy".
- Meuer, Johannes; Felps, W. (2013): Understanding the Implicit Norms of Different Academy of Management Divisions. Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Orlando, FL, USA.
- Meuer, Johannes; Rupietta, C. (2013): Withstanding the test of time: An empirical examination of the durability of organizational forms. Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Orlando, FL, USA.
- Meuer, Johannes; Kluike, M.; Backes-Gellner, U.; Pull, K. (2013): 'Sending the troops' or 'Staying home alone'? Expatriates in the adaptation of employment modes to market economies. 29th EGOS Colloquium, Montréal, Canada.
- Meuer, Johannes; Rupietta, C. (2013): Examining the durability of organizational forms. Organization Science & OMT Paper Development Workshop, Sabanci University, School of Management, Istanbul, Turkey.
- Meuer, Johannes; Wang, T.; Reinmoeller, P.; Krug, B. (2013): The Efficacy of China´s 'Going Global' policy: A signaling perspective. 24th Conference Chinese Economic Association "Balancing China´s Economy".
- Meuer, Johannes; Felps, W. (2013): Understanding the Implicit Norms of Different Academy of Management Divisions. Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management Symposium, Orlando, FL, USA.
- Meuer, Johannes; Rupietta, C. (2013): Withstanding the test of time: An empirical examination of the durability of organizational forms. Academy of Management Meeting, Orlando, FL, USA.
- Meuer, Johannes; Rupietta, C.; Backes-Gellner, U. (2013): Co-existing innovation systems: A configurational and seemingly unrelated regression analysis in the Swiss economy. QCA Professional Round Table Discussion - Advanced QCA Research. Academy of Management Meeting, Orlando, FL, USA.
- Meuer, Johannes; Betancourt, N.; van Oosterhout, H. (2013): The Institutionalization of Private International Business Regulations. Academy of International Business Annual Meeting, Istanbul, Turkey.
- Meuer, Johannes; Kluike, M.; Backes-Gellner, U.; Pull, K. (2013): The Role of Expatriates in the Adaptation of Employment Modes. A comparative analysis of U.S. subsidiaries in Germany, the U.K. and Switzerland. 10th European Conference of the International Labour and Employment Relations Association (ILERA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Meuer, Johannes; Betancourt, N.; van Oosterhout, H. (2012): Not all institutions are created equal: Institutional stages of private actor international business regulations. 28th EGOS Colloquium, Helsinki, Finland.
- Meuer, Johannes; Krug, B. (2012): Empirical data for analyzing the internationalization of Chinese firms: An evaluative overview. 5th Biennial IACMR Conference, Hong Kong, China.
- Meuer, Johannes; Schuller, M.; Schueler-Zhou, Y. (2012): China´s OFDI Footprint in Europe: Investment Patterns, Drivers and Implications. European Commission, DG Enterprise and Industry, Brussels, Belgium.
- Meuer, Johannes; Wang, T.; Reinmoeller, P.; Krug, B. (2011): On the Effectiveness of Chinese Politics in Directing Outward Foreign Direct Investments. 5th China Goes Global Conference, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Meuer, Johannes (2011): Organizational Design Choices: Enabling Practice Innovation: Evidence from China´s Biopharma Industry. Academy of Management Meeting, Montréal, Canada.
- Meuer, Johannes (2010): Collaborative Practice Innovation in China´s Biopharmaceutical Industry: Firms Transforming Fields. International Association for Chinese Management Research (IACMR), Shanghai, China.
- Meuer, Johannes (2009): Collective Creation of Proto Institutions. 25th EGOS Colloquium, Barcelona, Spain.
- Meuer, Johannes (2009): A Set Theoretic Approach to the Study of Proto Institutions. 8th Session of the European School of New Institutional Economics, Cargèse (Corsica), France.
- Meuer, Johannes (2009): Hatching Institutions. XV. Organization Science Winter Conference, Steamboat Springs, CO, USA.
- Meuer, Johannes (2009): Governance via Inclusion of the Governed: Organizational Determinants of Participatory Policy Networks. Young Scholars Workshop on Changing Governance in Asia, ILAS Centre for Regulation and Governance, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Meuer, Johannes (2008): Collective Institutional Entrepreneurship in China. International Association for Chinese Management Research (IACMR), Guangzhou, China.
- Meuer, Johannes (2008): Smart Business Networks in Non-Modular Industries. Smart Business Networks, Beijing, China.
2021 - Innovedum "Case-based Collaborative Group Coaching in Corporate Sustainability"
2020 - Golden Owl "Best Lecturer" at D-MTEC, ETH Zurich
2019 - Best Reviewer Awards, ONE Division, Academy of Management Meeting 2019
2018 - ABCD Award, OMT Division, Academy of Management Meeting 2018
2018 - Finalist ETH KITE (Key Innovation in Teaching at ETH) Award
2016 - Finalist Best Divisional Paper, HR Division, Academy of Management
2015 - Best Paper Award, Swiss Leading House "Economics of Education"
2012 - ecch Case Awards: Best Case in Category Strategy and General Management
2011 - Finalist Decision Sciences Institute's Best Teaching Case
2010 - First Price AESE Case Writing Competition
2010 - Best Paper Award, OMT Division, Academy of Management