1. Please briefly introduce yourself and your current job.
My name is Pascal Henninger and I currently live in Augsburg. In addition to my permanent position as a project manager at MAN Energy Solutions, I am starting this year as an external PhD student at the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Science at the University of Stuttgart. My focus will be on researching the theories of Effectuation and Causation. In particular, the transfer of the effectuation theory to established companies is of special interest to me.
2. How did you get involved in entrepreneurship?
My contact with the topic of "entrepreneurship" came about only indirectly. During my time as a research assistant in various established companies, I often saw the well-known inertia, e.g. in decision-making processes - at the same time, however, I was fascinated by the ease and flexibility of start-ups. Through my master thesis I had the opportunity to deal with exactly this topic for the first time: How can the flexibility of start-ups be transferred to established companies.
3. What tip would you give to students who are enthusiastic about founding a company, or who have already taken the first steps towards self-employment?
Unfortunately, I have not yet been able to gain any practical experience in the founding process itself. However, I can recommend all interested parties to deal with the two theories Effectuation and Causation. Understanding these two approaches and differences will also enable an efficient application of them. There is also literature about the advantages of using the Causation approach (rather attributed to traditional, established companies) in start-up areas in special situations.
Contact
Melanie Minderjahn
Research Associate, PR Manager