AI-run Firms, AI on the Board & AI-native Firms (EN)

📌 Key facts

• Mission: Join us in analyzing how companies are using AI in leadership and governance—specifically AI on the board, AI-supported decision-making, and AI-native organizational models.
• Start: ASAP, applications reviewed on a rolling basis, ideally apply by Nov 30, 2025.
• Format: Master's Thesis, EMBA Thesis, MSc Seminar Paper, IDP, or Project Study. Can be individual or team-based, depending on the format.
• Supervision: Chair for Strategy and Organization, TUM

• 📌 Key facts
• 💡 About the Project
• 🔭 Your Thesis, IDP, or Project Study
• 🦾Who We Are
• 🎯 Goals
• 🧠 Topics of Interest (Examples)
• 🧪 Methods & Data
• 🎓 Profile
• 🔒 Ethics & Confidentiality
• 📬 How to Apply

💡 About the Project

AI-run firms leverage AI as a core management and decision-making tool. This ranges from AI-supported executive decisions and AI advisors/observers on the board, all the way to AI-native operating models where processes, structures, and incentive systems are built around AI.

We're researching governance, accountability, performance, risk, and compliance in organizations using AI in core functions. We're also exploring the differences between traditional, AI-enabled, and AI-native companies.

🔭 Your Thesis, IDP, or Project Study

You'll support our ongoing research on AI-run firms. Depending on the format, you'll work on literature reviews, designing and conducting field studies, data collection & analysis, and identifying implications for leadership, organization, and supervisory boards. The exact scope will be tailored to your background, the project requirements, and your personal interests.

🦾Who We Are

The Chair for Strategy and Organization focuses on cutting-edge topics, including AI in leadership & orgs, digital transformation, business model innovation, HRTech, governance, and teams. Our work is research-driven and impact-oriented, collaborating closely with partners in both academia and industry.

🎯 Goals

• Build a sample of 'AI-on-the-Board' firms and AI-native firms.
• Understand the mechanisms of how AI on the board changes decisions (incl. quality, speed, and accountability).
• Derive design principles for AI-native organizational models (incl. roles, processes, KPIs).
• Identify success factors, risks, and guardrails for the productive use of AI in corporate leadership.

🧠 Topics of Interest (Examples)

• AI on the board: roles, models (advisor, observer), voting, record-keeping.
• Governance & due process with AI: transparency, explainability, auditing, regulation, EU AI Act implications.
• AI-native firms: operating models, org design, incentives, skill profiles, cost structures.
• Performance impact: productivity, decision quality, risk, and compliance.
• Human-AI collaboration: acceptance, change management, and capability building.

🧪 Methods & Data

• Systematic identification of AI-led firms and AI-native firms.
• Systematic literature reviews and frameworks.
• Qualitative case studies with executive boards, supervisory boards, and C-levels; semi-structured interviews; expert panels.
• Quantitative analyses, surveys, archival data, governance and performance metrics.
• Prototypical AI workflows for board work, evaluation designs, decision logs, A/B logic.
• Optional (depending on interest): small agent-based or simulation studies on decision-making processes.

🎓 Profile

• Highly reliable and able to work independently.
• Keen interest in AI's role in leadership, governance, and organizations.
• Excellent research skills; comfortable and professional communicating with industry partners.
• Strong analytical skills and a passion for empirical work (qualitative or quantitative).
• Fluent in German or English (German language skills are a big plus for interviews in the DACH region).

🔒 Ethics & Confidentiality

Working with corporate data demands rigorous attention to confidentiality, consent, data minimization, and documentation. We provide all necessary templates and guidelines.

📬 How to Apply

Send an email to Isabell Welpe at welpe@tum.de with:

• Your CV & current transcript of records
• A brief (.docx) sketch of your idea: research question, data & methods, expected results, and a rough outline.

Suggested subject line: Application AI-run Firms, [Thesis or IDP or Project Study]

We look forward to your application!