Annette Kleinfeld

Prof. Dr. Annette Kleinfeld serves as Professor of Business & Society at the Faculty of Business, Humanities and Law, Konstanz University of Applied Sciences (HTWG), a position she has held since 2014. She simultaneously serves as the university's Senate Representative for Ethics and Head of the "CSR & Sustainability" department at the KICG Konstanz Institute for Corporate Governance. Her extensive professional affiliations include co-founding the German Network for Business Ethics (dnwe), serving on the board of the Club of Hamburg – Success with Decency Foundation since 2014, and membership on academic advisory boards for BCM (Federal Association of Compliance Managers) and VNU eV (Association for Sustainability and Environmental Management).

Prof. Kleinfeld's research focuses on business and corporate ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), values and culture management, and the ethical implications of digital transformation. Her work emphasizes practical implementation of ethical frameworks in organizations, particularly through standards like ISO 26000 which she helped develop as a leading German expert from 2005-2010. She approaches ethics as integral to business success rather than as constraints, advocating for "Success with Decency" as both ethical and strategically advantageous.

Her publication record demonstrates consistent scholarly contributions, with recent work (2020-2023) focusing on integrating CSR with compliance frameworks, updating ISO 26000 implementation guidance, and developing the "Erfolg mit Anstand 2.0" model for ethical organizational leadership. Analysis of her publications reveals a clear progression from theoretical foundations in her dissertation "Persona Oeconomica" toward increasingly practical applications for businesses navigating complex ethical landscapes, with particular emphasis on standardization and measurable implementation.

Prof. Kleinfeld's key professional achievements include:

• Leading German expert in developing ISO 26000 (2005-2010)
• Co-founding the German Network for Business Ethics (dnwe)
• Developing the "Erfolg mit Anstand" (Success with Decency) framework
• Authoring influential publications including monographs on CSR and ISO 26000
• Serving as editorial contributor to major reference works including the Encyclopedia of Sustainable Management

As an academic with significant industry experience, Prof. Kleinfeld bridges theory and practice effectively. Before joining academia, she founded "Dr. Kleinfeld CEC - Corporate Excellence Consultancy" in 2004 and worked extensively in management consultancy. This practical background informs her research and teaching, emphasizing actionable ethics rather than purely theoretical approaches. She currently leads the "CSR & Sustainability" research department at KICG, which develops practical frameworks for implementing ethical business practices including the "SDG Voyager" guide for aligning business with Sustainable Development Goals.