Gerald Eisenkopf

Gerald Eisenkopf is a Professor of Business Administration with a focus on Management of Social Services at the University of Vechta, Germany. He is actively engaged in research and teaching, with a strong emphasis on behavioral and experimental economics applied to leadership, conflict resolution, and education policy. His work bridges economics and management, particularly in nonprofit and public service sectors.

His research interests center on behavioral economics, leadership effectiveness, and conflict resolution. Using experimental methodologies—including lab and field experiments—he investigates how economic incentives, leadership styles (e.g., leading by example, punishment), and social dynamics shape decision-making in organizations and educational settings. His work often explores topics such as fairness, peer effects, and communication in social dilemmas.

The trends in his recent publications reveal a consistent focus on experimental investigations of leadership and social behavior. His articles span disciplines including economics, management, education, and political economy, with recurring themes in behavioral game theory, incentive design, and organizational behavior. He frequently employs controlled experiments to isolate causal mechanisms in leadership and conflict contexts.

• Behavioral Mechanisms of Leadership (DFG-funded, since 2018)
• Behavioral Foundations of Conflict Resolution (DFG-funded, 2014–2017)

He has served as a reviewer for numerous high-impact journals such as The Economic Journal, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Education Economics, and Journal of Conflict Resolution, as well as for funding agencies including the German Research Foundation (DFG), Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), and Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).

Gerald Eisenkopf advises bachelor’s and master’s students, as evidenced by his recurring role in supervising theses. He teaches courses in controlling, social policy, nonprofit management, and quantitative methods. He leads a research team collaborating on projects related to leadership and group behavior, often with colleagues such as Torben Kölpin and Christian Walter. He is a member of academic associations including the Verein für Socialpolitik, Deutscher Hochschulverband, and the Economic Science Association.