Michael Grothe-Hammer

Michael Grothe-Hammer is a Professor in Sociology (Organization and Technology) at the Department of Sociology and Political Science (ISS) of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway, a position he has held since September 2024. Previously, he served as an Associate Professor at the same institution from April 2020 to September 2024. He is also the Head of the "Organization & Society" Research Group at NTNU and serves as Co-Editor in Chief of the Journal of Organizational Sociology.

His educational background includes a Doctorate in Sociology (Dr. rer. pol.) from Helmut Schmidt University Hamburg (2015-2018), an M.A. Sociology from Bielefeld University (2009-2013), and a B.A. Sociology from Bielefeld University (2006-2009).

Professor Grothe-Hammer's research spans multiple domains within sociological organization studies. His primary interests include Sociological Theory, Organization & Digitalization, Emergencies & Disasters, New Forms of Organization, Organization & Societal Differentiation, ASMR & Sociology of Emotions, and Learning Practices in Higher Education. His work often integrates Social Systems Theory with contemporary organizational challenges, developing frameworks like Decisional Organization Theory that bridge classical sociological perspectives with modern organizational phenomena. His research demonstrates how organizational structures interact with societal differentiation processes, particularly in contexts of emergencies, digital transformation, and meta-organizing for grand challenges.

His scholarly contributions have been recognized with several prestigious awards including the EGOS Best Paper Award 2016, nomination for the EGOS Best Student Paper Award 2017, and the Outstanding Reviewer Award in the 2024 Emerald Literati Awards. His research on "Membership and contributorship in organizations" was named a Wiley Top Downloaded Article for publications between 2019-2020, reflecting its significant impact in the field.

• EGOS Best Paper Award 2016 (with Jörg Sydow, Olivier Berthod, and Ryan Hagen)
• Nominated for EGOS Best Student Paper Award 2017
• Performance bonus from Helmut Schmidt University for "outstanding, exceptional performance" (2017 & 2018)
• Finalist at Most Inspirational Paper Awards 2024 (European Academy of Management)
• Winner of Outstanding Reviewer Award 2024 (Emerald Literati Awards)
• Wiley Top Downloaded Article (2019-2020)

Professor Grothe-Hammer has supervised numerous Master's and Bachelor's theses on diverse topics including organizational challenges in rural cultural events, AI collaboration in software development, knowledge production in marine governance, climate perceptions among young adults, workplace harassment, and dating app practices. His editorial leadership extends to multiple high-impact journals, where he has served as Co-Editor in Chief of the Journal of Organizational Sociology since 2022, Managing Board Member of PCI Organization Studies since 2023, and Editorial Advisory Board Member of the Journal of Organizational Ethnography since 2023. He also serves as President of the Research Committee "Sociology of Organizations" of the International Sociological Association.

He leads multiple research projects including "Meta-organizing grand challenges: the case of ocean governance," which studies how meta-organizations tackle so-called "grand challenges"; "FIRE 21," which aims to understand and improve problem-solving in fire services; and "EUSEAS," which examines European Union maritime sustainability. His work demonstrates a strong commitment to addressing contemporary societal challenges through rigorous sociological analysis of organizational phenomena, particularly focusing on how organizations navigate complexity, uncertainty, and societal differentiation.