Prof. Dr. Kirsten Thommes is Professor of Organizational Behavior at the University of Paderborn's Faculty of Economics, Department of Organizational Behavior, where she has held a chair since April 2018. Her work bridges organizational psychology, human-computer interaction, and management science, with a focus on how companies build relationships with employees and how organizational structures impact behavior. She leads the Chair of Organizational Behavior research group and is actively involved in the Collaborative Research Center Transregio 318 as Project Manager for A03 and C02, while also contributing to the Paderborn Research Center for Sustainable Economy (PARSEC) and Intelligent Technical Systems profile area. Education: Business administration studies at Phillips University Marburg Doctorate from Friedrich Schiller University Jena Postdoctoral work at Radboud University Nijmegen and RWTH Aachen University Prof. Thommes' research centers on understanding employee behavior in organizations and how organizational characteristics affect this behavior. Her evidence-based management approach helps decision-makers find better organizational solutions. She pursues numerous practitioner-collaborative projects alongside university research, focusing on three main areas: teamwork dynamics, organizational identity formation, and human-machine interaction in workplaces. Her interdisciplinary approach draws from economic, sociological, and psychological theories with strong empirical grounding through statistical analysis. Recent work increasingly examines AI integration in organizational contexts, exploring how employees interact with algorithmic decision systems across various sectors from transportation to healthcare. Analysis of Prof. Thommes' recent publications reveals a clear trajectory toward understanding human-AI collaboration in organizational settings. Her work spans explainable AI (XAI), decision-making with algorithmic support, energy efficiency interventions, and team dynamics in technological contexts. A significant portion examines how different explanation formats affect user trust and reliance on AI systems. Another strand investigates sustainable behavior in organizations, particularly how leadership communication can motivate energy-efficient practices. Her publications demonstrate methodological diversity, employing experiments, field studies, and mixed-methods approaches across various organizational contexts. Prof. Thommes actively mentors doctoral and master's students, with several successful doctorates completed at her chair as recently as July 2025. Her research is supported through multiple collaborative projects including: Working World Plus: Creating a regional competence center for 'AI in the working world of industrial SMEs' (KIAM) as part of the it's OWL technology cluster Constructing Explainability: DFG-funded Collaborative Research Center examining transparency in algorithmic decisions EcoDrive: Field experiments with professional truck drivers studying effective telematics implementation PredictTeams: Developing a framework for predictive competence management for agile teams The Chair of Organizational Behavior operates as a vibrant research hub with multiple doctoral researchers, research assistants, and student assistants. The team maintains strong industry connections through the it's OWL technology cluster and collaborates with various practitioners. They actively engage with students and alumni through LinkedIn and Instagram, reflecting their commitment to bridging academic research with practical organizational applications.
