Event Type : Conferenze

Lunch Seminar in presence

Building BL26 – Room 0.19 (ground floor)
Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering
Via R. Lambruschini 4/B, 20156 Milano

Johanna Mair
Hertie School, Germany

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Abstract:

How do organizations foster just institutional arrangements in response to systemic and contested societal challenges? While organized responses to episodic crises have been widely studied in organization theory, less is known about how organizations engage with creeping crises—gradual, cumulative threats that undermine the legitimacy of institutions at the societal level over time. Drawing on a longitudinal case study of a nonprofit organization addressing systemic migration challenges in Germany, this paper examines how confronting a creeping crisis enabled the organization to foster institutional capacity: the ability of institutions to establish and maintain fair terms of societal cooperation. The study surfaces three generative mechanisms—structuring, relating, and activating agency—that explain how organized efforts contributed to more inclusive, equitable, and resilient forms of cooperation. This perspective shifts analytical attention from fixed outcomes to the quality and direction of the change process, offering a framework for evaluating how organizations address complex societal challenges and reshape institutional arrangements.

Johanna Mair is a Professor of Organization, Strategy, and Leadership at the Hertie School. Her research focuses on the intersection of organizations, institutions, and societal challenges, with a particular interest in innovation processes and dynamics. Johanna is the academic editor of the Stanford Social Innovation Review and co-directs the Global Innovation for Impact Lab at the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society. She teaches courses on Social Innovation at the Hertie School and the Harvard Kennedy School.   

1° webinar tematico
Evento online

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Il webinar ha l’obiettivo di aprire al pubblico l’edizione 2025 dell’Osservatorio Purpose in Action, presentandone le finalità, le attività e i primi risultati emersi dalla nuova indagine annuale. Sarà un’occasione per approfondire il significato del Purpose oggi e riflettere sul suo potenziale come leva reale di trasformazione per le organizzazioni. L’incontro prevede il contributo di esperti e la condivisione di esperienze concrete da parte di organizzazioni che hanno partecipato attivamente al Purpose in Action Lab, offrendo uno sguardo diretto su come il Purpose possa essere attivato in modo autentico e con impatti tangibili, anche in contesti differenti. Attraverso testimonianze, riflessioni e dati, il webinar intende promuovere una cultura del Purpose capace di connettere strategia, identità e azione, stimolando un confronto aperto tra i partecipanti.

AGENDA:

17:00 Avvio evento e saluti di benvenuto

17:05 Le attività dell’Osservatorio Purpose in Action

17:20 Keynote speech

17:35 Tavolo di discussione con i partner della ricerca

17:55 Q&A