WHU

Professor Jane Lê

Chair of Strategic Management

Overview

Jane is Professor of Strategic Management. Her research explores strategy in complex settings, particularly how organizations manage multiple competing goals. Jane is on the editorial boards of Organization Studies, Strategic Organization, and Organizational Research Methods (Associate Editor 2020-2024).

Research interests

Professor Jane Le is internationally recognized for her work on strategic complexity and how organizations manage multiple competing goals. Currently, Jane’s research is focused on three strands:

  • Strategy as Practice
    Jane’s work focuses on how people in and around organizations actually do strategy in practice. Her work in this area has been funded by the ESRC and British Academy, and published in premier outlets like the Academy of Management Journal and Organization Science.
  • Paradox in Organizations
    This stream of work seeks to garner better understanding of how people in organizations manage multiple competing goals, within and across organizations. This work has been supported by an ARC Discovery Grant (2016-2019) and has been published in key handbooks and journals like Organization Studies and Strategic Organization. It was awarded the SO! WHAT Best Paper Award in 2018 and an Organization Studies Editorial Pick in 2017.
  • Organizational Research Methods
    Jane is passionate about qualitative research and qualitative research methods. She has written on various aspects of the research process, including data collection and analysis, and specifics of process research, studying paradox, and CAQDAS. Her most recent work aims to illuminate the practice of research methods, including designs-in-use and ways of innovating methods. She is on the Organizational Research Methods editorial board and will become Associate Editor in 2020.

Recent publications of Professor Jane Lê

Management Group

Lê, J., Bednarek, R. (2023), Using interpretive methods to unleash the potential of human resource development, Human Resource Development Review, Vol. 22 (2), pp. 163-172.

Management Group

Lê, J., Schmid, T. (2022), The practice of innovating research methods, Organizational Research Methods, Vol. 25 (2), pp. 308-336.

Management Group

Gioia, D., Corley, K., Eisenhardt, K., Feldman, M., Langley, A., Lê, J., Golden-Biddle, K., Locke, K., Mees-Buss, J., Piekkari, R., Ravasi, D., Rerup, C., Schmid, T., Silverman, D., Welch, C. (2022), A curated debate: on using “templates” in qualitative research, Journal of Management Inquiry, Vol. 31 (3), pp. 231–252.

Management Group

Couture, F., Jarzabkowski, P., Lê, J. (2023), Triggers,traps and disconnect: how governance obstacles hinder progress on grand challenges, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 66 (6), pp. 1651 - 1680.

Management Group

Seidl, D., Lê, J., Jarzabkowski, P. (2021), The generative potential of Niklas Luhmann's theorizing for paradox research: decision paradox and deparadoxization, Research in the Sociology of Organizations, Vol. 73b, pp. 49-64.

Management Group

Pradies, C., Aust-Gronarz, I., Bednarek, R., Brandl, J., Carmine, S., Cheal, J., Pina E Cunha, M., Gaim, M., Keegan, A., Lê, J., Miron-Spektor, E., Nielsen, R. K., Pouthier, V., Sharma, G., Sparr, J. L., Vince, R., Keller, J. (2021), The lived experience of paradox: how individuals navigate tensions during the pandemic crisis, Journal of Management Inquiry, Vol. 30 (2), pp. 154-167.

Management Group

Jarzabkowski, P., Lê, J., Balogun, J. (2019), The social practice of coevolving strategy and structure to realize mandated radical change, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 62 (3), pp. 850-882.

Management Group

Lê, J., Bednarek, R. (2023), Using interpretive methods to unleash the potential of human resource development, Human Resource Development Review, Vol. 22 (2), pp. 163-172.

Management Group

Lê, J., Schmid, T. (2022), The practice of innovating research methods, Organizational Research Methods, Vol. 25 (2), pp. 308-336.

Management Group

Gioia, D., Corley, K., Eisenhardt, K., Feldman, M., Langley, A., Lê, J., Golden-Biddle, K., Locke, K., Mees-Buss, J., Piekkari, R., Ravasi, D., Rerup, C., Schmid, T., Silverman, D., Welch, C. (2022), A curated debate: on using “templates” in qualitative research, Journal of Management Inquiry, Vol. 31 (3), pp. 231–252.

Management Group

Couture, F., Jarzabkowski, P., Lê, J. (2023), Triggers,traps and disconnect: how governance obstacles hinder progress on grand challenges, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 66 (6), pp. 1651 - 1680.

Management Group

Seidl, D., Lê, J., Jarzabkowski, P. (2021), The generative potential of Niklas Luhmann's theorizing for paradox research: decision paradox and deparadoxization, Research in the Sociology of Organizations, Vol. 73b, pp. 49-64.

Management Group

Pradies, C., Aust-Gronarz, I., Bednarek, R., Brandl, J., Carmine, S., Cheal, J., Pina E Cunha, M., Gaim, M., Keegan, A., Lê, J., Miron-Spektor, E., Nielsen, R. K., Pouthier, V., Sharma, G., Sparr, J. L., Vince, R., Keller, J. (2021), The lived experience of paradox: how individuals navigate tensions during the pandemic crisis, Journal of Management Inquiry, Vol. 30 (2), pp. 154-167.

Management Group

Jarzabkowski, P., Lê, J., Balogun, J. (2019), The social practice of coevolving strategy and structure to realize mandated radical change, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 62 (3), pp. 850-882.

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