Participation in the RENT Conference

26 Februar 2026

23 November 2023

“Taming Uncertainty” was the central theme of this year’s RENT Conference, at which the Chair of Leadership & Organizational Behavior was represented by a contribution from Alexandra Jussli. Together with Martin Schwarz from the Universität Stuttgart, she presented an interdisciplinary research project. The early-career researchers thus had the opportunity to actively engage in discussions within the field and gain insights into the latest ongoing projects.

The presented paper examines how founders can experience meaningful work despite high levels of personal risk and uncertainty. The findings of the qualitative study identify specific contextual conditions that shape entrepreneurs’ perceptions. Furthermore, the study emphasizes that founders’ personal motives underlying their entrepreneurial activities substantially influence which factors are perceived as burdensome or meaningful. Based on these insights, the authors derive four distinct types that draw meaning from different aspects of the entrepreneurial process.

The framework developed from the results provides guidance for entrepreneurship support by offering points of reference for selecting and designing tailored support programs. The implications can also be transferred to change management and coaching contexts within established organizations. Here, too, employees must navigate a “VUCA” environment, in which the pursuit of personal motives represents a powerful resource.

In the discussion following the presentation, the plenary described the work as “refreshing” and particularly praised its innovative methodological approach, which enables especially authentic insights into the everyday realities of entrepreneurship. Building on this feedback, avenues for deepening selected findings and for future research projects emerged.

The Chair’s participation in the RENT Conference thus underscores the importance of interdisciplinary and international research exchange for high-quality scholarship.

The paper is available to interested readers upon request.