Since November of last year, alongside my full-time position at farbenmeer, I have been pursuing a PhD on a topic that has long fascinated me both professionally and personally: self-organization.
Why self-organization, of all things?
I first encountered the topic of self-organization at this level of depth during my time at farbenmeer. Granted, I had already focused heavily on corporate culture, work models, and healthy working environments in my previous career steps. However, self-organization goes a step further: it fundamentally disrupts traditional organizational structures.
Instead of clear hierarchical setups, it relies on greater autonomy, personal responsibility, and decentralized decision-making. That is exactly where its enormous scope—and its complexity—lies for me.
A model with great potential
In academia, interest in self-organized forms of work has been growing for several years. There is an increasing number of studies, articles, and perspectives on the subject. Nevertheless, many questions remain unanswered. And in practice, there are still relatively few companies that consistently organize themselves in a truly self-managed way.
From my perspective, this is surprising. Self-organization can achieve so much: for job satisfaction, productivity, employee retention, and ultimately, company success.
At the same time, it is clear that self-organization doesn't just work by abolishing hierarchies. Decentralization requires structure, guidance, and clear frameworks. Otherwise, you don't get freedom—you get chaos.
What interests me about the research
Another exciting aspect for me is the question of whether and how self-organization can work equally well for all employees. Not everyone wants or is able to work with maximum decision-making freedom. Furthermore, many people have been socialized in classic organizational structures where leadership, responsibility, and professional development are heavily tied to managers.
This is exactly where my research comes in. I want to investigate:
What structural conditions must be met so that autonomy becomes possible for all employees.
How self-organization impacts teams and individuals.
The influence of competencies, social structures, and frameworks on the productivity and job satisfaction of teams and individuals.
Whether there are industry-specific or size-related limits to self-organized models.
Research with practical relevance
For me, this PhD is not just an academic project, but also an opportunity to better understand a work model that could be highly relevant for the future of many organizations—just as it already is for farbenmeer.
I am thrilled to be able to dive deeper into this topic as part of my role at farbenmeer, and that we have collectively created the space to do so.
Tax incentives for corporate research through the Forschungszulage (Research Allowance)
At the beginning of this year, Rebecca and I submitted an application for the Forschungszulage (Research Allowance) to the BSFZ (German Federal Funding Office for Research Allowance). This program is designed to support companies that enable research for their employees—and thus incur research expenses (my wage costs)—by providing tax incentives. As an SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprise), this covers up to 35 percent of the wage costs for the working hours I dedicate to research.
The application process is extensive, but it's worth it! Fortunately, it was approved. As a result, I can now dedicate one day of my work week to research—without farbenmeer having to carry the full financial burden of this time. For me, this is not only an incredible support system, but also a strong signal that research and practice can be meaningfully combined.
If you have any questions about doing a PhD alongside a full-time job, or what my journey was like to find doctoral supervision, feel free to reach out to me anytime!
