Dr. Jannis von Nitzsch

Academic career

Jannis holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Psychology from the University of Cologne and a Dr. rer. pol. from the Technical University of Munich. He is currently completing his habilitation under the supervision of Prof. Engelen at HHU Düsseldorf.

Professional stages

Before pursuing his doctorate, Jannis gained experience in management consulting, human resources, and explored a startup idea in digital headhunting. Since 2020, he has been dedicated to an academic career.

Research focus

Jannis' research centers on the "people side of entrepreneurship & management." To explore this, he integrates theories from social and cognitive psychology with management theories.

Publications

• Von Nitzsch, J./Bird, M./Saiedi, E. (2024). The strategic role of owners in firm growth: Contextualizing ownership competence in private firms. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 18 (3), 553-581.
• Osses, L./von Nitzsch, J./Engelen, A. (2025): Do external founder CEOs put strategic emphasis on innovation? An upper echelons perspective, in: Journal of Product Innovation Management, 42 (3), 475-501.
• Brandenburg, A. N./von Nitzsch, J./Willcke-Berg, V./Engelen, A. (2026). Founding experience and tech-based ventures' innovation: The mediating role of absorptive capacity. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, forthcoming.
• Lang, U./Berg, V./von Nitzsch, J./Engelen, A. (2026): The dynamics of narcissism in founding teams: Implications for co-founder turnover and venture growth, in: Journal of Business Venturing, 41 (2).