Professor Ringlstetter, you can look back on more than three decades at the Ingolstadt School of Management. You were born in Munich, how did you end up in Ingolstadt?
Prof. Dr. Max Ringlstetter: In April 1993, the secretary's office of Werner Kirsch's chair, where I was working as a postdoctoral researcher at the time, called out to me that a “certain Schuster from Ingolstadt” was asking for me on the phone. With my screaming firstborn in my arms, I called back more casually than interested and asked them to write down the phone number for me. They did, and I called Ingolstadt. Leo Schuster turned out to be the dean of the then relatively young Ingolstadt School of Management. He told me that they were looking for a colleague for the Chair of Business Administration with a focus on Organization and Human Resources. I seized the opportunity and presented myself at the WFI within 48 hours. The rest is history.
Was it always clear to you that your path would lead to the academic world?
Ringlstetter: My first foray into McKinsey was in 1985. After completing my dissertation project, I had to decide whether to accept the offer of a postdoctoral project with Werner Kirsch or to move back toward McKinsey. Well, you know my decision, and I have never regretted it. However, I was often asked whether it was the right decision. And I had to answer that I had no idea. After all, I only lived one life.
You remained loyal to science and academia for over 30 years.
Ringlstetter: There were certainly two decisive reasons that spoke in favor of academia in my life at that time: In an academic environment, I was able to lead a relatively self-determined life, which also meant more time with my family—I have four children. The second reason was the opportunity to define my own tasks.
What tasks did you decide on?
Ringlstetter: Of course, when it comes to academic freedom, the first thing that comes to mind is research. Initially, we focused on corporations and human resources. Admittedly, I was quite new to the field of human resources, so we first developed a corresponding frame of reference at our department. We also looked at various industries, such as the automotive industry. But retail, which is prominently represented in Ingolstadt with the headquarters of Media Saturn, as well as professional service firms and management consultancies also played a role. The common thread running through these different research efforts was always an interest in strategic corporate management.
You talk about “we.” Who do you mean by that?
Ringlstetter: In my brief outline of the research areas, I deliberately switched from the first person to the plural form. This is because doctoral students, of whom I have supervised more than 80 to completion of their doctorates, always make a significant contribution to the research of a chair. Four of them even successfully completed their habilitation with me, and two more with colleagues.
You have accompanied many young people on their career paths. What was particularly important for you in the process?
Ringlstetter: On the one hand, it is of course about imparting knowledge in lectures. My staff had the main burden of the effort to make these lectures bearable for students. They gave students deep insights into the practice of corporate management – mostly in collaboration with companies. It was my responsibility to create the framework for this, to acquire companies, and above all to recognize that academic training is useful, but that more than 99 percent of business administration students will end up in practical work. Teaching also includes designing degree programs. Together with my colleague Joachim Thomas, I was responsible for the creation of the now well-established Business & Psychology degree program.
In addition to your teaching activities, you have taken on other tasks at the University.
Ringlstetter: If you know me well, you could describe my ten years as dean as overzealous. Two years would actually have been the norm. I was also responsible for university marketing, the WFI Talent Platform, internationalization, and the MBA program. Being a member to the Senate and the University Council round off the overall picture. Given this accumulation of offices, it goes without saying that you don't just make friends: I already apologized for my (mal)practices at what was my last faculty council meeting and asked for something like an individual general amnesty. But the most important thing was the patience of my secretary of many decades, Walburga Mosburger, who stoically endured these self-administration orgies and had my back. Nevertheless, I would not want to miss this part of my life at WFI for anything.
Looking back on your more than three decades at the faculty, what conclusion do you draw?
Ringlstetter: I had a wonderful time at the Ingolstadt School of Management.