Effectiveness Research
From a purely theoretical point of view, there is much to suggest that Complementary Management – manifested in corporate models of management and leadership, individual management behavior, or the role of the HR function – produces significantly better organizational results than other theoretical management approaches. The existing scientific evidence on the partial elements of the theory also points in this direction. The scientific claim – in the sense of Karl Popper’s critical rationalism – must, of course, be to continue to critically question the theory. Only that which cannot be falsified despite rigorous scientific examination may claim validity (until proven otherwise). Our research team has therefore dedicated itself to the task of empirically investigating the theory of Complementary Management and to arousing the interest of other leadership scholars in the model through publications.
Effectiveness Research in Relation to Corporate Models of Management and Leadership
Corporate models of management and leadership are fundamental stipulations of management and leadership in a specific organization. However, very few organizations have comprehensive and consistent management models. In fact, corporate models that can be classified as Complementary Management are currently still the absolute exception. When it comes to systematically optimizing the well-being and work performance of the workforce as well as other organizational goals through people management, Complementary Management Models should be clearly superior to other corporate models due to their specific structural elements. A broad empirical study on this is in preparation.
Effectiveness Research in Relation to Managerial Behavior
Individual management behavior that meets the core requirements of the Complementary Management Model should, from a theoretical point of view, prove to be considerably more effective than other management behavior. After all, the theory integrates various individual, empirically well-supported constructs on management theory and supplements them with tried-and-tested mechanisms and concepts. An empirical research project is in preparation.
Effectiveness Research in Relation to the HR Function
The role of the HR function varies significantly from organization to organization. While in some places the emphasis is on pure HR administration, elsewhere it is devoted to business strategy consulting. The theory of Complementary Management is compatible with both and with many other things, but envisions, for example, an indispensable active leadership involvement of the HR function in the context of HR advisory to line managers (“HR co-management” or “HR co-leadership”). In this context, it should be scientifically investigated whether and how such a form of HR advisory impacts the work results and the staff’s well-being as well as the internal reputation of the HR function. Genuine HR co-management is – so the thesis goes – the key to high quality management and leadership across the board. Empirical studies on this have yet to be conducted.