Interim-Management: A Paradox for Leadership Research?**

Zusammenfassung

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The study focuses on Interim-Management as a so far rarely discussed phenomenon of the flexible firm. Contradicting popular leadership perception, the authors argue that Interim-Management does not constitute a leadership paradox but can be explained by established organization theory. In particular, transaction cost economics as well as resource-based view help explain the utilization of Interim-Management. Furthermore, the authors show that Interim-Management constitutes a response to reduced investments in human resources. Companies that have reduced the extent and the costs of training activities during the last years show a higher probability to utilize Interim-Managers.

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Interim-Management: A Paradox for Leadership Research?**

Introduction

For more than two decades by now, the flexible firm or, to put it differently, non-standard forms of employment have attracted the attention of academics and practitioners as well as policy makers (Bosch 2004, Kalleberg 2000). Starting off with the work of Atkinson (1984) who suggested the emergence of an organizational model comprising of a core and peripheral workforce, different forms of flexibility, its dissemination across national borders, as well as its impact on employee quality of life, on organizational performance and on industrial relations have been studied intensively.1 Past research, however, mainly focuses on flexible arrangements for blue-collar and white-collar workers, leaving out flexibility of management.

Addressing this deficit, our study focuses on managerial flexibility, namely Interim-Management. Basically speaking, we analyze the determinants of InterimManagement from different theoretical lenses, testing hypotheses using a sample of German companies. In detail, we ask the question whether Interim-Management constitutes a leadership paradox, or whether Interim-Management may be explained by organization theory, decreased investments in human resources as well as short-term human resou...

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