Hey, I amAgnes Günther
Strategist, Designer, Researcher
I believe that businesses should have a positive impact on society and make the world a better place. It’s not enough to have a carbon-neutral footprint. More so, I believe that having a positive impact on society improves economic performance in the long term.
Driven by this belief, I left my research position at a top US business school to start my own business: Netsocietal™.
What started as a theory turned into a company mission: The mission to help businesses create a net-positive, measurable, and noticeable impact on society – as I call it: be netsocietal.
I am a founder, partner, consultant.
Most of all: I am curious. I am not afraid to challenge what’s taken for granted. I dare to reinvent myself and take risks to create what really matters: a net-positive impact.
The principles behind Netsocietal™
Since the beginning of Netsocietal™, we have worked with four key principles in mind.
- Solutions should be market-creating. Policies and regulations cannot be the only instruments for businesses to do good.
- We need to apply system thinking and see the big picture to make it work. Thinking in silos won’t bring us much further.
- Great ambitions require a vision that is ethical and sustainable in the long term. We dare to try to realize it.
- While visionary, everything we do is science-based, backed up with data and facts. We know the odds.
More about Netsocietal™
To learn more about what we do at Netsocietal™, the projects, and the team I work with, visit our website.
Prior to starting Netsocietal
My Research
I’m passionate about understanding how firms can align strategies and strategically manage human capital to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving business environment.
My research focuses on the intersection of corporate strategy and human capital, exploring how firms can leverage the knowledge, skills, and expertise of their employees to drive success. I’m particularly interested in how organizations manage human capital in dynamic environments, such as during acquisitions or in newly established ventures.
Human capital is a key determinant of firm performance, yet it presents unique challenges—employees are mobile, and their skills can’t be owned by the company. My research provides insights into how firms can reconfigure and retain, and build on this vital resource, and how these decisions impact competitive advantage. For example, I study how firms manage talent post-acquisition and whether they can truly capture the value of the human capital they sought to acquire.
My research has been recognized for its contributions to the field of strategy, particularly the micro-foundations of corporate strategy. My dissertation was nominated for the Best Dissertation Award by the Strategy Division of the Academy of Management in 2022, I was selected as a Strategy Research Foundation Dissertation Scholar, and my work has received other honors, including a Best Paper and Distinguished Paper Awards. These recognitions affirm the importance of understanding how firms can strategically manage human capital in an ever-changing business landscape.
