Employee Profile

Petra Kipfelsberger

Associate Professor - Department of Leadership and Organizational Behaviour

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Biography

Petra Kipfelsberger is an Associate Professor for Leadership and Organizational Behaviour at BI Norwegian Business School. She received her PhD in Management and Economics from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, in 2013. The Venia Legendi for Business Administration with a special focus on Leadership and Organizational Behaviour at the University of St.Gallen was awarded to her in 2021. She studied at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and received a comprehensive interdisciplinary education at the Bavarian Elite Academy. At the former she was a Visiting Research Fellow at Boston College in the Department of Management and Organisation, Massachusetts, and at IESE Business School in the Department of Managing People, Spain.

Petra´s research interests center on inspirational leadership, meaningful work, listening, and coaching. Her research is focused on the question of how individuals and organizations thrive and prosper in times of uncertainty and complexity. She conducts her research projects in close collaboration with international companies. She serves as a board member of IGNITE as well as a coach for global managers at the C-level.

Publications

Kipfelsberger, Petra & Gottschalk, Petter (2025)

The Transfer of Meaningfulness from Leaders to Followers as Partners in Crime: The Case of a Married Lawyer and His Accountant Wife in Embezzlement and Money Laundering

Deviant Behavior, s. 1- 18. Doi: 10.1080/01639625.2025.2469811 - Full text in research archive

This article examines how leaders exert influence on followers in the context of economic crime through a case study. The present case illustrates the conviction of a lawyer husband as a leader, sentenced to five years in prison for embezzlement, and his wife, the firm’s accountant, convicted of money laundering and facing a three-year sentence. The wife has chosen to appeal the verdict. This research explores the dark sides of visionary leadership and followership, delving into the interdependencies that extend beyond the workplace. Drawing on the meaning transfer model, it analyzes the contagious dynamics between the leader and follower, presenting novel convenience propositions on dyadic leadership influence. This article provides insights into the complex dynamics at play within the convenience triangle in economic crimes. It sheds light on the nuanced implications of the leader-follower relationship and draws attention to the gendered roles observed, where female offenders tend to assume follower positions, while male offenders frequently take on leadership roles in the realm of white-collar and corporate crime.

Kipfelsberger, Petra & Shantz, Amanda (2024)

Meaningful work

Bal, P. Matthijs (red.). Elgar Encyclopedia of Organizational Psychology

Academic Degrees
Year Academic Department Degree
2021 University of St. Gallen Venia Legendi
2013 University of St. Gallen, School of Management PhD
Work Experience
Year Employer Job Title
2024 - Present BI Norwegian Business School Associate Professor
2021 - 2024 University of St. Gallen Assistant Professor
2013 - 2021 University of St. Gallen Postdoctoral Fellow