Prof. Dr. Fabian J. Sting

Work and research interests

Supply chain strategy
Technology and innovation strategy
Project management
Strategy implementation
Production management
Process innovation

Curriculum Vitae

Since 2016	Full Professor and Director of Department of Supply Chain Management - Strategy and Innovation, University of Cologne
Since 2019	Chaired Professor of Digital Supply Chain Innovation (part-time), Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2014-2019	Associate Professor (tenured) of Operations Management, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2010-2014	Assistant Professor of Operations Management (granted early tenure), Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2008-2010	Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in Technology and Operations Management, INSEAD, Technology and Operations Management Department, Fontainebleau, France
2005-2008	Doctorate in Production Management (Dr. rer. pol. summa cum laude), WHU-Otto Beisheim School of Management, Vallendar, Germany
2006	Doctoral studies as visiting scholar, Northwestern University, Chicago, USA Kellog School of Management and McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
2005-2007	M.Sc. in Mathematic - Methods and Models University of Hagen, Germany
2004	Master studies as exchange student University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
2002-2005	Diploma Studies (Master equivalent) with focus on Management Science, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Ingolstadt

Selected publications

Mosner, F. L., Sting, F. J., & Chandrasekaran, A. (2025). How Middle Managers Affect Frontline Idea Generation: Evidence From Healthcare Operations. Journal of Operations Management, 72(1), 21-41. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/joom.70018

Sting, F. J., Tarakci, M., & Recker, J. (2024). Performance Implications of Digital Disruption in Strategic Competition. MIS Quarterly, 48(3), 1263-1278. https://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2024/17999

Tarakci, M., Sting, F. J., Recker, J., & Kane, G. C. (2024). Three Questions to Ask About Your Digital Strategy. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/three-questions-to-ask-about-your-digital-strategy/

Salvador, F., & Sting, F. (2022). How Your Company Can Encourage Innovation from All Employees. Harvard Business Review (digital). https://hbr.org/2022/09/how-your-company-can-encourage-innovation-from-all-employees

Cornelius, P., Gokpinar, B., & Sting, F. (2021). Sparking Manufacturing Innovation: How Temporary Interplant Assignments Increase Employee Idea Values. Management Science, 67(4), 2231-2250. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2020.3673

CORNELIUS, PHILIPP. B., GOKPINAR, BILAL., & STING, FABIAN. J. (2021). How temporary assignments boost innovation: When front-line manufacturing employees are exchanged between company sites, they contribute more valuable ideas. MIT Sloan Management Review, 62(3), 9-11. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/how-temporary-assignments-boost-innovation/

All publications

Mosner, F. L., Sting, F. J., & Chandrasekaran, A. (2025). How Middle Managers Affect Frontline Idea Generation: Evidence From Healthcare Operations. Journal of Operations Management, 72(1), 21-41. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/joom.70018

Sting, F. J., Tarakci, M., & Recker, J. (2024). Performance Implications of Digital Disruption in Strategic Competition. MIS Quarterly, 48(3), 1263-1278. https://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2024/17999

Tarakci, M., Sting, F. J., Recker, J., & Kane, G. C. (2024). Three Questions to Ask About Your Digital Strategy. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/three-questions-to-ask-about-your-digital-strategy/

Salvador, F., & Sting, F. (2022). How Your Company Can Encourage Innovation from All Employees. Harvard Business Review (digital). https://hbr.org/2022/09/how-your-company-can-encourage-innovation-from-all-employees

Cornelius, P., Gokpinar, B., & Sting, F. (2021). Sparking Manufacturing Innovation: How Temporary Interplant Assignments Increase Employee Idea Values. Management Science, 67(4), 2231-2250. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2020.3673

CORNELIUS, PHILIPP. B., GOKPINAR, BILAL., & STING, FABIAN. J. (2021). How temporary assignments boost innovation: When front-line manufacturing employees are exchanged between company sites, they contribute more valuable ideas. MIT Sloan Management Review, 62(3), 9-11. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/how-temporary-assignments-boost-innovation/

Schneider, P., & Sting, F. (2020). Employees’ Perspectives on Digitalization-Induced Change: Exploring Frames of Industry 4.0. Academy of Management Discoveries, 6(3). Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.5465/amd.2019.0012

Fuchs, C., Sting, F., Schlickel, M., & Alexy, O. (2019). The Ideator’s Bias: How Identity-induced Self-efficacy Drives Overestimation in Employee-driven Process Innovation. Academy of Management Journal, 62(5). https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2017.0438

Sting, F., Stevens, M., & Tarakci, M. (2019). Temporary deembedding buyer-supplier relationships: A Complexity Perspective. Journal of Operations Management, 65(2), 114-135. https://doi.org/10.1002/joom.1008

Crama, P., Sting, F., & Wu, Y. (2018). Encouraging Help across Projects. Management Science, 65(3), 955-1453. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017.2988

Chandrasekaran, A., Linderman, K., & Sting, F. (2018). Avoiding epistemological silos and empirical elephants in OM: How to combine empirical and simulation methods? Journal of Operations Management, 63(November), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2018.11.003

Sting, F., & Loch, C. H. (2016). Implementing Operations Strategy: How Vertical and Horizontal Coordination Interact. Production and Operations Management, 25(7), 1177-1193. https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.12537

Chandrasekaran, A., Linderman, K., Sting, F., & Benner, M. J. (2016). Managing R&D Project Shifts in High-Tech Organizations: A Multi-Method Study. Production and Operations Management, 25(3), 390-416. https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.12410

Mihm, J., Sting, F., & Wang, T. (2015). On the Effectiveness of Patenting Strategies in Innovation Races. Management Science, 61(11), 2662-2684. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.2128

Sting, F., Loch, CH., & Stempfhuber, D. (2015). Accelerating Projects by Encouraging Help. MIT Sloan Management Review, 56(3), 1-9. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/accelerating-projects-by-encouraging-help/

Kim, YH., Sting, F., & Loch, CH. (2014). Top-Down, Bottom-Up, or Both? Toward an Integrative Perspective on Operations Strategy Formation. Journal of Operations Management, 32(7-8), 462-474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2014.09.005

Sting, F., & Huchzermeier, A. (2014). Operational Hedging and Diversification under Correlated Supply and Demand Uncertainty. Production and Operations Management, 23(7), 1212-1226. https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.12196

Sting, F., & Huchzermeier, A. (2012). Dual Sourcing – Responsive Hedging Against Correlated Supply and Demand Uncertainty. Naval Research Logistics, 59(1), 69-89. https://doi.org/10.1002/nav.21473

Loch, CH., Sting, F., Stempfhuber, D., & Huchzermeier, A. (2012). Das Prinzip der Roten Karte. Harvard Business Manager, 2011(January), 44-51. http://hdl.handle.net/1765/35007

Loch, CH., Sting, F., Huchzermeier, A., & Decker, C. (2012). Finding the Profit in Fairness. Harvard Business Review, 90(10), 111-115. http://hdl.handle.net/1765/38069

Loch, CH., Sting, F., Huchzermeier, A., & Decker, C. (2012). Fairness zahlt sich aus. Harvard Business Manager, October(Oktober), 1-8. http://hdl.handle.net/1765/38110

Loch, C., & Sting, F. (2010). A seismic shift in the car industry: The management challenge and responsibility. Automotive Industries AI, 190(3).

Loch, CH., Sting, F., Bauer, N., & Mauermann, H. (2010). How BMW Is Defusing the Demographic Time Bomb. Harvard Business Review, 88(3), 99-102. http://hdl.handle.net/1765/20802

Sting, F., & Huchzermeier, A. (2010). Ensuring Responsive Capacity: How to Contract with Backup Suppliers. European Journal of Operational Research, 207(2), 725-735. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2010.05.044

Loch, CH., Sting, F., Bauer, N., & Mauermann, H. (2010). Keine Angst vor der alternden Belegschaft. Harvard Business Manager, 2010(April), 68-74.

Loch, CH., & Sting, F. (2010). Think tank: just the job to help the older hands stay in work. Unknown.

Sting, F., Fuchs, C., Schlickel, M., & Alexy, O. (2019). How to Overcome the Bias We Have Toward Our Own Ideas. Harvard Business Review, hbr.org(online). http://hdl.handle.net/1765/116472

Schneider, P., & Sting, F. (2019). Die Sicht der Mitarbeiter. Harvard Business Manager, 2019(April). http://hdl.handle.net/1765/121657

Sting, F. (2016). Shift happens: how to manage changing projects. RSM Discovery - Management Knowledge, 25(1), 17-19. http://hdl.handle.net/1765/80182

Sting, F. (2015). Encouraging help speeds up product development projects. RSM Discovery - Management Knowledge, 21(1), 16-17. http://hdl.handle.net/1765/77987

Sting, F., & Huchzermeier, A. (2012). Hedge Risks Appropriately With Backup Suppliers. Inside Supply Management. http://hdl.handle.net/1765/119852

Loch, CH., & Sting, F. (2009). A Seismic Shift in the Car Industry: The Management Challenge and Responsibility. Unknown, 70.

Sting, F., Braun, M., & Huchzermeier, A. (2010). Simulationsstudie: Exogene Risiken in der Beschaffung - Zusammenspiel von Diversifikation und Flexibilitat. In Supply Management Research: Aktuelle Forschungsergebnisse 2009 (pp. 147-171). Gabler. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-8349-8833-1_6

Kuhn, H., & Sting, F. (2005). Bestimmung von Losgrößen, Transportzyklen und Sicherheitsbeständen in mehrstufigen Wertschopfungsketten. In Operations Research Proceedings 2005 Springer-Verlag.

Sting, F. (2009). Flexible Sourcing—Operational Hedging, Diversification and Contracting under Supply and Demand Uncertainty. In BVL 26. Deutscher Logistik-Kongress Berlin DVV Media Group.

Huchzermeier, A., Hoehn, M., & Sting, F. (2007). Impact Study of RFID Adoption in Manufacturer-Retailer Supply Chains: Results from a European Industry Survey. Excerpt of the EU-Project SMART.

Contact

Postal address:
Universität zu Köln
Department Corporate Development
Supply Chain Management
Albertus-Magnus-Platz
50923 Köln

Visiting adress:
Room 7.23
Universitätsstraße 24 (WiSo-Hochhaus)
50931 Köln

Phone: +49 (0) 221 470 91245

E-Mail: sting(at)wiso.uni-koeln(dot)de

office hours: by appointment