Postdoctoral researcher and lecturer
Postal adress: Helmut-Schmidt-University
Chair of Human Resource Management
Postfach 70 08 22
D 22008 Hamburg
Visiting adress: Helmut-Schmidt-University
Building H4
Holstenhofweg 85
22043 Hamburg

By arrangement.
Dr. Angela Kornau (she/her) is a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer at the Chair of Human Resources Policy at Helmut Schmidt University Hamburg. She studied international economics with a focus on sinology at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen and completed her doctorate at the Chair of International Human Resource Management and Intercultural Leadership at the ESCP Business School Berlin on the topic of women in leadership (summa cum laude).
Her research focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in various organisational and national contexts. Her activities have been funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and her work has been published in leading international journals such as Academy of Management Discoveries, Human Resource Management and International Journal of Human Resource Management. She has also gained research and work experience in China, Turkey and Mexico.
Dr. Kornau also works as a freelance coach and lecturer, because in addition to university teaching, the transfer of knowledge from research findings into practice is also important to her. She conducts individual and team coaching sessions as well as workshops in public and private sector institutions on various topics, e.g. leadership or conflict management. You can find more information here.
Main areas of work:
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) – Discourses and Practices
- Leadership, in particular women in leadership
- Systemic coaching
Publications in peer-reviewed journals
Kornau, A. (2025). Diversity Coaching!? Eine begrifflich-konzeptionelle Annäherung anhand einer systematischen Literaturanalyse. Organisationsberatung, Supervision, Coaching. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11613-024-00923-w
Bernauer, V. S., & Kornau, A. (2024). E-voice in the digitalised workplace. Insights from an alternative organisation. Human Resource Management Journal, 34(2), 369-385. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12460
Kornau, A., Knappert, L., Tatli, A., & Sieben, B. (2023). Contested fields of equality, diversity and inclusion at work: An institutional work lens on power relations and actors’ strategies in Germany and Turkey. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 34(12), 2481-2515. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2022.2086014
Knappert, L., Ortlieb, R., Kornau, A., Maletzky de García, M., van Dyke, H. (2023). The ecosystem of managing refugee employment: Complementarity and its microfoundations. Academy of Management Discoveries, 9(3), 339–362. https://doi.org/10.5465/amd.2020.0157
Kornau, A., Bernauer, V. S., Mucha, A., Rastetter, D., Schmucker, S., & Sieben, B. (2022). Editorial. Digitalisierung der Arbeitswelt: Hindernisse und Chancen mit Blick auf Chancengleichheit, Diversität und Inklusion. Zeitschrift für Diversitätsforschung und -management, 7(1), 3-7. https://doi.org/10.3224/zdfm.v7i1.01
Kornau, A., Knappert, L., & Erdur, D. A. (2021). Advertising, avoiding, disrupting, and tabooing: The discursive construction of diversity subjects in the Turkish context. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 37(2), 101-151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scaman.2021.101151
Haq, R., Kornau, A., Klarsfeld, A., & Ngunjiri, F. W. (2020). Diversity in India: Addressing caste, disability and gender. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 36(6), 586-596. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-04-2020-0095
Kornau, A., Frerichs, I. M., & Sieben, B. (2020). An empirical analysis of research paradigms within international human resource management: The need for more diversity. German Journal of Human Resource Management, 34(2), 148-177. https://doi.org/10.1177/2397002220908035
Klarsfeld, A., Knappert, L., Kornau, A., Ngunjiri, F. W., & Sieben, B. (2019). Diversity in under-researched countries: New empirical fields challenging old theories? Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 38(7), 694-704. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-03-2019-0110
Knappert, L., Kornau, A., & Figengül, M. (2018). Refugees‘ exclusion at work and the intersection with gender: Insights from the Turkish-Syrian border. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 105, 62-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2017.11.002
Festing, M., Knappert, L., & Kornau, A. (2015). Gender‐specific preferences in global performance management: An empirical study of male and female managers in a multinational context. Human Resource Management, 54(1), 55-79. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21609
Festing, M., Kornau, A., & Schäfer, L. (2015). Think talent–think male? A comparative case study analysis of gender inclusion in talent management practices in the German media industry. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 26(6), 707-732. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2014.934895
Festing, M., Kornau, A., & Schäfer, L. (2015). Think talent – think male? Eine genderspezifische Analyse von Talent Management. PERSONALquarterly, 67(2), 34-39. https://www.haufe.de/download/personal-quarterly-022015-personalquarterly-297522.pdf
Editorial Work
Kornau, A., Bernauer, V. S., Mucha, A., Rastetter, D., Schmucker, S., & Sieben, B. (Hrsg.) (2022). Schwerpunktthema „Digitalisierung der Arbeitswelt: Hindernisse und Chancen mit Blick auf Chancengleichheit, Diversität und Inklusion“. Zeitschrift für Diversitätsforschung und -management, 7(1).
Klarsfeld, A., Knappert, L., Kornau, A., Ng, E. S., & Ngunjiri, F. W. (Eds.) (2022). Research handbook on new frontiers of equality and diversity at work. International perspectives. Edward Elgar.
Haq, R., Kornau, A., Klarsfeld, A., & Ngunjiri, F. W. (Eds.) (2020). Special issue: Equality, diversity and inclusion in India. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 39(6).
Klarsfeld, A., Knappert, L., Kornau, A., Ngunjiri, F. W., & Sieben, B. (Eds.) (2019). Special Issue: Diversity in under-researched countries: New empirical fields challenging old theories? Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 38(7).
Other Publications
Dissertation
Kornau, A. (2014). Women’s underrepresentation in management positions in the corporate world: Gendered human resource management practices and female coping patterns; Zugriff über opus.escpeurope.de
Anthology input
Kornau, A. (2025). Gender in alternative organizations. In J. H. Mills, A. J. Mills, K. S. Williams, R. Bendl (Eds.), Elgar Encyclopedia of Gender and Management (pp.198-200). Edward Elgar. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781803922065
Kornau, A., & Kumra, S. (2021). Richard Florida’s creative class: The Global Tolerance Index and its value for diversity and inclusion research. In E. Ng, A. Klarsfeld, C. Stamper, & Y. (J.) Han (Eds.), Handbook on diversity and inclusion indices. A research compendium (pp.66-82). Edward Elgar. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788975728.00012
Rezension
Bernauer, V., & Kornau, A. (2020). Rezension von: Jungwirth, Ingrid / Bauschke-Urban, Carola (Hrsg.): Gender and Diversity Studies, European Perspectives. Opladen. Barbara Budrich 2019. Erziehungswissenschaftliche Revue 19(3). https://www.klinkhardt.de/ewr/978384740549.htm
Conference presentations
Kornau, A. (2024). Diversity Coaching!? Eine begrifflich-konzeptionelle Klärung anhand einer systematischen Literaturanalyse. Fachtagung und Netzwerktreffen der Diversity-Forschenden aus D-A-C-H, Göttingen.
Rybnikova, I., & Kornau, A. (2023, Juli). Gendered agility? An explorative study of (in)equalities in Scrum teams. European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Colloquium, Cagliari, Italien.
Kornau, A., & Bernauer, V. S. (2022, Oktober): Navigating boundaries of inclusion. Practices and inherent tensions. 12th International Workshop on Human Resource Management, Cádiz.
Kornau, A., & Bernauer, V. S. (2022, September): Negotiating boundaries of diversity and inclusion. Practices and inherent paradoxes. Herbstworkshop der Wissenschaftlichen Kommission Personal im VHB, Berlin.
Kornau, A., & Bernauer, V. S. (2021, September). An explorative case study of diversity and inclusion in alternative organizations. Workshop der Wissenschaftlichen Kommission Organisation im VHB, Lüneburg (virtuell).
Bernauer, V. S., & Kornau, A. (2020, September). Inclusion through e-voice? An explorative case study of an internet collective. Herbstworkshop der Wissenschaftlichen Kommission Personal im VHB, Düsseldorf.
Bernauer, V. S., & Kornau A. (2020, Juli). An explorative case study of diversity and inclusion in alternative organizations. European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Colloquium, Hamburg (virtuell).
Kornau, A., & Baumgärtner, M. (2019, August). Creating inclusive workplaces for refugees – A conceptual model of inclusive refugee leadership. Fachtagung und Netzwerktreffen der Diversity-Forschenden aus D-A-CH, St. Gallen.
Kornau, A., Knappert, L., & Acar Erdur, D. (2019, Juli). The advertised, the deceived, the silenced, and the avoided: Organizational discourses on equality, diversity and inclusion in the Turkish context. European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Colloquium, Edinburgh.
Kornau, A., Knappert, L., & Acar Erdur, D. (2019, Juli). The advertised, the deceived, the silenced, and the avoided: Organizational discourses on equality, diversity and inclusion in the Turkish context. Equality, Diversity, Inclusion International Conference, Rotterdam.
Kornau, A. Knappert, L., Maletzky, M., & van Dyke, H. (2018, September). Contextual influences on refugees‘ inclusion at work. A comparative analysis of Germany and The Netherlands. Herbstworkshop der Wissenschaftlichen Kommission Personal im VHB, München.
Knappert, L., Kornau, A., & Figengül, M. (2017, September). Refugees‘ exclusion at work: Qualitative insights from the Turkish-Syrian border. Fachtagung und Netzwerktreffen der Diversity-Forschenden aus D-A-C-H, Göttingen.
Knappert, L., Kornau, A., & Figengül, M. (2017, Juli). Refugees’ exclusion at work: Qualitative insights from the Turkish-Syrian border. European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Colloquium, Kopenhagen.
Knappert, L., Kornau, A., & Figengül, M. (2017, März). Refugees‘ exclusion at work: Qualitative insights from the Turkish-Syrian border. „reThink refugees“, event organised by Ashoka, PWC, The Haag, Tilburg University and EAWOP, Den Haag.
Kornau, A., Sieben, B., & Knappert, L. (2016, Oktober). Actors’ moves in the political arena of equality and diversity – the cases of Germany and Turkey. Workshop on Political CSR, London.
Kornau, A., Knappert, L., & Sieben, B. (2016, September). Diversity and inclusion through HRM: A comparative analysis of organizations in Germany and Turkey. Herbstworkshop der Wissenschaftlichen Kommission Personal im VHB, Paderborn.
Kornau, A., Knappert, L., & Sieben, B. (2016, August). The political arena of equality and diversity at work. The cases of Germany and Turkey. Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AOM), Boston.
Kornau, A., Knappert, L., & Sieben, B. (2016, Juli). The contested terrain of equality and diversity at work – the cases of Germany and Turkey. European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Colloquium, Neapel.
Kornau, A., Sieben, B., & Knappert, L. (2016, April). Equality and diversity as a political arena – A comparative analysis of Germany and Turkey. International Labour Process Conference (ILPC), Berlin.
Festing, M., Kornau, A., & Schäfer, L. (2013, Juli). Talent management and the career advancement of female managers: A single case study in the German media industry. European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Colloquium, Montréal.
Kornau, A., & Festing, M. (2013, Juli). The impact of gendered organisational cultures on the career advancement of female managers: A review and a framework for future research. Pre-Colloquium Workshops ‚Gender and Diversity‘, European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS), Montréal.
Festing, M., Knappert, L., & Kornau, A. (2012, August). Gender-specific preferences in global performance management – an empirical study of male and female leaders in a multinational context. Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AOM), Boston.
Letzte Änderung: 4. June 2025