Benedikt D. S. Kapteina
Visiting Scholar
Erb Institute
Dr. Benedikt D. S. Kapteina joins the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan as a Visiting Scholar, invited by Professor Thomas P. Lyon, while serving as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Business Administration, especially in Responsible Management, at Dresden University of Technology (IHI Zittau) in Germany.
His research examines how firms act as political actors in times of democratic strain, with a focus on corporate political activity, private governance, and corporate democratic action. He investigates the conditions under which companies defend democratic values, counter disinformation, and shape governance beyond markets, with the broader aim of understanding how firms can contribute to democratic resilience and sustainable societal transformation.
He earned his doctorate (Dr. rer. pol.) in International Business Administration from ESCP Business School in Berlin and has held visiting positions at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Utrecht University, the University of Florida, and the University of Delaware. His stay at the University of Michigan is supported by a grant from TU Dresden’s Graduate Academy and by the prestigious Joachim Herz Foundation Add-on Fellowship.
Benedikt looks forward to engaging with the Erb Institute’s vibrant academic community at the University of Michigan, exchanging ideas across disciplines and international perspectives, and building collaborations that advance research on business, politics, and democracy.