Prof. Dr. Susan Müller

Profile

Prof. Dr. Susan Müller Dozentin

  • Address Berner Fachhochschule
    Business School
    Institut Innovation and Entrepreneurship
    Brückenstrasse 73
    3005 Bern

Activities

  • Entrepreneurship Education

  • Social Entrepreneurship

  • Social Innovation

  • Sustainable Entrepreneurship

  • Activities of entrepreneurs

Teaching

  • MSc in Entrepreneurship & Business Innovation

  • CAS Sustainable Business Development

  • Interdisciplinary Future Week (IDFW), MSc Entrepreneurship & Business Innovation

  • Academic Foundations in Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (EACF), MSc Entrepreneurship & Business Innovation

  • My Own Project 1–3 (EOP1-3), MSc Entrepreneurship & Business Innovation

  • Sustainable Business Models, Sustainable Innovation, Sustainable Strategy, CAS Sustainable Business Development

Research

  • Entrepreneurship

  • Gründungsausbildung

  • Soziales Unternehmertum

  • Soziale Innovation

  • Nachhaltiges Unternehmertum

  • Aktivitäten von Gründer:innen

CV

  • Prof. Dr. Susan Müller is Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Institute for Innovation & Strategic Entrepreneurship at the Business School of the Bern University of Applied Sciences. Her research focuses on entrepreneurship education, social entrepreneurship, social innovation, sustainable entrepreneurship, and the activities of founders.

    Her research has been published in journals such as Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Small Business Economics, Journal of Small Business Management, and Journal of Social Entrepreneurship. She is co-author of the textbook Entrepreneurship: Models – Implementation – Perspectives, now in its fifth edition, published by Springer Gabler.

    She co-founded the Swiss Centre for Entrepreneurial Thinking and Action (szUDH), which promotes entrepreneurial skills in vocational education. Thanks to the “myidea” learning programme, which she co-developed, thousands of vocational learners further develop their entrepreneurial competences every year.
  • Since 01/2025 Head of Degree Programme MSc in Entrepreneurship & Business Innovation Bern University of Applied Sciences, Business School
  • Since 08/2020 Professor of Entrepreneurship Bern University of Applied Sciences, Business School
  • 02/2015-07/2020 Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship University of St. Gallen, Swiss Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship
  • 01/2015-04/2015 Lecturer for business ethics and social entrepreneurship Institute for Shipboard Education, Semester at Sea
  • 03/2012-08/2014 Project leader of the research project “Social Innovations in Germany” that was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany EBS Universität for Business and Law (Germany), World Vision Center for Social Innovation
  • 09/2007-04/2012 Senior Research Associate University of St. Gallen, Swiss Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship
  • 04/2010-09/2010 Visiting Professor for Entrepreneurship University of Hohenheim (Germany)
  • 04/2009-06/2009 Visiting Scholar Babson College (USA)
  • 11/2001-08/2007 Consultant rosenbaum nagy unternehmensberatung (Germany)
  • 04/2001-10/2001 Knowledge Manager Arthur Andersen Business Consulting (Germany)
  • 05/2000-03/2001 Customer Relationship Manager Bioropa GmbH (Start-up) (Germany)
  • 2003-2009 Dr. oec. HSG University of St. Gallen
  • 07/1998-04/2000 Master of Business Administration University of Pittsburgh
  • 07/1998-04/2000 Master of Business Administration Pforzheim University
  • 09/1995-09/1998 Bachelor’s degree in business and computer sciences Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University

Projects

Publications

  • Müller, S. (2024). Strengthening Critical Thinking Skills. Presentation at the UNECE Forum on Education for Sustainable Development. Empowering Youth for Sustainable Futures. Limassol, Cyprus. June 27–28, 2024.

  • Vogel, C., & Mueller, S. (2024). Low-Cost Private Schools – An Under-researched Social Entrepreneurship Phenomenon. 16th International Social Innovation Research Conference (ISIRC). Bern University of Applied Sciences. https://doi.org/10.24451/arbor.22587

  • Keim, J., Mueller, S., & Dey, P. (2023). How entrepreneurship turns a blind eye to structural injustice. 39th EGOS Colloquium. https://doi.org/10.24451/arbor.19503

  • Keim, J., Mueller, S., & Dey, P. (2023). Why entrepreneurship overlooks structural injustice: Biases, blind spots & paradigmatic assumptions. 83rd Academy of Management Annual Meeting. https://doi.org/10.24451/arbor.19504

  • Mueller, S., & Dey, P. (2022). Entrepreneurship: Causing, Perpetuating or Mitigating Structural Injustices? Rencontre de St. Gall. https://doi.org/10.24451/arbor.18531

  • Müller, S., von Grone, J., Grégoire, D., Ucbasaran, D., Keim, J., Bird, B. (2022). Entrepreneurs’ Actions and Success: How Entrepreneurs Navigate Critical Events During the Startup-process. Accepted for presentation at the 2022 Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference (BCERC), June, Waco, TX, USA.

  • Müller, S., Forsblom, L., Gutzwiller-Helfenfinger, E. (2022). Entrepreneurship Education and Negative Knowledge: Learning from Other People’s Failure. Accepted for presentation at the International Forum on Knowledge Asset Dynamics (IFKAD), June, Lugano, Switzerland.

  • Müller, S., von Grone, J., Grégoire, D., Ucbasaran, D., Bird, B. (2020). Entrepreneurs’ Actions and Venture Success. Accepted for presentation at the 24th Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Entrepreneurship, Innovation and SMEs (G-Forum), Virtual Conference.

  • Jajjawi, N., Müller, S., Munzinger, A. (2020). The Case of Global Antimicrobial Resistance: The Need for Institutional Entrepreneurship and Reconsideration of Ethical Analysis. Accepted for presentation at the 24th Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Entrepreneurship, Innovation and SMEs (G-Forum), Virtual Conference.

  • Kirst, A., Müller, S., Bird, B., von Grone, J. (2018). Entrepreneurs’ Behavior and Success: A Review and Suggestions for Future Research. Accepted for presentation at the 22nd Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Entrepreneurship, Innovation and SMEs (G-Forum), Stuttgart, Germany.

  • Müller, S. (2018). The Potential of Social Entrepreneurship to Rethink Entrepreneurship. Paper discussed at the Rencontres de St-Gall 2018, St. Gallen.

  • Oser, F., Müller, S., Forsblom, L. (2017). 4th Interdisciplinary (Post)Doc‐Colloquium, Transitions from School to Work, Solothurn (Switzerland).

  • Müller, S., Forsblom, L., and Oser, F. (2016). Learning from Failure and Corresponding Coping Strategies in Entrepreneurship. Research project presented at the EARLI SIG 14 Learning and Professional Development Conference 2016, Regensburg, Germany.

  • von Grone, J., Müller, S., Grégoire, D., and Volery, T. (2016). Developing and Validating a New Instrument for Measuring Regulatory Foci in Entrepreneurship. Accepted for presentation at the Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference (BCERC), Bodø, Norway.

  • Mueller, S. (2015). The Potential of Social Entrepreneurship to Rethink Capitalism. Accepted for presentation at the 19th Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Kassel, Germany.

  • Mueller, S. and Lurtz, K. (2014). Mechanisms of Value Creation in Social Entrepreneurship. Paper presented at the Rencontres de St. Gall, St. Gallen, Switzerland.

  • Volery, T. and Mueller, S. (2014). Managing Paradoxes: A Key Element of Entrepreneurs’ Leadership Behaviour. Paper discussed at the Rencontres St. Gall, St. Gallen, Switzerland.

  • Mueller, S., D’Intino R.S., and Walske, J. (2013). What's Holding Back Social Entrepreneurship? Removing the Impediments to Theoretical Advancement. Professional Development Workshop conducted at the Academy of Management 2013, Orlando, FL, USA.

  • Mueller, S., Nazarkina, L., and Neck, H. (2012). Distinctive Skills of Social Entrepreneurs: Implications for Social Entrepreneurship Education. Presentation at the 16th Annual Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurship Conference, Potsdam, Germany.

Memberships

  • Academy of Management (AOM)

Awards

Award for the article «The Potential of Social Entrepreneurship to Rethink Capitalism», 19th Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Entrepreneurship and Innovation (G-Forum), October 2015

Awarded «Upcoming Scholar of the Year 2012» at EBS Business School for the co-authored paper «What Do Entrepreneurs Actually Do? An Observational Study of Entrepreneurs’ Everyday Behavior in the Start-Up and Growth Stages» which was published in the journal «Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice».

Best Paper Award at the Conference IntEnt 2008 - Internationalizing Entrepreneurship Education and Training with the contribution: «Increasing Entrepreneurial Intention: Effective Entrepreneurship Course Characteristics»

Language skills and intercultural knowledge

  • German - Native or bilingual proficiency
  • English - Full professional proficiency
  • French - Elementary proficiency