Bio:

Ali is a cologne-based research assistant at the Chair of Informations Systems & Transfromation Management at the University of Duisburg-Essen. With an academic background in business psychology and several years of consulting experience, he focuses his research on the successful management of digital transformation. He combines expertise in digital trends with personal and organizational development to support cutting-edge research projects that drive organizational transformation.

In previous consulting roles at Capgemini Invent, he successfully accompanied international organizations on their digital transformation journey from a workforce and organization perspective, and developed skills in change and project management as well as leadership and people development. This blend of experience allows Ali to approach digital transformation with a holistic view, understanding both technological and psychological aspects from an academic and practical point of view.

Curriculum Vitae:

Academic Background

• Mar 2016 to Dec 2018: M. Sc. in Business Psychology at Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg
• Sep 2017 to Feb 2018: M. Sc. in Economics at Universiti Putra Malaysia (semester abroad)
• Sep 2012 to Feb 2016: B. Sc. in Business Psychology at Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg

Work Experience

• Since July 2024: Research Assisstant at the Chair of Information Systems & Transformation Management at UDE
• Apr 2019 to June 2024: Management Consultant in Workforce & Organization at Cagemini Invent
• Feb 2017 to Aug 2018: Lecturer for Business Psychology at Hochschule Fresenius Köln
• Apr 2017 to Feb 2018: Intern & Working Student for Management Development at Kienbaum 

Fields of Research:

• (Charismatic) Leadership behavior in digital transformation
• Effective management and successful implementation of digital transformation
• Agile ways of working in and for digital transformation 

Publications:

• Plattfaut, Ralf; Vollenberg, Carolin; Ergün, Ali; Rieger, Ronja: Citizen development as boundary spanning in the agile-digital transformation: the case of a German healthcare insurance organization. In: Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. Zeitschrift für Angewandte Organisationspsychologie (GIO), Vol2026 (2026). doi:10.1007/s11612-026-00895-8Abstract Details Citation

  This article in the journal “Gruppe.Interaktion.Organisation” (GIO) discusses the effects of citizen development as a boundary-spanning activity on the success of agile-digital transformations. Organizations pursuing an agile-digital transformation face persistent tensions between business and IT, arising from divergent goals, competencies, and ways of working. While prior research highlights these tensions, less is known about how organizations practically overcome these in everyday digital innovation work. This study investigates how Collaborative Citizen Developer Teams (CCDTs) and low-code/no-code (LC/NC) technologies enable boundary spanning between business and IT in the context of an agile-digital transformation. Drawing on an in-depth case study of a German statutory health insurance organization, we analyze how citizen developers facilitate and engage in joint development of LC/NC artifacts between business and IT. Our findings suggest that CCDT members act as institutionalized boundary spanners by translating business needs into technical functionalities and coordinating across organizational domains, while LC/NC artifacts, such as BPMN models, prototypes, test environments, and the LC/NC automations, function as boundary objects that enable shared understanding, joint problem solving, and iterative refinement. Together, these boundary spanning mechanisms of the CCDT reduce interdepartmental tensions, accelerate solution development, and support decentralized yet compliant digital innovation. The study contributes to research on agile–digital transformation, showcasing the boundary spanning role of citizen development and LC/NC in agile-digital transformation.

• Ergün, Ali; Baer, Manfred; Plattfaut, Ralf: Leading GenAI-Equipped Teams: Recalibrating Leadership in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence. In: Journal of Information Technology (2026). doi:10.1177/02683962261428154PDF Details Citation
• Plattfaut, Ralf; Ergün, Ali: Interview with Marc Muntermann and Caroline Baethge on Siemens Energy's ``AI-Powered HR Platform''. In: Business & Information Systems Engineering (2026). doi:10.1007/s12599-026-00997-z Details Citation
• Forero, Carlos Andrés; Ergün, Ali; Baer, Manfred; Plattfaut, Ralf; Richter, Alexander: The Role of Leaders' AI Literacy when Appropriating AI. In: Proceedings of the 34th European Conference on Information System. 2026. Details Citation
• Ergün, Ali; Betteldorf, Lars; Plattfaut, Ralf: The Impact of Daily Stand-Up Meetings on Project Success & Team Dynamics. In: Proceedings of the 31st American Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS 2025). 2025. Details Full textCitation
• Ergün, Ali; Plattfaut, Ralf: Charismatic leadership behavior and digital transformation processes-an interdisciplinary review. In: Proceedings of the 33rd European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS 2025). 2025. Details Full textCitation