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Digitalization is invading every aspect of our lives and modern technologies are at the helm of much disruptive change in all spheres of life. Hailed as the 4th industrial revolution every company has a mind to understand the implications of the Industry 4.0 suit of technologies and their multiple innovative applications for its operations. In this paper, we explore how the industry 4.0 transformation might affect Small and Medium sized
enterprises in Germany over a 15-year horizon. We focus on SMEs because they play a significant role in ensuring the prosperity of Germany as a global industrial and economic
powerhouse. We develop alternative pictures of the possible futures using the foresight technique of Scenario planning in which the factors that shape the business environment
SMEs and indeed all companies operate in are identified and used to build the most plausible alternative realities. The outcome is four distinct scenarios that reflect the possible growth trajectories regarding the impending transformation for SMEs.
In this paper, different factors influencing the perceived data security (PDS) of online shoppers are analyzed. For this purpose, the authors first conduct a literature review and later analyze the results of an empirical study, by applying a regression analyses. Based on the findings of this research, the paper identified the frequency of gathering information on the topic of data security and the experience of being hacked as factors with a significant negative impact on PDS. In addition, a well perceived benefit and, in special cases, an e-Commerce business’ brand can positively influence PDS of customers. In conclusion, the paper delivers insights into the perceptions of data security and delivers some suggestions on how a company could improve the PDS of their customers.
This thesis has the purpose to investigate the oil price as the global economic factor but also to examine its implications on the worldwide economy. Thereby the determinants of the oil price are investigated by tackling the oil price itself from three different perspectives – the supply and demand framework, the prevailing world oil market structure as well as from the perspective of already statistically proven oil price determinants. In addition, the arising macroeconomic implications of oil price fluctuations on oil-importing and oil-exporting countries are examined. The investigation based on a thought experiment demonstrates the supply and demand framework to be unable to fully explain all past price changes. The examination on the prevailing market structure identifies the world oil market to be best described as a supply, pure, closed, partial and collusive form of an oligopoly. Analyzing the competitive behavior of the world oil market on three levels identifies non-OPEC producers’ competition to behave in a Cournot manner whereas among OPEC producers Saudi Arabia is identified to be a Stackelberg-follower with certain conditions while at the same time permanently bearing the ambition to become the Stackelberg-leader. The identification on the best describing oligopoly model for the overall industry is inconclusive. Investigating OPEC’s cartel hypothesis does not fully exclude its collusive behavior but denies the OPEC to be described as a prime example of a cartel. The examination of already existing econometric analyses identified a total of 13 determinants to play a key role in the oil price definition process. Investigating the arising macroeconomic implications of oil price fluctuations show oil price changes to be of great importance for the overall economic performance and is best described as a form of a positive of negative vicious circle in which the interconnected second or even third round effects intensify the implications on the macroeconomic activity.
Due to the increased complexity in advertising and branding, a shift towards a greater use of emotional branding can be observed. In this context music, especially sogos and jingles, are one of the main elements, which seem to allow organizations to reinforce the transmitted brand image towards the consumers. However, so far no guidelines have been developed, which musical components should be included in the jingle to transmit certain emotions and brand images. The following study examines the fit between 11 brand jingles and the corresponding television commercials and analyses how well the jingles represent the actual and targeted brand image. With the help of a quantitative online survey with 170 participants it could be shown that jingles are indeed powerful tools to transmit certain emotions and the connected brand images. Furthermore, several guidelines for the creation of jingles could be developed in order to create and implement these short and catchy tunes as an extension of the visual advertisement.
Scenario Planning: How is big data going to influence the future of smart mobility in Germany?
(2016)
Smart mobility is the future of transportation services in Germany. The implementation and management of smart mobility is impossible without using big data. At the present time,the analysis of big data in Germany is not fully implemented due to existing challenges. The purpose of this research project is to forecast the impact of big data on smart mobility in Germany with the use of scenario planning. In order to receive the most actual scenarios, the input factors were designed in accordance with extensive literature research, and then ratios between all specifications of input factors were compared and evaluated. Thus four unique scenarios were selected for further detailed interpretation to suggest possible influences of big data on smart mobility in Germany
This research is aimed at analyzing social media patterns of consumers in Russia and in Germany, and social media strategy of automakers. The purpose of the paper is to observe social media presence of three major car manufacturing companies and see what the social media preferences of consumers are during purchasing journey. Furthermore, the results include comparison between Russia and Germany as well as social media best practices of automakers. For this, data was collected from a random sample of people in Russia and in Germany through online questionnaire. After that an analysis of secondary data on social media presence of automakers was done. A total of 650 people participated in the online questionnaire. The data was analyzed for each country and compared with each other. The results revealed that there are a lot of similarities in social media usage. However, existing differences are very drastic and needed to be considered by companies when it comes to establishing a social media strategy in a specific country. Furthermore, selected car manufacturing companies have a relatively strong social media presence but are different among each other with some gaps that can be improved.
In this master thesis a marketing strategy of a launch and expansion on the global medical devices market of a new product (AED NG) by a German middle-size enterprise Metrax GmbH is developed. In order to exploit growth opportunities three levels are investigated – internal situation of the manufacturer, competitive landscape and global AEDs market. Analyses of the company and its competitors reveal current market situation and position of the company on it. Various methods of used strategic analyses (PEST, Porter’s Five Forves, SWOT, interviews conduction with competitors, distributors, and employees of Metrax etc.) enable to create a strategy canvas of AEDs market in accordance to “Blue Ocean Strategy” framework and to formulate main propositions of the strategy concerning product. Research of special features of regional markets enables to define the most lucrative and perspective markets to expand for Metrax. After defining and proving growth opportunities assessment of risks and requirements necessary for implementation is made. Finally, an outline of strategic propositions and main milestones for their implementation are summarized into the concluding part.
The field of entrepreneurship and its framework, the entrepreneurial opportunity process, are still young and maturing research areas that receive increasing attention from numerous authors in their academic reviews. While some researchers focus on the generic entrepreneurial opportunity process in order to gain additional insights into the phenomenon, others examine one of the entrepreneurial directions, such as social entrepreneurship or commercial entrepreneurship more closely. So far, a dichotomous approach towards the two types of entrepreneurship has been postulated by contemporary researchers that distinguishes them as two varying approaches.
This master thesis comprises both entrepreneurial directions and investigates their course throughout the entrepreneurial opportunity process, including the nature of the opportunities, their discovery and the decision to exploit an opportunity. The aim is to get a broader picture of the phenomenon of social and commercial entrepreneurship, its differences and similarities throughout the process and thus, examine the dominant dichotomous approach.
Primary and secondary data is gathered from case studies and interviews with entrepreneurs and derived from the information obtained, as well as from existing literature. Seven propositions are postulated that indicate possible differences and similarities regarding the two entrepreneurial approaches. Based on the findings from the testing of the propositions, this research paper concludes that the concepts of social and commercial entrepreneurship hold certain differences, Nevertheless, similarities are prevailing so that a dichotomous approach cannot be supported. The entrepreneurial directions can be displayed on a continuum rather than on extreme ends.
Finally, in order to provide possible future research objectives, an outlook section, containing a critical view on the tie between the entrepreneur and the opportunity is enclosed. It is suggested that the entrepreneur-opportunity nexus is much stronger in the social entrepreneurial context than in the commercial entrepreneurial context.
Highlighted as a promising field that targets cost related problems and high research costs, the concept of Lean Management is applied in the biotechnology sector. Specifically, the thesis aims to develop and test a Lean Management implementation model suitable for biotechnological research laboratories. Using multiple mixed methods, a deductive case study approach is taken to investigate requirements for an improvement model. The use of observations and interviews deliver findings which enable the comprehension of the implementation environment. The review of academic literature provided the basis to conceptualize, develop and test a new model, called Biotechnological Laboratory Implementation Model or BLIM. Overall, the results of the implementation can be described as successful since the BLIM meets all requirements fully or with minor restrictions. Effects of the Lean Management implementation are positive and promise to deal with the mentioned cost related problems and high research costs. The findings of this thesis challenge preexisting views on the argument that the success of Lean Management models is subject to the individual characteristics of the organization. As the newly developed BLIM is separated into structured and agile implementation phases, this joint characteristic represents a contribution to research in the field of Lean Management implementations as such and proposes further areas to be researched on.