Refine
Year of publication
Document type
- Bachelor Thesis (242)
- Academic Papers (13)
Language
- English (255) (remove)
Is part of the Bibliography
- No (255)
Keywords
- Consumer behavior (8)
- Sustainability (7)
- Marketing (6)
- Social media (5)
- Tourism (5)
- Willingness to pay (5)
- Artificial intelligence (4)
- Business model (4)
- China (4)
- Consumer behaviour (4)
- Generation Z (4)
- Digitalization (3)
- ESG (3)
- Employer branding (3)
- Extremeness aversion (3)
- Germany (3)
- Global mobility (3)
- Social media marketing (3)
- Supply chain management (3)
- Advertising (2)
- Automotive industry (2)
- Bitcoin (2)
- Brand perception (2)
- COVID-19 (2)
- Candidate experience (2)
- Change Management (2)
- Change management (2)
- Circular economy (2)
- Communication (2)
- Consumer Behaviour (2)
- Consumer psychology (2)
- Context effect (2)
- Controlling (2)
- Crowdsourcing (2)
- Cryptocurrency (2)
- Culture (2)
- Customer Retention (2)
- Digital marketing (2)
- Digital transformation (2)
- Discount (2)
- Diversity (2)
- Emotional intelligence (2)
- Emotions (2)
- Expatriation (2)
- Fashion Industry (2)
- Fashion industry (2)
- Finance (2)
- Gamification (2)
- Global Mobility (2)
- Green Bonds (2)
- Green marketing (2)
- Greenwashing (2)
- Industry 4.0 (2)
- Influencer marketing (2)
- Innovation (2)
- International Assignment (2)
- Investment (2)
- Labels (2)
- Market analysis (2)
- Nachhaltigkeit (2)
- Quantitative Easing (2)
- Recruiting (2)
- Renewable energy (2)
- Risk management (2)
- Service (2)
- Stock market (2)
- Strategy (2)
- Stress (2)
- Sustainable consumption (2)
- Sustainable management (2)
- Sustainable marketing (2)
- Work environment (2)
- e-Commerce (2)
- AI recruiting tools (1)
- AIM/SLCP (1)
- Acquisitions (1)
- Active learning (1)
- Active recruiting (1)
- Active sourcing (1)
- Aesthetics (1)
- Agile methodology (1)
- Aging population (1)
- Alternative food networks (1)
- Amazon (1)
- Ambassify (1)
- American Fashion Brands (1)
- AnaCredit (1)
- Analysis (1)
- Analysis of variance (1)
- Apparel industry (1)
- Architecture (1)
- Asia expatriats (1)
- Asset allocation (1)
- Asset pricing anomaly (1)
- Assignees (1)
- Assortative Mating (1)
- Attitude-behavior gap (1)
- Aufwertung (1)
- Automation (1)
- Automotive Aftersales (1)
- Automotive aftermarket (1)
- Automotive industry China (1)
- B2B (1)
- B2C (1)
- BOGOF (1)
- BPR (1)
- Backmischung (1)
- Balanced scorecard (1)
- Bangladesh (1)
- Bank profitability (1)
- Bank regulation (1)
- Banking (1)
- Banking industry (1)
- Banking sector (1)
- Banks (1)
- Basel III (1)
- Behavioral Finance (1)
- Behavioral economics (1)
- Blended Learning (1)
- Blockchain (1)
- Bonus packs (1)
- Brand Management (1)
- Brand identity (1)
- Branding (1)
- Broadcasting (1)
- Business concepts (1)
- Business intelligence (1)
- Business model innovation (1)
- Business partnership (1)
- Business process reengineering (1)
- Buying behavior (1)
- Buying behaviour (1)
- Buying decisions (1)
- CBDC (1)
- CRM (1)
- Cannabis (1)
- Capital markets (1)
- Carbon dioxide removal (1)
- Career coaching (1)
- Career development (1)
- Cause-related marketing (1)
- Central bank digital currency (1)
- Change Projects (1)
- Channel integration (1)
- Charitable contribution (1)
- Chile (1)
- China economy (1)
- Chinese tool industry (1)
- Choice architecture (1)
- Circular business models (1)
- Clean label trend (1)
- Climate change (1)
- Clothing industry (1)
- Co2 labels (1)
- Cognition (1)
- Cognitive dissonance (1)
- Cognitive processes (1)
- Collaboration software (1)
- Colombia (1)
- Community manager (1)
- Company stocks (1)
- Comparative analysis (1)
- Compatibility effect (1)
- Competencies (1)
- Competitive advantage (1)
- Compromise option (1)
- Consumption behaviour (1)
- Content marketing (1)
- Content optimization (1)
- Convergence indicators (1)
- Corporate Valuation (1)
- Corporate culture (1)
- Cost structure (1)
- Covid 19 (1)
- Covid-19 (1)
- Coworking (1)
- Credence labels (1)
- Credit Spread Berechnung (1)
- Credit risk (1)
- Critical success factors (1)
- Cross-Cultural communication (1)
- Cross-channel retailing (1)
- Cross-cultural communication (1)
- Crowd work (1)
- Cultural Differences (1)
- Cultural Dimensions (1)
- Cultural differences (1)
- Cultural frameworks (1)
- Cultural intelligence (1)
- Cultured meat (1)
- Cusomer behaviour (1)
- Customer Loyalty (1)
- Customer Loyalty Program (1)
- Customer Satisfaction (1)
- Customer behaviour (1)
- Customer churn (1)
- Customer experience (1)
- Customer experience mapping (1)
- Customer journey (1)
- Customer loyalty (1)
- Customer relations and services (1)
- Customer retention (1)
- Customer satisfaction (1)
- DTC (1)
- Dashboard (1)
- Decentralised organisation (1)
- Decision Making (1)
- Decision making (1)
- Decision-making (1)
- Delivery date accuracy (1)
- Detailing (1)
- Developmental science (1)
- Digital Age (1)
- Digital anamnesis (1)
- Disruptive innovations (1)
- Distribution market (1)
- Distributor Management (1)
- Dividends (1)
- Dual Career Couples (1)
- Dual Carrer Ladder (1)
- Dun Laoghaire (1)
- Dynamic Pricing (1)
- Dynamic panel data (1)
- E-Commerce (1)
- E-commerce (1)
- ECB (1)
- EITI (1)
- EPS (1)
- Economic restart (1)
- Education (1)
- Efficient Markets (1)
- Electronic Payment (1)
- Empirical research (1)
- Employability (1)
- Employee Engagement (1)
- Employee Motivation (1)
- Employee Retention (1)
- Employee advocacy (1)
- Employee experience (1)
- Employee motivation (1)
- Employee survey (1)
- Employee training (1)
- Employer attractiveness (1)
- Empowerment of women (1)
- Endowment effect (1)
- Energy industry (1)
- Energy prices (1)
- Engineering Industry (1)
- English Premier League (1)
- Enterprise resource planning implementations (1)
- Entrepreneurship (1)
- Environmental awareness (1)
- Environmental integrated assessment models (1)
- Environmental marketing (1)
- Equities (1)
- Equity funds (1)
- Erneuerbare Energien (1)
- Ethnicity (1)
- Eudaimonia (1)
- Euro (1)
- Europe (1)
- European Islamic banks (1)
- Evaluation of IT investments (1)
- Expatriate experience (1)
- Expatriates (1)
- Experience management (1)
- Expertise development (1)
- Expertise path (1)
- Experts (1)
- Export (1)
- Extractive industry (1)
- FIFA Football World Cup 2006 (1)
- Factor Human (1)
- Factory Planning (1)
- Family Pool (1)
- Family-owned businesses (1)
- Farb- und Formerkennung (1)
- Farm to table (1)
- Fashion (1)
- Fashion Marketing (1)
- Fashion retail (1)
- Fehleranalyse Methoden (1)
- Female founders (1)
- Female leadership (1)
- Fiat money (1)
- FinTech (1)
- FinTech companies (1)
- FinTech markets (1)
- Financial Markets (1)
- Financial Stability (1)
- Financial audits (1)
- Financial crisis (1)
- Fitnessstudio (1)
- Five-year plans (1)
- Flexible Work Arrangements (1)
- Food buying (1)
- Food choice (1)
- Food labelling (1)
- Food packaging industry (1)
- Food security (1)
- Food supply chain (1)
- Food systems (1)
- Food wasting (1)
- Football (1)
- For-profit businesses (1)
- Forderungen (1)
- Framing (1)
- France (1)
- Franchise success factors (1)
- Free offer (1)
- Freihandelsabkommen (1)
- Friedrich August von Hayek's monetary theory (1)
- Future philanthropist (1)
- Gabor-Granger pricing method (1)
- Gaming industry (1)
- Gender equality (1)
- Generation impact (1)
- German tool industry (1)
- Germany Covid-19 pandemic (1)
- Global Collaboration (1)
- Global leadership (1)
- Global training (1)
- Global virtual team (1)
- Global virtual teams (1)
- Governance (1)
- Green attitude-behavior gap (1)
- Green bonds (1)
- Green branding (1)
- Green buying behavior (1)
- Green consumerism (1)
- HR (1)
- HR Management (1)
- Halal Food (1)
- Happiness (1)
- Health care practitioner (1)
- Heart Work (1)
- Heart leadership (1)
- Hedonia (1)
- Hofstede (1)
- Hufschmied Zerspanungssysteme GmbH (1)
- Human Recources (1)
- Human resource management (1)
- Human resources management (1)
- Impact Investing (1)
- Implementation (1)
- Impulse Buying (1)
- In-store technology (1)
- Incentive (1)
- Incentives (1)
- Inclusion (1)
- Independent studios (1)
- Indigenous (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Industrial automation (1)
- Influencer Marketing (1)
- Information Systems (1)
- Integrated reports (1)
- Integrity (1)
- Integrity in leadership (1)
- Inter-rater reliability (1)
- Intercultural Differences (1)
- Intercultural Project Management (1)
- Intercultural coaching (1)
- Intercultural interactions (1)
- Intercultural studies (1)
- Interest (1)
- Interest rate (1)
- International Assignments (1)
- International Management (1)
- International assignments (1)
- International career (1)
- International cookbook (1)
- International cooperation (1)
- International experiences (1)
- International graduates (1)
- Internationalization (1)
- Internet of things (1)
- Introversion (1)
- Investing (1)
- Investitionsrechnung (1)
- Islamic banking (1)
- Job Design (1)
- Job advertisement (1)
- Job satisfaction (1)
- Kapitalmarkt (1)
- Kerrygold (1)
- Key performance indicator (1)
- Key positions (1)
- Key success factors (KSFs) (1)
- Klimaschutz (1)
- Kolumbien (1)
- Kommissioniersysteme (1)
- LSI (1)
- Leadership (1)
- Leadership development (1)
- Lean controlling (1)
- Lean management (1)
- Lean production indicators (1)
- Learning (1)
- Learning methods (1)
- Learning styles (1)
- Lebensmittel (1)
- Legalization (1)
- LinkedIn strategy development process (1)
- Location planning (1)
- Logistics (1)
- Long-term assignments (1)
- Low-involvement products (1)
- Luxury watches (1)
- M&A, shareholder wealth, merger & acquisition (1)
- Macroeconomics (1)
- Macroprudential measures (1)
- Market Entry Modes (1)
- Market entry strategy (1)
- Marketing 3.0 (1)
- Marketing Strategy (1)
- Marketing sports (1)
- Marketing strategy (1)
- Marketingkonzept (1)
- Markowitz (1)
- Markteinführung (1)
- Match-up Hypothesis (1)
- Measurement (1)
- Measurement tool (1)
- Meat substitutes (1)
- Mechanical engineering industry (1)
- Medical care (1)
- Medical industry (1)
- Medical textile products (1)
- Mental disorder (1)
- Mental health (1)
- Merchandising (1)
- Mergers (1)
- Microfinance (1)
- Millennials (1)
- Mindestkurs (1)
- Mitarbeiterengagement (1)
- Mobile Learning (1)
- Mobile Payment (1)
- Mobility (1)
- Mode (1)
- Momentum strategies (1)
- Monetary Policy (1)
- Month-end close (1)
- Motivation (1)
- Motivational factors (1)
- Multiculturalism (1)
- Muslim (1)
- NGO trust (1)
- National culture (1)
- Natürliche Ressourcen (1)
- Negative emissions (1)
- Neuromarketing (1)
- Nonprofit Organizations (1)
- Nonprofit businesses (1)
- Nonprofit organizations (1)
- Nudging (1)
- Objectives and key results (1)
- Obstacles (1)
- Older employees (1)
- Oman energy (1)
- Online Impulse Buying Behaviour (1)
- Online Marketing Channel Analysis (1)
- Online Marketing Channels (1)
- Online Shops (1)
- Online advertising (1)
- Online business (1)
- Operations management (1)
- Partnership Model (1)
- Payment Preference (1)
- Pension planning (1)
- Pension reform (1)
- People analytics (1)
- Performance (1)
- Performance analysis (1)
- Personal characteristics (1)
- Pharma (1)
- Pharmaceutical sales representative (1)
- Physical environment (1)
- Physician marketing (1)
- Platform (1)
- Portfolio theory (1)
- Positionierung (1)
- Positioning (1)
- Post-merger integration (1)
- Power systems (1)
- Premiums (1)
- Price pressure (1)
- Price psychology (1)
- Private Assets (1)
- Process Harmonization (1)
- Process mining (1)
- Process optimization (1)
- Product placement (1)
- Product value (1)
- Production controlling (1)
- Profitability (1)
- Project Management (1)
- Project management (1)
- Promotion (1)
- Promotional effect (1)
- Prozessoptimierung (1)
- Psychological motivation theories (1)
- Purchase Intention (1)
- Purchasing behavior (1)
- Purpose-Driven marketing (1)
- QE (1)
- Quality perception (1)
- Rate (1)
- Rating (1)
- Reaction times (1)
- Reentry (1)
- Regional Marketing (1)
- Regulation (1)
- Regulatory requirements (1)
- Reiseberichte (1)
- Relationship Marketing (1)
- Rental model (1)
- Repatriation (1)
- Retailer format (1)
- Retailers (1)
- Revenue Maximization (1)
- Revenue mix (1)
- Reverse culture shock (1)
- Reward (1)
- Reward schedule (1)
- Risks (1)
- Robotic process automation (1)
- Role portrayals (1)
- SME (1)
- SMEs (1)
- SPACs (1)
- SRI (1)
- STEM (1)
- Sabbaticals (1)
- Sales Channel Management (1)
- Sales strategies (1)
- Schweizer Franken (1)
- Search engine optimization (1)
- Second screen marketing (1)
- Second-hand clothing (1)
- Selling price (1)
- Sensor (1)
- Sensor app marketing (1)
- Sensory Marketing (1)
- Service industry (1)
- Sexism (1)
- Sexism advertising (1)
- Shared service center (1)
- Sharing Economy (1)
- Shop floor management (1)
- Single-case study (1)
- Situation-Analysis (1)
- Smallholders (1)
- Smart city (1)
- Soccer (1)
- Social Influence (1)
- Social Media (1)
- Social Media Marketing (1)
- Software Companies (1)
- Software implementation (1)
- Solar energy (1)
- Source Credibility Model (1)
- Spain (1)
- Spatial choice architecture (1)
- Spatial middle (1)
- Spending behavior (1)
- Sporting Goods Retail (1)
- Sports Celebrity Endorsement (1)
- Standardization (1)
- Start-up (1)
- Stereotype Content Model (1)
- Stereotypes (1)
- Store Atmosphere (1)
- Strategic management (1)
- Strategic management model (1)
- Strategic talent management (1)
- Strategische Planung (1)
- Strategy map (1)
- Stress am Arbeitsplatz (1)
- Superconnector (1)
- Supply chain law (1)
- Sustainability marketing (1)
- Sustainability reporting (1)
- Sustainable Finance (1)
- Sustainable Investing (1)
- Sustainable Sourcing (1)
- Sustainable agriculture (1)
- Sustainable business models (1)
- Sustainable development (1)
- Sustainable fashion (1)
- Sustainable finance (1)
- Sustainable tourism (1)
- Sustainbale Investments (1)
- Switching barrier (1)
- TMS (1)
- TTIP (1)
- Talent aquisition (1)
- Talent conference (1)
- Talent identification (1)
- Talent management (1)
- Talent review (1)
- Talent scouting (1)
- Talent sharing (1)
- Talent shortage (1)
- Target group (1)
- Target-Analysis (1)
- Targeted Transfer (1)
- Tax Advantages (1)
- Teams (1)
- Technology Acceptance Model (1)
- Technology acceptance (1)
- Technology acceptance model (TAM) (1)
- Technology adoption (1)
- Telework (1)
- TikTok (1)
- Tool industry (1)
- Trade fair (1)
- Trade show performance (1)
- Trade show success (1)
- Training (1)
- Transparency (1)
- Transportation (1)
- Travel agency (1)
- Travel experience (1)
- Travel market (1)
- Trust building (1)
- U.S. customers (1)
- USA Europa (1)
- UTAUT2 (1)
- UX design (1)
- Unternehmenswerte (1)
- User experience (1)
- VUCA (1)
- Value chain (1)
- Value of treasury management system (1)
- Value perception (1)
- Verbraucherverhalten (1)
- Video marketing (1)
- Viewership (1)
- Viral marketing (1)
- Virtual collaboration (1)
- Virtual teams (1)
- Virtuality (1)
- Visual Merchandising (1)
- War for Talents and Customers (1)
- Web-based training (1)
- Wedding in Bali (1)
- Werbung (1)
- Wind energy (1)
- Women (1)
- Women entrepreneurship (1)
- Work from home (1)
- Work motivation (1)
- Workplace (1)
- Workplace design (1)
- Workplace stress (1)
- Yammer (1)
- Young professional (1)
- Zuliefermarkt KFZ (1)
- compassion (1)
- competitiveness (1)
- destination (1)
- eHealth (1)
- eSports (1)
- eSports industry (1)
- eWOM (1)
- emotional intelligence (1)
- gratitude (1)
- job performance (1)
- modern online marketing platforms (1)
- neuroscience (1)
- online marketing strategies (1)
- online marketing tools (1)
- place identity (1)
- place making (1)
- place/city branding (1)
- problem (1)
- sense of place (1)
- van Westendorp PSM (1)
Course of studies
- IBW - Internationale Betriebswirtschaft (255) (remove)
This thesis investigates the persuasiveness of triathlon celebrities on consumer purchase intention, employing a quantitative research methodology grounded in the Source Credibility Model and the Match-up hypothesis. Through a survey-based approach, data was collected to analyse how consumers perceive characteristics of triathlon sports celebrities and how the match-up between triathlon celebrities and product types as well as the perceived characteristics affect consumer purchase intention. Running shoes and winter boots were selected as the two product types.
The study population consisted of a total sample size of 204 respondents. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to explore the relationships between triathlon sports celebrities' attributes, product-endorser matchup, and consumer purchase intention. Findings revealed significant positive relationships between perceived expertise and purchase intention for both running shoes and winter boots. Moreover, a positive relationship was observed between perceived physical attractiveness of triathlon celebrities and purchase intention for both products. While perceived trustworthiness did not significantly impact purchase intention, the study demonstrated a positive relationship between perceived product-endorser match-up and purchase intention for both products. Practical implications stemming from these findings emphasize the importance of strategic sport celebrity selection and product-endorser fit in endorsement campaigns. This research contributes to the academic field by focusing specifically on triathlon celebrities’ and their persuasive impact towards consumers.
The objective of this work is to determine which strategic management model is the most suitable for developing a strategy framework for an international, decentralised organisation to ensure sustainable e-business growth. To achieve this, primary and secondary data are analysed, using a combination of comparative and qualitative approaches. Three strategic management models are presented. The Balanced Scorecard and the Objectives and Key Results are selected for a deeper literature review to assess their applicability according to criteria considered critical in a decentralised e-business context. Based on the literature, a hypothesis is formulated suggesting that Objectives and Key Results is the most suitable model for this purpose. Using a concrete case study, -the e-business project Vision 30 of the Würth Group-, both models are developed. The results and development processes are compared and evaluated, showing that although the Objectives and Key Results has significant advantages, it cannot serve as a universally applicable framework. The Balanced Scorecard‘s strategy map uses predefined perspectives, allowing for customisation and individual adaptations for companies. Therefore, the hypothesis was rejected. This demonstrates that the strategy map provides the necessary flexibility while maintaining alignment, which is crucial for success in today’s decentralised business landscape. Further research in the field of strategic management models could investigate the effectiveness of combining both models.
When discussing the current textile and apparel industries’ status quo, at some point attention will most likely shift towards the challenges fast fashion companies have to encounter due to the increased interest in sustainability practices. This bachelor dissertation examines the sustainability reports of three major fashion brands – Adidas, H&M, and Inditex, with the aim to gain insights of the current situation of non-financial reporting.
The study examines how companies address various aspects of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors within their sustainability reports. It also investigates whether these companies prioritize different topics in their practices. Furthermore, the research evaluates how extensively fashion companies incorporate industry-standard KPIs to measure and compare their
sustainability performances.
The results show that the three companies focus on ESG factors differently, with environmental issues being consistently addressed, although the degrees of emphasis vary. Inditex emerges as a leader in fulfilling ESG criteria, with Adidas and H&M closely behind. Analyzing a company’s KPIs reveals a range of diverse approaches, complicating comparisons with competitors. However, following set standards such as the GRI Standards enhances credibility, even though transparency improvements are possible. With the EU’s CSRD regulation on the horizon, companies are encouraged to improve data accuracy and transparency, which may lead to changes in strategic directions.
This study emphasizes the importance of fair reporting, clear communication, and standardized frameworks to promote sustainability. With the insights provided by the research, this work is aimed at researchers, shareholders, and stakeholders interested in understanding, or implementing sustainability practices within the fashion industry.
The primary purpose of this thesis is to examine if the implementation of process mining significantly impacts a company’s competitive advantage, what challenges organizations face during that process and while using the tool as well as to identify drivers for business value generation and for which purposes and in which areas process mining is applied along the value chain. Therefore, an exploratory case study was conducted based on ten in-depth expert interviews containing representatives of various industries.
Today’s business environment of uncertainty and increasing volatility demands for organizational resilience and adaptability. Businesses recognize the importance of effective process execution and management based on the necessity of process optimization in order to sustain competitive. Due to its universality of application and its ability to deliver ubiquitous value in ways that never have been possible before, process mining is gaining vast popularity across various domains.
Findings appear to show that process mining is seen as modern, innovative, and supportive means to gain transparency over processes’ complexity by facilitating the ease of identifying improvement areas on a holistic end-to-end perspective of a company’s value chain.
Thus, businesses use process mining to yield the creation of monetary and non-monetary values by deploying an iterative cycle of continuous improvement. Hence, value potentials are realized by transforming actionable insights obtained into suitable actions serving as enablement for value capture. Despite that, process mining impacts organizations on different levels, whereas such impacts potentially affect a company’s competitive advantage through several paths. The study further explores a variety of success factors consisting of antecedents for effective usage and drivers for consistent value creation of process mining. The analysis depicts moderating effects of success factors on several challenges, whereas organizational challenges clearly overweight technical’s. Ultimately, implications for further research and managerial actions are presented focusing on the organizational perspective of process mining.
The following thesis analyzes what a new sustainable pension reform for Germany could look like and which aspects can be adopted from other countries. It is shown that the German pension system needs a reform because it lacks sustainability due to the demographic change taking place and the associated poverty in old age. Another factor is the lack of state subsidies. To this
end, five different countries were analyzed, a survey and a utility analysis were conducted in order to compare the countries according to certain criteria and to draw conclusions as to which pension system or which aspects could be copied and implemented in Germany. The results show that Sweden and Norway have a sophisticated pension system with many aspects that could be adopted. Austria also provides some good ideas. The existing plans of the German government and other experts show that Germany is on the right track, but needs to be reformed
as soon as possible in order to achieve a positive result immediately.
The Bachelor Thesis examines the effects of the integration of environmental, social and governmental (ESG) criteria in equity funds on performance compared to conventional equity funds. For this purpose, a quantitative analysis is carried out which includes a detailed examination of 769 equity funds. The equity funds are divided into two different groups - ESG equity funds and conventional equity funds - and are analyzed for various financial ratios. The goal of the study is to illustrate the financial performance differences between ESG-focused equity funds and conventional equity funds and thus provide a scientific contribution to the academic debate on sustainable investments. Initially, the thesis delves into the central concepts of ESG, the historical development of investment funds, theoretical frameworks, and existing studies. The following analysis provides an insight into the relationship between ESG criteria and the performance of equity funds. It not only draws on two different ESG rating systems, but also provides a geographical breakdown. Although the work as a whole helps to develop a deeper understanding of sustainable investment and highlights potential implications for investors and the financial sector, the results of the analysis show that more research is needed in this area.
Analysis of Fintech Markets
(2023)
The technological advancement in the business sector, in particular in the banking world, forces the financial sector to adapt its services. The Fintech companies aim to cope with these advancements and change the money management for clients. The question that arises is how the FinTech companies have developed and if they are profitable. That is the reason for the research of the development of the Fintech companies theoretically and practically, focusing on their financial performance. The methodology used in this paper is for the first chapter gathering existing knowledge of previous studies and including law directives to underline the development and in the second chapter using the information available from the companies itself. One can conclude the development of the acceptance of digitalized banks have increased after the economic crisis in 2008. Furthermore, the regulatory systems have problems coping with the velocity of change and the income of new products and services. The practical analysis of the FinTech companies show, that they do have certain advantages for clients, but are not immune against economic volatility. Having analyzed existing companies is beneficiary for the research field, as for now no practical analysis of the companies have been done. Nevertheless, the limitation of this research is due to the fact of probable biased information from the companies.
Steuerliche Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten von privaten Vermögensgegenständen über einen Familienpool
(2024)
The following paper deals with the topic of which tax structuring options are possible for the transfer of private assets via a family pool under German tax law. The research question examined here is whether it is worthwhile from a tax perspective to transfer private assets to a family pool and which legal form is most suitable for this. In particular, the difference in terms of inheritance tax between a transfer through a family pool and an inheritance upon the death of the testator is examined. In order to answer the research question, a detailed literature review was first carried out on the special tax circumstances of the legal forms suitable for a family pool. Subsequently, the topics brought to light by the research were introduced into three case studies for better comprehensibility in order to demonstrate the tax advantages of a family pool.The tax burden calculations show that a family pool can be worthwhile for tax and administrative reasons if set up early on
This thesis investigates the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the recruitment processes of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), highlighting both the opportunities and challenges of such technologies. It examines the potential benefits of AI in recruitment, including increased efficiency and unbiased decision-making, as well as challenges such as data privacy concerns. Through qualitative research and interviews with HR professionals, the study not only explores the current landscape of AI in recruitment but also proposes a comprehensive implementation plan for SMEs. This plan is designed to help SMEs navigate the complexities of adopting AI technologies, ensuring they can effectively leverage AI tools to enhance their recruitment outcomes and overcome the barriers to implementation.
Sustainable sourcing strategies to prevent environmental and human rights risks
along the supply chain have become increasingly relevant for global operating
companies. The aim of this thesis is to provide the theoretical framework and
practical implementation of a sustainable sourcing risk management system
anchored in the German supply chain law and based on defined criteria. These
criteria include requirements in the area of Natural Capital and Materials that are important for the company Kendrion N.V. In total, three research questions have been defined: What are the required criteria of Natural Capital and Materials the suppliers should comply with? How should these be implemented for Kendrion and its supply chain? And what are the remaining challenges?
In detail, the requirement criteria contain the topics of renewable energy, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, reuse and recycling, as well as current regulations of the European Union.
The practical implementation demonstrates the implementation at Kendrion N.V. To assess risks along the supply chain, a questionnaire is developed that serves as a basis for the evaluation process. In addition, this thesis includes the concept creation of a Power BI report that can be used as a methodology for the risk management analysis. The Power BI system presented at the end of this thesis will be used as a template for Kendrion to evaluate the results of the supplier questionnaire as part of the risk management system. However, some challenges need to be addressed: The proportion of suppliers who have signed the Code of Conduct, the reliability of the supplier data provided, and the verification of supplier contacts.
Gamification has become an innovative marketing tool in the tourism industry. It can potentially increase engagement and brand awareness and enhance overall tourist experiences. This thesis presents the theory behind gamification and its application in travel marketing. It discusses extrinsic and intrinsic motivational factors, fundamental concepts, practical examples, and the role of mobile applications in driving these strategies forward. By understanding how gamification can amplify tourist engagement, marketers could take advantage of this strategy and create campaigns that leave a long-lasting and positive impression. In addition, real-world examples demonstrate that tourism marketing can benefit from this innovative technique. Based on the literature's most critical findings, a model for implementing gamified marketing strategies to potentially increase tourist numbers during off-season traveling in less popular destinations is proposed.
Reviewing Expats' perceptions on global leadership competencies: the case of multinationals in Asia
(2023)
In an era of increasing globalization, companies struggling with a leadership gap in Asia feel compelled to equip their leaders with global leadership competencies that meet international standards. Therefore, this paper clearly defines the role of the worldwide standard of global competencies and how it contributes to a company's human resource development program. We use a multinational company as a case study. Qualitative interviews were conducted to explore how expats perceive global leadership competencies in relation to global standards and the personnel development program. By reflecting on the staff development program concerning the standardized global leadership competencies, the case study can be beneficial for the company as opportunities for improvement of the development program were found, and approaches were presented on this basis.
This thesis focuses on what factors make a food- or restaurant franchise successful in general and what factors make a food-or restaurant franchise in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, successful. A literature research was conducted to combine these factors into a framework for food- and restaurant-franchises and potential entrants in Freiburg im Breisgau. Furthermore, a PEST- and location analysis for Freiburg im Breisgau for food- and restaurant franchises was performed. Results show that success factors break down into two main topics namely the franchisor-franchisee relationship and food- and restaurant-franchise key performance indices. Belonging to the franchisor-franchisee relationship, extensive communication and cooperation lays at the core of each successful franchise. Average check, revenue per available seat per hour, and meal duration feature important key performance indices which contribute to the franchise ́s success. Menu analysis, the nine segment matrix and good quality of food and service ensure a competitive advantage if reviewed regularly and lay the foundation of a regular customer basis. Food- or restaurant-franchises in Freiburg im Breisgau include the following success factors: offering vegetarian and vegan options, operating out of the city district of Altstadt-Mitte, and orienting prices to the industry standard although respecting locally produced ingredients. This work gives a first orientation framework for the success of franchises as well as concrete success factors for Freiburg im Breisgau, which could be tested and optimized by further research.
While ESG investing has presented an impressive growth history within institutional investing in the past, this thesis aims to investigate whether impact investing could potentially mirror the ESG investing success story going forward. For that reason, the thesis analyses the past success of ESG investing and compares this to the less established investing practice of impact investing in order to find necessary requirements for the volume of impact investing to grow. After comparing the characteristics of ESG investing and impact investing and after analysing suitable asset classes and potential investors for both investment trends, four key success factors for the progress of institutional impact investing have been identified. These are (1) a general interest in society and the investment community for more direct social and environmental impact, (2) the existence of suitable investment products, (3) a regulatory framework that allows and incentivizes institutional investors to purchase impact investment products and (4) a mechanism with which impact investments products can be objectively classified and their impact can be objectively measured. While the first three success factors should not hinder the future growth of impact investing, the problem of objectively classifying and measuring an impact investment seems difficult to overcome in the near future.
This bachelor thesis examines the emerging concept of re-commerce in the fashion industry with a particular focus on the factors influencing its adoption in the German market. In the context of changing economic dynamics and the increasing importance of sustainability, the thesis analyzes the basic principles of the circular economy in relation to the fashion industry and discusses the role of re-commerce initiatives in promoting resource conservation.
The study uses a comprehensive PEST analysis of the German market to uncover political, economic, sociocultural, and technological factors influencing the adoption of re- commerce. In addition, a detailed market analysis reveals the current state and growth prospects of re-commerce in Germany. This includes an examination of trends, target groups, demand for sustainable fashion and the acceptance of second-hand goods.
Using the case study of the fashion brand Levi's, which has successfully integrated a re- commerce platform, the study shows how established companies can achieve their sustainability goals and discover new business opportunities.
Finally, the paper concludes by summarizing the identified factors and the opportunities and challenges for companies looking to enter the German re-commerce market. The assessment of the potential benefits and risks associated with launching re-commerce initiatives in Germany provides a comprehensive basis for future decision-making. All in all, the German fashion resale market offers promising prospects. The current expansion and future potential of this sector are strongly influenced by consumer behavior and driven by extrinsic factors.
Thus, this work contributes to a deeper understanding of the relevance of re-commerce practices in the fashion industry and provides valuable insights for companies in the German fashion market aiming at sustainable business strategies.
The emergence of cryptocurrencies has sparked significant debate regarding their role in modern financial systems. This thesis addresses two main aspects of cryptocurrencies: their viability as an investment asset and their potential to replace conventional fiat money. It especially focuses on Bitcoin and digs into the multidimensional nature of cryptocurrencies. This study clarifies the conflict between the perceived potential of cryptocurrencies as a respectable form of investment and their perceived speculative nature, as seen by their relationship with gambling-like behavior, through a thorough investigation.
Examining Bitcoin's price volatility, market acceptance, and correlation with conventional financial assets are all important parts of the inquiry into the investment possibilities of this digital currency. The magic triangle of investing will be used as an approach to analyze the returns, liquidity and risks and compare Bitcoin with other investing assets.
Furthermore, this study examines the viability of Bitcoin, as a replacement for fiat money by reconstructing Friedrich August von Hayek's monetary theory. The analysis covers the underlying technologies of cryptocurrencies, the idea of decentralized ledger systems, and the possibility of creating a reliable and effective means of exchange. This study evaluates whether cryptocurrencies could overcome the constraints and difficulties of conventional fiat currencies by contrasting Hayek's theories with the distinctive characteristics of cryptocurrencies.
The representation of female leaders in the STEM-field, especially the telecommunication industry, is rising in the 21st century. In contrast to men in leadership positions, there still exists an incongruity for female leaders, as the stereotypes associated with a leader correspond to those of a man. Therefore, women in leadership positions must decide between fulfilling their social role as being caring and warm, or to fulfil the leadership stereotype of being competent and dominant. To date, they cannot display their female side when in leadership positions, as the expectations one has about the ideal leader do not align with the emotional side of a woman.
The qualitative study is based on the classification of women and leaders in the Stereotype Content Model. The research is conducted in a telecommunication company. Therefor, employees of female leaders are interviewed about their perception of their leader. The findings of the research prove, that female leaders in the telecommunication industry are perceived against the female stereotypes. The findings show the female leaders are perceived rather male, meaning they are more competent than warm.
It is shown that female leaders must act against their social role, which has negative consequences for them. Consequences can be the avoidance of attempting to compete for certain roles, lower performance or social or economic punishment.
The common occurrence of impulsive buying is present in our everyday lives, but what is behind this occurrence? Impulse buying behaviour is described as a sudden, spontaneous, and compelling phenomenon that accounts for a great part of regular shopping. However, shopping should not only be considered in physical stores but also on online websites and social commerce platforms. With the advancement of technology, the number of social media users is also increasing and with it the importance of online purchases. In order for businesses, marketers or e-retailers to capitalize on this surge, it is necessary to understand what factors drive impulse buying behaviour, and particularly what the key driving factors of online impulse purchases are. Therefore, this paper address impulse buying behaviour and its general influences as well as social media marketing and online stimuli. Moreover, it aimed to examine the relationship between online impulse buying behaviour and social media marketing. To identify the relevant insights on the topic, a systematic literature review was conducted by using databases and literature search engines such as Emerald, Google Scholar, EBSCO, and ResearchGate. After the selection process, 39 articles were further reviewed for this study. The main findings that emerge from the paper are hedonic motivation, price promotions, payment facility, website quality and content, and trust beliefs on online websites are the key driving factors of online impulse buying behaviour. Furthermore, certain literature indicates that social media marketing influences impulsive purchases through so-called influencers and adapts influencing factors of online impulse buying to their social network sites.
In the field of change management, this thesis focuses on the factor human. The
comparison of different change management concepts by Lewin, Sinek, Krüger, and
Kotter builds the basis for the subsequent work. The theory of psychological contracting
becomes evident in the human factor analysis. For the realization of the goal of customer
centricity, a new framework and within this framework a new role structure, called
Business Framework Ambassador (BFA), is created at SICK AG. To establish this new
role at SICK AG, a change management concept for the official announcement of the
role structure BFA is created in the Service department. Hereby, the focus lies on the
derivation of measures to empower the employees who took on the new role in the
organization, namely the BFAs of the Service department. In this thesis, quantitative and
qualitative methods of research are used to analyze the work environment and to realize
a successful change management campaign. The implementation of the derived
measures leads to a strengthening of the community between the employees. In
addition, the specific results of the change project BFA lead to the assumption that a
feeling of empowerment is linked to employee engagement as well as management
support. The four motives of employee engagement introduced in the theoretical part of
this paper represent an appropriate tool for the participation of employees in this change
management project. The results of this work conclude with an outlook on how further
groups of BFAs can be launched at SICK AG.
In this thesis, the following object was addressed: Is employee advocacy an influential component in the war for talents and customers? This thesis collaborates with the company Ambassify. Firstly, all relevant subjects and information regarding this topic were discussed in a literature review. Based on this, a research strategy was created, including all aspects necessary to answer the research question. In order to gather this data and then answer the research question a quantitative study, more precisely an online survey was conducted.
Greenwashing in the clothing industry and its impact on the corporate image of consumers in Germany
(2023)
With issues like climate change and the pollution of our planet, more and more clothing companies are following the trend of a sustainable marketing strategy. Greenwashing is often associated with that, as not all companies are honest about their statements. This study examines how greenwashing by a company in the clothing industry impacts the corporate image of 18 to 30-year-old adults in Germany. Studies regarding sustainability, consumer behaviour towards sustainable products, the behaviour in case of greenwashing incidents, and the identification of greenwashing are investigated. For the analysis, online survey data of 244 Hochschule Furtwangen University study participants are examined. The descriptive study provides information about the behaviour of consumers regarding sustainable clothing and their behaviour when it comes to greenwashing. It was found that consumers tend not to consider sustainability when buying clothes. Very few inform themselves about sustainability, and sustainable labels do not seem to influence their shopping decisions. The image of the consumer about the company involved in greenwashing appears to deteriorate. In addition, the willingness to keep buying from the company seems to be stopped or reduced for the majority. A weak positive correlation was found between consumer behaviour concerning the topics of sustainability and greenwashing. It can be summarised that the dishonest behaviour of clothing companies can harm their consumers' corporate image and brand loyalty.
Heart leadership is a leadership style which focuses on finding purpose and
passion in one’s life and job. The generation Y (Millennials), as a rather
technophile generation entered companies around of the turn of the
millennium. On the one hand, nowadays generation Z with new values, ideas
and requests to their work environment enters companies, and on the other
hand companies need to be attractive for skilled personnel. The heart
leadership concept addresses these requirements. This concept refers to the
ability to use one’s awareness and heart energy to create a culture focused on
exceptional relations, trust, care, spirituality, compassion, positivity, and
development.
The aim of this thesis is to answer the question of how heart leadership impacts
a business in the long run. To answer the research question “How can doing
things in a heart way impact the future of modern businesses?”, a literature
review was conducted.
The beginning of this work provides an explanation of what leadership means,
followed by explaining different leadership styles based on the Full Range of
Leadership Model with a concrete explanation of transformational leadership.
By defining the context of heart leadership with the meaning of the heart, what
aspects this kind of leadership includes, and the definition of human potential,
eleven heart factors that influence a business were derived through repeated
and overlapping attributes which a heart-led leader should have. These factors
show that heart leadership has a positive long-term impact on several areas of
a business, including the increase of overall work performance, mental health,
commitment, engagement, employee retention, resilience, profit and more.
The outcome of this thesis recommends integrating heart leadership in actual
leadership principles in companies. Heart leadership is an extension of
transformational leadership that meets the needs of a new generation,
positively changes the work environment, and enables employees’ full potential
in order to survive as a company in a competitive market and the race for
qualified employees.
The purpose of this study is to explain the concept of heart work and to demonstrate that long-term excellence can be achieved through it. The study examines the implementation of corporate values at METRO Markets from 2020 to 2022 and investigates the extent to which the implementation of company values, the perception of autonomy and championing, and the quality of the relationship with managers are linked to the level of heart work. The hypotheses suggest that better implementation of values and the greater feelings of autonomy and championing, and better relationships with managers are associated with higher levels of heart work. Employee data from METRO Markets measuring employee engagement over two years is analysed using exploratory data analysis and quantitative regression analysis to test the hypotheses. The study shows that a value-oriented work environment and self-leadership skills are linked to higher levels of heart work. No conclusive statement could be made about heart work and the relationship with managers due to unmet assumptions in the regression analysis, indicating the need for further research. The conclusion highlights the importance of personal responsibility, mindfulness and self-leadership in achieving and maintaining healthy levels of performance.
Precedent research in human resources management has put forward the challenges of recognizing the appropriate methods to unlock employees’ potential. However, it has been proven that leaders and managers can establish a culture where employees can unlock their potential with the proper understanding of neuroscience and emotional intelligence. This research has shown that cognitive skills, which are necessary for a good job performance, can be further developed due to neuroplasticity. Furthermore, understanding human needs and emotions can help people improve their work and life experience. This research also studies the relationship between employees’ well-being and job performance. Moreover, how emotional intelligence influences the company’s working atmosphere with its staff will be, with the support of literature research, thoroughly investigated and further analysed. Based on findings of various studies, attributes such as empathy, compassion, and kindness play a predominant role and indicate an underlying connection between motivation and job performance. All in all, questions such as how health impacts job performance and how neuroscience research and understanding human emotions shift the approach to motivating people will be further discussed. This research also questions what attributes a company leader should have to build trust with the employees and encourage them to work better. Therefore, this research takes a closer look into the exemplary leadership approach and explains why communication and purpose in the company matter when unlocking human potential. In addition, it highlights the effect of experiencing stress and fear at work and the remarkable impact of positive emotions such as kindness, gratitude, and compassion. Thus, with this understanding, this research acknowledges profoundly the positive influence of having a trustworthy and empathetic leader in the company. It fundamentally shows that working in a healthy and inclusive working culture, where psychological safety is ensured, one can, in fact, unlock the potential of employees to work better and feel good about themselves.
The initial situation of this Bachelor's thesis is the so-called "War for Talents" and the shortage of skilled workers in Germany. This leads to a changed situation in the labour market, where Generation Z is currently represented. By growing up under particular conditions, Generation Z is attributed specific characteristics and values. As a result, Generation Z's expectations and requirements of employers are changing. Companies should be aware of these requirements and react to them. Employer branding in companies is responsible for the employer image and the formation of a strong employer brand. Accordingly, the employer branding of a company is of great importance in order to convince young talents. This requires a target group-specific approach. Due to the change in media usage behaviour, this is done via social media. Therefore, the social media platform TikTok gives various opportunities.This offers enormous potential for advertising companies. Influencer marketing developed from social media, which offers numerous possibilities through the reach of the influencer and the trust of his/her community. In cooperation with a company, the influencer acts as the sender of an advertising message.
The question: "Is an influencer campaign on TikTok suitable for addressing Generation Z in a target group-specific way for employer branding?" is clarified on the basis of the German-wide influencer campaign on TikTok carried out by Mercedes-Benz Group AG. The aim of the influencer campaign is to draw the attention of pupils to an apprenticeship or dual studies at Mercedes-Benz Group AG and to lead interested candidates to the career website. The impact analysis carried out provided valuable insights: The previously forecasted KPIs of the influencer campaign were exceeded. In addition, there was a significant increase in the number of visitors to the career website. Thus, the TikTok platform is suitable for employer branding to address 18-24 year-olds. Influencer marketing is also valuable for employer branding. This is a very effective and authentic form of marketing.
In recent years, an increasingly technological and digital world, with new opportunities
and communication channels, has seen a power shift between brands and their consumers
in favor of the latter (Hansen et al., 2018). This bachelor's thesis examines the question
of whether there are models that can help companies and their brands to counteract the
change in the power balance while responding to changing consumer behavior.
Method: To answer this question, two models, crowdsourcing, and influencer marketing
were presented, that can also be used in the context of brand management. These were
analyzed from a brand perspective in terms of their possibilities and benefits. In addition,
both were analyzed from the consumer's point of view in terms of their correspondence
with the customers' requirements.
Results: The results show that both crowdsourcing and influencer marketing are suitable
in principle, because they address parts of the new consumer requirements, while at the
same time enabling the brand to act in a more self-determined manner. For a successful
implementation of the models, however, it is essential that there is a strong brand
community that wants to interact with the brand and its partners.
Significance of the results: The results provide some good initial insights into solving the
problem presented, but also clearly point out, that further research is required to better
address the issue of the shifted balance of power between consumers and brands.
Building and further strengthening customer relationships is of vital significance for organizations per diem, as maintaining an existing customer base is proven to be less costly than acquiring new customers. Therefore, customer loyalty programs serve as the ideal foundation to enhance customer-centric businesses in the long-run and reward continuous engaging customer behavior. The B2B automotive aftermarket industry with respect to loyalty programs is a general under-researched area. Thus, this study aims to close the gap.
The objective of this research study was to create a suitable loyalty program for the automotive aftermarket on the example of Parts Trading at Mercedes-Benz AG. In order to achieve that, literature concerning individual factors that compose a loyalty program were reviewed as well as twelve qualitative expert interviews in the German market conducted. The experts provide specific, deep-rooted practical knowledge in the automotive aftersales field and assist in gathering valuable information in terms of desired aspects, challenges and experiences regarding loyalty programs. The results were assigned to six categories which were further used to provide recommended action for a loyalty program in Parts Trading and the general automotive aftermarket.
The results of this study display that an automotive aftermarket loyalty program is associated with a great deal of effort, as various challenges have to be overcome. These include the issue of data management, specialized rewards that provide high-perceived value that need to be offered in an easy-to-understand scheme, the signif-icant topic of support and accessibility from the company that needs to be ensured before implementing a loyalty program and lastly, the subject of profitability for the organization. Consequently, it is suggested to derive further international studies where quantitative research with a greater sample size is conducted to review whether the results are in alignment along with a long-term study in which the impact on customer buying behavior and profitability of the program with the same experts is evaluated. However, these findings serve as the ideal starting point for Parts Trading with a lot of possibilities to further develop the loyalty program.
The impact of store atmosphere elements on the purchase behaviour and emotions of customers has an important significance in modern marketing. How to design and conceptualize a store atmosphere in such a way that it provides an unforgettable experience for the customer and entices him or her to arouse an interest in the store environment is one of the most fundamental concerns merchants and marketers must ask and think through these days – likewise, the role of culture in connection with store atmosphere is necessary to understand. The goal of this paper is to answer the question on how behavioural and emotional responses to store atmospheric elements such as visual, aural, olfactory, tactile, social, exterior design, interior design and layout & design differ across individualist and collectivist cultures. A cross-cultural analysis between Germans and non-Germans is made in respect to the posed question. A quantitative online survey was conducted, in which a total of 99 valid participants took part, of which 57 were Germans and 42 were non-Germans. This research extended the study of Barros et al. (2019) and added two more separate store atmospheric elements which are the general exterior design and the general interior design. The data was then analyzed, and the findings were ultimately presented. The findings showed that overall store atmosphere elements have similar emotional and behavioural effects on individualist and collectivist cultures with the exception of the general exterior design element, where a significant difference was found. This paper gives a comprehensive overview on the importance of store atmospheric elements in retail and the comparison between Germany which acts as a country that scored relatively high on the Individualism dimension of Hofstede’s national culture model and the countries Turkey, Russia, Portugal, Albania, Bosnia, Romania, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Iraq which serve as a union of cultures that performed high on the Collectivism dimension. Additional research on the topic needs to be done on how culture affects shopper’s emotional and behavioural responses.
Abstract
In the last decade, green bonds have become one of the most prominent and popular
financing instruments for mitigating climate change. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impacts of green bonds with regard to climate neutrality and compare their performance with conventional bonds. Therefore, the following research questions were answered: What are the latest developments in the green bond market? What is the present state of standardized regulations? How do green bonds perform compared to their conventional counterparts? How transparent and "green" is the current green bond market? The paper is based on a literature review in the theoretical part and a practical part illustrating an insight into the current green bond market through three case studies.
In the green bond market, which has been growing steadily since 2015, Europe's increasingly strong and prominent position is evident. With a global market volume of over $500 billion in 2021, there has been a substantial increase in market growth during the past few years. A large body of literature shows that green bonds do not exhibit significant differences in performance compared to their conventional counterparts. As the green bond market matures, the phenomenon of a green bond premium is slowly disappearing. Which is in line with the results of the case studies. The green bonds outperform the conventional bonds and achieve a higher return. Further, a lack of standardized regulations can be observed. There are not one but many voluntary standards and regulations. As a result, the actual sustainability and impact of green bonds are difficult to measure.
This thesis examines the existence and magnitude of the Dividend Month Premium in the German stock market over the period 1999 to 2021. The findings indicate that there appear to be significant positive abnormal returns in the lead-up to the ex-dividend date, which are reversed thereafter. This mispricing around a predictable event arises as a contradiction of the efficient market hypothesis and is driven by price pressure from dividend-seeking investors who are not exposed to additional risk compared to non-dividend periods. The asset pricing anomaly intensifies in times of economic uncertainty and is related to the level of dividend yield and liquidity. However, if firms decide to omit their dividend payments, the return premium disappears.
This bachelor thesis examines the topic of global collaboration. The work was done in cooperation with the Marquardt Group, to work on an internal analysis within their Factory Planning department. The goal is to define recommendations for the improvement of the governance structure within this department. This thesis answers the following two main questions: Why does the Factory Planning need improvement in their governance structure? How can they improve their collaboration on a global level? In order to answer these questions, the following work looks at different factors within the department. The work starts with a theoretical overview about the topics of collaboration, communication and corporate governance. After learning more about these topics, the next part explains the analysis of the current state within the department. For this, the usage of two different types of models happens. First, the usage of a Target Operating Model to gain an overview about the internal state within the headquarter. The second analysis is a survey, in the form of a questionnaire that addresses three different groups globally. Therefore, the generation of three different views happens. Based on these analyses, the thesis states the gaps in the global collaboration. Following is the definition of recommendations to try to improve the structure. With the help of this thesis the company can than work on the gaps, to move toward their desired state of collaboration.
The bachelor thesis investigates the development and impact of electronic payment methods, specifically concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer preferences, and the future of such methods. The primary objective of this study was to examine the effect of the pandemic and security concerns on consumer behaviour towards electronic payments. That was achieved through a literature review and a survey of 605 participants. The survey results indicate an increasing trend among consumers towards cashless payments due to their numerous advantages over cash transactions, including enhanced hygiene, quicker processing times, and improved security. As such, users exhibit a high level of comfort and convenience with electronic payment methods and are generally rarely worried about the security of their data. The study further reveals that electronic payment methods are gaining popularity worldwide, particularly mobile payments. The pandemic and improved security measures have led to a notable increase in their use, which is expected to continue to rise. Based on these findings, the study suggests that digital payments are the way forward and that these methods will be further developed to improve user-friendliness and security.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused considerable developments in the business environment, especially in terms of work from home, which are likely to play a role in the future. Since employee motivation is a decisive factor for the profitability of a company, it is important to take appropriate measures to maintain and increase it in times of work from home. The aim of this work is to identify the factors influencing employee motivation during work from home, to derive possible explanations as to why these factors influence motivation, and to derive proposed solutions for managers in order to be able to ensure optimal employee motivation. The following research question is to be answered: “To what extent does work from home influence the work motivation of employees in Germany?”. For this purpose, a quantitative online survey was conducted. Based on the literature review and survey results, the finding is that sufficient and functioning work equipment, social interaction with colleagues, an undisturbed work environment, and flexible working hours help to maintain motivation whereas independence as well as tangible benefits can increase motivation when working from home. However, motivation is a highly subjective matter, which can have different causes and characteristics for each individual, so the impact of work from home on work motivation cannot be generalized in principle.
Concerns about mental health and the declining rate of body satisfaction have increased interest in topics such as diversity, body positivity, and inclusion in recent years. Thus, the suggestion is that companies can communicate deep meanings through advertising images and strengthen their brand identity. This bachelor thesis proposes the application of two theoretical frameworks: Esch’s "Brand Steering Wheel" for identifying the brand identity, and the framework of “Visual Grammar” for analyzing images in advertising. The aim is to find out if diversity in advertising can improve brand identity.
Firstly, this work intends to offer an overall understanding of advertising, brand identity, and multimodality. For this, previous academic literature is used to establish a theoretical basis for understanding. Secondly, certain problems that lack inclusion in traditional advertising are analyzed. Thirdly, with the help of the theoretical framework, the brand identity is analyzed using the brand steering wheel. Additionally, Kress and van Leeuwen’s framework of visual grammar is used to examine images for their meaning.
The findings indicate that there is significant theoretical and practical evidence to suggest that the application of diversity in advertising campaigns would be an effective strategy to build a strong brand identity. The identities and relationships indicated in the photos between viewers and models represent desired attributes that may be identified with the advertiser's products. The brand may be picked if the viewers see that it is correctly represented.
An average investor trying to allocate his wealth among multiple assets ideally has nearly infinite possibilities to do so. However, asset allocation strategies try to facilitate this process. Nevertheless, no consensus exists on which strategy is ideal and yields the best performance. Therefore, this paper aims to determine an ideal asset allocation strategy for an average investor by comparing two asset allocation strategies.
The focus is on comparing the practical application of Markowitz’s Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT), a sophisticated asset allocation strategy, with an equally weighted asset allocation, namely the 1/N strategy. The past performance of these two strategies is compared with the help of a calculation example based on historical data. The quantitative analysis covers three time periods of different lengths between 1991 and 2022. Also, the strategies are applied to portfolios with different amounts of assets during these periods. Although the existing literature is very controversial concerning the performance of the two strategies, this research shows a clear result. Compared to the 1/N strategy, this study’s findings show an outperformance of the MPT strategy during every period and each portfolio combination. However, the difference in performance regarding return and risk is minimal in most scenarios and would not significantly affect an average investor who invests over a long-term horizon.
Generation Z born between 1995 and 2010 has a growing influence on the markets and businesses need to adapt their marketing strategies to meet the needs and expectations of said generation and therefore influence their brand perception, preferably positively. Consequently, it is essential to understand Generation Z, their values, characteristics and behavior.
The goal of this thesis is to answer how the modern marketing strategy cause-related marketing influences the brand perception of Generation Z. Thus, the following research questions are being posed: “How does cause-related marketing influence Generation Z’s brand perception in Germany?” and “How can cause-related marketing influence Generation Z’s brand perception in Germany positively?”.
To answer the research questions a quantitative study regarding brand perception was conducted. More specifically a survey was run to measure the brand perception of Generation Z regarding the practice of cause-related marketing. The respondents had to indicate how much they agree or disagree with statements about brands practicing cause-related marketing posed on a 5-level Likert scale to measure their brand perception.
The results of the study indicate that the perception of Generation Z gets influenced by the practice of cause-related marketing. Moreover, Generation Z’s brand perception gets influenced positively. This effect can be augmented if companies pay attention to the specific values, characteristics and behavior of Generation Z and choose their message, collaboration partners and causes accordingly. Additionally, Generation Z’s brand perception can be influenced positively if cause-related marketing is practiced originally, especially via suitable communication tools.
Further studies concerning cause-related marketing influencing Generation Z’s brand perception in other countries or how specific brands or industries are affected could be conducted. Additionally, studies focusing on the negative impacts of cause-related marketing could be performed.
The aim of this thesis is to answer the question of how consumers can be influenced by influencers to purchase sustainable fashion. To this end, the following research question was posed: How do social media influencers influence consumers' attitudes, awareness, and purchase intentions toward sustainable fashion? In order to answer the research question, the main terms of the work were defined and explained. Through the use of multiple examples, sustainable influencers with different reach were analyzed. The results of this work showed that followers can be influenced to buy sustainable fashion by influencers on Instagram. Companies see influencer marketing as a high opportunity to achieve their business goals such as brand awareness and increasing sales. Based on this, it is recommendable to use influencers as a corporate strategy to raise awareness of sustainable fashion brands. In this way, sustainable companies can reach different target groups.
Mergers and acquisitions are effective strategies for corporations to accomplish their financial and strategic goals. They can, for example, assist businesses in increasing economies of scale or decreasing rivalry. The annual growth in the value of all mergers and acquisitions highlights the continued trend of M&As. Researchers differ on the role of national culture in post-merger integration. Some argue that national culture significantly influences post-merger integration, making it more difficult to create synergies. Other scholars argue that national culture should be viewed as a competitive advantage that leads to a more positive M&A outcome. National culture is not a major factor in post-merger integration, and other variables, like the firm's desire to adapt and corporate culture, dictate its complexity. Another viewpoint on the influence of national culture is that it relies on the level of connectivity, which means that the more tightly a firm integrates with another, the more probable cultural disputes develop. Therefore, this study aims to look at a wider prospect of the impact of national culture on post-merger integration. The research methodology used in this research work is the qualitative research design which involves a naturalistic study intended to collect, analyze, and interpret non-numerical to understand individual opinions, phenomena, concepts, or experiences. Primary and secondary data were used in this investigation. Semi-structured interviews were used to acquire primary data from the research sample. On the other hand, secondary data for the research study was gathered from existing sources such as prior study results, journal articles, reports, and other recorded literature on the role of national culture in post-merger integration. The results of this research were categorized in the form of the three themes, which forms the basis central basis of the research.
To achieve sustainable development, appropriate individual consumer behavior is required. However, the increasing statements expressing the intention to buy green products by consumers are reflected in only a fraction of actual purchases. This paper presents a literature review on the attitude-behavior gap phenomenon, focusing on the controversial role of green marketing in promoting sustainable consumption and its influence on the gap between intentions and behaviors.
The attitude-behavior gap is attributable to various situational and internal factors, with the prevailing price sensitivity and routine purchase behavior for low-involvement products playing a critical role in the fast-moving consumer goods industry. Counteracting these factors with the help of a green marketing approach that encompasses internal, strategic, and tactical marketing orientations was examined in this work. While it has been found that creating credibility and transparency through a holistic marketing orientation and targeting the origins of the attitude-behavior gap with the respective green marketing tools can positively contribute to its narrowing, divergent green marketing strategies can lead to the opposite. Greenwashing as a strategy to give companies a greener image without adapting their business activities accordingly leads to a negative impact on the attitude-behavior gap.
On the basis of this analysis, the study found that according to the way a company employs green marketing strategies, it may either widen or narrow the gap.
The subject of this bachelor thesis is the analyses of the evolution of the European tourists’ behaviors in sustainable travel and travel choices / preferences since the Covid 19 pandemic.
Empirical results have been obtained through a deeper analysis of several literature researches, studies and an own survey (questionnaire). The outcomes show first that the majority of the young generation tourists are now willing to travel more sustainably and have changed their behaviors, habits significantly and that since the Covid 19. The today situation with climate changes and the Covid 19 have clearly identified impacts on tourist and influenced directly their habits and motivation as their preferences and choice for travel types and destinations. In addition, young tourists are now more attracted and open for new types of tourism, which are linked to own sustainability actions giving them a good conscience. So, we observe a change between a passive and now more active attitude. But is this just a passing trend or a long term “sustainable” trend?
This research identifies positive and negative influence factors by examining the effectiveness of digital video advertising. The objective is to discover ways of leveraging
these factors successfully through an extensive literature review. As this ad format has developed into a staple in most brands' media strategy, it is valuable to drive
understanding of effective implementation forward. Three brands that utilize digital video advertising are selected for an analysis of their recently published ads. This analysis is supported by a suggested model that was developed based on advertising literature to assess ad effectiveness. Results show that the perceived intrusiveness of an ad and the consequential ad avoidance behaviours in consumers represent a hindrance to ad effectiveness. In contrast, elements used in an advertisement that increase its value facilitated ad effectiveness. Credibility, entertainment and informativeness are ad value contributors and impact ad recall, the gateway to positive marketing outcomes such as purchasing decisions. The circumstances under which consumers are exposed to digital video advertisements play a role in if the ad message can effectively be conveyed.
While negative influence factors have their detriment, they can still be counteracted and leveraged. Advertisers and ad-supported video streaming sites like YouTube can find
ways to broadcast ads without significantly impeding the user experience and, in doing so, secure the continued profitability of this promotion format that depends on users
watching ads.
Conception and development of a corporate website strategy on the example of KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG
(2022)
In recent years, digitalization has caused an increasing transformation of the entire business world towards a digitalized economy. The Covid-19 pandemic has rapidly accelerated this ongoing digital transformation. Therefore, online presence is also becoming increasingly important for companies to survive in the digital economy. KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG, a traditional medium-sized company firmly focused on face-to-face sales, was strongly affected by the limitations of the pandemic. Switching to digital alternatives, especially the corporate website, stands out as the most critical digital cross point.
This bachelor thesis uses a marketing strategy model to analyze and research the position of KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG in the market and explores the functions and characteristics that a corporate website must have to meet today’s customer, stakeholder, and employee needs.
First, this work intends to offer an overall understanding of digitalization and its impact on the medical technology industry and medium-sized companies. Secondly, the corporate website characteristics are considered. The third theoretical part includes the analysis of two digital marketing strategy models, which are compared with each other. Finally, the company KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG and its website are presented, and a strategy model for developing a website strategy for the business year 2023 and beyond is applied.
Interviews conducted with internal and external experts on websites provide valuable information and a deeper understanding of the importance of a website in the digital environment.
In the end, this paper gives recommendations for actions for website development.
Today, in an increasingly digitalized world, the Internet and social media allow for connection on a global scale. Companies utilize social media for their business-to consumer and business-to-business marketing activities.
This paper focuses on establishing a LinkedIn strategy development process in business to-business social media marketing for the AMOS Sport Business School in Strasbourg, which is seeking new partnerships with partners from the German sport industry, who will bring added value to the school.
To answer the research questions, interviews were conducted with six experts who either came from the business-to business marketing sector or worked at or on behalf of LinkedIn. Based on the interviews, the focus was on determining key components for a LinkedIn strategy. The results highlighted four reasons for choosing LinkedIn: the presence of a national and global target group, the seriousness of the content and users, the importance of LinkedIn presence for company marketing, and LinkedIn’s use as a recruitment tool. Seven key components of a LinkedIn strategy were identified: “definition of goals,” “target group identification,” “adaptability and agility,” “content creation approach,” “employees’ integration,” “LinkedIn monitoring,” and “LinkedIn algorithm.” Special attention must be paid to the fourth, fifth, and seventh components, which can influence each other. The research made it possible to determine how to develop the strategy successfully by paying particular attention to LinkedIn’s algorithm, which can be “artificially” influenced by employees’ LinkedIn engagement activities, thereby resulting in a more successful strategy. Such a chain reaction can be initiated at the content creation stage by observing the eight elements of “content creation approach”: “generation of a high level of engagement with published content,” “language,” “relevant and authentic message,” “up-to-date content,” “hashtags,” “time and frequency,” “selection of the appropriate type of content,” and “content distribution plan.”
An AMOS Strasbourg LinkedIn strategy was developed, along with recommendations for action for each component. Investment in the sales navigator was highlighted, as it facilitates target group identification and therefore provides a higher guarantee of success for the LinkedIn strategy when used in conjunction with the other key components. The strategy’s organization and implementation was accompanied by a content guideline and content distribution plan so that AMOS Strasbourg’s strategy can achieve positive results.
The Impact of Using Sustainability Labels in Advertisements of Fashion Brands on Social Media
(2022)
This thesis investigates the impact of sustainability labels in advertisements of fashion brands on social media. It aims to answering the following research questions: Do consumers search for more information on sustainability labels? Do sustainability labels impact credibility? Do sustainability labels impact purchase decisions? To answer the research questions an online survey with 202 participants was conducted. The empirical study revealed that consumers tend to search for less additional information when a sustainability label is displayed in an advertisement on social media. Few consumers believe that brands are fully sustainable when sustainability claims in an advertisement are not supported by a sustainability label. The display of a sustainability label may not be one of the most important factors for consumers considering purchasing fashion items. Those results suggest that brands should use sustainability labels as an important tool in advertising on social media to fill the informational need of consumers and increase credibility.
Digitalization is currently taking place in all areas of the business environment. This thesis aims to provide an overview of digitalization in the field of controlling, specifically focusing on the use business intelligence (BI) dashboards. Embracing digitalization by implementing BI enables companies to transform the way in which data and information relevant for decision making is procured and managed. The utilization of a BI solution to conduct complex analyses is exemplified by the conceptualization and development of a BI dashboard for assessing the consolidation effect at Bosch Rexroth AG. The importance of designing an effective dashboard according to its purpose in a simple, clear and intuitive way as a front-end application of a BI solution is emphasized. Furthermore, five different potential roles for the controller that arise as digitization progresses are identified, all of which require an expansion of the controller's IT capabilities.
SPACs are an alternative way for companies to access the capital market. They have experienced a boom since 2020, and in the following year 613 SPACs raised more than $160 billion in the US. However, SPACs are controversial and have been criticized for bad performance and incentive misalignments. This bachelor thesis aims to examine whether the current US SPAC boom is a temporary phenomenon or whether SPACs represent a long-term alternative to the traditional IPO process. To answer this research question, a literature review and 14 semi-structured expert interviews were conducted to explore the reasons for the boom, the advantages and disadvantages for companies seeking to go public, and the winner and losers of the SPAC process. This work shows that SPACs had already gained acceptance in the market before the boom, and it argues that SPACs are a viable alternative to the traditional IPO process for young, risky companies due to the regulatory advantages and the support of SPAC sponsors. In addition, the majority of key SPAC stakeholders are winning in the SPAC process and are likely to continue to support the market in the future. At the same time, this paper finds that the Corona pandemic was an important catalyst for the SPAC market, but that the associated reasons for the boom will probably recede. Moreover, PIPE investors will be more selective in the future and sponsors without appropriate expertise and network will have to liquidate their SPACs more often. This bachelor thesis therefore concludes that SPACs will continue to exist. However, there will be fewer and higher quality SPACs in the future.
This paper aims to create a foundation for further, in-depth research of the topic Indigenous entrepreneurship in Colombia and other countries, as well as to facilitate the analysis of obstacles in Indigenous businesses. To answer the research question, seven experts are interviewed using semi-structured interview guides based on several deductive categories. The findings are then analysed through a thematic content analysis before they are presented and discussed.
The results show that there are various inter-connected obstacles impeding more success of Indigenous businesses in Colombia, which are not sufficiently studied and addressed. The most important obstacles are corruption and marginalization, as well as resulting conditions like a lack of infrastructure and education. This study emphasizes the importance of, and encourages the realization of further,
profound research regarding this and related topics.
This paper shows how German employers can successfully organize telework. In this context, the areas of physical equipment, software landscape, corporate and leadership culture, working hours, work location, company regulations, and the work and meeting structure at the telecommuting workplace are examined in more detail.
As a result of the Corona pandemic, the use of teleworking has become significantly more relevant in the everyday working lives of many people. It is becoming apparent that this will continue to be the case in the future. As a result, companies must address the question of how the workday of employees can be adapted in such a way that the greatest possible success can be achieved for both employers and employees in the context of teleworking.
In a first step, this Bachelor Thesis presents the status of the work situation in Germany with regard to the use of telework before the Covid 19 pandemic and outlines the development process during the pandemic. Furthermore, a short overview of possible developments in the future is given. The section that follows aims to highlight some of the effects on employees through the use of telework, as well as the state of research to date on the main opportunities for employers to intervene in this area.
In the subsequent practical part, 14 semi-structured interviews were used to find out that the ongoing flexibilization of the place of work and working hours is a desirable development for the majority of respondents. In this context, it is important for many employees that existing regulations are communicated transparently, but continue to decrease in order to lastly allow as much autonomy as possible in the daily work routine. The physical work equipment and software landscape used must enable the work to be performed. Health aspects, such as the provision of ergonomic products or the avoidance of stress, play a significant role here. For a sustainable corporate and management culture, it is important to rely on trust, transparency, consistency and flat hierarchies, so that the employer can only support the employees in organizing their tasks themselves.
Finally, the results of this work are summarized in a conclusion.
This thesis is motivated by the possibility for individuals to diversify their saving methods to allow for more financial safety, by investing into company stocks. If chosen well, stock investments offer attractive returns and prospects, however this choice can be daunting, and assistance may be required. In the context of other options that assist in decision-making related to stock options, this research aims to design and implement a relational database, that offers a transparent overview of financial information of stocks, developed to assist individuals in making decisions for investments in the stock market. The database should also be maintainable. After the design, implementation, and enhancement of the database with data, the database was tested for functionality, maintainability, and transparency. Then, application examples were constructed to examine the usability of the concept to assist with decision-making, aiming to create consistent positive returns within the created portfolios. It was found that the database fulfilled all desired characteristics and produced positive returns in the application examples. However, the ability of creating consistent outcomes was not given. These results indicate that the database can be used to organize stock-related information, however, is not usable to assist with decision-making.