Refine
Year of publication
Document type
- Bachelor Thesis (634) (remove)
Language
- English (634) (remove)
Is part of the Bibliography
- No (634)
Keywords
- Marketing (16)
- Sustainability (15)
- Consumer behavior (14)
- Social media (12)
- Willingness to pay (12)
- China (10)
- Digitalization (10)
- Germany (10)
- Leadership (9)
- Artificial intelligence (8)
Course of studies
This thesis examines Life Cycle Costing through a literature review and a fictional case study. It explores key challenges faced in implementing and utilizing Life Cycle Costing, proposes strategies for overcoming these challenges, and evaluates the potential impact of early integration of this technique on decision-making processes. Additionally, by use of the case study, the thesis exemplifies how Life Cycle Costing identifies trade-offs that would otherwise have remained unnoticed. The case study highlights how the implementation of the technique unveils that the option initially expected to be more costly turns out to be more economical. The findings underscore the superiority of the Life Cycle Costing methodology, questioning the narrow focus on immediate costs in traditional cost accounting, opening the door to a business model where long-term cost savings are recognized and valued.
The dynamic and constantly changing global competitive environment requires the development of advanced technologies and new operating procedures for a company´s internal processes. Human Resource Management bears the responsibility of assisting the organization in overcoming these challenges and effectively reshaping its procedures. This bachelor's thesis investigates the detailed process of implementing a Global Job Catalogue (GJC) at a company. The purpose and goal of this study is to evaluate whether the implementation of a GJC offers advantages, using an automotive company as an example. It analyses the practical application of a GJC and its integration into the Human Resources Department. Furthermore, a focus on the challenges and benefits of the implementation and integration process will be provided, including the use of innovative technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Skills Management. To achieve the stated goal, semi-structured interviews with HR personnel from the automotive company have been carried out. The results of the study identify the benefits of a comprehensive GJC for each stakeholder, such as increased transparency, efficiency, and consistency across the organization. However, it also highlights the challenges associated with the implementation process, including the strict timeframe and the simultaneous pursuance of multiple relevant project components. Based on these findings, recommendations for the use case are derived, and a thorough conclusion is provided.
The aim of this study is to investigate how cultural diversity is implemented and promoted in German startups and what best practices can be derived from these insights. The research question is: How is cultural diversity being implemented and promoted in German startups? Challenges and best practices.
As an empirical method to address the research question, expert interviews were conducted to gain precise insight into the strategies and initiatives of startups related to cultural diversity.
The results of the research have shown that cultural diversity has a significant impact on fostering innovation and creativity in startups. It also became clear that leadership within the company plays a crucial role in implementing cultural diversity and creating an inclusive environment. Research also showed that the implementation of formal initiatives in startups is limited due to company size and resource constraints.
Overall, the study has demonstrated that cultural diversity plays an important role in startups that should not be overlooked. Based on theoretical insights as well as findings from the study, best practices have been derived to serve as guidelines for startups aiming to efficiently and resourcefully implement cultural diversity.
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.
Hybrid work is an increasingly common model of work applied around the globe and is expected to be continuously gaining importance. This thesis is aimed at identifying what impacts hybrid work has on international companies. A literature review was conducted to provide findings of recent research to identify possible positive as well as negative impacts. Furthermore, a survey was distributed to 150 employees with leading positions in international companies, resulting in 16 responses, which were analysed using metrics of multiple regression. The qualitative part of the survey was assessed as well. The small sample size only allows for an indication that hybrid work might impact sick days of the workforce in a negative way and that less business trips are taken due to hybrid work. The other impacts that were identified through the survey suggest impacts on a larger scale than simply human resources, indicating that hybrid work can impact the entire profitability of a company and should therefore be properly assessed and managed with a broad view on all possible impacts on different levels in mind.
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.
Employee engagement is crucial for companies because of its positive influence on performance, retention, and profitability. However, the rising appearance of hybrid workplaces and generational changes have presented challenges in maintaining employee engagement. Leadership has been shown to play an important role in developing engaged employees. This paper examines the relationship between transformational leadership and employee engagement and whether gender, presented as male, diverse and female, impacts this relationship.
A sample of 118 respondents, that have worked for over one year under a leader, has been analyzed through simple and multiple regressions. The relationship between transformational leadership and employee engagement proved significantly positive, highlighting the key role leadership plays when fostering engaged employees. However, the moderating relationship of all three genders was not significant. These results suggest that companies should focus on training transformational leaders and engaging employees regardless of the employee's gender.
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.
Total Hip Arthroplasty is a highly effective procedure. Precise preoperative planning is crucial for a positive patient outcome. One approach to improve patient outcomes is preoperative planning of hip implants, which could replace the currently dominant 2D planning and improve processes in dealer markets by enabling more efficient delivery. The objective of this study is to survey and measure dealers’ acceptance of a patient-specific delivery and operating room setting. The evaluation is based on the Technology Acceptance Model. A recommendation for action will be derived from the evaluation.
This study examines the acceptance of new technologies through a systematic literature review utilizing the Technology Acceptance Model. Additionally, it presents the current state of 2D and 3D planning for hip implants and analyzes the Italian and Brazilian dealer markets. The target group was surveyed quantitatively, and their acceptance was analyzed and interpreted using descriptive statistical evaluation.
The two markets share similarities in their current requirements and conditions. In Italy and Brazil, planning is done intraoperatively by surgeons, which has been identified as an obstacle on several occasions. Acceptance of the new process is therefore mixed and requires supportive measures.
The similarities between the two markets allow for uniform comparability and interpretation. However, the acceptance can be traced back to the lack of preoperative planning among surgeons. It is clear that both markets are rather critical of a switch to preoperative planning, especially 3D planning. Therefore, some measures and further research on surgeons must first be taken before a successful implementation is possible.
Influencer marketing has become one of the most popular marketing strategies in today’s ever changing digital scene. Despite being a popular technique of engaging customers, influencer marketing is still difficult for marketers and brands to understand the meaning behind of it and how to take advantage of influencer marketing. The research delves into the multifaceted landscape of influencer marketing. The research questions revolved around three key aspects of influencer marketing. Firstly, a profound exploration of influencer marketing was undertaken, delving into its evolution, benefits and underlying principles of influencer marketing was important to fully understand its dynamic role in modern marketing. Beyond this, an in-depth analysis scrutinized the impact of influencer marketing on consumer purchase behavior, peeling back layers to reveal the nuanced interplay of trust, and authenticity. To answer these questions a thorough analysis of influencer content and consumer interactions was done. To extract meaningful insights, to provide a holistic understanding of the symbiotic relationship between influencers and consumers. Trust emerged as a linchpin in the effectiveness of influencer marketing, profoundly influencing consumer perceptions and behaviors. Conclusively, the study highlights the indispensability of trust and authenticity in influencer marketing. Brands seeking success in influencer-driven consumer engagement must prioritize and harness these factors to navigate the complexities of contemporary marketing landscapes successfully.
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.
Phenomena like talent shortage, war for talents, and demographic change – Organizations are facing many challenges and changes these days. To compete in a contested market space the issue of employer attractiveness is becoming increasingly important. It seems that prioritizing the provision of attractive working conditions becomes prominent, while the importance of locus of control is underestimated. The research question addressed in this study is: What are the effects of working conditions and locus of control on performance? For this
investigation, a quasi-experiment with a 2x2 factorial design was conducted. Participants were assigned to either an attractive or unattractive working condition while simultaneously experiencing internal or external locus of control. Subjects were asked to perform cognitive tasks and performance was measured by the total number of points reached.
The results of the study did not yield statistical significance. However, it was observed that the group experiencing unattractive working conditions and internal locus of control had the highest performance. When also considering relevant research literature that highlights the psychological importance of control, it is suggested to conduct further research in this area of
interest to gain a deeper understanding of the effects of control and their impact on various job outcomes like performance.
Artificial intelligence is a disruptive technology, offering increasingly more opportunities to companies. However, the low digital maturity of the private banking sector, makes it hard for private banks to take advantage of this opportunity. Simultaneously, customers are expecting more digital solutions, forcing companies to adapt their services.
The aim of this paper is to provide an overview, drawing conclusions about whether the implementation of AI technologies is profitable in the private banking sector.
This thesis is based on recent research about current possible applications and the respective benefits, risks and costs. Two use cases will be thoroughly analysed: the application of automated credit risk management systems and AI powered indexes. In the first case, the software NOLA 2.0 will be evaluated and used as a benchmark to highlight the positive and negative aspects deriving from AI credit risk management software. In the second case, the AI powered index AiPEXAR will be presented and compared to the most common ETF S&P 500, analysing the differences in their computation and their performance over time.
The analysis concluded that, even though the benefits substantially depend on the individual company, AI chatbots, customers' engagement, credit risk management software and banking apps are advantageous for private banks. Yet, the implementation of AI powered indexes may be precocious and therefore not yet profitable. It can also be concluded that for private banks, whose core competitive advantage lies in the expertise of the relationship managers, the digitalization of advisory may lead to unsatisfied customers.
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.
Exploring Employer Attractiveness: A Qualitative Study of Generation Z Business Students in Germany
(2024)
Employers are facing difficulties in attracting and recruiting employees due to the demographic change in Germany, the resulting retirement of Baby Boomers and the labor force shortage. The focus currently lies on Generation Z which is about to enter the labor market and which’s values, requirements and needs differ significantly from those of previous generations. This thesis aims to identify the requirements Generation Z has of employers by answering the research question: “What are the specific requirements that employers must meet in order to be considered attractive by Generation Z?”. The extensive literature review on employer attractiveness and the relevant generations, especially Generation Z, builds the foundation for the empirical research: qualitative interviews with business students of Generation Z in their final semester. This provides an in-depth insight on their current requirements and perspectives of attractive employers and therefore serves as a basis for the recommendations for companies. The findings revealed that a positive working climate, workplace proximity, above-average remuneration and transparent communication are essential requirements to be fulfilled. Above all, however, employers should focus on supporting the reconciliation of work and private life through offering working from home and flexible working hours.
This Thesis analyses the difference in the impact of the issuance of a green bond on the stock prices of the issuing entity by country, using an event study approach of 135 green bonds, by comparing the actual daily returns of the event window with the expected returns calculated from the estimation window. With only a slight influence of the country found, further factors effecting the impact are considered. While we conclude that German issuers tend to see a stronger impact than most issuers from other European countries, factors such as the risk of greenwashing, time of issuance, industry, and firm fundamentals appear to skew this impact so that it is not possible to make a definitive statement about the impact of the country of origin on the effectiveness of green bond issuances at providing excess stock returns.
This thesis explores the dynamics of digital marketing, brand positioning, and
branding strategies within the agri-food sector, and delves into the current efforts of Finca San Antonio, a Peruvian cacao farm that manufactures their own products. The rapid growth of digitalization in Peru, emphasize the changing landscape of consumer behavior and media channels. This creates a need for companies to enter the digital era and update their traditional marketing efforts, in order to cater to the new arisen needs.
The study further delves into the dimensions and strategies for brand positioning
in the agri-food industry, shedding light on the relevance of product differentiation
and market segmentation. The case of Finca San Antonio exemplifies the
incorporation of sustainability and eco-branding in building brand identity and value proposition, which is instrumental to establishing brand loyalty. Overall, this research serves as a comprehensive overview of the interplay between digital marketing and brand positioning, especially in the agri-food sector.
This thesis examines the relationship between environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores and portfolio returns using ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions and statistical tests. ESG scores were collected from Refinitiv Datastream between January 2007 and February 2023 and consist primarily of companies listed in the Standard & Poor's 500 (S&P 500) Index. The risk factors were calculated using data from Kenneth R. French’s data library. OLS regressions are used to estimate abnormal returns. The portfolios are created by dividing stocks into five equal quantiles and allocating them to five portfolios according to their ESG scores. The portfolios were then reconstructed each year based on the company's ESG rating. This analysis concludes that there is no significant evidence of abnormal returns for high-rated ESG portfolios. Instead, it shows that the portfolio with the lowest 20% ESG ratings outperformed all other portfolios, including the sample market, over the indicated period.
With the increasing popularity of the home office model and the limited exploration of associated stressors necessitate a comprehensive investigation of potential drawbacks. This thesis embarks on an investigation of how the home office paradigm can be leveraged to alleviate distress, nurture mental well-being. Specifically, it delves into an analysis of five prominent stressors inherent in the home office context, identifying effective strategies for mitigating each one adeptly. The data and research in this thesis are drawn from existing literature on the work concept. The findings underscore the substantial influence of these stressors on employees’ mental health and productivity. However, specific measures to mitigate these challenges are identified and thoroughly expounded upon. This research provides valuable insights into optimizing the home office environment and promoting the holistic well-being of employees.
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.
In recent years, several studies have reported inadequate financial capability. Studies in Germany have shown similar results. While there was no statewide initiative, learning offers were available. However, the financial capability level did not increase over time. As a possible reason, the Dunning-Kruger Effect was hypothesised. According to the Dunning-Kruger Effect, participants with low ability would simply lack the ability to realise their lack of ability. This study investigated the investment capability of participants in Germany and tested for a possible Dunning-Kruger Effect. The results have shown no evidence for a Dunning-Kruger Effect. The study’s results were supportive of literature critical on the Dunning-Kruger Effect.
This thesis examines the potential for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the German apparel industry to enhance circular capabilities. Given the urgency of environmental issues in garment production, the thesis delves into the broader context of the textile and apparel industry, circularity principles, circular product design, as well as business and regulatory framework conditions. However, this transformation necessitates substantial innovation, which can be challenging, especially for SMEs facing resource constraints. A utility analysis-based tool to support SMEs' circularity journeys is introduced, by systematically evaluating textile fibers. This approach assists SMEs in optimizing material choices and complying with sustainability standards and reporting. To demonstrate its effectiveness, the tool is applied for HAKRO GmbH, a SME in the German apparel industry. The assessment results indicate prioritization of specific fiber choices, emphasize knowledge gaps, and spotlight opportunities for innovation and circularity. The tool's systematic approach enables SMEs like HAKRO GmbH to strategically select material options, streamline innovation efforts, and align with CE principles. Ultimately, this research contributes to advancing CE transitions within the apparel industry by offering insights into enhancing circular capabilities for SMEs and facilitating informed decision-making through a utility analysis-based approach.
This Bachelor's thesis explores the impact of the EU Taxonomy on the Automobile in- dustry, focusing on, Mercedes Benz Group AG, BMW Group AG, Volkswagen AG, Por- sche AG, and Audi AG.
In the first part, relevant theoretical background information will be given to get an un- derstanding of the EU Taxonomy framework. It will explain the purpose of the EU Tax- onomy, relevant keywords, and the reporting obligations of companies including an ex- planation of the role of IFRS.
The second part will analyze the annual reports to evaluate the feasibility of the imple- mentation of the EU Taxonomy framework. This includes the analysis of the companies reporting as well as the comparison of the economic activities of the companies. There were discrepancies observed among the reporting practices of Mercedes Benz, BMW, Volkswagen, Porsche, and Audi. It has been determined, that all car manufacturers listed a varying number of economic activities that contributed to their eligible and aligned KPIs. The disclosure of the key performance indicators turnover, capital expenditure, and operational expenditure of the five companies was examined. All manufacturers classi- fied their entire vehicle portfolios, regardless of emission output, as eligible under the EU Taxonomy, leading to challenges in accurately assessing their environmental impact. Lastly, to determine the greenest company of the five car manufacturers the Taxonomy- aligned key performance indicators within the automobile industry were analyzed. How- ever, the determination of the greenest company proved inconclusive due to conflicting results from the analyzed KPIs.
In conclusion, the implementation of the EU Taxonomy in the automobile industry is found to be partially feasible, primarily due to inconsistencies in its application among the manufacturers.
This paper aims to emphasize the significance of an effective break design in an
occupational context, with a specific focus on the implementation of phone-free work breaks. Through an experimental investigation, the potential impact of a mobile phone lockbox, intended to facilitate phone abstention during breaks, was examined. It is proposed that external control, imposed by the use of a lockbox, negatively influences performance due to a reduced sense of perceived control. Considering this, the experimental design sought to identify differences between three groups exposed to varying levels of external control during a work break. These differences were quantified using a memory recall assignment, which measured the performance change of each participant after the break. The results indicate that principles extending theories of perceived control must be considered. Contrary to the theory of perceived control, the group subjected to the highest degree of external control via a mobile phone lockbox exhibited the greatest performance improvement. Despite refraining from phone usage, the group allowed to keep the phone on the table but instructed not to use it demonstrated lower performance improvement, even compared to the group that used the phone during the break. The results indicate that further research on self-control as a limited resource is required.
This paper examines the effect of ownership on strategic reasoning in the classical p-beauty contest game. While much literature focused on cognitive ability as the foundation for higher-order strategic play, we investigate whether a more motivational perspective can serve as a foundation for strategic reasoning as well. This is to be induced via the endowment effect by combining two market simulations with a p-beauty contest game in three experimental sessions. We conclude that while an endowment effect does not have a significant influence on first-round behavior, there are indications that it can influence the learning of endowed players as early as round two of a repeated p-beauty contest game. We find that possible differences in the degree of commitment substantially affect strategic behavior. The analyses ultimately suggest that strategic behavior possibly could occur not only on a cognitive level but also on a motivational level, provided that the motivation is powerful enough.
The cheerleader effect describes the phenomenon, where pictures of faces are rated to be more attractive when presented as part of a group, than when presented in isolation. This study employs electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potentials (ERP) to explore the origins of the cheerleader effect. We found significant ERP differences which suggest that the cheerleader effect is not caused by perceptual differences, but instead through social cues which distort the decision-making process that gives rise to subjects’ trait judgments.
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.
Automated ERP process for the provision of materials and semi-finished goods between two companies
(2023)
Competitive pricing policies in the industry are causing a surge of companies to explore ways to improve the efficiency of various processes. With the implementation of automated procurement and production processes in an enterprise resource planning system, a company could save cost and diminish time-consuming processes and therefore gain a competitive advantage. Data management is a key factor to be considered and analyzed before an implementation can be initiated.
In this thesis, current literature and concepts are used to create an automated procurement and production process between two companies which can be implemented in an enterprise resource planning system. These automated processes have been developed specifically for a medium-sized company operating in the insole and shoe care industry.
This thesis will examine the impact of cashless payments on E-commerce industry in India. In November 2016 Indian government banned the use of 500 INR (Indian rupee note) and 1000 INR note. Since November 2016 Indian government is encouraging cashless transaction or digital payments. There are several modes of online payments. This study will put some light on the basics and facts to understand what demonetization is and on how it increases popularity of cashless payments, the benefits, and challenges it imposes. In the end this study answers the question that if digital transactions will keep growing in India and it effects on e-commerce industry
As the next generation, Generation Z, enters the workforce, companies face a new set of challenges. Companies will now be composed of four distinct generations, each with different beliefs, values, and ambitions. It is critical for companies to understand the motivations and aspirations of Generation Z in order to effectively attract and retain them as a workforce. This study focuses on exploring the career incentives and priorities of female Generation Z business students to gain unique insights into their goals and preferred incentives. First, an understanding of generational cohorts, specifically Generation Z, is established. A literature review is then conducted to provide an overview of existing research on Generation Z's popular career incentives. Using a qualitative research design, the study is designed and performed.
Through qualitative research, including interviews, key findings emerged. A competitive salary, career development, and growth opportunities are crucial. Meaningful work, workplace culture, and teamwork opportunities are of extremely high importance in the decision-making process. Additional financial benefits, retirement plans, and social and environmental responsibility are somewhat important; health and wellness, paid time off, and more vacation days are not considered decision-relevant. while other incentives in between.
This study has important implications for employers seeking to create a work environment that meets the dynamic career goals of Generation Z female business students. With this research contribution, companies can more effectively attract and keep the talent of this part of Generation Z.
This thesis addresses the relationship between sustainability action and firm competitiveness. Through the analysis of literature and by conducting a survey on consumer demands and preferences, the question whether sustainability action can help companies in the consumer electronics sector gain a competitive advantage is answered.
This thesis comes to the conclusion, that sustainability action can yield many advantages for companies, when executed properly. In general, companies with a strong sustainability performance reduce their production cost, have easier access to capital and labor, show financial and stock performance on the same level or higher than less sustainable companies, reduce stakeholder risk and gain consumer goodwill which can materialize into a competitive advantage. Regarding the consumer electronics sector,
this thesis shows that most consumers would prefer more sustainable products over less sustainable ones and would be willing to pay a price premium. What seems to be a big issue in the consumer electronics market is, that even though companies like Apple already act on the issue of sustainability, they are either doing a bad job or having a hard
time communicating their sustainability initiatives to consumers.
Companies are progressively implementing remote work models to handle the evolving changes in economic, social, and technological environments and facilitate their business operations amidst these. Meaning more teams including multicultural ones are deployed to function on a virtual basis, during the course of their employment, or for a specific project.
Therefore, this thesis focuses on presenting the main challenges that these global virtual teams typically face and the practices to implement as a way to resolve them.
Data were obtained from both a literature study and interviews run with a total of six experts. Four of them being managers and two, employees so that varying perspectives on different organizational levels could be covered.
The findings emphasize that the virtual element significantly impacted communication, coordination, collaboration, and the social aspect. Hence teams and/or management need to dedicate more time to collectively decide on and elaborate a set of common guidelines, best practices, and tools to address this. Whilst maintaining openness and a sense of trust throughout, as incidents or interactions can come up that normally prompt unintended assumptions. For reoccurring issues or generally to ensure the team’s performance and well-being though, companies and/or top management need to regularly follow up and be prepared to intervene.
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.
The goal of this study is to answer if the corona pandemic changed the risk aversiveness and risk tolerance of young German adults and how it changed their decisions when investing in shares, by using the behavioral finance approach.
To answer this question, a literature recherche and a quantitative study were done. The quantitative study consists of a questionnaire, which was answered by 216 German adults with ages ranging from 18 to 35.
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.
The German financial market is being disrupted by financial technology and the progression of AI.
This thesis will look at Sparkasse Deutschland as an industry leading firm in the German financial market and analyse the effect of there currently relevant disruptive technologies employed by FinTech companies on their business model. Following a qualitative, exploratory research approach, utilizing comparative analysis, literature review and exploratory interviews, disruptive effects and managerial implications are outlined.
Research showed that Sparkasse Deutschland is currently confronted with different, digitally operating, disruptive FinTech business models attacking different parts of the three main areas of Sparkasse’s value proposition. Besides through cheaper and technologically superior product solutions FinTechs employ the characteristics speed, specialized solutions and platforms, transparency, flexibility and connectivity, user experience, simplicity, interactive and intelligent systems and reliability and security to disrupt the Sparkasse business model.
While currently hedged by their wholistic business model and experience in navigating the German regulatory financial system, Sparkasse is challenged with developing along the by FinTech introduced characteristics to stay competitive in the digital banking industry. Challenged by the transformation to a more digital business model, Sparkasse is tasked with simultaneously retaining existing customers and investing into their digital future.
Further research could be conducted regarding a strategical implementation for Sparkasse Deutschland navigating the outlined challenges and planning action towards increasing competitive strength pertaining the digitally product environment.
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 German labour market today is shaped by demographic change and talent shortage. With the rise in competition, more attention has been brought to employer branding, which can help companies gain a competitive advantage by being perceived as a more attractive employer among employees and potential candidates.
Alongside demographic change, studies simultaneously reveal a shift in values. This shift is leading to a change in perceptions of work and organisational culture. These changes show particular evidence of an increased demand for work-life balance and flexibility. Additionally, it has been proven that the COVID-19 pandemic has put further emphasis on options for working from home. Hence, remote work becomes increasingly relevant for a candidate’s decision process when choosing an employer. Therefore, this thesis intends to conduct research aimed to yield clarity on how firms currently communicate working from home or working remotely as part of their employer branding strategy. Based on the findings of the study the thesis seeks to include recommendations for companies on how to approach communication of this matter. The research consists of a content analysis of career websites by companies listed in the DAX and MDAX. The results prove that the majority of DAX and MDAX companies have indeed reacted to the increased demand for working from home. In the study, four communication strategy types are identified, which help to understand how firms approach communicating their remote work options. Each communication strategy type shows a different degree of importance in communicating remote work options. The study further detects relationships between these communication strategy types and a company’s overall projected employer image. Based on this relationship, a recommendation is given. The recommendation seeks to assist companies in deciding how to incorporate the subject of working from home into their employer branding communication.
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.
This literature-based bachelor thesis analyzes the MoonSwatch project developed by Swatch X Omega with empirical findings. This bachelor thesis asks, "How does the MoonSwatch launch affect the watch industry, and will this impact affect Omegas luxury brand value through the cooperation with Swatch?" The goal is to determine the effects of luxury and non-luxury collaboration in the watch industry, analyzing the competitors and development in secondary markets.
The MoonSwatch is a co-branding strategy of two completely different positioned brands regarding price ranges and customer groups. The MoonSwatch currently targets the younger and price-sensitive customer group with a retail price of € 250 (~ CHF 248.24).
They created a watch collection that resembles the moon landing of Omega back in 1969. Since then, Omega has been the official watch for the NASA space program and is praised for its high quality, timeless design, accuracy and precision. The prices for Omega watches can range between € 6.000 to € 25.000 (~ CHF 5.957 – CHF 24.823).
On the other hand, Swatch was made for the mainstream customer with affordable prices between € 60 to € 200 (~ CHF 59:58 – CHF 198.59). Swatch is famous for its colorful, joyful and unique designs.
Both brands belong to the Swiss Swatch Group, which owns eighteen brands in total. Both are icons in their expressions. Omega wrote history for the first watch being on the moon. Swatch is an innovator that saved the Swiss watch industry during the economic crisis in the 1980s.
The brands created the MoonSwatch collection, consisting of eleven models inspired by the moon landing and the space planets. Each watch is designed in a specific color to the planet it represents. The project was released on the 26th of March 2022 and has caused a global sensation. The product creates a natural limitation. In contrast, demand far exceeds supply leading to exorbitant prices in the secondary markets.
This bachelor thesis uses English numerical notation.
This research examines the role of self-actualization at work. Following the theory of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, self-actualization is a goal that all human beings strive to achieve. Through the work field of VIŠE, which proves to be profound and consequently wants to build on current findings, self-actualization is an integral part of the company’s operations. For this reason, it is researched how self-actualization can be made tangible to employees using the reward system. In developing a method that uses the hierarchy of needs as a proceeding, reward types were assigned to each pyramid stage. The research was conducted both quantitative and qualitatively through a cross-industry questionnaire. The results present reward elements that make employees feel supported in their self- actualization at work. The quantitative results show a preference for extrinsic rewards, whereas the qualitative results present a great desire for intrinsic rewards. A balance can be achieved by involving each employee's perception, which has proven to be very important. Respectively, the inclusion of different rewards, both extrinsic and intrinsic, transmits important values into employees' lives and facilitates self-actualization at work.
Mercedes-Benz Trucks, one of the largest commercial vehicle manufacturers in Europe, will launch the eActros LongHaul, a zero-emission battery-electric commercial vehicle in 2024. As battery-electric commercial vehicles have not been on the market for long, manufacturers face many new challenges when launching new products. Therefore, this thesis investigates which factors influence the product introduction of the eActros LongHaul and how to address them. To this end, the following research questions were posed to evaluate which external factors influence the product introduction of the eActros LongHaul and what difficulties and challenges can be expected during the market launch of the Actros LongHaul and what measures could Daimler Truck take to circumvent these difficulties. Therefore, the external factors that have a potential influence on the market launch of the product were considered. For this purpose, current studies and legal requirements were analyzed. Furthermore, qualitative interviews were conducted with experts from Mercedes-Benz Trucks who are involved in the product launch.The factors that could hinder a successful market launch of the eActros LongHaul were analyzed and evaluated. In addition, measures were proposed to reduce the influence of
these factors.
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 bachelor thesis deals with the topic of how companies can develop a successful marketing strategy in influencer marketing. Influencer marketing is coming under increasing criticism due to negative headlines from influencers. In the theoretical part of the paper, influencer marketing as well as marketing with opinion leaders is presented. Subsequently, the structure of an influencer marketing strategy is presented. In addition, the cooperation between the influencer Pamela Reif and the sports brand Puma is considered, as well as the cooperation between the influencer Anne Wünsche and the sports brand Oceans Apart. Due to the topicality of this subject, the work is particularly interesting for companies to develop an optimal marketing strategy and to achieve its marketing goals optimally.
Hansgrohe SE will increasingly feel the consequences of the considerable decrease in the German labour force in the coming years. The company has therefore decided to approach the measure of recruiting labour from foreign countries to counteract the consequences already today. As a basis, information about the current situation in the German labour market and at Hansgrohe is provided. Moreover, this thesis proposes a way to analyse the potential of
highly skilled professionals in foreign labour markets and evaluate whether markets offer qualified professionals for specific occupations. The topic was initially approached by carrying out qualitative research within the company. By developing a funnel model that focuses on gathering an overview of a country’s stability and demographic patterns and analysing economic and educational variables, the groundwork for Hansgrohe in order to approach the process of international recruiting is established. The thesis outlines how an
assessment of foreign countries in terms of their availability of highly skilled professionals can happen by means of an example. The research results are used to derive recommendations for action, and an outlook on the future can act as a guide as the company continues to engage in this subject.
This thesis explores the impact of culture and diversity on multicultural teams and the potential benefits of adopting a transcultural approach to enhance team collaboration and effectiveness. The study highlights that cultural differences can present challenges to team collaboration and communication, but a transcultural approach can promote appreciation and understanding of these differences, leading to stronger relationships and greater success in a global business environment.
Intercultural competences, such as an open mind and flexibility, are essential for overcoming challenges arising from cultural differences in teams, and experience and training are recommended to develop these competences. Effective diversity management and developing intercultural competences are essential to thrive in a multicultural environment. Transcultural learning provides a valuable framework for understanding cultural diversity and fostering mutual understanding and respect between cultures. Adopting a transcultural approach can create commonalities and value in terms of global unity and understanding, making it an essential component of international business in today's globalized society.
This thesis examines the impact of the war in Ukraine on grain supply and food security in MENA countries, specifically Tunisia and Yemen. The war has resulted in a significant disruption to the global grain market, with Ukraine being a major exporter of wheat and maize prior to the Russian invasion. The blockade of Ukrainian exports has led to rising food prices and increased food insecurity in developing and emerging nations, which rely
heavily on imported grain. The study focuses on analyzing the structure of grain exports from Ukraine, the responses of international organizations such as the World Food Programme, and the long-lasting effects of the conflict on the global food market. The findings of this study may contribute to understanding the dynamics of the grain market and inform policies that address global hunger and food security issues.
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 aim of this paper is to examine the role of packaging design as a strategic marketing tool in the fast-moving consumer goods industry and how this can be done most effectively to appeal to multiple generations. The research question is: how could companies in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry design their packaging to appeal to different generations?
To answer the research question, a quantitative online survey was carried out targeting consumers of generations X, Y, and Z in order to find out what they expect from product packaging. In addition, qualitative expert interviews were conducted to gain a deeper insight into the FMCG market and the role of packaging.
Empirical research showed that packaging is an essential marketing tool when it considers certain conditions, such as general consumer demands and important megatrends. In addition, it was found that neither consumers nor brands place much value on different generational backgrounds in packaging but rather on common values across generations. However, the generational background of the consumers could serve as a guideline for concrete target group definitions.
This shows that packaging is essential for consumers and brands today. On this basis, it is advisable to follow a packaging strategy that combines generations and common consumer values in order to be as competitive as possible in the FMCG market.
The necessity and efficiency of a well-designed onboarding program is undeniable. In addition to the individual design of an onboarding program, the presentation and marketing of the activities in this context differ, with potential indications of onboarding strategies. The thesis aims to investigate the communication of onboarding-relevant content by German companies to detect characteristic indications of two controversial onboarding strategies – the Cold water and the Babysitting approach. In this context, the following research question was established: How do German mid-sized companies present their onboarding activities?
The research is based on communication content, whereby the qualitative content analysis according to Mayring was applied which provides the basis for subsequent analyses investigating linguistic and industrial interrelationships. The study was performed on the 50 MDAX-listed companies as a representative of all German corporations.
The qualitative examination revealed a strong preference towards the Babysitting approach. Here, linkages were identified regarding a segmentation of the onboarding content by target groups based on entry and experience levels, supporting the detailed presentation and implementation of this approach. Also, the address towards potential candidates of these companies was increasingly characterized by a personal 'Du' address. These findings support the associated perception of the employer as employee- oriented and are thus coherent with the characteristics of this approach. Indications of the Cold water method were found more among innovative industries. The analysis also demonstrated the use of existing employees as transmitters regarding onboarding relevant content, with storytelling and blogs emerging as the primary channels of communication of Cold water corporations. Additionally, the communication of general rather than specific onboarding topics supports the characteristics of the Cold Water approach, as the onboarding phases are non-prestructured and the responsibility of a successful integration lies with the new employee.
Currently, inflation is rising again at a pace not observed since the decade of high inflation in the 1970s, and consumer sentiment is falling to record lows. This work seeks to understand the extent and potential differences of how inflation impacts consumer behavior in these two inflation periods. To this end, we employ an adaptive theory of consumer behavior using a variant of a stimuli-response model.
We analyze stimuli of behavioral changes along two dimensions. We describe consumers’ ability to buy by external factors and their willingness to buy by internal influences. Relevant quantities for each are determined, and their time series are investigated. We investigate responses to the stimuli in two categories. We assess adaptions in behavioral patterns by reviewing research studies and surveys. We analyze salient responses via times series.
The results of this work reveal that inflation does have a significant impact on consumer behavior. Many effects of inflation on consumer behavior are similar for both inflation periods. External and internal factors are needed to explain behavioral changes. This work also finds different responses for the two inflation periods, although internal influences are very similar. Qualitatively, we can explain these different responses by external factors that differ between the two time periods. For more quantitative conclusions, one would have to consider additional internal factors. Further longitudinal studies to identify internal stimuli and consumer responses would also be of great value.
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.
The aim of this research is to explore social media platform TikTok and how it can be used as a marketing opportunity for brands but at the same time be a challenge for others. A qualitative study has been conducted due to the subjective nature of the topic, as well as a qualitative survey to get better insights of TikTok users’ behaviour. To analyse the data, a content analysis of 4 brands over the time frame of 3 months 01.06.2022 to 25.08.22 has been conducted. The findings can offer researchers and marketers better insights about if and how to implement TikTok into a marketing strategy of a company.
Knowledge about consumer buying behavior is of high importance to
companies. Being able to accurately identify customers' willingness to pay
(WTP) helps to optimize one of a company's core goals - to make profit. The
objective of this study is to apply the implicit method NeuroPricing Online to an
example in the tourism sector in order to be able to determine the buying
behavior of consumers and their WTP more precisely. In a bottom-up data
mining approach, individual attitudes towards several price points for a given
product of the vacation resort "Weissenhäuser Strand" were determined by
means of reaction time measurement. We were then able to model curves with
price points per product and their corresponding individual response times per
product. The Feel-Good Price (FGP) as well as the Area under the curve (AUC)
of an individual provide information about a subject's WTP for a given product.
Using independent two-sample t-tests, we found that gender has an influence
on WTP for some products. In addition, we found a difference between subjects
who have previously visited the "Weissenhäuser Strand" and those who have
not for some products. AUC average is larger for those who have already visited
the resort than for those who have not. Furthermore, we examined the factors
age and personality traits for their effect on subjects' purchasing behavior.
However, none of these correlation analyses showed a significant relationship
with FGP or AUC. These results suggest that the "Weissenhäuser Strand"
should specifically advertise to different groups of people in order to increase
profits and skillfully apply the different WTP of some groups as a basis for
pricing. In addition, the study shows that the implicit method of response time
measurement is sufficient for investigations in purchasing behavior in general,
and that NeuroPricing Online has the potential to become a valuable tool for
sophisticated pricing in the future.
Cybersecurity threads are a huge problem for all sizes of businesses. The traditional way of protecting valuable resources in the IT-Industry is a perimeter based security strategy. To ensure proper access rights for resources, firewalls, and other network-based inspection tools were used. The current move to the cloud undermines classic security strategies by blurring borders. The Zero Trust approach does not rely on edges and borders to ensure network security. Instead, all connections have to be verified and authenticated individually. In this thesis, a zero trust security model in a heterogeneous open source environment was verified. The three main observations were:
A zero trust architecture is possible, but the implementation is difficult. Half of the issues discovered must be covered by organisational measures. The tools available to cover technical measures are not developed enough. This is expected to change in the near future, as varoius companies already identified this issue.
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.
Abstract
The large-scale impact of the climate change on all regions and industries of the world underlines the need for action in the logistics sector. Despite literature in this field has matured fast since the last 5 years, it neglects the consideration of digital tools or measures to introduce sustainability in the sector. Consequently, precise recommendations on how to manage digital disruptions in order to reach sustainability goals in Logistics are lacking.
The objective of this thesis is to develop those recommendations and to facilitate their implementation for practitioners in the truck container transportation sector. To do so, the impact as well as the evolution of digitalization must be determined. Besides, factors for managing digital change successfully and measuring their impact in this sector shall be ascertained. Finally, a holistic framework to support the implementation process for becoming more sustainable by using digitalization should be presented.
A single-case study at the Logistics Start-Up “driveMybox” intends to fill the identified gap in knowledge. Particularly, it is studied how the organization manages to use digital tools to offer CO2-neutral truck container transports on their platform. Thereby, the different approaches are being looked at. Besides, data is gathered through qualitative interviews and other internal documents.
The first outcome of the thesis is an overview that illustrates the role of digitalization in Logistics. It increases the awareness of the digital impact and helps practitioners to take useful actions. Furthermore, a clear set of success factors to forward sustainability in the transportation sector was developed. Finally, a holistic result depicts which steps can lead to a more sustainable transportation process. Summarising, the thesis contributes to extant literature by combining digitalization with approaches to sustainability. The given recommendations consider the particularities of Start-Ups and support practitioners in this field with valuable guidelines and a holistic framework.
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.
This research paper explores consumer behaviour towards the purchase and usage of Electric Power Two Wheelers (EP2W) by German millennials, the target consumers of this paper. To evaluate the purchasing intentions of German millennials on EP2W, academic research has been conducted. Therefore, data from scientific studies have been collected with a focus on which aspects influence the target consumers’ opinions between electric P2W and fossil fuel P2W. The resulting data showed that millennials exhibit stronger purchase motives towards EP2W. It also states that the purchase price of the EP2W serves as a primary factor.
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.
Private equity investors acquire companies, aim to increase the company’s corporate value and thus aim at selling the respective company at a profit after some time. To increase the value of their portfolio companies, private equity investors employ three main value creation strategies. Financial leverage, multiple expansion, and operational value creation. There has been a significant shift in importance between these three value drivers. While in the 1980s more than 50% of value creation was achieved by leveraging equity with the help of debt capital, this value driver only accounted for 15% in the 2010s. Instead, the value driver operational value creation has gained significantly in importance. It alone accounted for 55% of total value creation in the 2010s, more than financial leverage and multiple expansion combined. The aim of this thesis is to answer the question which operational value creation levers private equity investors use to increase the value of their portfolio companies during the holding phase. In addition, the thesis deals with the question of operational value creation drivers of the future. These are derived based on prevailing megatrends of the future. Research on the operational value drivers used by private equity investors revealed that these drivers can be assigned to three main aspects.
These aspects are, on the one hand, financial aspects, where private equity investors take measures to improve working capital. Moreover, within the framework of financial aspects private equity investors influence the cost structure as well as the cost of capital and the capital structure. Furthermore, private equity investors assert influence on the governance structures of their portfolio companies. For the aspect of governance, measures such as replacement of management/change of management structure, monitoring and controlling as well as incentive systems were identified to increase the value of the company. Another identified aspect for value creation are strategic aspects. In terms of strategic aspects, private equity investors use the levers of mergers and acquisitions, organic expansion, outsourcing/insourcing as well as product and pricing strategies.
The research on the value creation levers that private equity investors will have to apply in the future in order to ensure value creation of their portfolio companies is based on the megatrends of digitalization, demographic change and sustainability. The research revealed the implementation of digitalization measures, employee, and talent management as well as the implementation of ESG criteria.
This thesis has structurally outlined value drivers that contribute to value creation in private equity investments. The research also showed that value creation levers taken can directly and indirectly influence the value of the portfolio company. Value drivers II with a direct effect on the change in equity value affect either revenue, margin or net debt, while the indirect value drivers affect the valuation multiple.
Key factors sustainability and digitalization – an analysis of countries performance and actions
(2022)
Climate change is an extremely relevant topic nowadays in everyday life, politics and even economy. Therefore, it is important to understand the dimension of this topic and be conscious about how it is affecting everyone’s life. Many people’s base of living is fading through for example crop failure or natural disasters. Next, businesses must also adapt since many governments have implemented emission caps which force organizations to restructure business processes to meet those goals. Adapting to new circumstances or ways of working is crucial to fight back menacing environmental changes and without coherent enforcement, the goal of combating global warming and tackling climate change can’t be achieved.
But how can these challenges be fought against in a meaningful way and matter in a long-term perspective? There were already some attempts made like setting a maximum for global warming worldwide. On the other hand, there is no country which can meet those in the required period of time. Next to battle the problem of global warming every country in the world has to take part and work together, or else the goals can’t be fulfilled, which can occur to be difficult and hard to execute in reality. If there is no coherency in enforcement the aim of fighting the global warming and climate change can’t be attained.
The essential query I want to obtain with this thesis is what the possibilities for countries through sustainability and digitalization to live and operate in a more renewable way are. Part of this work will be assessing Sweden’s progress and development in this field since they are pioneers in both key areas. Afterwards there will be a comparison to Morocco and Singapore which at first glance differ completely from each other to work out differences and common ground.
In the end contrasting key factors like climate and geography, politics or economy etc. will give insights about opportunities and unused potential in making the world more sustainable with the help of digitalization.
The technique of acquiring the data is mainly focused on news articles, tech, and business publications as well as governmental proclamation and reporting of environmental portals. The reasoning for this is that the topic is very up to date and the source of information needs to be as recent as possible.
The intention of the project is to generate understanding and awareness about how sustainability and digitalization can be drivers and work together in a complex sphere like environmental change.
Young wine consumers are becoming increasingly important for the wine industry, but also represent a challenge for wine businesses as their consumer behavior and attitude towards wine differs from other generations. This relative new group of wine consumers shows a comparatively low level of wine knowledge, while focusing wine choice criteria rather on different attributes, namely wine bottle optics, including label and bottle optic in general. Being aware of wine consumers choice criteria and its implications is crucial for wine marketers to successfully attract their potential customers. The presented thesis uses grounded theory to determine how the choice criteria of wine bottle optic influences the choice criteria of taste, in Gen Z wine consumers. For this purpose, a group of ten Gen Z wine consumers took part in a qualitative experiment, including pre- and post-test interviews, to determine attitude and behavior of participants concerning the wine choice criteria of taste and wine bottle optic. The findings of the study suggest that the choice criteria of wine bottle optic can overrule the importance of the wines actual taste in the decision process of wines. Furthermore, insights into the participants awareness of their own choice criteria, the influence of cognitive dissonance on the topic, as well as general attitude towards wine, such as the low level of knowledge and the preference for wine consumption in social context, could be generated.
When enterprises decide to expand operations to new foreign markets, they are encountered with the crucial decision of how to implement their marketing strategy in each market without losing consistency across their global brand image. This thesis will focus especially on the impact culture has on this decision and on its implementation. To do so, a qualitative analysis in form of expert interviews was performed in six multinational companies across different industries. Marketing managers from the headquarters were questioned about the implementation of their global marketing strategy in their local markets. The findings give new insights for managers in terms of future adaptations for efficient communication of marketing strategy across the multinational company.
The two strategic options standardisation and adaptation are examined in the literature to set a foundation to later discuss culture’s influence on this decision. Furthermore, a cultural framework will be given and the communication structure of the two main parties of a multinational company will be reviewed in the existing literature.
The market for foods and beverages is one of the largest worldwide. Thus, there is a lot of interest in understanding and predicting consumer behavior. Two subjects that have gained attention recently in the food sector are perceived naturalness and high-tech eco-innovations like cultured meat. This work addresses how the preference for natural products and the inference of product attributes via perceived naturalness causes problems for novel technological food products. By reviewing existing literature following questions will be answered: (1) What do most people assume about the health, taste, sustainability, and safety of food products based on perceived naturalness? (2) How is the public acceptance of high-tech food eco-innovations influenced by a lack of perceived naturalness? (3) How can these challenges be addressed by food businesses? It will first be determined what natural means for customers and how it influences food choices in general. The main findings based on the currently available market research are consumers do not desire to consume any highly unnatural foods including technological eco-innovations and it might be more efficient in terms of sustainability gains and customer needs to commit resources to developing existing products or eco-innovations that are perceived to be natural.
This paper analyses five different Cryptocurrencies, namely Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin and Litecoin, and studies their impact on traditional financial portfolios under different allocation strategies. The allocation strategies under consideration in this paper are the modern portfolio theory according to Markowitz, an extension of it such as the tangency portfolio, and the equally weighted portfolio. Further, this study explores the effect on the efficient frontier when Cryptocurrencies are added to the efficient portfolios. In addition to that, the paper aims to examine whether the mean – variance portfolio optimization according to Markowitz outperforms the naïve and tangency portfolio strategy. The portfolio performance is evaluated based on the Sharpe ratio. The quantitative analysis of this paper covers the time period from 2017 to 2022, in total five years. In accordance with the existing literature on portfolio optimization with Cryptocurrencies, the study reveals that besides some issues related with Cryptocurrencies such as cybercrime and a lack of regulations, Cryptocurrencies can be beneficial for portfolio diversification with traditional financial assets. Referring to the portfolio strategies, the study highlights that the optimal mean – variance portfolio and tangency portfolio do not differ significantly in terms of Sharpe ratio. However, both strategies outperform equally weighted portfolios.
This thesis examines the effects of social interaction and the interaction channel on affective commitment. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a major increase in the implementation of remote working policies in organizations. This development has significantly reduced the quantity and quality of social interactions among employees. In an experimental setting, subjects were assigned a level of social interaction, either limited or extensive and an interaction channel, either offline or online. Participants were given a task in which they had to find as many words as possible ending on a specific letter. Affective commitment was measured as the time spent on the task as well as the number of words found. Afterwards, subjects received a questionnaire with statements about their perceived affective commitment for which they had to indicate their level of agreement. The results indicate that extensive social interaction has a significant positive effect on affective commitment. Although the findings of the experiment are not significant for the interaction channel, some of the survey results hint towards a possible positive effect of offline interaction on the subject’s perception of affective commitment. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that there may be a discrepancy between displayed and perceived affective commitment. Taking the study results and available literature into consideration, organizations should warrant in-person interaction whenever possible and provide enough time and space for short informal conversations among employees to increase levels of affective commitment.
This thesis aims to ascertain whether the concept of job sharing might be a solution for organizations to adapt their company values to meet the changing principles of society. The shift in demands results from the younger generations seeking different values in their free time, which also influences the demands at work. The disbalance between organizational and individual values leads to employee dissatisfaction and increasing turnover rates. The part-time concept of job sharing is on the rise regarding new work opportunities. Therefore, subtopics including flexibility, work-life balance, gender balance, and diversity in the workforce are positively encouraged through job sharing. The data and research in this thesis are obtained from existing literature on the work concept. Most previous research has focused on the influences on individuals and less on multiple levels within a company. The findings of this paper state that job sharing can significantly impact the value shift of a company in many different facets. Nevertheless, the concept also provides a large number of requirements on several levels which need to be adjusted to benefit from the concept.
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.
The purpose of this thesis is to examine how process mining might enhance and benefit processes to increase the competitive advantage, while also examining the difficulties businesses are facing when implementing process mining and the purpose for which they have implemented it. Presentations of cases from various industries are backed up by in-person interviews with representatives of various businesses. The findings show that process mining is a tool that users highly recommend since it produces results that have never been seen before, regardless of the field in which it is used and regardless of their initial purpose for choosing such a concept. It also emphasizes the importance of the staff and people in putting a new idea into practice, as well as their obstacles embracing anything new.
Businesses that are competing for an advantage knock on many doors. The last ten years have seen many businesses of all kinds open their doors to process mining. A notion that identifies their shortcomings, provides them with room to grow and gives them transparency. One would assume that firms' focus is on keeping costs low in today's environment, where expenses climb enormously daily, therefore that's why they introduce innovative concepts. That may be true at first, but once the concept's genuine usefulness is realized, their focus is simple to change. Companies today recognize the need of process optimization if they wish to operate with a competitive edge and have a sound business plan. Until businesses decide to test the idea themselves, the network effect is important in such situations.
Since the concept hasn't been on the market for very long and not many companies have had experience with it thus far, it was observed that the results of the literature review with regard to the content of the interviews were practically comparable.
Finally, this paper provides recommendations for a transition from the conventional business models that firms are still using to more modern technical, data-based approaches. Only a broad analysis and conclusion are possible with the sample size of eleven companies and ten specialists.
In the context of the global climate crisis, socially responsible investing has gained momentum in the financial market. One of its objectives is the achievement of a positive environmental impact. Among the instruments used for this purpose are green bonds. These are fixed-income instruments whose proceeds may only be used for green activities. To this point, market-based standards aimed at establishing uniform definitions of what constitutes “green” have strongly contributed to the development of the green bond market. In order to further promote the issuance and credibility of green bonds and exploiting their financing potential, the European Commission has proposed the introduction of a European Green Bond Standard.
This thesis examines how an introduction of the European Green Bond Standard could impact the existing German green bond market and lead to more private investments in green projects in the future. To address this question, information from an extensive literature review as well as quantitative data from Refinitiv EIKON's Green Bond Guide was used.
For the German green bond market to grow, in particular an increased involvement of the private sector is essential. This thesis finds that the current draft of the European Green Bond Standard offers great potential in this respect. Through increased transparency and assurance, increased demand as well as associated reputational benefits and the possibility to use targeted policy incentives it has the potential to increase the attractiveness of green bond issuance for the private sector and thus induce more issuances. An extension of the grandfather clause, which is currently under discussion, could underpin this even further.
In two experiments, this empirical research examines consumers’ willingness to pay and the likelihood of purchase decisions by thoroughly investigating the neural, behavioral, and psychological properties of packaging design. A general theory is tested by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a NeuroPricing online survey on consumer behavior using the example product Tassimo. Hypotheses are tested with 592 German consumers who evaluated the packaging of Tassimo coffee. A closer look at the neural data from the brain imaging experiment shows that uncertainty can arise among consumers with regard to sustainable packaging and this can have a negative impact on the purchase decision and willingness to pay. The results from both experiments show that it is not possible to make a holistic statement as to which sustainable or enjoyment-focused packaging design increases the likelihood of a purchase decision or the willingness to pay. Implications for future packaging design research and underlying complexities with sustainable packaging are discussed.
The purpose of this thesis is to determine which factors of the German entrepreneurial attitude can ensure a successful transition onto the Mexican market, defining the values and characteristics of a German entrepreneur.
In this context, explanations of the characteristics of the German entrepreneur, his "entrepreneurial attitude", "entrepreneurial characteristics" and "entrepreneurial intention" are of importance for the further investigation.
Through the literature research, this content was composed and defined. The Mexican market was taken as the focus and considered in the context of culture, values, and characteristics. Subsequently, the findings were verified and discussed through several expert interviews. By that, the research questions were aimed to be answered.
The results show that the terms of achievement, sense of duty and time-dominated are relevant success factors of German entrepreneurial attitude. There is a need for adaption for those terms and especially for the terms of authoritarian leadership style and hierarchical.
The results of the literature review with regard to the content of the definition of German entrepreneurship were seen by some of the experts as outdated and not up to date.
Finally, this work provides recommendations for a successful transition of German entrepreneurs to the Mexican market to promote entrepreneurial activities. Here, reference is made to the values and characteristics that have found approval or rejection through the interviews.
The literature research was limited to the dimension model of Hofstede and is not including other cultural models. The sample amount of five experts permits only a general analysis and conclusion.
Growing environmental awareness, especially among young generations, is reflected in the willingness to accept price premiums for sustainable and recyclable products. In recent years, marketers have focused on reinforcing consumers’ attention and interest in green goods by increasing the effectiveness of various sustainability information on product packaging.
In this thesis, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) investigated the effect of visual and verbal recycling claims on product packaging upon the willingness to pay (WTP). Although findings showed no changes in WTP related to a visual claim, the presence of a verbal claim positively impacted the WTP in two of four cases. Further, significant interactions between the two factors were detected. The results suggest that students considered an imagery seal irrelevant during product evaluation, whilst communicating recycling information with a textual message or with a conjunction of both claims showed a tendency to improve price-value perception. However, results for the verbal and interaction effects showed variations across products. Therefore, one may not draw unequivocal assumptions from the findings of this study without research replication on a larger scale.
The paper tests the German stock market for excess volatility and stock price overvaluation with regard to the simple efficient markets model and the cyclically adjusted price-earnings ratio. Long-term historical stock market data of 49 years are used to calculate the detrended real price and ex-post value and data of 39 years to compute the cyclically adjusted price-earnings ratio, both from the sample of two German automotive stocks. The empirical evidence provided by the analysis points to excess market volatility and confirms the theory of overvalued stocks, which is linked to the bubble theory. This indicates that price fluctuations cannot be justified only by changes in fundamental values as claimed by the Efficient Market Hypothesis. The German stock market therefore shows inefficiency.
Employers must have the necessary tools to engage in the fight for talent, which is growing increasingly competitive. The rising competitiveness of the recruiting industry today has further driven the development of the recruitment process, resulting in the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques.
In this thesis, a literature review of current applications of AI in recruitment is conducted to better understand AI’s present strengths and limitations as well as its future potential.
In particular, this thesis attempts to clarify, from a recruitment strategy perspective, how AI can be used to improve recruitment and facilitate recruiters’ daily work, with a focus on which guidelines should be in place to achieve these goals.
The results reveal a significant gap between the promise and current reality of AI applications in human resources. However, with a few adjustments and cautious implementation, AI can indeed provide recruiters with promising solutions primarily by taking over tasks such as sourcing, screening and possibly even interviewing applicants through video screening. This has the potential to improve the quality of hiring and eliminate bias in recruitment. The thesis also finds that, at present, a fully automated process without any supervision from recruiters is unrealistic, at least in the final stages of the decision-making process, due to the ongoing and crucial need for a human touch and the currently foreseen negative cultural reaction to AI in its present limited form.