Open Access

Digitalization has made business virtual. As the current workforce is slowly adapting to it, the “digital natives” come into play. We all know, that Millennials have a different approach to media and virtuality. They are practically born with it. But how would they perform if they had to use virtual media in a professional setting? Does the experience and the technology surrounded upbringing give them a clear advantage? Or will they struggle with this entirely new dimension of communication the same way older generations do? This Thesis focusses on the challenges of virtual teams, predominantly in cross cultural situations. But especially on how Millennials tackle virtual teams in a global setting, if they did not have extensive prior preparation. The first part tries to identify the theoretical background of this paper – the classical challenges of cross-cultural communication in virtual teams but also the willingness of Millennials to use digital work tools for their future. The main segment then introduces data and observations collected on the GVT project - a pilot project from the Hochschule Furtwangen University, where students from Spain, Finland and Germany took part in a simulation of virtual teamwork. In groups, these students had to develop a project about Erasmus at their university – but purely virtual to experience physical borders in teams. A pre-survey and a post survey have been carried out on this group to analyze and investigate how perception and reality differ. Furthermore, the participants left testemonials and many virtual meetings were monitored. This Thesis will conclude with chapter 3 to show if Millennials have a valid advantage in working with virtual teams. It will also show the necessity to train young people and change our education to a more digital approach, as business will inevitably become increasingly virtual.

Coworking spaces are known for providing the opportunity to network with the members of a coworking space and with the outside world. In order for this networking to happen, there must be a third person facilitating the relationship creation, which in this case is a Community Manager. As a result of this, this study aims to apply the concept of being a superconnector to the Community Managers in coworking spaces. In order to prove this theory, the author of this paper carried out a qualitative research with eleven in-depth interviews. Seven of them were addressed to coworking members, while the other four to the Community Managers of four different coworking spaces. The coworking members were chosen through referral or through snowball sampling in order to acquire diverse results. Amongst these coworking members there were freelancers, start-up builders and employees from bigger companies. This variety provided the researcher with valuable information to understand how the different types of coworkers may benefit differently from the role of a Community Manager whilst networking. This research might also be helpful for other researchers since it provides information about the different sizes and populations of the coworking spaces. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of the presence of a Community Manager in coworking spaces. This impacts mostly coworking spaces that focus on freelancers and start-up entrepreneurs that place a high value on networking.

This bachelor thesis explores the opportunities of Talent Scouting at ZF Friedrichshafen AG in terms of a cross-divisional internal talent management measure in line with future requirements and the frame of a CoE function. It deals with the definition of talent within the scope of Talent Scouting, ZF specific demands with regard to matching internal talents with key positions and the general framework that must exist in order for Talent Scouting to be successful. The thesis is supported with primary and secondary research data. A theoretical framework is set up through a comprehensive literature review and used as a foundation for a qualitative data research approach. The literature review comprises the talent definition within the business scope, the frameworks of TM and a first look at Talent Scouting. Furthermore, relevant internal TM measures at ZF are examined. The research includes expert interviews conducted with ZF internal employees. The gained insights are then discussed and concluded into recommended actions for a Talent Scouting process at ZF. Major findings include a new understanding of talent and the need for a transparent process to encourage and enforce internal mobility division-wide. Additionally, the requirement for an overall coherent TM strategy is accentuated. This is emphasized with demands for a cultural and organizational mindset change. Additionally, a talent life cycle is established and the concept of a Talent Conference is considered. Further topics discussed include the use of big data, staffing rules in placement processes and possibilities on increasing visibility of talents. Finally, the thesis provides a brief outlook on the potential of people analytics and system-aided processes for HRM in the future.

Eigenverantwortliches Lernen gewinnt in Unternehmen zunehmend an Bedeutung. Immer mehr Firmen, so auch Schwäbisch Media, erkennen den Vorteil einer Lernplattform, welche es Mitarbeitern ermöglicht, schnell und problemnah eigenverantwortlich Wissen anzueignen. Die Einführung einer Lernplattform stellt Unternehmen jedoch vor große Herausforderungen, da sie nicht nur ein neues Lerninstrument mit sich bringt, sondern verstärkt eigenverantwortliches Lernen von den Mitarbeitern fordert. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es herauszufinden, welche Voraussetzungen in einem Unternehmen gegeben sein müssen, damit eigenverantwortliches Lernen mit einer Lernplattform ermöglicht und gefördert wird. Untersucht werden die Treiber und Barrieren von eigenverantwortlichem Lernen, um Firmen und speziell Schwäbisch Media Handlungsempfehlungen für die erfolgreiche Implementierung aufzuzeigen.

Cybermobbing in Unternehmen! Ein brandaktuelles Problem, welches sehr differenziert am Arbeitsplatz zum Vorschein kommt. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, die Unterschiede von Cybermobbing zwischen Männern und Frauen herauszufinden, ob überhaupt Differenzen zwischen den Geschlechtern beim Thema Cybermobbing existieren und welche Motive hinter dem Phänomen stecken. Ein weiterer Faktor, der untersucht werden muss, ist die Position innerhalb eines Unternehmens. Dabei spielt auch der Anstieg der Frauen in der Führungsebene eine wichtige Rolle, da diese beiden brandaktuellen Themen eng in Verbindung stehen. Diese beiden Phänomene stellen Unternehmen vor eine große Herausforderung. Daher ist es ausschlaggebend der Problematik Aufmerksamkeit zu schenken, diese als solches zu erkennen, zu untersuchen und effektive Maßnahmen zu ergreifen. Maßnahmen, die allen Beteiligten und den Organisationen einen Mehrwert bringen sollen. Sowohl eine miteinbezogene Studie präsentiert wer speziell Opfer von Cybermobbingattacken ist und ein Recherchemodell widmet sich den besonderen Maßnahmen, die als Lösungsansatz dienen.