Institut für Marketing & Management

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A software for corporate entrepreneurship? The role of organizational culture for stimulating entrepreneurial orientation in family firms
(2019) Arz, Christopher; Kuckertz, Andreas
This doctoral thesis comprises three empirical studies which together seek to shed light upon the question of which and how specific manifestations of organizational culture (OC) are able to support entrepreneurial behaviors and activities in established organizations (corporate entrepreneurship; CE). As a whole, this thesis addresses a variety of research questions, relying on different methodological approaches and data sets. More specifically, I use both original and secondary data, and I draw on qualitative, interpretive as well as quantitative, positivist research design. The specific objectives, concepts, and methods of the studies are guided by the two overarching research questions of this thesis: 1) What are the dominant cultural patterns of family firms that create an organizational environment where corporate entrepreneurship flourishes? 2) How exactly do these cultural patterns operate and interact in the process of stimulating corporate entrepreneurship? The first study titled “Mechanisms of Organizational Culture for Fostering Corporate Entrepreneurship: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda” provides a broad overview of the current body of knowledge on the OC-CE relationship and synthesizes generic OC mechanisms supportive of CE into an explicit framework. Adopting the method of structured literature review and realist synthesis, it analyzes 46 empirical and conceptual papers published in peer-reviewed journals and strives to make sense of the diverse, and partly conflicting, theoretical predictions and empirical findings which currently characterize the field. To accomplish that, the study integrates eight generic OC dimensions and two basic layers of culture to enable CE-supportive cultural mechanisms to be synthesized into a clear matrix. Doing so allows for more a fine-grained understanding of how OC may create an environment where CE flourishes. Based on the synthesis, research avenues are identified to encourage future work on the topic. The second study titled “Bridging the Micro-Macro Gap: A Multi-Layer Culture Framework for Understanding Entrepreneurial Orientation in Family Firms” responds to the enduring unanswered call for qualitative research on the topic of Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) that is located within an interpretivist-oriented philosophy. Employing an interpretivist single case study design, the study seeks to elaborate the theory of EO in family firms by delivering a rich and deeply contextualized understanding of the business-level mechanisms that operate between family-level values (micro level) and firm-level EO (macro level) in a second-generation German family firm. Specifically, it adopts a multi-layer theory of culture as interpretive framework to develop a grounded model that cuts across analytical levels of family and business. The illustration of the data, based on a qualitative content analysis of both archival data and ethnographic interview data, shows how the unique cultural patterns of the firm operate as social mechanisms to stimulate EO. Specifically, family-level values of altruism and preservation have been found to prepare the ground for an OC characterized by long-term- and involvement-oriented organizational values as well as psychological safety and empowerment climates. Eventually, these climates represent the most salient cultural layer and effectively support the firm’s competitive orientation toward corporate entrepreneurship. Finally, the third study of this thesis titled “Stimulating Entrepreneurial Orientation in Family Firms: A Multi-Layer Culture Model” takes a more technical (positivist) perspective on the phenomenon of OC and investigates how the specific business-level cultural mechanisms of family firms can transform the intimate connection between family and business into high levels of EO. To provide a deeper understanding of the forces that nurture EO in family firms, the study finds a way to bridge the gap between family-level characteristics and firm-level EO by integrating family commitment culture, long-term orientation, and stewardship climate into a multi-layer culture framework. The research model that derives from this perspective proposes a two-step mediation process, intending to explain how family commitment culture, as a family-level value orientation, is transformed into high levels of EO through OC mechanisms. The model was tested by analyzing data of 208 mature German family firms using covariance-based structural equation modelling (SEM). Consistent with the proposed multi-layer structure, the SEM model’s results support the hypothesis that, when high levels of EO are desired, family firms ought to focus on what type of cultural mechanisms are triggered at the business level through a family commitment culture.
Artificial intelligence and robots in services : theory and management of (future) human–robot service interactions
(2023) Blaurock, Marah Karin; Büttgen, Marion
During the past decade, service robots have increasingly been deployed in a wide variety of services, where they co-produce service outcomes with and for the benefit of internal or external customers within human–robot service interactions (HRSI). Although the introduction of different service robot types into the marketplace promises efficiency gains, it changes premises of service encounter theory and practice fundamentally. Moreover, introducing service robots without considering external or internal customers’ needs can lead to negative service outcomes. This thesis aims to generate knowledge on how the introduction of different service robot types (i.e., embodied and digital service robots) in internal and external service encounters changes fundamental premises of service encounter theory and impacts HRSI outcomes. In doing so, it leverages different scientific methods and focuses on external service encounters with digital and embodied service robots, as well as internal service encounters with digital service robots. Chapter 2 aims to advance service encounter theory in the context of HRSI in external service encounters by conceptually developing a service encounter theory evaluation scheme to assess a theory’s fit to explain HRSI-related phenomena. The scheme includes individual and contextual factors that bound theoretical premises and, hence, supports scholars in assessing standing service encounter theories. The chapter also puts forth an exemplary assessment of role theory and provides detailed avenues for future research. Chapter 3 aims to synthesize the great wealth of knowledge on HRSI related to external service encounters with embodied service robots. By conducting a comprehensive systematic literature review, the chapter identifies 199 empirical research articles across scientific fields that can inform service research on how to successfully introduce service robots into the organizational frontline. To organize the plethora of research findings, this chapter develops a new structuring framework (D3: design, delegate, deploy). It utilizes this framework to provide a comprehensive overview of the empirical HRSI literature, delineates practical implications, and identifies gaps in literature to identify promising future research avenues. Chapter 4 also addresses HRSI in external service encounters but focuses specifically on the transformative potential of embodied service robots to enhance vulnerable consumers’ (i.e., children and older adults) well-being in social isolation. To identify how different robots can enhance well-being, this chapter follows a conceptual approach and integrates findings from service research, social robotics, social psychology, and medicine. The chapter develops a typology of robotic transformative service (i.e., entertainer, social enabler, mentor, and friend) as a function of consumers state of social isolation, well-being focus, and robot capabilities and a future research agenda for robotic transformative service research (RTSR). This work guides service consumers and providers, as well as robot developers, in identifying and developing the most appropriate robot type for advancing the well-being of vulnerable consumers in social isolation. Finally, Chapter 5 focuses on HRSI research in the context of interactions with digital service robots in internal service encounters. Based on a comprehensive literature review paired with a qualitative study, it conceptionally develops a new concept of a collaborative, digital service robot: a collaborative intelligence system (i.e., CI system) that co-produces service with employees. Drawing from service encounter needs theory, the chapter also empirically tests the effect of CI systems on employee need fulfillment (i.e., need for control, cognition, self-efficacy, and justice) and, in turn, on responsibility taking in two scenario-based experiments. The results uncover divergent mechanisms of how the fulfillment of service encounter needs drives the effect of CI systems on outcome responsibility for different employee groups. Service scholars and managers benefit from a blueprint for designing collaborative digital service robots and an understanding of their effects on employee outcomes in service co-production. In summary, this thesis contributes to literature by providing new insights into different types of HRSI by consolidating HRSI knowledge, developing and advancing HRSI concepts and theory, and empirically investigating HRSI-related phenomena. The new insights put forth in this thesis are discussed and implications for service theory and practice are delineated.
Behind the scenes of emerging technologies – Opportunities, challenges, and solution approaches along a socio-technical continuum
(2021) Bayer, Sarah; Gimpel, Henner
Digitalization is a socio-technical phenomenon that shapes our lives as individuals, economies, and societies. The perceived complexity of technologies continues to increase, and technology convergence makes a clear separation between technologies impossible. A good example of this is the Internet of Things (IoT) with its embedded Artificial Intelligence (AI). Furthermore, a separation of the social and the technical component has become near enough impossible, for which there is increasing awareness in the Information Systems (IS) community. Overall, emerging technologies such as AI or IoT are becoming less understandable and transparent, which is evident for instance when AI is described in terms of a “black box”. This opacity undermines humans’ trust in emerging technologies, which, however, is crucial for both its usage and spread, especially as emerging technologies start to perform tasks that bear high risks for humans, such as autonomous driving. Critical perspectives on emerging technologies are often discussed in terms of ethics, including such aspects as the responsibility for decisions made by algorithms, the limited data privacy, and the moral values that are encoded in technology. In sum, the varied opportunities that come with digitalization are accompanied by significant challenges. Research on the negative ramifications of AI is crucial if we are to foster a human-centered technological development that is not simply driven by opportunities but by utility for humanity. As the IS community is positioned at the intersection of the technological and the social context, it plays a central role in finding answers to the question as to how the advantages outweigh the challenges that come with emerging technologies. Challenges are examined under the label of “dark side of IS”, a research area which receives considerably less attention in existing literature than the positive aspects (Gimpel & Schmied, 2019). With its focus on challenges, this dissertation aims to counterbalance this. Since the remit of IS research is the entire information system, rather than merely the technology, humanistic and instrumental goals ought to be considered in equal measure. This dissertation follows calls for research for a healthy distribution along the so-called socio-technical continuum (Sarker et al., 2019), that broadens its focus to include the social as well as the technical, rather than looking at one or the other. With that in mind, this dissertation aims to advance knowledge on IS with regard to opportunities, and in particular with a focus on challenges of two emerging technologies, IoT and AI, along the socio-technical continuum. This dissertation provides novel insights for individuals to better understand opportunities, but in particular possible negative side effects. It guides organizations on how to address these challenges and suggests not only the necessity of further research along the socio-technical continuum but also several ideas on where to take this future research. Chapter 2 contributes to research on opportunities and challenges of IoT. Section 2.1 identifies and structures opportunities that IoT devices provide for retail commerce customers. By conducting a structured literature review, affordances are identified, and by examining a sample of 337 IoT devices, completeness and parsimony are validated. Section 2.2 takes a close look at the ethical challenges posed by IoT, also known as IoT ethics. Based on a structured literature review, it first identifies and structures IoT ethics, then provides detailed guidance for further research in this important and yet under-appreciated field of study. Together, these two research articles underline that IoT has the potential to radically transform our lives, but they also illustrate the urgent need for further research on possible ethical issues that are associated with IoTs’ specific features. Chapter 3 contributes to research on AI along the socio-technical continuum. Section 3.1 examines algorithms underlying AI. Through a structured literature review and semi-structured interviews analyzed with a qualitative content analysis, this section identifies, structures and communicates concerns about algorithmic decision-making and is supposed to improve offers and services. Section 3.2 takes a deep dive into the concept of moral agency in AI to discuss whether responsibility in human-computer interaction can be grasped better with the concept of “agency”. In section 3.3, data from an online experiment with a self-developed AI system is used to examine the role of a user’s domain-specific expertise in trusting and following suggestions from AI decision support systems. Finally, section 3.4 draws on design science research to present a framework for ethical software development that considers ethical issues from the beginning of the design and development process. By looking at the multiple facets of this topic, these four research articles ought to guide practitioners in deciding which challenges to consider during product development. With a view to subsequent steps, they also offer first ideas on how these challenges could be addressed. Furthermore, the articles offer a basis for further, solution-oriented research on AI’s challenges and encourage users to form their own, informed, opinions.
Das Beste aus zwei Welten – Key Learnings aus dem ACTIVATR-Programm
(2018) Kuckertz, Andreas; Morales Reyes, C. Arturo; Brändle, Leif
Gerade innovative Startups drohen in allen Industrien die Geschäftsmodelle etablierter Unternehmen zu zerstören. Etablierte Unternehmen hingegen haben die nötigen Ressourcen und Netzwerke, um Geschäftsmodelle früh zu testen und schnell zu skalieren. Dieser Research Brief beantwortet daher die Frage, wie Vorteile aus der Corporate- und der Startup-Welt zum Zwecke erfolgreicher Innovationen verbunden werden können. Dazu werden Beobachtungen und Interviews aus einem mehrmonatigen Accelerator-Programm ausgewertet, welches bewusst Teams aus beiden Welten für eine Innovation Challenge kombiniert. Wir leiten Erkenntnisse ab für Entscheider aus etablierten Unternehmen, Startups sowie Accelerator-Programmen und zeigen, unter welchen Bedingungen eine erfolgreiche Kombination der Startup- und der Corporate-Logik möglich wird.
Celebrating 30 years of Innovation System research : what you need to know about Innovation Systems
(2016) Klein, Malte; Sauer, Andreas
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Innovation System research, this paper presents an extensive literature review on this large field of innovation research. Building on an analytical basis of the commonalities “system” and “innovation”, the authors analyze the four main Innovation System approaches: National Innovation Systems (NIS), Regional Innovation Systems (RIS), Sectoral Innovation Systems (SIS) and Technological Innovation Systems (TIS). The analysis is structured systematically along ten comprehensive criteria. Starting with the founder(s) of each theory and the research program within each Innovation System approach was developed (1), the basic thoughts of each Innovation System approach are explained (2). For five case studies most cited (3), spatial boundaries are examined (4) and units of analyses are derived (5). By comparing the underlying theoretical concept and empirical results, the authors show patterns in the evolution of Innovation System research overall. By studying the basic components (6) and a functional analysis (7), each Innovation System approach is broken down into structural pieces and functional processes. If available, the authors present one or several taxonomies (8) for each Innovation System approach and summarize similar approaches (9), in order to classify and integrate the approaches into the ongoing innovation research. The identification of further research (10) shows which steps will need to be taken in the next years in order to evolve Innovation System research further and deeper. After the conclusion, the extensive table of comparison is presented which can serve as a guideline for academics and practitioners from basic and applied science, industry or policy that need to understand which Innovation System approach may be best for their specific analytical purposes.
Collaborating in the digital age: On the design of collaboration support systems
(2024) Wöhl, Moritz; Gimpel, Henner
Collaboration is undergoing a transformation in the digital age. As digital technologies advance, individuals and organisations need to continuously adapt to the ever-changing circumstances in their mutual engagement, especially when these technologies form the nexus of interaction. Three major trends shape this evolving collaborative landscape. First, globalisation diminishes the significance of physical boundaries, fostering a globally distributed workforce. Second, propelled initially by the COVID-19 pandemic but now a lasting trend, there is a heightened value placed on the flexibility afforded by remote or hybrid work. Third, the ascendant capabilities of large language models hint at them becoming central to collaboration, which benefits both employees and organisations. Collectively, these trends not only shape collaboration as of today but also provide implications for its future trajectory. These shifts present interesting avenues for designing collaboration support via digital technologies. This dissertation delves into the design of Collaboration Support Systems in light of these developments. These systems encompass software, tools, and services to enhance outcomes from collaborative efforts. At their core, collaborators coordinate their actions. More specifically, they process and communicate information before taking a decision. Collaboration support in this dissertation explicitly targets these three facets to enhance collaborative endeavours. The structure of this dissertation is bifurcated into direct support to collaborators via technical systems (Part A) and indirect support through aiding facilitators of a collaborative endeavour (Part B). Part A (Chapter II) of this dissertation explores the facet of delivering support to collaborators engaged in direct collaboration, offering profound insights into how technological systems can be harnessed to augment collaborative endeavours across four distinct chapters. Each chapter elucidates strategies to support collaborators in information processing, communication, and decision-making. Chapter II.1 delves into the collaboration of multi-professional teams, spotlighting the work system in inpatient palliative care, characterised by frequent in-person interactions and noticeable reservations towards digital technologies, making it a relevant subject of investigation. This chapter discerns potential challenges and opportunities to overcome them with digital technologies by maintaining the relevance of in-person interactions. Building on this, Chapter II.2 articulates the design and prototype of a system tailored for multi-professional collaboration, addressing the specific challenges unearthed in the preceding chapter. Chapter II.3 targets virtual teams engaging synchronously in chats, facilitated by an automated facilitator to streamline their collaboration by fostering favourable patterns in collaboration to sidestep potential pitfalls. Chapter II.4 explores academic research collaboration, aiming to illuminate methods for assessing the current research landscape and signposting promising areas for future collaborative research. Part B (Chapter III) shifts its lens towards amplifying support mechanisms for facilitators, enhancing the support mechanisms available for facilitators, thereby aiming to amplify the effectiveness and efficiency of their roles within the collaborative structure – particularly within crowdsourcing environments. These environments are often geared towards addressing complex, wicked problems by pooling diverse knowledge resources. This part underscores the facilitator’s pivotal role in steering collaborative ventures, supporting them throughout the multifaceted processes, particularly in information processing, communication, and decision-making. Chapter III.1 presents an assessment model with five success dimensions, equipping facilitators with guidance on actions before, during, and after a crowdsourcing initiative. This framework helps in achieving high-quality results through a well-guided process. Subsequent chapters delve deeper into vital facets of crowdsourcing: Chapter III.2 advocates for fostering intellectual cross-fertilisation among collaborators, promoting a richer and potentially more innovative range of contributions. Chapter III.3 proposes a synthesis information system, utilising natural language processing to enhance the facilitator’s support in efficiently assessing discussion content and effectively disseminating it to a wider audience in diverse formats. In conclusion, this dissertation provides a comprehensive guide for collaboration support design. It concludes by consolidating and discussing both parts’ results, implications, limitations, and avenues for future research. The emergence of large-scale language models will blur the lines between the two parts of this dissertation. Today, these models automate only specific aspects of facilitation and support human moderators in their roles. As large language models continue to evolve and their capabilities improve, it is foreseeable that the distinction between the two parts will diminish. Hence, although distinct in their approach, both parts intertwine, providing a cohesive perspective on the potential and design of Collaboration Support Systems and creating a common body of knowledge that informs the future of collaborative endeavours. Key themes threading through the dissertation include seamless integration into daily-use systems, leveraging natural language processing, and guiding collaborators’ focus in their interactions. This dissertation’s insights contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the potential and design nuances of Collaboration Support Systems.
Communication and collaboration technology use at the digital workplace : antecedents, use processes, and consequences
(2021) Schoch, Manfred; Gimpel, Henner
Our world is becoming more and more digital and interconnected. Particularly new communication and collaboration technologies have changed the way we go about our daily life and work. Several technological and social developments are the driving forces for this change. On the one hand, technological advancements, such as portable devices, fast infrastructure, and constantly available software applications, transform the way employees communicate, collaborate, and transfer knowledge. On the other hand, social developments, such as an increase in knowledge-intense jobs and a workforce that has grown accustomed to increasingly modern and innovative technology from their private lives, contribute to the development. Further, during the COVID-19 pandemic, digital work and the use of communication and collaboration technology has increased unlike anything seen before. It is the organizations’ responsibility to care for their employees and leave no one behind in this transformation process of work as we know it. Yet, the management of increasingly complex portfolios of digital technologies, comprised of privately-owned and business-owned components, confronts individuals, IT departments, and management with challenges. To address them, organizations and individuals need to broaden their understanding of how and why employees use digital technologies and learn about the associated outcomes. Information Systems research has long been concerned with understanding digital technology use, which is among the most researched topics of the discipline. Research results on technology use have been summarized along the three categories antecedents, use process, and outcomes Antecedents describe factors that influence use. Insights into use processes provide us with details of how technology is used in practice. Use outcomes comprise different factors that can be positively or negatively affected by using technology, such as performance or stress. Within the field, a subset of studies has specifically focused on communication and collaboration technology. Yet, in light of the rise in ubiquitous digital work and the challenges that come with it, further investigation into this subject is necessary. This dissertation aims at providing novel insights into the use of communication and collaboration technology for organizations and individuals across the three categories: antecedents, use processes, and outcomes. In Chapter 2, this dissertation deals with important antecedents of use decisions of communication and collaboration technology. Chapter 2.1 does so by identifying factors that drive the choice of digital technologies in the context of knowledge transfer. Chapter 2.2 analyzes rationales for using privately-owned technology for business purposes based on a risk-benefit perspective. Chapter 3 analyzes individual use processes of communication and collaboration technology in more detail using digital trace data and user interviews. Different heterogeneous user roles are derived from the data in Chapter 3.1. Second, user behavior over time and the effect of external events on such behavior are examined (Chapter 3.2). Chapter 4 presents insights on outcomes of use behavior, particularly adverse outcomes. Insights are provided on the role of individual appraisal in the relationship between communication and collaboration technology use and associated stress (Chapter 4.1). Second, outcomes of the use of mixed IT portfolios comprised of privately-owned and business-owned components are investigated (Chapter 4.2). In summation, this dissertation contributes to the rich body of knowledge on technology use. It broadens our understanding of why communication and collaboration technologies are used, how they are used, and what consequences arise from their use. Thus, insights are provided to practitioners on how to manage technology use in a human-centered way while considering the risks of technology use and reaping its multifaceted benefits. The results of this dissertation may inspire future research on a topic that is potentially more relevant today than ever before.
Corporate entrepreneurship in the public sector : exploring the peculiarities of public enterprises
(2021) Tremml, Timo; Ebersberger, Bernd
Entrepreneurship is predominantly treated as a private-sector phenomenon and consequently its increasing importance in the public sector goes largely unremarked. That impedes the research field of entrepreneurship being capable of spanning multiple sectors. Accordingly, recent research calls for the study of corporate entrepreneurship (CE) as it manifests in the public sector where it can be labeled public entrepreneurship (PE). This dissertation considers government an essential entrepreneurial actor and is led by the central research question: What are the peculiarities of the public sector and how do they impact public enterprises’ entrepreneurial orientation (EO)? Accordingly, this dissertation includes three studies focusing on public enterprises. Two of the studies set the scope of this thesis by investigating a specific type of organization in a specific context—German majority-government-owned energy suppliers. These enterprises operate in a liberalized market experiencing environmental uncertainties like competitiveness and business transformation. The aims and results of the studies included in this dissertation can be summarized as follows: The systematic literature review illuminates the stimuli of and barriers to entrepreneurial activities in public enterprises and the potential outcomes of such activities discussed so far. The review reveals that research on EO has tended to focus on the private sector and consequently that barriers to and outcomes of entrepreneurial activities in the public sector remain under-researched. Building on these findings, the qualitative study focuses on the interrelated barriers affecting entrepreneurship in public enterprises and the outcomes of entrepreneurial activities being inhibited. The study adopts an explorative comparative causal mapping approach to address the above-mentioned research goal and the lack of clarity around how barriers identified in the public sphere are interrelated. Furthermore, the study bases its investigation on the different business segments of sales (competitive market) and the distribution grid (natural monopoly) to account for recent calls for fine-grained research on PE. Results were compared with prior findings in the public and private sector. That comparison indicates that the barriers revealed align with aspects discussed in prior research findings relating to both sectors. Examples include barriers associated with the external environment such as legal constraints and barriers originating from within the organization such as employee behavior linked to a value system that hampers entrepreneurial action. However, the most important finding is that a public enterprise’s supervisory board can hinder its progress, a finding running counter to those of previous private-sector research and one that underscores the widespread prejudice that the involvement of a public shareholder and its nominated board of directors has a negative effect on EO. The third study is quantitative (data collection via a questionnaire) and builds on both its predecessors to examine the little understood topic of board behavior and public enterprises’ social orientation as predictors of EO. The study’s results indicate that social orientation represses EO, whereas board strategy control (BSC) does not seem to predict EO. Regarding BSC, we find that the local government owners in our sample are less involved in BSC. The third study also examines board networking and finds its relationship with EO depends on the ownership structure of the public-sector organization. An important finding is that minority shareholders, such as majority privately-owned enterprises and hub firms, repress EO when engaging in board networking. In summary, this doctoral thesis contributes to the under-researched topic of CE in the public sector. It investigates the peculiarities of this sector by focusing on the supervisory board and social oriented activities and their impact on the enterprise’s EO in the quantitative study. The thesis addresses institutional questions regarding ownership and the last study in particular contributes to expanding resource dependence theory, and invites a nuanced perspective: The original perspective suggests that interorganizational arrangements like interfirm network ties and equity holdings reduce external resource dependency and consequently improve firm performance. The findings within this thesis expose resource delivery to potential contrary effects to extend the understanding of interorganizational action with important implications for practice.
Corporate innovation systems and the effect of continuity, competence, and cooperation on innovation performance
(2021) Kötting, Michael; Kuckertz, Andreas
Innovations have always been an essential factor for the long-term success of corporations. This is all the more true at times like the present, which is becoming increasingly dynamic and fast due to such effects as digitalization and globalization. However, as important as innovations are for the success of corporations, their systematic development is just as challenging. This fact can be demonstrated not least by numerous practical examples in which formerly successful corporations were unable to react appropriately to changing market and competitive conditions and consequently had to give up their market position. The challenges in the development of innovations can be traced back to different organizational conditions, which are necessary for the efficient exploitation of existing products on the one hand and the exploration of new innovations on the other. The scientific literature recommends, among other things, the separation of exploration and exploitation into different organizational units to meet the challenges mentioned above. In addition to the operational business units, which are usually responsible for the exploitation of existing products, it is advisable to establish innovation units, such as corporate incubators or corporate venture capital units, and to entrust them with the exploration of innovations. For a detailed examination of the current state of research on corporate incubators and corporate venture capital, two systematic literature analyses were carried out within the scope of this thesis. As a result, it was discovered that further research is needed, particularly concerning the organizational integration of such innovation units into the overall organization and the associated conflicts of objectives. To make an initial contribution to closing the research gap mentioned above, a further study of this work is devoted to the organizational integration of different innovation programs in an established corporation. This study differs from previous studies in that it takes an overarching perspective and considers the entire organization, including the innovation units, as a holistic innovation system. Such a corporate innovation system consists of at least three different types of innovation units in addition to the operational business units: exploration-oriented innovation units for the generation of disruptive innovations, exploitation-oriented innovation units for the further development of existing products and transformation-oriented innovation units for the transformation of the corporate culture. Such a system can ensure the systematic and sustainable generation of innovations, especially in the interaction of the various innovation units. In addition to the basic establishment of the innovation units mentioned above, however, appropriate organizational framework conditions are required to ensure that innovations can be developed successfully. The fourth study in this thesis is dedicated to the question of how continuity, competence and cooperation affect the innovation performance of corporations. It could be analyzed that the continuous implementation of innovation activities has the greatest positive effect on the innovation performance of enterprises. While cooperation, in combination with continuity, has a short- to medium-term impact on innovation performance, competence and continuity have a long-term effect on innovation performance. Cooperation and competence are complementary concepts in that cooperation should be used for short-term innovation activities, while competence should be used for the long-term sustainable development of innovations within the enterprise. As a result, this work addresses existing research gaps with regard to the integration of innovation units and the organizational structures of corporations and provides valuable insights and approaches for further research. For this purpose, it was necessary to link findings from the field of innovation management and corporate venturing with concepts of organizational theory. Through this connection, we have succeeded in gaining new scientific insights that previously could not be gained independently within the individual research streams. We are convinced that our findings on Corporate Innovation Systems and the effects of continuity, competence and cooperation on innovation performance have made an important scientific contribution. That is all the more true at a time when successful innovation is becoming increasingly important for corporations and a growing number of newly emerging innovation units can be observed in practice.
Customer-dominant logic
(2024) Saleschus, Maxim; Hadwich, Karsten
Dominante Marketinglogiken bilden einen Eckpfeifer der Marketingtheorie und werden seit Jahrzehnten intensiv diskutiert. Mit der Goods-, Service- und Customer-Dominant Logic existieren drei zentrale Marketinglogiken, die auf unterschiedlichen Wertschöpfungsannahmen beruhen und eine holistische Konzeptualisierung aufweisen. Daraus resultieren konkurrierende Sichtweisen auf das Marketing, indem die Logiken hinsichtlich der Quelle, den beteiligten Akteure und Logiken sowie den Prozessen und Ergebnissen der Wertschöpfung zu differenzieren sind. Die Wahl zwischen diesen Logiken hat damit weitreichende Auswirkungen auf die strategische Ausrichtung eines Anbieters und seine Interaktion mit Kunden und anderen Stakeholdern, die Gestaltung seiner Geschäftsprozesse sowie die Entwicklung und Vermarktung seiner Angebote. Gleichermaßen steuern dominante Marketinglogiken als kognitive Orientierung auch die Marktforschung, indem spezifische Informationen erhoben, selektiert und aufbereitet werden. Die Goods- und Service-Dominant Logic betrachten die Wertschöpfungsprozesse aus der Anbieterperspektive. Kunden können dabei lediglich durch Formen der Kundenintegration (z. B. als Co-Produzent) – im vom Anbieter vorgegeben Ausmaß und Kontrollbereich – Einfluss auf den Wertschöpfungsprozess des Anbieters nehmen. Eine umfassende Betrachtung der Wert-schöpfungsprozesse des Kunden ist damit nicht zu konstatieren. Die Customer-Dominant Logic konterkariert diese Denkweise, indem sie durch das Konzept der Anbieterintegration einen systematischen Perspektivwechsel gegenüber der Goods- und Service-Dominant Logic vollzieht. Damit betrachtet die Customer-Dominant Logic den Anbieter lediglich als einen potenziellen Wertschöpfungspartner im sogenannten Kunden-Ecosystem und trägt der dominanten Rolle von Kunden in modernen Geschäftsbeziehungen Rechnung. Die Customer-Dominant Logic unterstellt, dass der Geschäftserfolg des Anbieters darauf beruht, zu verstehen, welche Rolle dieser im Ecosystem des Kunden einnehmen und durch die Gestaltung attraktiver Integrationsangebote erfüllen kann. Die Kenntnis und Befriedigung spezifischer Kunden-bedürfnisse, wie in der Goods- und Service-Dominant Logic, ist dabei nicht ausreichend, um zu verstehen, wie Kunden ihren (Geschäfts-)Alltag gestalten, mit Akteuren (z. B. Co-Kunden) in ihren Ecosystem interagieren und Angebote auf Basis ihrer individuellen Logik nutzen. Vielmehr betrachtet die Customer-Dominant Logic die Lebenssphäre des Kunden und die daraus resultierenden Kundenziele. Damit ermöglicht die Customer-Dominant Logic eine umfassendere Kundensicht und fördert eine stärkere Durchdringung der Wertentstehungsprozesse von Kunden. Trotz ihres Wertes für das Marketing wurde die Customer-Dominant Logic in der Forschung noch nicht vollständig durchdrungen. Zwar ist sie Gegenstand einer steigenden Anzahl wissenschaftlicher Fachpublikationen und wird von verschiedenen Autoren weltweit diskutiert. Jedoch sind insbesondere methodische und empirische Defizite zu konstatieren. Ziel der Dissertation ist es deshalb, basierend auf den Wertschöpfungsprinzipien der Customer-Dominant Logic methodische und empirische Forschungsdefizite zu bearbeiten. Im Anschluss an das einleitende Kapitel 1 wird in Kapitel 2 deshalb die methodische Weiterentwicklung der Customer-Dominant Logic durch die Konzeptionierung der Customer-Dominant (Case) Journey und Anwendung des Customer-Dominant (Case) Journey-Mappings im Anfragenmanagement eines Praxispartners in der professionellen Audiobranche vor-genommen. Durch die Customer-Dominant Journey wird zum einen die managementbezogene Anwendung der Customer-Dominant Logic und zum anderen eine kundendominante Gestaltung der Customer Experience ermöglicht. Ausgehend von der Weiterentwicklung des etablierten Marketinginstrumentes „Customer Journey“ um kundendominante Analyse-dimensionen (Experience-Ziele, Experience-Prozesse, Experience-Ecosystem und Experience-Zeitraum des Kunden) erfolgt die Anwendung der Customer-Dominant Journey im Rahmen von qualitativen Workshops mit Mitarbeitenden eines Praxispartners in der professionellen Audiobranche. Hierzu wird als spezifische Ausprägungsform die Customer-Dominant Case Journey betrachtet. Der Mapping- und stufenweise Analyseprozess führt zur Identifikation zahlreicher Maßnahmen, die eine umfassende kundendominante Optimierung der Customer Experience im Management von Kundenanfragen des Praxispartners ermöglichen. Kapitel 3 befasst sich mit der empirischen Durchdringung und Prüfung der Customer-Dominant Logic, indem die Konzeptualisierung und Operationalisierung der wahrgenommen Kunden-dominanz erfolgt. Es wird eine Skala zur Messung der „Customer Dominance“ entwickelt, um die Wertgenerierungsprinzipien der Customer-Dominant Logic in ein messbares und praktisch anwendbares Marketingkonzept zu überführen. In einem mehrstufigen Prozess wird das Konstrukt „Customer Dominance“ konzeptualisiert und gegenüber den etablierten Konzepten der Kundenorientierung und Kundenzentrierung differenziert. „Customer Dominance“ wird als ein Konstrukt zweiter Ordnung mit vier reflektiven Subdimensionen operationalisiert: Die Dominante interne Positionierung des Kunden, das Durchdringung der Logik des Kunden, das Denken im Kunden-Ecosystem und die Präsenzgenerierung. Eine quantitative Expertenstudie zur Bewertung der Inhaltsvalidität und eine quantitative Mitarbeitendenbefragung zur Skalen-bereinigung bestätigen die Reliabilität und Validität der entwickelten Messskala. Die Ergebnisse zeigen außerdem, dass sich die entwickelte Skala vom Konstrukt der Kundenorientierung unterscheidet, aber positive Effekte auf etablierte Konstrukte zur Messung der Erfolgswirkung des Marketing ((nicht)-finanzielle Performance)) aufweist. Kapitel 4 forciert ebenfalls die empirische Durchdringung und Prüfung der Customer- Dominant Logic, indem die Konzeptualisierung und qualitative Anwendung der Customer- Dominant Sustainability im Mobilitätskontext erfolgt. Als neuartiges Rahmenwerk verknüpft die Customer-Dominant Sustainability die Prinzipien der Wertgenerierung der Customer- Dominant Logic mit den Dimensionen der Triple Bottom Line. Daraus resultieren 12 unter- schiedliche, aber miteinander verbundene nachhaltigkeitsbezogenen Erfahrungsebenen. Durch die Beantwortung der Fragen, warum, wie, mit wem und wann Kunden nachhaltige Mobilität in ihrem eigenen Ecosystem erleben, berücksichtigt die Customer-Dominant Sustainability die individuelle Logik des Kunden als zugrundeliegenden und übergreifenden Steuerungs- mechanismus. Dies ermöglicht es Unternehmen, die Diskrepanz zwischen nachhaltigkeits- bezogenen Einstellungen und Verhaltensweisen von Kunden – auch bekannt unter dem Begriff „Sustainable Attitude Behavior Gap” – zu verstehen. Eine qualitative Pilotstudie im Kontext nachhaltiger urbaner Mobilität und in Kooperation mit der SSB verdeutlicht, dass die Customer-Dominant Sustainability praktikabel ist und dazu beiträgt, die Nachhaltigkeitslogik des Kunden zu analysieren und Ursachen für die Entstehung des Sustainable Attitude Behavior Gap zu entdecken. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass nachhaltige Mobilität von der individuellen Kundenlogik getrieben wird und zu nachhaltigen intra- und intersubjektiv geprägten Mobilitäts-erfahrungen in der Lebenssphäre des Kunden führt. Die Dissertation beleuchtet die Customer-Dominant Logic aus der Mitarbeitenden- (Beitrag 1), Management- (Beitrag 2) und Kundenperspektive (Beitrag 3). Ausgehend von der branchen-, kontext-, und kundentypübergreifenden Relevanz der Customer-Dominant Logic variieren die drei Dissertationsbeiträge nicht nur in methodischer Hinsicht (case study, quantitative Erhebungen, qualitative Tiefeninterviews), sondern auch in Bezug auf die genannten inhalt-lichen Aspekte. Die Dissertation liefern damit unterschiedliche Impulse zur methodischen und empirischen Weiterentwicklung des Forschungsstandes und demonstriert die Relevanz der Customer-Dominant Logic zur Bereicherung der Marketingwissenschaft.
Dienstleistungsnetzwerke im Kontext der Servicetransformation - Barrieren, Erfolgsfaktoren und Wirkungsmodell
(2017) Weigel, Sabrina; Hadwich, Karsten
Manufacturing firms face major challenges due to the commoditization of products and increasing competitive pressure, which causes them to develop new business models. In order to secure their competitive position, they offer additional services or innovative combinations of products and services in addition to their products. Due to limited capacities, however, it is often not possible for a single company to offer its customers not only products but also services or complete solutions. This is why many companies join forces with other companies in order to be able to provide services to customers in so-called service networks. A major challenge in the context of service networks during servitization is to ensure a consistent, high quality of service for the customer. Furthermore, working with other companies in a service network is a challenge, so that in some cases the expected benefits of the network are not achieved or the cooperation might even fail. Despite the great relevance of the topic, there is still a lack of literature on service networks in the context of servitization, so the aim of this thesis is to contribute to scientific research on service networks in the context of servitization and to provide relevant recommendations for the successful management of service networks in business practice. Therefore, the thesis focuses on a detailed analysis of the relationships and interactions between the various network partners in order to identify key points that enable a service network in the context of servitization to operate successfully and to provide customers with high-quality services that contribute to the success of the service network in the context of servitization. The work is divided into five chapters. After an introductory chapter on definitions, chapter 2 examines the barriers in the quality management of service networks in the context of servitization. To this end, an empirical qualitative investigation (n = 6) is carried out. The qualitative study aims to identify specific barriers in the quality management of service networks that prevent the creation of high quality service. That way, starting points are worked out on how to ensure high quality in service networks during servitization. Chapter 3 is devoted to the goal of identifying factors that lead to successfully operating service networks in the context of servitization. For this purpose, interviews with senior executives from companies in these service networks are conducted in a qualitative study (n = 25) in order to identify success factors for service networks during servitization. These levers provide companies in the process of servitization with important insights to increase the success of their service networks. The aim of the fourth chapter is to demonstrate the relationship between the identified success factors and the desired positive results of service networks in the context of servitization. To this end, a theoretical hypothesis model is developed, which is examined in a quantitative study (n = 257). Based on the results, factors can be deduced that have to be increased in order to realize a high-performance and customer-attractive service network in the context of servitization. Chapter 5 is the conclusion. In this chapter, the key results of the work are first summarized by succinctly answering the research questions. Then concrete recommendations are derived for corporate practice. In addition to limitations of this thesis, further research is provided. Overall, the thesis provides essential empirical findings on barriers, success factors and cause and effect relationships in service networks during servitization, from which relevant implications for theory as well as for an effective and successful management of these service networks in the context of servitization can be derived.
Digitalization of the individual : consequences, design, and behavior
(2021) Waldmann, Daniela; Gimpel, Henner
In the past decades, digitalization has increasingly influenced our daily lives and habits in almost all areas and has even become indispensable for individuals, organizations, and society. The interactions between individuals and organizations have changed significantly as digitalization extends the boundaries of organizations to the point at which it affects individuals. Consequently, new research efforts and better understanding are essential to understand how the behavior of individuals is affected by the use of digital technologies, how customers’ demands change, and how the purchasing process of organizations needs to be adapted. Currently, the literature on digital transformation is mainly treating the organizational perspective. Nevertheless, organizations should not neglect the individual perspective as it is essential to understand customer needs and their consequences affected by digital technologies. Matt et al. (2019)1 present a holistic research framework with three research perspectives for the digitalization of the individual. This framework encompasses the behavior of individuals, the design of information systems, and the consequences that digitalization entails. Additionally, this research framework suggests that a digitized individual can take on different roles. The dissertation uses this framework of Matt et al. (2019)1 to structure and classify the covered contents and research objectives. The aim of this dissertation is to contribute to a comprehensive overview for organizations to understand their customers’ concerns regarding digital technologies, which design options they have to address these concerns, and how it influences their behavior to realize the potential of the technologies or reduce their harms. Therefore, this work applies pluralistic methodological approaches (qualitative methods, e.g., semi-structured interviews and qualitative content analysis, and quantitative methods, e.g., quantitative decision models and data collection from online questionnaires). With that, the dissertation provides novel insights for organizations to better implement digital technologies by regarding the consequences for individuals and the behavior of individuals. First, to contribute to an understanding of the negative consequences digitalization can bring along for individuals, part A of this dissertation presents two research articles that focus on the concerns of individuals. The research papers P1 and P2 show in two different domains what individuals are concerned about when using digital technologies and what prevents individuals from using them. Therefore, this dissertation presents knowledge about the fears and concerns of the individuals have and offers starting points to develop responsible and transparent digital technologies that address the concerns of the individuals. Second, to contribute to design approaches for information systems that enable organizations to increase customer satisfaction with digital products and services, part B presents design approaches that organizations can use to address individuals’ perceived consequences and change their behavior using digital technologies. Both research papers in part B present quantitative decision models as decision support for organizations. This dissertation offers two design approaches that provide organizations with information on designing technologies to serve digitized individuals and foster them better to make well-founded decisions when introducing digital technologies. Third, to contribute to the understanding of why and how individuals behave in certain ways and how this behavior can be influenced, Part C examines the behavior of individuals when using digital technologies. Research paper P5 develops a metric to better explore the privacy paradox. With that, this dissertation offers a basis, especially to researchers and individuals, to prevent unwanted behavior when using digital technologies. To sum up, this dissertation contributes to scientific knowledge in research on the digitalization of the individual and thus addresses a subject of fundamental importance in this digital age. The models and approaches developed in this dissertation explore ways to improve conditions for the digitized individual at all three research perspectives with equal regard for the individual as itself and the individual as a customer.
Erfolgsfaktoren zur Umsetzung der Transformation vom Produkthersteller zum Serviceanbieter
(2016) Hepp, Michael; Hadwich, Karsten
Throughout the last few decades many manufacturers of products have repositioned themselves strategically by moving from a product manufacturer to become a service provider. In the literature this is referred to “Servitization” or “Service Infusion”. Reasons for this is increasing competitive intensity in product manufacturing, corresponding with an erosion of product margins. Through Service Infusion, the product manufacturer can develop intimate relationships with its customer that results in a mutual dependency making the manufacturer less dependent on economic cycles. In addition, services usually have higher margins compared to products. This can result in a competitive advantage as well as higher entry barriers for the competitors. An increasing number of articles show the relevance of Service Infusion. Overall, however, the multitude of scientific papers have unfortunately not produced a common theoretical foundation or extensive empirical investigation. In addition, the integration of the customer as an external factor is a defined service as well, but is still insufficiently researched within the framework of the service infusion. So the thesis would like to answer the following three research issues: (1) What is a general theoretical framework for the service infusion? (2) What are the critical success factors for the transformation from a product manufacture to the product-oriented and system-solution-oriented business model? The overlapping success factors allows us conclusions for general success factors of the service infusion. (3) What is the role of customer integration in the transformation from the product manufacturer to the service provider and what is the ideal value of customer integration regarding to the specific business models? The thesis is structured in seven chapters: After the introduction, the second chapter describe the theoretical framework of the service infusion, the so-called business model approach of the service infusion. With a theoretical and deductive approach we structure ten development steps in four business models. For the validation we used case studies and a focus group discussion (n = 9) with experts. The third and fourth chapter show the implementation model of the product-oriented and system-solution-oriented business model. The EFQM Excellence model provides the theoretical framework. Through focus group discussions and a two-stage Delphi studies we confirmed for the product-oriented business model 29 (study 2, n = 11, study 3, n = 15) and the system-oriented business model 25, success factors (study 4, n = 11; study 5, n = 28). Chapter 5 shows success factors for the specific business models (product-oriented and system-solution-oriented business model), or general (fundamental) success factors of the service transformation. The sixth chapter describes the role of customer integration as part of the transformation process. The results shows, in relation to the different business models the collaborative role of the customers as an ideas supplier, a developer or a provider with different degrees of activities. These was also confirmed by a focus group discussion (6th study, n = 11). Finally Chapter 7 describes the limitation and conclusion of the thesis.
Essays on investor communication in the context of startups
(2023) Kaiser, Manuel Tobias; Kuckertz, Andreas
With their creativity and innovative business models, entrepreneurs make an important contribution to global innovation, thus promoting economic growth and the labor market with startup jobs. However, the growth ambitions of entrepreneurs also require investments. Against this backdrop, previous research has already extensively discussed the importance of external investors and highlighted different facets of the entrepreneur-investor relationship. Central concept, to explain this relationship, is investor relations, which mainly refers to the communication of entrepreneur and investor. However, research on investor communication faces the challenge that a variety of new players, hence new forms of financing, have recently emerged in the market, further fragmenting the research field. In addition, technological advances are also changing the way entrepreneurs and investors communicate with each other. Against this background, previous research on investor relations in the startup context leaves open research questions that will be answered in this dissertation. This results in the following overarching research question for the structure of this dissertation: How do entrepreneurs shape communication with their investors? The first study was co-authored with Andreas Kuckertz and captures the research landscape on entrepreneurial communication using bibliometric analyses with algorithmic historiography and thematic map for science mapping. Thus, the structures of previous communication research from an entrepreneurship perspective are examined in more detail. The basis of this analysis is 383 articles from peer-reviewed journals. The results of these analyses show that communication in the context of resourcing is a relevant field of research, especially in investor relations. Overall, this study thus opens the research field of this dissertation by embedding investor communication as an element of entrepreneurial communication research. The second study was conducted with Elisabeth S.C. Berger and is a structured literature review that reviews the current state of research on trust between entrepreneurs and different types of investors. It identified and analyzed 32 articles dealing with trust in the context of venture capital, business angels, crowdfunding, or bank financing. This study builds on the results from the first study by revealing that communication is a trust-building factor. Thus, the second study shows how different concepts are interrelated and influence trust in the entrepreneur-investor relationship. The third study is co-authored with Andreas Kuckertz and examines the communication of entrepreneurs before and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also considers the extent to which entrepreneurs financed by a venture capital investor differ in their communication from those entrepreneurs working without an investor. For this purpose, a novel method of text analysis was used to examine 110,283 tweets from 760 entrepreneurs. The results indicate that working with a venture capital investor also changes the professionalism of founder communication. This group shows a more professional expression of their emotions. In the fourth study, which was conducted in collaboration with Andreas Kuckertz, the emotions of investors expressed in communication are examined. This study focuses on venture capitalists and business angels. Although these two investors have a longer history in entrepreneurship research, their emotions have so far been largely ignored. However, since emotions are also relevant within relationships and therefore also in communication, this study broadens the view of the big picture in the entrepreneur-investor relationship by adding an emotional perspective. For this study, 994,969 tweets from 822 investors were analyzed and statistically compared regarding their emotions. Overall, the four studies in this dissertation address different relationship concepts that arise in the context of entrepreneur-investor relationships. Thus, this dissertation also provides impulses for entrepreneurs and investors in practice, for research and also for politics.
From passion to performance : entrepreneurial passion in the creative industries
(2022) Schulte-Holthaus, Stefan; Kuckertz, Andreas
Entrepreneurship drives progress, innovation, growth, and prosperity. Passion, in turn, motivates and energizes people to pursue meaningful activities on a sustained basis. In following their passion and in interacting with their proximal environments, people build up competencies, knowledge, experience, and social relations, which may result in peak performance. When passion develops and relates to the creation, discovery and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities, entrepreneurial passion emerges. The current state of research shows that entrepreneurial passion is a source of motivation, inspiration, creativity, and perseverance. In the cultural and creative industries, entrepreneurship often begins from a passion for an artistic or creative work that is pursued as a hobby or leisure activity, which professionalizes over time. Thereby, passion for a creative or artistic activity can also create tensions between ideational and economic-organizational imperatives in entrepreneurial contexts. However, how, and why an artistic or creative passion develops into an entrepreneurial one and how it affects entrepreneurial success is unchartered territory. Hence, the aim of this dissertation is to investigate and explain the development of passion and its effect on entrepreneurial performance of creative people whose venturing ambitions are primarily driven by a non-entrepreneurial passion. The first study identifies the current state of literature on entrepreneurship in the cultural and creative industries. The review elaborates the phenomenon of a non-entrepreneurial passion as central feature of creative industries entrepreneurship and outlines its potential for future research. The second study presents a review of the state of research on passion in the entrepreneurial context and develops a theory-based approach that explains how passion emerges, and how it can extend to entrepreneurship and lead to entrepreneurial performance. Based on 11 semi-structured interviews with successful entrepreneurs whose life paths are characterized by passion for music, the third study follows this assumption and generates mental maps using the Conceptual Causal Mapping method. The results explain the development of real-life passion over time, its current constitution and embeddedness within the personal, social, and entrepreneurial life context and the relation of passion to performance. Based on the person-environment fit theory, the final study develops a model that substantiates the positive effects of life context fit on entrepreneurial passion and performance. Life context fit is operationalized using personal project analysis and the hypotheses were tested on a sample of 406 creative entrepreneurs using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results demonstrate the effect of life context fit on entrepreneurial passion and its successive translation into performance in four subsegments that can be classified as artepreneurs, culturepreneurs, creative entrepreneurs, and lifestyle entrepreneurs. However, contrary to expectations, the analyses also indicate that neither the life context fit, nor the domains of entrepreneurial passion have uniform positive outcomes. Rather, these relations occur with compounded positive and negative effects. These results are surprising as the extant literature has found nearly consistent positive outcomes of passion on performance. Post-hoc analyses reveal the varying constitutions of life contexts and the existence of previously unmeasurable domains of entrepreneurial passion for products, for people, and for a social cause among creative practitioners and help explaining the positive and negative combination effects in the segments. Overall, this dissertation contributes to the cultural and creative industries literature, the state of research on passion in entrepreneurship and psychology, and the literature whose epistemological interest aim at capturing and explaining entrepreneurial contexts and environments. Findings reveal (a) the central importance, development, and impact of passion among creative and cultural entrepreneurs, (b) the influence of life context on passion and performance, and (c) the interplay of combined positive and adverse effects of the domains of entrepreneurial passion and their impact on entrepreneurial performance.
Führung im Dienstleistungskontext : eine Betrachtung aus Unternehmens-, Mitarbeiter- und Kundenperspektive
(2018) Popp, Marion Claudia Helma; Hadwich, Karsten
In the past few years rapid technological development has fundamentally changed the interaction between companies and customers. Many existing companies used this technological progress as an opportunity to strategically realign their organization and reposition themselves in the market. As part of this development, companies increasingly focused on providing (high quality) services as a strategic opportunity to remain competitive in the future. Yet, in order to successfully provide services, organizations need to anchor and continuously demonstrate a "service orientation". Thereby, leadership represents an essential and vital practice to establish and maintain a service orientation within an organization. However, despite the high relevance of the topic for both research and corporate practice, research gaps in the area of leadership in the service context were identified, which are addressed in this thesis. Specifically, three research gaps – from the company, employee and customer perspective – are discussed. Overall, the aim of this thesis is to contribute to the scientific as well as practical knowledge of leadership in a service context by means of a holistic view. The thesis is divided into five chapters. In Chapter 1, the relevance of the topic and a theoretical foundation is presented. Chapter 2 tests the applicability of selected leadership styles for the service transformation process. Therefore, the leadership requirements of the service transformation process are presented, whereupon selected leadership styles are evaluated with regard to the identified requirements of the service transformation process. Chapter 3 covers the conceptualization and operationalization of service-oriented leadership from an employee’s perspective. Performing a scale development process, it is identified that service-oriented leadership manifests in five behavioral characteristics. The developed measurement model is then further validated and empirically verified by additional investigations. Chapter 4 deals with leadership in customer contact from a customer’s perspective. The subject of the chapter is the empirical investigation of the effect of employees’ interaction behavior in different service situations, aiming to identify the employees interaction behavior that promises success for a specific situation. Chapter 5 demonstrates the conclusion of the thesis, whereby the key insights from the company, employee and customer perspective are presented and overarching insights and implications for research and corporate practice are listed. Overall, the work thus provides essential insights into leadership in the service context from a corporate, employee and customer perspective, from which further relevant research needs as well as implications for corporate practice can be derived.
Funktionale Dynamik von Technologischen Innovationssystemen im Bereich der Erneuerbaren Energietechnologien : Das Beispiel der weltweiten Durchsetzung von batteriebetriebenen Fahrzeugen und Plug-in-Hybridfahrzeugen
(2018) Sauer, Andreas; Gerybadze, Alexander
Electric mobility received a new boost with the recent turn of the millennium, when mankind realized that the progressing climate change is attributable to the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2), which is also emitted through traffic worldwide. Within the traffic sector, CO2 emissions through road mobility increased in particular, which is why the focus is on electric vehicles and especially on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and battery electric vehicles (BEV). For the realization of electric mobility, electrochemical energy storage is being considered a key technology primarily because of their significant contribution to value creation, for which reason an international competition has begun in order to secure large market shares as early as possible. As to the methodology for analysis which countries worldwide have the best prerequisites for this competition, the fundamentals of technological innovation systems (TIS) in the field of renewable energy technologies have been chosen, documented and discussed in detail. The TIS-approach developed evolutionary across different approaches of innovation system research and today allows not only for a functional analysis of TIS, but also offers a phase model for TIS development that is being discussed and revised in the present dissertation. An investigation of relevant case studies in renewable energy technologies according to the three criteria hypothesis, result and lesson learned allowed to derive best practices for the following, detailed comparative innovation system analysis. A comprehensive roadmapping until the year 2030 shows that technological development paths are available, which application variety and market development can be expected and which specific challenges have to be solved in order to reconcile technological progress with market-related demand. Hence, against this background, the TIS revolving around energy storage for electric mobility on battery system level and before the integration into specific vehicle concepts respectively in Germany in the context of the European Union has been analyzed and compared with the TIS in the countries China, Japan, Korea, the USA and France in this dissertation. These six countries have been determined as leading as a result of a patent analysis, whereby after initial leadership by the USA in the 80’s, in particular Japan is today by far the undisputed technology leader. The analysis started with significant structural components and therewith the energy storage industry/battery manufacturers. The automobile industry and electric vehicle manufacturers respectively have been analyzed, too, separated into PHEV and BEV manufacturing companies. With the three companies Toyota Motor Corp. (from the pioneer and innovation leader in hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) to the pioneer and innovation leader in fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV)), Tesla Inc. (from attacker to world market leader in BEV) and the BMW Group (Plug-in-hybridization of the product range on the way to the premium manufacturer of BEV), three entirely different business strategies have been analyzed in detailed case studies. Further structural components like networks and non-technical institutions/framework conditions were also taken into account during the analysis. Subsequently, the functional pattern of the TIS in the six leading countries has been analyzed, along the seven key processes and functions respectively of the influence on the direction of search, knowledge development, entrepreneurial experimentation, knowledge diffusion/development of positive externalities, legitimation, resource mobilization and market formation. Overall, a big lead by the Asian countries follows from the investigation results and especially Japan ahead of China and Korea, ahead of the USA, France and Germany that becomes smaller but has still not been caught up yet. In conclusion, the functionality of the TIS surrounding energy storage for electric mobility in Germany has been evaluated, which is in a formative phase and therewith on one level with the neighbor country France and the USA. From the strengths and weaknesses, the inducing and blocking key factors of the TIS surrounding energy storage for electric mobility were derived and shown as drivers and blockages. From this, political key questions resulted, which need to be answered regarding the further positioning of the German automotive industry for electric mobility in general and electrochemical energy storage technologies in particular.
Den „Generationenkonflikt“ durch richtige Kooperation überwinden – was Startups von Großunternehmen erwarten
(2017) Allmendinger, Martin P.; Kuckertz, Andreas
Der Zusammenarbeit von etablierten Großunternehmen mit Startups wird in Deutschland und insbesondere in Baden-Württemberg große Bedeutung eingeräumt, um im globalen Innovationswettbewerb weiter erfolgreich sein zu können. Wir zeigen, basierend auf aktuellen Umfragedaten, wie Startup-Unternehmer aus Baden-Württemberg das Kooperationsverhalten von Großunternehmen beurteilen und mit welchen Maßnahmen Unternehmen und Politik mehr Kooperation fördern können. Etablierte Großunternehmen sollten mehr Empathie für Startups aufbringen und dies durch mehr Offenheit und einen hohen Grad an Verpflichtung bei der Zusammenarbeit über alle Hierarchieebenen hinweg deutlich machen. Die Politik kann Kooperation als Vermittler direkt und indirekt unterstützen.
Innovation und Standardsetzungskompetenz auf global integrierten Märkten
(2012) Slowak, André P.; Gerybadze, Alexander
Within this PhD thesis, we examine the interrelationship between joint innovation projects and standard setting for industry standards. This is a field of innovation research as well as research on the economics of standards that has been sadly neglected up to now. We investigate the core issue regarding what functions of system integration are fulfilled by industry standards for product systems and large systems. We define a product system as a set of components which achieve an essential functionality only in concert, but which the end user can still recognise as individual components. An architectural respective systemic standard dissects a joint technical system of standard setting partners into physical components and works in such a way that those system elements are simultaneously a) mutually compatible, b) mutually independent to as great an extent as possible and c) function in a variety of configurations. The automotive industry and industrial automation resorts to member layer models as a new type of organisation for standard setting partnerships/communities. A large number of members, dovetailing of joint innovation projects and structures aimed at rapid diffusion of standards set this type of organisation apart from conventional industry/standard setting consortia. Excellent standard governance is necessary in order to enable incumbents to establish dominant designs worldwide. We examine the cases of AUTOSAR, GENIVI and PROFIBUS in empirical case studies. In order to explain how standards are organised strategically, we deduce a configuration audit from the existing literature. Among other things, this thesis addresses exclusion from participation in standard setting, exclusion from access to specifications, the ownership of standards, IPR policies, the time reference of specifications with regard to dominant design, and standard setting methods (modular vs. integral). Furthermore, we describe the cultural differences between the German and the Japanese automotive industries in their approaches to project organisation in the pre-competition stage. We observe a geographic exclusion mechanism for the electro-mobility charging interface and/or in the case of CHAdeMO and in the user organisations of industrial automation: innovation activities are conducted in the country of origin. At the same time, R&D driven product competition involving the battery as the core component as well as standard setting competition for the charging interface to the battery is taking place in the emerging market for electric cars. The German OEMs are trying to establish their AC/DC combo charging system primarily through international formal standardisation. The Japanese industry is attempting to establish its DC charging system via the global market by way of the CHAdeMO standard setting partnership. The electro-mobility sector clearly demonstrates how industry is implementing a gradual system expansion starting on the basis of core components in order to offer solutions together with partners and not merely isolated products. We understand system expansion to mean step-by-step expansion of a product system: starting on the basis of core components, through integration of the suppliers of an incumbent (system integrator) into standard development, and also including integration of suppliers of complementary goods & peripheral system components. The integration of the latter means establishing a (large) innovation ecosystem. By contrast, the pigments and paint sector does not make use of any new type of organisation in the pre-competition stage. In that industry, innovation occurs within bilateral co-operation arrangements at the interface between two stages of the value-added chain. According to our accompanying observations, its formal standardisation activities primarily serve to prepare for new regulations, to influence them or to harmonise measurement methods among manufacturers. In our case studies, we observe system dynamics in multiple stages in conjunction with standard setting. We have depicted those dynamics in a system dynamics model. Our modelling is suitable as a starting point for simulation or agent-based approaches to standard setting for product systems. Moreover, future studies should describe additional cases from other business sectors where systemic innovation and standard setting are mutually interlinked as well. Technology leaders should try to dominate interfaces or core components of products systems on an industry-wide basis. In the pre-competition stage, it is possible to purposely exploit technical leadership in order to later on establish overall concepts through systemic standards.
Internationalization of Research & Development and Host-Country Patenting : The Dynamics of Innovation and Trans-Border R&D Flows between Developed and Emerging Countries
(2021) Sommer, Daniel; Gerybadze, Alexander
The international business world has profoundly changed through globalization in the last years and decades. The cross-border exchange of products and people, as well as information, technology and capital has increased. Furthermore, companies are faced with an increasingly distributed knowledge base which means that one centralized Research & Development (R&D) base, usually at the headquarters is not sufficient and a company’s success rather depends on its ability to identify and occupy selected locations across the globe for R&D activities. While the degree of R&D Internationalization of large multinational corporations (MNCs) has been increasing for the last decades, the group of source countries has remained small: the headquarters of the leading R&D conducting MNCs have been largely based in the US, Japan and several European countries (e.g. Germany, Switzerland) and R&D Internationalization had been remaining within this group. Since the beginning of this millennium, however, several emerging countries (e.g. China or India) have entered the stage and increasingly attracted foreign R&D investments as target countries. R&D has therefore not only increased in intensity, it has also increased in breadth, i.e. the degree of target country diversification has grown. This dissertation addresses and is driven by the following overarching research question: How can we capture even more precisely to what extent and in what fields MNCs conduct R&D abroad and how have the patterns changed in the time period 2000 – 2019? Six major trends can be identified to answer the research question: 1. The share of R&D conducted abroad by MNCs in relation to their total R&D has increased in the last decades. 2. The number of target countries and their technological diversification degree has increased. 3. A select number of target countries, particularly ambitious emerging countries (China, India and partly some Eastern European countries) have significantly increased in relevance as a base for R&D activities. 4. Target countries attract foreign R&D in respective specific technological fields. Particularly the uprising emerging countries have built up competences in certain areas and participate in R&D in these fields on a relevant global degree. 5. A strong shift across the R&D conducting industries can be observed. Particularly high tech industries (e.g. pharma and biotech) and new technologies (IT, internet, software) have significantly increased in relevance compared to classic manufacturing industries and account for an increasing share of R&D activities across all industries. 6. Conducting R&D abroad generally pays off compared to purely domestic R&D, although there is indication that too much internationality can be detrimental as well.

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