Active Dissertations


Ambidexterity in Software Development - An empirical analysis how balance is achieved

The pace of technological development is rapid, which pressures companies to keep up. Companies are required to remain flexible and experiment for the future while at the same time being efficient to leverage and capitalize on existing business. Ambidexterity describes the balance of this mutual interplay of flexibility and efficiency. However, in-depth research on how ambidexterity is achieved is still missing.

To explore this gap, this study examines the software development industry closely as it is characterized by rapid technological advancement and fierce competition. The nature of software development mandates a balance between flexibility and efficiency.

The results of this study contribute to and advance the research of ambidexterity by examining how the software development industry achieves this balance.

Author: Camilla Reis

Technology-based business models in sustainable passenger mobility and freight transportation

The mobility sector is facing an unprecedented transformation towards less carbon-intensive and highly efficient passenger mobility and freight transportation systems and therefore seeking for the emergence of new business models (BMs) as well as the innovation of already existing ones. In this thesis, a systematic literature review, case study research, and qualitative content analysis will be applied to gain expertise on extant and novel BMs, analyze implications of new technologies/services on BMs, and identify related scenarios for the future.

Author: Florian Ratz

Sustainable Business Models of Start-ups

Over the last years the concept of sustainable development has more and more been addressed by the business sector. Innovative as well as sustainable business models are needed to achieve both economic and environmental goals. The dissertation project will focus on sustainable business models of start-ups in order to better understand how they operate and what the drivers for developing these business models are. Using a cross-industry sample covering start-ups showing notable sustainable activities, this study aims to analyse the characteristics of their business model. 

Author: Martin Glinik

Lean Technology Management

The object of this thesis is to discuss the interrelationships between Lean Management and Technology Management. Through an in-depth analysis into the methods, processes, and useful interconnections of both management techniques, the findings will be implemented back into the existing Technology Management process to help create a more efficient and lean program for the betterment of all companies. This process can be applied in the field to ensure companies’ insistence on a long-term basis.

Author: Jürgen Kiszilak

Factors that influence business models of small enterprises in business-to-business markets

Small enterprises (SE) increasingly face a competitive business environment, where they have to compete with firms of any size. Furthermore, a small enterprise is not just a small version of a large enterprise (LE). Which is why SEs business models significantly differ from LEs business models. In a qualitative study small enterprises in business-to-business markets are researched. The purpose of the study is to find factors that, according to literature, influence the elements of SEs business models most and to analyze to what degree those factors are present in the sample cases.

Author: Fabian Pirker

Software Product Management for medium- and large-sized business applications

In today's software developing firms software product management (SPM) is part of business and it is done often by practitioners to the best of their knowledge and belief. Nevertheless many scientific research has been done on this topic. The dissertation project covers a systematic mapping study about the research which have been done within last recent years. The second part of this dissertation will focus on empirical research on SPM under particular consideration of medium- and large-sized business applications.

Author: Thomas Salzmann