Topics for theses
Our topics for theses, Bachelor or Master, according to research fields, but also current, specific topic announcements

Our topics for theses, Bachelor or Master, according to research fields, but also current, specific topic announcements
General information
Please find here our current calls for applications for theses by topic, as well as the name of the respective supervisor.
Please apply exclusively via the contact form linked here.
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Beyond Digital Transformation: What comes next? Digital transformation is a special management approach. It requires extensive investment, a suitable structure and, not least, the attention of top management. Within the digital transformation, companies continuously deal with new digital technologies that represent important opportunities or critical threats and, in the process, develop a systematic use of these digital technologies. However, it will not work to put a company permanently in the "special state" of digital transformation. What is required in this case is rather a "digitally defined organization" geared to constant challenges posed by digital technologies. What such a "digitally defined organization" looks like can only be roughly identified today. Companies at this stage of digital transformation need established strategic and operational mechanisms to continue to successfully drive and manage digital innovations (digital product and service innovations, digital process innovations and digital business model innovations). To investigate these mechanisms and their approaches, this future-oriented research field offers great potentials. Theses in this research field therefore offer diverse opportunities. One research focus in this research field is, for example, the investigation of digital capabilities and competencies on company and individual level. What (new) digital capabilities and competencies are needed for the digital transformation and beyond? How are these built up? Where are the capabilities and competencies located in a company? And how are capabilities, competencies, knowledge and skills connected? Literature reviews as well as empirical research methods are suitable for dealing with the topic, cooperations with companies are possible.
If you are interested in this topic, please contact Mathias Bohrer via the contact form (link at the top of this page). Work in English is preferred.
Digital transformation of Mittelstand firmsThe emergence of digital technologies changes customers’ expectations and organizations’ competitive landscape, which demands them to transform digitally. Among other things, this requires organizations to alter their value-creation processes, organizational structures, and culture. While research on the digital transformation of corporations is versatile, knowledge of Mittelstand firms’ digital transformation is scarce. Mittelstand firms, as the backbone of many economic areas, are currently facing challenges when managing digital transformation. Therefore, Mittelstand firms require new management approaches that consider their unique characteristics.Investigating the underlying mechanisms when managing Mittelstand firms’ digital transformation offers great potential for this research field. The focus of the study is on the management of digital transformation in Mittelstand firms. For this purpose, various topics of digital transformation management can be investigated, such as the change in value creation through digital innovation (e.g., business model innovation) or the necessary prerequisites (e.g., organizational structures) to enable these changes, up to frameworks for the management of digital transformation (e.g., a digital transformation strategy for Mittelstand firms).
If you are interested in this topic, please contact Linus Lischke via the contact form (link at the top of this page). Theses in English are preferred.
Participation in the digital transformation process: Citizen Development Digital transformation initiatives often face major obstacles or even fail. While digital technologies are an integral element of digital transformation, current research increasingly emphasizes the importance of the human element. User participation, participatory design, and end-user development have always been considered important in information systems research. Participation is expected to lead to greater employee engagement and improved acceptance of change. This is why companies are introducing Citizen Development, which enables non-IT employees to create business applications using low-code/no-code platforms.
It remains to be understood what role citizen development and low-code/no-code platforms play in the digital transformation process of companies. Possible starting points are: Where does participation take place as part of the digital transformation in the organization? How can participation take place in the digital innovation process? How can managers and employees be effectively involved? What role do digital tools play? Possible methods for dealing with this topic include literature reviews and empirical research methods (empirical studies are recommended) with a focus on citizen development and low-code/no-code platforms. Cooperations with companies are possible.
If you are interested in this topic, please contact Julia Kraus via the contact form (link at the top of this page). Theses in English are preferred.
Application of Artificial Intelligence in the Media Industry The media industry is undergoing a profound transformation driven by the exponential increase in digital technologies and data. A new driver of this change is the application of (generative) artificial intelligence (AI). AI technologies, including machine learning and deep neural networks, offer new opportunities for the media industry, from personalized content to automated journalism and advanced user behavior analytics. While AI is important in many industries, the media industry offers a particularly rich and complex landscape for the research and application of AI due to its inherent creativity and consumer-facing nature. Consequently, there is an urgent need to analyze the diverse fields of application of AI in the media landscape in order to identify opportunities and challenges:
The research field offers a wealth of opportunities for theses. These could include conceptual considerations on the role of AI in the media industry as well as empirical studies on current applications and their effects as well as literature reviews.
If you are interested in this topic, please contact Nina Zwingmann using the contact form (link at the top of this page).
Management of audiovisual AI-generated media content on digital platforms The current media landscape is undergoing an unprecedented transformation, driven by the exponential development of digital technologies and the enormous amount of data available. In this era of digital revolution, the application of (generative) AI takes center stage. AI technologies such as machine learning and deep neural networks have radically reshaped the media industry and offer possibilities that were unthinkable until recently. In this context, deepfakes - artificially generated audiovisual media content - are becoming increasingly important and present both challenges and opportunities. Audiovisual AI-generated media content (images, videos and audios) such as deepfakes, as synthetic media content, have the potential not only to shake our understanding of reality and authenticity, but also to influence the credibility of media organizations and the dissemination of information. They are therefore a reflection of our times and represent one of the most recent and important developments in media technology. As an integral part of digital misinformation and disinformation, deepfakes raise urgent questions and require in-depth analysis. In the wake of these developments, there is an acute need to research and understand the diverse aspects of deepfakes in the context of digital disinformation and misinformation and potential value creation opportunities. Accordingly, a thesis could examine various aspects of the topic:
Potential questions:
If you are interested in this topic, please contact Joseph Nserat using the contact form (link at the top of this page).
Governance of digital Platforms (with a focus on the common-good) The digital transformation has fundamentally changed the media landscape. Digital platforms dominate access to information and news and are increasingly taking over the gatekeeper function of traditional media companies. Control and personalization mechanisms are shaping user behavior and users' autonomy over their information. This jeopardizes the democratic formation of opinion and promotes problematic phenomena such as filter bubbles, disinformation, and the marginalization of pluralistic perspectives. Against this backdrop, the governance of digital platforms is of central importance. Platform governance describes the regulation of relationships between platform companies, users, advertisers, governments, and other stakeholders. In particular, common-good-oriented approaches are required to focus on transparency, data protection, and the promotion of pluralistic publics. Possible thesis topics are:
If you are interested in this topic, please contact Eva Hoffmeister via the contact form (link at the top of this page). Theses written in English are preferred.
Topic 1 – Value Chains in the Digital News Sector
In traditional media industries such as film or music, value chains (cinema - video-on-demand - pay TV - free TV...) are well-documented. However, in the digital news sector, the value chain often remains unclear. News content passes through various stages - from creation to initial publication and further reuse in different formats and platforms. But how exactly does this chain function? Which actors are involved, and what economic mechanisms play a role?
Key Questions on the Value Chain:
Methodology: The study may be based on a systematic literature review and potentially supplemented by interviews with media industry experts.
Topic 2 – Content Aggregators like Google News: Who Pays Whom?
Content aggregators such as Google News or Flipboard play a central role in the digital media landscape. They collect and present news content from various providers without being primary content producers themselves. This raises the question of how the value chain in this sector is structured and who benefits economically at different stages.
Key Questions on Content Aggregators:
Methodology: The study may be conducted through a literature review, analyzing existing studies, and systematically examining market reports and case studies.
Topic 3 – Subscription or Advertising? Paywalls and Decision-Making in Content Access
Users often face a choice: Should they pay for access to a news article or accept advertising as a trade-off for free content? This bachelor’s thesis aims to explore this topic in depth.
Possible Approach:
For further inquiries about this topic, please get in touch with Pascal Altenkamp via the contact form (link at the top of this page). A bachelor’s thesis written in English is preferred.
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