Die nächste Innovation Generation

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Bachelor

Current Challenges in Innovation Management Winter Term (Seminar)

Bachelor Modul: Marketing, Management, and Innovation: "Creating Market Offerings" (Vorlesung/Übung) (PStO 2024)

Bachelor Specialization Module: Technology & Innovation II "Managing the Front End of Innovation" (PStO 2015)

impACTup!: Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Better Futures (Seminar) (Onlinekurs)

Master

Fachspezifische Grundlagen: Marketing, Management, and Innovation "Foundations of Value Management" (Vorlesung/Übung) (x)

Innovating for Impact (Seminar)

Social Entrepreneurship (Seminar)

Projekt Course Innovation Management (Forschung und Praxis) (Projektkurs)

Wintersemester 2024/25 (1)

• Topics: 16.09.2024
• Application: 30.09.-04.10.2024
• Confirmation and Registration (ISC): 07.-11.10.2024
• Colloquium: 08.11.2024 (09:00-15:00)
• Submission thesis (ISC) 8 weeks after Registration at the latest on: 06.12.2024

Wintersemester 2024/25 (2)

• Topics: 20.12.2024
• Application: 06.-10.01.2025
• Confirmation and Registration (ISC): 13.-17.01.2025
• Colloquium: 14.02.2025 (09:00-15:00)
• Submission thesis (ISC) 8 weeks after Registration at the latest on: 14.03.2025

Sommersemester 2025

• Topics: 24.03.2025
• Application: 31.03.-04.04.2025
• Confirmation and Registration (ISC): 07.-11.04.2025
• Colloquium: 09.05.2025 (11:00-16:00)
• Submission thesis (ISC) 8 weeks after Registration at the latest on: 06.06.2025

Wintersemester 2025/26 (1)

• Topics: 22.09.2025
• Application: 29.09.-03.10.2025
• Confirmation and Registration (ISC): 06.-10.10.2025
• Colloquium: 07.11.2025 (09:00-15:00)
• Submission thesis (ISC) 8 weeks after Registration at the latest on: 05.12..2025

Wintersemester 2025/26 (2)

• Topics: 19.12.2025
• Application: 05.-09.01.2026
• Confirmation and Registration (ISC): 12.-16.01.2026
• Colloquium: 13.02.2026 (09:00-15:00)
• Submission thesis (ISC) 8 weeks after Registration at the latest on: 13.03.2026

Title: Running on empty: A literature review on motivation exhaustion

Topic Description: This literature review explores the application of Higgins' (1997) regulatory focus theory within entrepreneurship research. Regulatory focus theory explains how individuals self-regulate to align with their standards and goals, either through a promotion focus or a prevention focus. Promotion focus emphasizes growth and potential gains tied to ideal selves, while prevention focus prioritizes security and avoiding losses linked to ought selves. This Bachelor Thesis provides a critical synthesis of existing studies, theoretical models, and empirical findings that connect regulatory focus theory to entrepreneurial contexts.

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Title: Balancing promotion and prevention: Insights from regulatory focus theory in entrepreneurial research

Topic Description: This literature review explores the application of Higgins' (1997) regulatory focus theory within entrepreneurship research. Regulatory focus theory explains how individuals self-regulate to align with their standards and goals, either through a promotion focus or a prevention focus. Promotion focus emphasizes growth and potential gains tied to ideal selves, while prevention focus prioritizes security and avoiding losses linked to ought selves. This Bachelor Thesis provides a critical synthesis of existing studies, theoretical models, and empirical findings that connect regulatory focus theory to entrepreneurial contexts.

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Title: Transforming dining with technology: How augmented reality and augmented virtuality shape food service innovation

Topic Description: The integration of Augmented Reality (AR) and Augmented Virtuality (AV) in the food service sector is reshaping the way consumers engage with dining experiences and creating new opportunities for industry innovation. This thesis will conduct a comprehensive literature review and bibliometrics analysis to examine the current state of research on the adoption of Augmented Reality (AR) and Augmented Virtuality (AV) technologies in the food service industry. By analyzing academic articles, the research will identify key trends, gaps, and challenges in the application of AR and AV to enhance dining experiences, and also explore the drivers of consumer adoption and the broader implications for the food service industry. Through bibliometrics techniques, such as keyword analysis and citation mapping, the thesis will synthesize the current knowledge and propose future research directions in this emerging field.

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Title: The role of legislation in consumer adoption of novel food

Topic description: The evolution of food systems often intersects with legislative frameworks, especially when introducing novel food products into the market. Within the European Union, novel foods—those not significantly consumed within the EU before 1997—must undergo rigorous safety assessments and receive authorization from bodies like the European Food Safety Authority. This literature review aims to explore the multifaceted role of legislation in shaping consumer adoption of insect-based food, with a particular focus on the balance between regulatory safety requirements, cultural acceptance, and market readiness. The review will provide a comprehensive overview of existing research on how legislative measures influence consumer perceptions and behaviors toward novel food products. The findings are expected to contribute to a deeper understanding of how legislation can drive or inhibit the integration of innovative food products into traditional food systems, highlighting the critical role of regulatory frameworks in fostering consumer acceptance and market success.

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Title: Innovating for desirable futures? Sure, but what does "desirable" mean

Topic description: Organizations are required to do good for people and planet in order to contribute to a better future. This contribution imperative is usually associated in academia with the concept of desirable futures (Gümüsay & Reinecke, 2022). However, scholars assume that a desirable future represents the same state for every individual. Hence, the aim of this thesis is to enhance our understanding of what "desirable" conceptually means and how this concept can be characterized. To do so, the student will conduct an interdisciplinary literature review and consolidate the various conceptual perspectives on desirability into a model that explains the elements inherent to the focal concept.

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Title: The role of IPO in startup innovation

Topic description: Innovation is the driving force behind the success of startups, enabling them to achieve growth, build competitive advantages, and attract critical investment. It is the foundation that allows startups to disrupt industries, solve pressing challenges, and create meaningful impact.

The aim of this thesis is to explore the innovation dynamics of startups, particularly focusing on their patenting activities, as they transition through the initial public offering (IPO) process. Based on existing literature, you will collect data on a sample of U.S. startups, and investigate whether their innovation efforts—measured through patent activities—are sustained, increased, or diminished after going public. In terms of methods, you will employ descriptive analyses to uncover patterns in post-IPO innovation behavior, providing valuable insights into how public listing affects the innovative activities of startups.

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Title: The role of strategic partnerships in startup innovation

Topic description: Innovation is the driving force behind the success of startups, enabling them to achieve growth, build competitive advantages, and attract critical investment. It is the foundation that allows startups to disrupt industries, solve pressing challenges, and create meaningful impact.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the innovation dynamics of startups, with a specific focus on how collaborations with larger corporations or universities could influence their innovation performance. In terms of method, you will employ a systematic literature review, primarily within the fields of innovation management, to identify the mechanisms and contingencies that influence the impact of these collaborations on innovation performance. The findings are expected to uncover the key factors that drive or hinder successful innovation through external partnerships.

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Title: Tracing replications: An examination of replication studies in the management field

Topic Description: Replication studies are essential for confirming, extending, or improving previous scientific findings (Crawford et al., 2022) and ensure that research is credible and useful (Aguinis et al., 2017). Therefore, scholars call for more attention to be paid to the reproducibility and replicability of existing studies (Block et al., 2023; Maula & Stam, 2020). The aims of this thesis are thus 1) to identify the use of replication studies in prominent management journals and 2) to analyse and classify the types of replication studies in 5 exemplary management journals (see e.g., Mueller-Langer et al., 2019).

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Title: Triple helix and beyond: Exploring the impact of the triple helix model of innovation

Topic Description: The triple helix model of innovation describes interactions and cooperation between academia, industry, and government to foster innovation, entrepreneurial activity, and economic and social growth (Malik et al., 2021). Based on a forward-citation search of Etzkowitz and Leydesdorff’s (2000) seminal paper “The dynamics of innovation: from National Systems and “Mode 2” to a Triple Helix of university–industry–government relations”, this thesis explores the impact of the triple helix framework on subsequent research. By identifying key themes, theoretical adaptions, and methodological approaches, the thesis provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution and contribution of this model.

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Title: Leveraging system dynamics and feedback loops in entrepreneurial initiatives

Topic Description: Entrepreneurial ecosystems are complex and dynamic, with numerous interacting components and feedback mechanisms (Theodoraki et al., 2022). Understanding how to identify and utilize leverage points within these systems can enable entrepreneurs to implement effective strategies for growth and sustainability (Lu & Dimov, 2023; Volkmann et al., 2021). This thesis aims to explore the role of system dynamics and feedback loops in entrepreneurial contexts and to identify leverage points that can serve as strategic intervention opportunities for entrepreneurs.

The outcome of this thesis should be a systematic literature review drawing on insights from entrepreneurship, system dynamics, systems thinking and related literature streams contributing to the understanding of how entrepreneurs identify and utilize leverage points within complex systems.

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Title: On the way to better futures? Contrasting systems thinking and reductionist perspectives in entrepreneurship

Topic Description: Entrepreneurial decisions often require navigating complex, interconnected challenges to create innovative solutions (Shepherd, 2015). Systems thinking offers a holistic perspective on these complexities, focusing on interrelationships and broader contexts (Grewatsch et al., 2023; Williams et al., 2017), while reductionist approaches tend to adopt linear perspectives and analyzing individual components of entrepreneurial phenomena in isolation (Schindehutte & Morris, 2009). This thesis aims to explore and compare the applications, benefits, and limitations of systems thinking and reductionist perspectives within entrepreneurship literature. It seeks to identify contexts in which each approach is being used and explores how their integration could contribute to sustainable and innovative entrepreneurial practices.

The outcome of this thesis should be a systematic literature review drawing on insights from management research to highlight and contrast the use and impact of systems thinking and reductionist perspectives in entrepreneurial contexts.

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Title: From Uncertainty to Clarity: A review of Entrepreneurial Experimentation in New Venture Creation

Topic Description: Entrepreneurial experimentation acts as a bridge from uncertainty to insight, enabling founders to test their assumptions about market problems and prospective opportunities. This process—driven by iterative testing and feedback—helps determine whether a perceived market need aligns with actual customer behaviors and expectations (Zellweger & Zenger, 2023). In theory, experimentation provides clarity. In practice, entrepreneurs must navigate ambiguous outcomes, biases, and incomplete or conflicting feedback. The purpose of this bachelor's thesis is to dive deeper into core challenges in entrepreneurial experimentation in the new venture creation process by conducting a systematic literature review, highlighting key topic domains, findings, gaps, and avenues for future research inquiry.

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Last updated: December 20th, 2024, 5 pm for the application from 06.-10.01.2025; information subject to change.

Exam Specifications

• English language for Colloquium and Thesis
• Further details can be found in the specific examination regulations of your studies (ISC).

Wintersemester 2024/25 (1)

• Topics: 16.09.2024
• Application: 30.09.-04.10.2024
• Confirmation and Registration (ISC): 07.-11.10.2024
• Colloquium: 13.01.2025 (09:00-15:00)
• Submission thesis (ISC) 22 weeks after Registration at the latest on: 14.03.2025

Wintersemester 2024/25 (2)

• Topics: 20.12.2024
• Application: 06.-10.01.2025
• Confirmation and Registration (ISC): 13.-17.01.2025
• Colloquium: 11.04.2025 (09:00-15:00)
• Submission thesis (ISC) 22 weeks after Registration at the latest on: 20.06.2025

Sommersemester 2025

• Topics: 24.03.2025
• Application: 31.03.-04.04.2025
• Confirmation and Registration (ISC): 07.-11.04.2025
• Colloquium: 27.06.2025 (09:00-15:00)
• Submission thesis (ISC) 22 weeks after Registration at the latest on: 05.-12.09.2025

Wintersemester 2025/26 (1)

• Topics: 22.09.2025
• Application: 29.09.-03.10.2025
• Confirmation and Registration (ISC): 06.-10.10.2025
• Colloquium: 12.12.2025 (09:00-15:00)
• Submission thesis (ISC) 22 weeks after Registration at the latest on: 06.-13.03.2026

Wintersemester 2025/26 (2)

• Topics: 19.12.2025
• Application: 05.-09.01.2026
• Confirmation and Registration (ISC): 12.-16.01.2026
• Colloquium: 27.03.2026 (09:00-15:00)
• Submission thesis (ISC) 22 weeks after Registration at the latest on: 12.-19.06.2026

Title: Motivation vs. passion: Exploring their differences over time in the workplace

Topic Description: This thesis investigates the differences and changes between motivation and passion for work over time. Using a three-week longitudinal design with weekly measurements, it provides insights into how these two concepts evolve and interact. The study aims to clarify their distinctions and highlight temporal dynamics in the context of work.

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Title: Adopting mixed reality: investigating consumer intentions toward augmented reality and augmented virtuality in dining

Topic Description: Mixed reality technologies, such as augmented reality (AR) and Augmented Virtuality (AV), have begun to shape the consumer experience in various industries, including the foodservice sector. These technologies have the potential to enhance the dining experience by offering immersive, interactive, and innovative ways to engage with food, restaurant ambiance, and service delivery. This thesis aims to explore consumer perceptions of AR and AV in food service settings, focusing on consumer adoption intention to such technologies and their impact on customer satisfaction. Surveys will be designed and used to gather quantitative data to assess the adoption potential of AR and AV in the foodservice industry. This study will contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the role of emerging technologies in the food industry and how they can enhance service offerings while meeting consumer demands.

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Title: The role of intellectual property in ipo success

Topic Description: Innovation is the cornerstone of startup success, fueling growth, fostering competitive advantages, and attracting critical investment. It enables startups to disrupt industries, solve pressing challenges, and create a lasting impact.

The aim of this thesis is to explore the relationship between intellectual property (IP) and IPO success, focusing on the innovation dynamics of startups that go public. Based on existing literature, you will collect data on a sample of U.S. startups, and investigate how patents and trademarks serve as predictors of IPO outcomes. In terms of methods, you will employ regression analyses to examine the extent to which IP portfolios influence IPO valuation and post-IPO performance. The findings are expected to provide valuable insights into the role of IP in signaling innovation potential and driving IPO success.

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Title: The effect of technology orientation on sustainable food innovations?

Topic Description: There is a rising expectation for for-profit firms to actively contribute to societal and environmental goals by generating social value alongside financial and market value. Despite a significant increase in literature focusing on strategic orientations, research has primarily concentrated on overall firm performance rather than specifically investigating sustainable product innovation outcomes. The goal of this thesis is to investigate how technology orientation affects sustainable product innovation outcomes by utilizing a sample of 42 firms in the food industry for the period 2016-2021.

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Title: Behind the numbers of impact reports: How companies report on doing good and doing bad

Topic Description: Companies across various sectors are increasingly publishing impact reports to demonstrate their social and environmental contributions (Frias-Aceituno et al., 2014). However, there is little consistency in what these reports include, how they measure impact, and how transparent they are. Research shows that impact reporting practices often vary widely, with companies using a range of frameworks (e.g., Global Reporting Initiative, B Corp certification) or developing their own metrics, leading to inconsistencies in how impact is measured and communicated (Ebrahim et al., 2014; Rawhouser et al., 2019).

This thesis aims to investigate the content of impact reports from different companies to identify what is being reported and how it is measured. The student will conduct a content analysis of these reports to identify patterns and differences.

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Title: Innovation and Distinctiveness: Friends or Foes? Analyzing Patterns in Corporate 10-K Reports

Topic Description: On one hand, optimal distinctiveness theory posits that actors strive to be both similar to and different from their peers simultaneously (e.g., Lounsbury & Glynn, 2001; Navis & Glynn, 2011; Zhao & Glynn, 2022), describing the strategic balance between differentiation and conformity that allows firms to be positively perceived by stakeholders. On the other hand, firms try to set themselves apart from the competition by being innovative. But how do these concepts coexist—is being distinct inherently about being innovative?

This thesis aims to investigate the content of 10-K filings from different companies to examine the correlation between innovativeness and distinctiveness. The student will conduct a content analysis of these filings to identify patterns and differences.

**Advanced Python skills are advantageous.

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Last updated: December 20th, 2024, 5 pm for the application from 06.-10.01.2025. Information subject to change.

Further details can be found in the specific examination regulations of your studies and exam organization at the ISC website.

Management - European Triple Degree (Master)

Please contact spanjol@lmu.de with Cc to the IIM office iim@som.lmu.de for further information.

Last updated on: December 20th, 2024

for Master Program application, semester abroad

Requirements for student evaluation (Gutachten)

• Participation in at least one seminar or project course offered by our institute (grade better than 2.0).
• CV and grade transcript.
• Motivation letter describing why you apply for a certain program (e.g., university), how you are qualified for this application and how our courses prepare you for your upcoming challenge.
• An overview of all formal requirements necessary for the student evaluation (e.g., templates, deadline).

Application process

1. Please directly contact your (former) seminar/ project course supervisor and send all relevant documents.
2. Your supervisor will send the recommendation letter directly to the contact person at your respective institution.

Remarks

• Please note that this process will take between 2 and 4 weeks and no exceptions are possible.