Educating future leaders in innovation management

All courses and exams are delivered in English.

Bachelor of Science (BSc)

Hauptseminar PStO 2015: Innovating for Organizational, Market, and Societal Impact, October 2025 renamed to Innovation Management (Seminar & Proseminar)

Hauptseminar PStO 2024: Innovation Management (Seminar & Proseminar)

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

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

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

Master of Science (MSc)

Subject-specific foundation: Marketing, Management, and Innovation "Foundations of Value Management" (Lecture/Tutorial) (x)

Innovating for Impact (Seminar)

Current Topics in Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Social Entrepreneurship Lab (Seminar) (PStO 2018, PStO 2024)

Project Course Innovation Management (Research and Praxis) (Project Course)

Notes:

Courses marked with an (x) are offered (in the main responsibility) by another chair in the corresponding semester.

Note: The scope of a seminar paper relates to the number of ECTS points that can be earned for successful participation in the seminar. This scope is measured by the number of signs of the paper, including blanks. In general, the scope of a paper in a 3 ECTS-seminar constitutes 22,200 signs (approx. 10 pages, excluding figures and tables) and 44,400 signs (approx. 20 pages) for a 6 ECTS seminar. However, these guidelines are only valid for seminars, in which the seminar paper is the only examination form. When the examination form consists of more than one parts, the length of the seminar paper will be reduced accordingly. For example, if the seminar examination for a 6 ECTS-seminar consists of a presentation and papers, each examination part accounts for 3 ECTS (50% presentation, 50% paper). In this case, the length of the seminar paper equals 22,2000 signs (3 ECTS).

Schedule applies to the BSc PStO 2015. Students matriculated under PStO 2024 will have slightly different submission dates; these will be confirmed with their supervisors after they receive the confirmation.

Wintersemester 2025/26 (1)

• Topics: 22.09.2025
• Application: 29.09.-03.10.2025
• Confirmation and Registration (ISC): 06.10.-10.10.2025
• Colloquium: 07.11.2025 (09:00-15:00)
• Submission thesis (ISC) PStO 2015 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) PStO 2015 8 weeks after Registration at the latest on: 13.03.2026

Sommersemester 2026

• Topics: 30.03.2026
• Application: 06.04.-10.04.2026
• Confirmation and Registration (ISC): 13.04.-17.04.2026
• Colloquium: 20.05.2026
• Submission thesis (ISC) PStO 2015 8 weeks after Registration: 08.06.-11.06.2026
• Submission thesis (ISC) PStO 2024 10 weeks after Registration: 22.06.-25.06.2025

Wintersemester 2026/27 (1)

• Topics: 14.09.2026
• Application: 21.09.-25.09.2026
• Confirmation and Registration (ISC): 28.09.-02.10.2026
• Colloquium: 30.10.2026
• Submission thesis (ISC) PStO 2015 8 weeks after Registration: 23.11.-26.11.2026
• Submission thesis (ISC) PStO 2024 10 weeks after Registration: 07.12.-10.12.2026

Wintersemester 2026/27 (2)

• Topics: 18.12.2026
• Application: 04.01.-08.01.2027
• Confirmation and Registration (ISC): 11.01.-15.01.2027
• Colloquium: 12.02.2027
• Submission thesis (ISC) PStO 2015 8 weeks after Registration: 08.03.-11.03.2027
• Submission thesis (ISC) PStO 2024 10 weeks after Registration: 22.03.-25.03.2027

Title: When Work Selves Collide: Identity Conflict in Organizations

Topic Description: This thesis provides a systematic literature review on identity conflict in organizational and career contexts (e.g., multiple role identities, professional–personal tensions, and incompatible role expectations). By synthesizing conceptual and empirical insights, the thesis aims to clarify core mechanisms through which individuals experience and manage conflicting work identities and to outline conditions under which identity tensions affect them.

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Title: Volunteer Engagement in Business and Social Ventures: A Systematic Review

Topic Description: This thesis provides a systematic literature review on volunteer engagement in business settings (e.g., corporate volunteering, extra-role behaviours) and social ventures that depend on volunteer contributions. By synthesizing conceptual and empirical insights, the thesis aims to clarify core mechanisms that distinguish volunteer engagement from paid work and to outline conditions under which businesses attract, retain and manage sustained volunteer involvement. The review aims to develop a conceptual framework that systematically organizes the diverse perspectives in the literature.

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Title: What Counts as Innovation Localization? A Systematic Literature Review

Topic Description: The concept of localization has been used across business strategy and marketing literature, yet its meaning, scope, and use vary widely. This thesis will systematically review the literature to map where and how localization is invoked in innovation and new product discourse, from early design choices to market launch. By identifying the core elements that constitute localization in new product development and commercialization, this study aims to synthesize existing definitions of localization of innovation and delineate its scope for application in both research and practice.

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Title: What Theories Explain Consumer Innovation Adoption Along the Adoption Process?

Topic Description: Consumer innovation adoption research has expanded rapidly across multiple research domains, yet the theoretical landscape remains fragmented. Prior bibliometric work on innovation adoption shows that the literature is organized in four theoretical cornerstones, while that review covered studies only up to 2016 and primarily on business economics publications (van Oorschot et al., 2018). The authors further suggested that the field would benefit from more integrated and holistic theoretical explanations. Thus, this bachelor’s thesis will conduct a systematic literature review and bibliographic analysis of recent studies published between 2017 and 2026 to examine which theories are used to explain consumer innovation adoption at different stages of the adoption process (i.e., intention to adopt, actual adoption behavior, and continuance adoption intention and behavior), and compare how theory use differs between business and management publications and publications from other domains.

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Title: Academic Entrepreneurial Teams Revisited: A Systematic Literature Review

Topic Description: Academic entrepreneurship broadly refers to the entrepreneurial activities undertaken by members of academic institutions. The entrepreneurial teams that form around the commercialization of scientific innovations and the qualities they require to transition from scientific to business environments are of frequent interest to both scholars and practitioners. In a literature review, Nikiforou et al. (2018) examine research on academic spin-off teams, finding that most studies focus on the human and social capital of academic entrepreneurs, while aspects such as team formation, evolution, and functioning are explored less extensively. Building on this review, this thesis aims to provide an updated analysis of subsequent research on academic entrepreneurial teams, identifying how previously understudied topics (such as the composition of team attributes, the temporal context of team functioning, and the influence of the underlying commercialized technology on team formation) have been addressed in studies published after 2016.

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Title: From Functions to Outcomes: A Systematic Literature Review on Causality in Knowledge Transfer Office Research

Topic Description: Knowledge and technology transfer offices play a central role in coordinating universities’ knowledge transfer activities and their interactions with industry and broader society. While much of the literature emphasizes the general functions and performance of knowledge transfer offices, a smaller body of research employs causal and longitudinal designs – for example, examining whether specific organizational capabilities lead to improved transfer outcomes. The purpose of this bachelor’s thesis is to systematically review this strand of work, synthesizing insights from causal and longitudinal approaches.

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Title: Measuring Sustainable Product Launches in the Consumer Packaged Goods Industry: A Systematic Literature Review

Topic Description: Sustainability has become a central concern in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry, where companies face increasing pressure from consumers, regulators, and stakeholders to reduce environmental impact and create responsible products. In this context, sustainable product launches—that is, the introduction of new products designed with environmental and societal considerations—are emerging as a critical lever for both competitiveness and long-term value creation. Despite growing interests, measuring sustainable product launches remains challenging, partly due to the multidimensional nature of sustainability and the lack of standardized evaluation frameworks. The aim of this thesis is to address this gap by synthesizing the fragmented measurement approaches across the innovation management, sustainability, and marketing literature. You will conduct a systematic literature review to identify, categorize, and critically analyze the existing measurement approaches for sustainable product launches within the CPG industry. The findings are expected to provide insights for managers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to design more effective measures to capture sustainable innovation in the CPG industry.

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Title: Factors Influencing the Use and Effectiveness of Nutrition Claims in the Consumer Packaged Goods Industry: A Systematic Literature Review

Topic Description: Nutrition claims—statements on food packaging that highlight specific nutritional benefits, such as “low fat,” “high protein,” or “source of fiber”—have become a central tool in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry for communicating product value and influencing consumer choices. As consumer awareness of health and wellness grows, food manufacturers increasingly use nutrition claims to differentiate products, respond to regulatory pressures, and align with public health trends. Yet, the use and effectiveness of nutrition claims vary widely across firms and markets. The aim of this thesis is to synthesize fragmented insights across multiple disciplines on the factors influencing the use and effectiveness of nutrition claims in the CPG industry. You will conduct a systematic literature review to examine the internal and external factors that drive the use and effectiveness of nutrition claims within the CPG industry, primarily in the fields of innovation management, corporate strategy, and marketing. The findings are expected to guide both academic understanding and practical strategies for food producers seeking to leverage nutrition claims responsibly and effectively.

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Title: Machine Learning Techniques in Management and Entrepreneurship Research: A Systematic Review of Methods and Validation Approaches

Topic Description: Machine learning methods are increasingly used in management and entrepreneurship research, especially to analyze large, complex, and unstructured datasets. Recent studies show that supervised machine learning can support text classification, the scaling of human-coded data, construct measurement, and pattern discovery, while unsupervised machine learning can help identify structures and relationships in data (Choudhury et al., 2021; Harrison et al., 2023; Marshall et al., 2023; Miric et al., 2023). At the same time, these approaches raise important methodological questions regarding validation, interpretability, transparency, and scientific use. The purpose of this bachelor’s thesis is to conduct a systematic literature review on the use of supervised and unsupervised machine learning techniques in management and entrepreneurship research. The thesis will examine which methods have been applied, how they have been validated, and how these techniques can be used meaningfully in scientific research. By synthesizing existing studies, the thesis aims to identify key methodological trends, highlight challenges, and derive implications for future research.

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Title: How to Measure Uncertainty in Founders? A Systematic Review of Relevant Scales in Entrepreneurship Research

Topic Description: Founders operate in contexts marked by incomplete information, ambiguity, and changing environments, yet uncertainty can be conceptualized and measured in very different ways. Recent work on uncertainty-related individual differences identifies several major constructs that capture how individuals perceive and respond to uncertainty (e.g., cultural uncertainty avoidance (Hofstede, 1980), uncertainty orientation (Sorrentino & Roney, 2000), or perceived environmental uncertainty (Ashill & Jobber 2010, Gerloff et al. 1991)). Importantly, these constructs differ in their valence, locus, and degree of contextualization, which makes construct choice and scale selection especially relevant for entrepreneurship research. The purpose of this bachelor’s thesis is to conduct a systematic literature review of scales that measure uncertainty in the context of entrepreneurship and founders. The thesis will examine which individual- and environmental-level uncertainty constructs have been used, how the respective scales differ conceptually, and which measures appear most suitable for studying founders and entrepreneurial decision-making. By synthesizing the literature on uncertainty-related individual differences and perceived environmental uncertainty, the thesis aims to provide a structured overview of existing measurement approaches and identify promising directions for future entrepreneurship research.

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Title: Future-Oriented Language and Confidence in Innovation Discourse: A Systematic Literature Review

Topic Description: The way innovators, firms, and communities talk about the future, and how confidently they do so, is increasingly recognized as a meaningful signal of innovation trajectories and market expectations. Yet the linguistic markers through which confidence and uncertainty are expressed in innovation-related discourse remain fragmented across disciplines. The aim of this thesis is to address this gap by synthesizing existing approaches across domains (mainly computational linguistics, innovation management, marketing, management and discourse analysis). You will conduct a systematic literature review to identify, categorize, and critically analyze how future-oriented confidence is expressed, measured, and interpreted in innovation contexts, with particular attention to NLP-based methodologies. The findings are expected to provide a conceptual foundation for researchers seeking to develop scalable frameworks for capturing how confident future-oriented language shapes innovation processes and outcomes.

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Title: Indigenous Entrepreneurship: A Systematic Literature Review of Value and Impact

Topic description: Indigenous entrepreneurship is often embedded in local community contexts and shaped by collective needs, cultural values, and historical marginalization (Imas et al., 2012; Peredo & Chrisman, 2006). Indigenous entrepreneurship has gained increasing attention in the literature, highlighting alternative forms of value creation that extend beyond economic outcomes to include cultural, social, and ecological dimensions (Anderson et al., 2006; Dana, 2015; Salmon et al., 2023). While entrepreneurship research increasingly recognizes the importance of ventures addressing complex societal challenges, generating broader impact and enabling systemic change (Bacq et al., 2022; George et al., 2016; Shepherd & Patzelt, 2011), there is limited understanding of how indigenous entrepreneurs themselves define and pursue impact.

This thesis aims to synthesize recent literature on indigenous entrepreneurship to examine how value creation is conceptualized and what forms of impact are emphasized. The outcome of this thesis should be a systematic literature review drawing on insights from indigenous and entrepreneurship literature, contributing to a more up-to-date and nuanced understanding of entrepreneurial practices. Importantly, research should avoid extractive perspectives and instead focus on how indigenous entrepreneurship addresses community-specific challenges while potentially contributing to broader societal transformations.

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Title: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge in Entrepreneurship Education: A Systematic Literature Review

Topic description: Entrepreneurship education has traditionally focused on venture creation and economic outcomes, often grounded in Western-centric models of entrepreneurship (Kuratko, 2005; McGowan et al., 2020; Nabi et al., 2017). However, increasing attention is being paid to alternative knowledge systems and the role of indigenous perspectives in fostering more inclusive forms of entrepreneurship (Peredo & Chrisman, 2006; Salmon et al., 2023). Despite this growing interest, there is limited synthesis of how indigenous knowledge is integrated into entrepreneurship education and what challenges arise in doing so.

This thesis aims to examine how entrepreneurship education integrates indigenous knowledge and perspectives and what opportunities and challenges are identified in the literature. The outcome of this thesis should be a systematic literature review contributing to a better understanding of how education can support more inclusive and context-sensitive entrepreneurial practices.

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Last updated: March 30th, 2026, 1 pm for the application from 06.-10.04.2026; 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 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: 06.03.-12.03.2026

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: 12.06.-18.06.2026

Sommersemester 2026

• Topics: 30.03.2026
• Application: 06.04.-10.04.2026
• Confirmation and Registration (ISC): 13.04.-17.04.2026
• Colloquium: 29.06.2026
• Submission thesis (ISC) 22 weeks after Registration at the latest on: 14.09.-17.09.2026

Wintersemester 2026/27 (1)

• Topics: 14.09.2026
• Application: 21.09.-25.09.2026
• Confirmation and Registration (ISC): 28.09.-02.10.2026
• Colloquium: 11.12.2026
• Submission thesis (ISC) 22 weeks after Registration at the latest on: 01.03.-04.03.2027

Wintersemester 2026/27 (2)

• Topics: 18.12.2026
• Application: 04.01.-08.01.2027
• Confirmation and Registration (ISC): 11.01.-15.01.2027
• Colloquium: 09.04.2027
• Submission thesis (ISC) 22 weeks after Registration at the latest on:14.06.-17.06.2027

Title: Passion Profiles and Entrepreneurial Stress: How Different Compositions of Passion Influence Founder Stress

Topic Description: How are different passion profiles (high harmonious passion, high obsessive passion, both, or low passion) associated with entrepreneurial stress, and what do these patterns reveal about the bright and dark sides of passion in entrepreneurship? This thesis investigates how different passion profiles relate to stress in the entrepreneurial journey. It compares entrepreneurs with high harmonious passion, high obsessive passion, both, or low passion to examine how these profiles are associated with levels of entrepreneurial stress (e.g., using the perceived stress scale, Cohen et al., 1983). Using survey data from entrepreneurs, the study aims to identify which passion profiles are linked to greater resilience and which are associated with higher vulnerability to stress, thereby shedding light on the bright and dark sides of entrepreneurial passion.

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Title: What Drives Consumers to Adopt Food Innovation? Mapping Search, Experience, and Credence Attributes Through Consumption Values

Topic Description: Consumers evaluate food innovations based on different types of product attributes, but not all of these attributes are equally visible or verifiable. This master’s thesis will conduct an empirical survey study to examine how consumers perceive search attributes, experience attributes, and credence attributes of a focal food innovation, and how these perceptions shape adoption outcomes. Drawing on the Search, Experience, and Credence classification (SEC framework; Darby & Karni, 1973; Nelson, 1970) and Sheth et al.’s (1991) Theory of Consumption Values, the study will investigate how these three types of attributes shape consumers’ value perceptions of the new food product, and how they influence adoption outcomes such as adoption intention.

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Title: Imprinting Entrepreneurship: An Exploration of The University–Spin-Off “Parent–Child” Relationship

Topic Description: Universities support academic entrepreneurship and the creation of spin-offs and start-ups through a range of support structures and policies. Existing research has largely focused on the performance of spin-offs and their degree of interconnectedness with their parent organization, i.e., the university. Comparatively less attention has been paid to how universities shape the types of start-ups that emerge in the first place. This thesis explores how university strategies and support configurations influence the characteristics of spin-offs (e.g., who founds them or which ideas are pursued). Based on a content analysis of publicly available university documents, such as transfer strategies, and the accompanying descriptions of university startups, students examine (either qualitatively or quantitatively) how different institutional approaches to entrepreneurship lead to distinct profiles of startups.

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Title: Understanding Product Recalls in the Consumer Packaged Goods Industry: An Empirical Analysis

Topic Description: Understanding product recalls is critical for protecting consumer safety, maintaining brand trust, and ensuring effective regulatory oversight. This thesis investigates the phenomenon of product recalls in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry. You will collect and analyze recall data reported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 2018 to 2025. Using empirical methods, you will identify key trends in recalls across product categories, recall classifications, and geographic distribution. You might also examine the underlying causes of recalls, assess their impact on firm valuation, and evaluate the effectiveness of companies’ recall management strategies. The findings are expected to deepen our understanding of quality assurance challenges in the CPG industry and to offer recommendations for improving product safety, regulatory oversight, and crisis response practices.

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Title: Mapping Online Talk: An NLP Study of Consumers’ Confidence in the Future and Its Effect on Consumption

Topic Description: How people talk about the future, and how certain or uncertain they sound when doing so, reveals a great deal about expectations, sentiment, and collective sensemaking. Yet the linguistic markers of future confidence in organic online discourse and their downstream effects on consumer behavior remain largely unmapped. Drawing on Reddit as a large-scale source of unsolicited, naturally occurring discourse, this thesis identifies and analyzes confidence-signaling language in future-oriented discussions. Applying NLP techniques, the study develops a framework for detecting and quantifying how confidently users express expectations about future events across different communities and topics. These perception measures are then linked to actual consumption behavior, operationalized through sales data, search volume indices such as Google Trends, or platform engagement metrics, depending on data availability. The consumer electronics and automotive industries represent particularly promising empirical contexts, as both are characterized by high-involvement purchase decisions where consumer confidence and future expectations are likely to play a significant role in shaping buying behavior.

*Python skills are advantageous.

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Title: Responding to the Unknown: Empirical Exploration of Startup Pivots in Uncertain Environments

Topic Description: In the domain of business and entrepreneurship, a pivot refers to a strategic change in the direction of a venture to adapt to new information or changing circumstances (Grimes, 2018; Kirtley & O’Mahony, 2023). Popularized by Eric Ries in The Lean Startup (Ries, 2011; Shepherd & Gruber, 2021), the concept has become a cornerstone for early-stage ventures operating in uncertain and dynamic markets (Allen et al., 2024). Although scholarly interest in entrepreneurial pivots has increased in recent years, empirical research remains relatively limited. Current studies primarily explore typologies of pivots and the underlying motivations and decision-making processes (Allen et al., 2024). However, large-scale empirical evidence on the phenomenon is still lacking. This thesis seeks to address this gap by examining legacy data from various startup ventures to analyze the relationship between environmental uncertainty and the frequency or nature of pivoting behavior. Through the application of textual analysis techniques, the research aims to identify patterns that suggest how startups adapt their strategic direction in response to changing (market) demands.

*Python skills are advantageous.

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Title: Entrepreneurship in Context: Exploring Indigenous Entrepreneurial Practices

Topic description: Entrepreneurship research has increasingly emphasized the importance of context, embeddedness, and alternative entrepreneurial logics beyond Western, profit-oriented models (Peredo & Chrisman, 2006; Welter, 2011; Welter et al., 2019). Indigenous entrepreneurship, in particular, is deeply embedded in community, culture, and relationships, often requiring entrepreneurs to balance economic activities with cultural values, social responsibilities, and collective wellbeing (Anderson et al., 2006; Bruton et al., 2018; Foley & O'Connor, 2013). At the same time, entrepreneurship research lacks empirical studies that capture how these practices unfold in everyday entrepreneurial life. Recent studies demonstrate the value of podcast interviews as a data source in entrepreneurship research, capturing how entrepreneurs reflect on their experiences, decisions, and meaning-making processes (Brownell et al., 2024; Burnell et al., 2023).

This thesis aims to explore how indigenous entrepreneurs enact and navigate entrepreneurship in practice, with particular attention to how they manage the interplay between business, culture, and community. The study will adopt a qualitative case study design and will draw primarily on podcast data, complemented by archival materials (e.g., venture websites, media coverage), highlighting how entrepreneurship is embedded in socio-cultural systems and offering alternative perspectives on value creation and entrepreneurial practices.

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Last updated: March 30th, 2026, 1 pm for the application from 06.-10.04.2026. 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: March 30th, 2026

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.