Research

active project

This research project examines how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is transforming the software development lifecycle beyond coding into analysis, design, testing, operations, and maintenance. The project focuses on the qualitative organizational challenges emerging as AI becomes embedded in development teams, including changing developer roles, evolving competencies, and new forms of human-AI collaboration. In addition, the research explores organizational risks such as over-reliance on AI systems, uneven applicability across complex technical environments, and the potential erosion of deep technical expertise.

active project

Our research project examines the integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in European organizations. We aim to develop case studies on how companies incorporate GenAI into their processes and practices. By exploring various approaches, we intend to uncover motivations for adoption, implementation challenges, and the impact on efficiency, innovation, and decision-making. By documenting these experiences, our project seeks to provide actionable insights and best practices for organizations leveraging GenAI, ultimately enhancing understanding of their role in driving growth and innovation across Europe.

active project

Open-source projects are crucial for digital infrastructures but often struggle with long-term survivability. This research examines how projects funded by the NGI Search program assess and manage their endurance beyond initial funding. Survivability is defined as a project's ability to sustain operations and adapt to changes over time. Through interviews with project leads and contributors, we investigate how open-source teams organize their work, create value, and navigate funding strategies. We focus on the alignment between open-source values and sustainability decisions while identifying common challenges and effective strategies to help these initiatives thrive in complex environments.

doctoral research

Corporations need to innovate continuously to maintain a competitive edge, but many struggle with effective innovation management due to industry changes. To address this, they adopt open innovation, collaborating with startups to combine the startups' agility and innovation with their own established capabilities. They create structured programs to facilitate these collaborations, but these programs often fall short of expectations and are frequently revised or discontinued. This dissertation explores how knowledge exchange in these programs supports successful collaborations between corporations and startups.

thesis project

The aim of this thesis was to identify factors influencing corporate decisions regarding governance modes for venturing activities, such as corporate venture capital, joint ventures, spin-offs, and corporate accelerators. This strategic choice impacts organizational structure. A systematic literature review identified and grouped influencing factors into five dimensions: objectives, autonomy, operational linkages, strategic fit, and ambidexterity. Using an exploratory approach with multiple case studies and semi-structured interviews, the relevance of these dimensions was examined. The analysis revealed that strategic fit is the most important dimension, followed by objectives, autonomy, and operational linkages, which were also supported by interview partners.

thesis project

The introduction of the iPhone in 2007 revolutionized the mobile device market with its intuitive usability and extensive mobile internet capabilities, leading to a rapid growth in the market for internet-enabled, touchscreen phones. Today, around 11% of Germans own a smartphone, with 6% using mobile internet intensively and 9% purchasing physical products via their devices. This has significantly impacted mobile commerce, creating new distribution channels and affecting existing ones, such as traditional retail. This thesis aims to explore how mobile commerce influences the distribution structure of electronic commerce, examining theoretical foundations, comparing electronic and traditional commerce, and presenting potential development scenarios based on expert interviews.