Academic Year 2014/15

Author: Martin Wieland, BSc MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

This thesis shows how demands of accounting standards and legal requirements can be met with Monte-Carlo methods with regard to identification and measurement of financial instruments in the business reports. Initially major regulations of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR), which should lead to higher transparency and security in OTC markets, will be presented. If market prices, as a basis for the valuation of financial instruments, are not available, IFRS as well as EMIR permit the application of valuation techniques. If valuation problems cannot be solved analytically, simulation-based valuation methods may be used. That is often the case when complex payoff structures or path dependencies exist. It is shown how random-based Monte-Carlo methods are used to approximate complex valuation problems, considering current market conditions. For this purpose, a stochastic stock price model based on Brownian motion, is gradually developed and used to simulate stock price processes. These generated price processes are used to calculate the fair value of financial instruments. By valuating different options, the convergence behavior of the simulation method and the influence of the different parameters are presented and analyzed. Basically the accuracy of the Monte-Carlo estimator is determined by the parameters volatility and sample size. Thus more precise results can be achieved by extending the number of generated simulations and application of variance reduction techniques. Furthermore, the advantages and disadvantages of the simulation method will be identified and discussed.

Author: Kathrin Sallfellner, Bakk. Bakk.

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

Dividends are understood as a possibility for shareholders to participate in company profits. Since the ratio of profit to dividends is rarely stable over time, the question for additional determinants that influence dividend policy arises. Lintner (1956) developed a partial adjustment model to predict dividends based on current profits and last year´s dividend. According to the model, companies try to pay transparent and stable dividends with gradual growth that can be maintained in the long term. The present study uses descriptive analytical methods and regression analysis to test Lintner´s model for 20 companies in the Austrian stock index ATX prime from 2004 to 2013. The dynamic character of Lintner´s model and the panel structure of the data require extended econometric methods. In consideration of the panel dimensions and the properties of the data, the general method of moments by Blundell and Bond (1998) proved to be the best option. The regression results show that the yearly dividend can be estimated as: ¾ of last year´s dividend plus 10% of current profits. In comparison to similar country studies, the Austrian adjustment process is more conservative and is based on a lower target payout ratio of 40%. In conclusion, Lintner´s model is a suitable approach to describe the dividend policy of the Austrian sample, which is, as assumed, path dependent and conservative.

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Author: Thomas Hinke, BSc MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

Business Intelligence (BI), due to the new possibilities of Big Data, becomes a key factor for competitiveness and growth. Successful implementation can lead to competitive advantages that spread over various business segments. This thesis analyses, to which extent BI/Big Data is used in German-speaking countries. To fully exploit its potentials, however, appropriate organisational requirements must be made. Based on the concept of organisation design the areas strategy, structure, and people are investigated. The research was performed using both a qualitative and a quantitative method. Firstly, ten senior employees from four countries and different industries have been interviewed. Furthermore, an online survey with 199 participants primarily from the automobile industry has been conducted. It has been found that in German-speaking countries only traditional BI applications that use mostly structured data are common. Analysis of unstructured data is yet quite rare but is viewed as an important application in the future: especially social media data can be used to better understand and lead customers. Most companies lack a BI/Big Data strategy. If one exists, it is mostly a technological one. The same goes for the organisational structure: the IT department plays a central role and conducts most tasks. Some companies have particular BI/Big Data departments (BICC or BI CoE). Their function, however, can differentiate from one company to another. Finally, there are new challenges facing the employees. Companies more and more frequently search for data scientists featuring an interdisciplinary education as well as a distinct business sense. A lack of such manpower, however, leads to a lack of know-how.

Author: Carina Kradischnig, Bakk. MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

No other animal enjoys as much eminence as a man’s best friend: the dog. Either as watchdog, social partner or economic factor, dogs hold a special position in today’s society. Despite a dog’s social and economical relevance, practitioners and academics are left without sound knowledge “what” and “which” motives drive the decision to buy expensive and purebred-dogs. Already Veblen addressed the fact that individuals acquire purebred-dogs to satisfy their endeavor of status signaling. Until recently, brands were regarded as the ultimate status symbols, though current consumer trends have turned this on its head. Now, dogs as symbols for social recognition are believed to be more prevalent then ever. Though, academics still lack empirical support for this assumption. Therefore the aim of this study is to explore the perception of purebred dogs as reliable symbols for status and prestige. In order to cover the entire signaling process, the research at hand was conducted by means of a mixed method design. The empirical results support the premises that purebred dogs can enhance an individual’s image, show the belonging to a certain social group and can signal social distinction. The results provide empirical evidence that the signaling process is far more complex than expected. The perception of purebred-dogs as status symbols is determined by the specific breed, the recipient’s social position as well as (purebred-) dog ownership. Overall, these findings are particularly important in the context of brand prominence, which can be likewise applied to purebred dogs. Especially certain breeds can serve as subtle signals. These signals are capable of inducing positive consequences in social interactions. The importance of this research for marketing management accrues from the fact that different signaling intentions have been shown in dependence of an individual’s own social standing and (purebred-) dog ownership. These results can be generalized for other luxury goods.

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Author: Kathrin Gönitzer, BSc MSc

Study Program: Business Education and Development

Abstract:

In recent years universities were confronted with criticism that teaching at universities is mainly theory-based and has a fundamental lack of creativity, relevance and innovation. There are several critical matters of discussion, which include that universities focus on theory-based knowledge and spend little attention to higher-level skills and comprehensive knowledge about processes. Nowadays it is very important to spend additional time to achieve a maximum learning success for students, which includes also the use of new learning techniques and forms. Students should get the opportunity to test and apply their thought patterns and behaviors in complex situations, but still at university, where they do not have such severe consequences as they may have in real world. The aim of this thesis is to present the opportunity to teach the topic of business process optimization using a business simulation game at university. The first part of this thesis focuses on the teaching method of a business simulation game, including time requirements, number of participants, game management, game rules, the preparation and organization of the media. Due to the increasing demand of business simulation games and interactive components for teaching at universities, also the Department of Organization and Economics of Institutions developed such a business simulation game, focusing on business process optimization. This business simulation game is picked out as a central theme in the second part of the thesis, and it illuminates didactic requirements in more detail. The subjects of the final chapter are preliminary results, and the effect of self-developed improvements. A business simulation game offers a variety of possibilities to teach students in a modern way and to focus on different competences, as well as to enhance a wide range of different skills. It is a new option to enhance teaching at university.

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Author: Mag. Lukas Wolfgang Robisch, Bakk. MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

The all-encompassing globalization brings numerous changes to organiza-tional life. The ever increasing workforce diversity is one of those effects. This diversity has the potential to contribute to a sustainable competitive advantage which can be realized only if employees have a sense of workplace inclusion. In this context the paper at hand presents the analysis of two observed company parties regarding their impact on inclusion. The description of a comprehensive model of inclusion, consisting of relational and work-related factors, constitutes the first step. Additionally, precise organizational implications which contribute to the realization of boundary conditions that support workplace inclusion are presented. Many of those boundary conditions are strongly influenced by the respective company culture. In a second step, company parties are presented as a means of both expressing and shaping company culture. An analysis of goals, functions and effects of company parties makes their potential influence on workplace inclusion obvious. These theoretical findings build the bridge to the two observed company parties. Their characteristics (occasion, size, program etc.) are summarized before specific observations are interpreted in regard to their impact on inclusion. The findings show the improvement of relational factors of inclusion (e.g. getting to know each other, strengthened feeling of belonging). Work-related factors were not influenced directly even though this would be possible, if specifically aimed at. However, it can be assumed that the observed improvement of relational inclusion paves the way for work related inclusion.

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Author: Dr. Gerald Senarclens de Grancy

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

In ever growing urban areas, space becomes increasingly valuable. Besides worsening congestion, a lack of parking lots for trucks constitutes a problem for carriers. Virtually all routing applications as well as academic papers implicitly assume that it is possible to stop at the desired destination. However, this assumption doesn't hold if there are no parking spaces available that could fit a delivery vehicle. Given these circumstances, distribution planning requires clustering nearby customers around known parking locations. Deliveries from each parking location to its assigned customers occur by a second mode of transport. This leads to long service times at each of the clusters. However, long service times in conjunction with time windows can lead to inefficient routes as nearby customer clusters with overlapping service times may not be connected. As a consequence, assigning additional service workers to each vehicle is a strategy to reduce service times and hence permit more efficient routes. The trade-off between paying additional workers to reduce costs for vehicles and driving creates a new decision problem called the vehicle routing problem with time windows and multiple service workers (VRPTWMS). The present work introduces both clustering and routing algorithms for solving the complete VRPTWMS. At the time of this writing, no prior work describes an algorithm for combining customers to clusters with a parking space while honoring time constraints. To tackle this issue, relevant characteristics, parameters and issues when combining customers with time windows are identified. Since the clusters do not have an objective function for themselves, they are created using an intermediary attractiveness function that allows for good solutions of the combined problem. To further reduce cost and environmental impact, a feedback loop that enables the proposed heuristics to learn from past results has been developed.

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Author: Karin Fließer, BA MA

Study Program: Sociology

Abstract:

Student migration is a type of migration which has not been taken adequately into account within the field of migration studies so far. The present thesis focuses on this phenomenon. So called “international students” are students who leave their home country for longer periods to attend university education in a foreign country. Usually they are young adults who migrate without family after finishing school in their home country. A qualitative, biographical research was carried out to explore the daily lives of these specific migrants. By choosing this approach it was possible to provide enough space for the subjective outlooks and interpretations of agents. Central questions of the study are on the one hand, how decisions to migrate emerge within the life course and on the other hand, in which way the process of migration influences constructions of biographies and as a consequent thereof constructions of belongings. The data was collected by conducting ten narrative interviews with international students and analysed by using a Grounded Theory oriented method. The sample exclusively consisted of students who migrated from Turkey to Austria. Therefore, the specific context of home and host country could be considered. The analysis shows that decisions to migrate are related to individual biographical courses and depend on structural and familial factors as well as biographical action schemes. Furthermore it becomes clear that the narratives of the Turkish students contain multiple ways of positioning within the Austrian-Turkish context. Ethnic belongings become fluid and flexible.

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Author: Markus Schweighart, BA MA

Study Program: Sociology

Abstract:

Understanding household energy consumption relies on standardized surveys assessing environmental behavior. Often only one household member is interviewed in place of the entire household, assuming consistent behavior of all household members. In other cases, for example if the behavior of all household members is elicited, commonly one household member provides proxy-reports on the behavior of the others. If fellow household members hold incorrect perceptions in how far their partner engages in pro-environmental actions, discrepant or even conflicting efforts in energy conservation may result. Therefore, the present study explores (i) in how far household members act consistently, and (ii) in how far they accurately perceive their mutual behaviors, that is whether proxy-reports indeed reflect self-reports. In 84 two-person households in the city of Graz, Austria, both household members were interviewed. Both adults contributed self- and proxy-reports, assessing themselves and their partner regarding everyday mobility, energy saving and environmental values. Regarding the consistency of both household members’ behavior, we find higher congruence in travel mode choice and regulating the room temperature. Correlations for less observable behaviors are substantially lower, such as trip length, annual car-km or turning off the light when leaving the room. Regarding accuracy of proxy-reports, everyday mobility feature good validity, whereas reports on individual energy-consumption (use of electrical devices, water use) hardly converge. Further analyses found differences by gender. The results suggest that household energy conservation measures should ensure that all household members act consistently. In terms of accuracy proxy responses on household energy consumption should not be used apart from mobility behavior.

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Author: Tobias Kreiter, Bakk. B.A. (Econ.) MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

This master thesis considers a new type of personnel planning problem. Besides the usual assignment of personal to tasks and time-windows with the usual side constraints, it also addresses structured qualifications. These qualifications are characterized by the combination of different categorical and hierarchical skills with the multi-tasking capability and the experience of the staff members. This master thesis provides an integer optimization model (ILP-model) to assign tasks to staff members. Each task has to be fulfilled by a worker with a suitable qualification. Tasks also differ in their level of intensity; several of them could be performed simultaneously by one person. The possibility of combining temporal overlapping tasks not only depends on the task itself but also on the qualifications of the assigned person. To model the complicated covering of several tasks by individual workers a worker-dependent and a task-dependent conflict matrix was employed. The developed model was applied to a real-world personnel planning problem encountered at Grazer Spielstätten (a subsidiary of Bühnen Graz), a company operating event locations in Graz. For each day of the planning horizon several events are given, each of them with a long list of tasks. Besides the usual legal regulations and union rules concerning e.g. working time, split shifts, breaks, days off and weekends, the planning scenario has very different tasks to be executed on each working day, namely different in duration, required skill and intensity. The necessary duties have to be fulfilled by a highly heterogenous workforce. Moreover, it is possible for one worker to fulfill several tasks at the same time, but this ability depends again on the particular task, the required intensity and on the individual worker. The extended model was implemented in Python PuLP and combined with an open-source solver to be included in a real-world planning system.

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Author: Mag. Stephanie Vorderegger, Bakk. MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

This master thesis investigates which brain regions are active during various tasks by means of a meta-analysis. In the preceeding theoretical part of the master-thesis it is discussed which neuroscientific methods may contribute to leadership research. Besides popular methods, as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRT) or electroencephalographie (EEG), several other neuroscientific methods are used to obtain new insights to leadership research (i.e., magnetencephalographie, positron emission tomographie, transcranial magnetic stimulation). Moreover it is outlined that neuroscience is able to contribute to leadership research in the future in different areas (i.e., neurophysiological distinction of successful from less successful leaders). In the course of the meta analysis, overall 20 studies (fMRI or EEG) have been investigated regarding activated brain regions during different tasks, whereby five studies were sorted out. In order to ensure the comparability of the studies, the other 15 studies have been categorized. Result of the meta-analysis is, that the individual results of the studies are not congruent (i.e., in different but comparable studies, different brain regions were active). This may be a result of various cirumstances, such as the small number of studies investigated. Due to the inconsistency of the results, future research work seems necessary.

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Author: Anna-Maria Saupper, BSc MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

This thesis deals with the development of an Excel template to serve as a planning tool for evaluating the profitability of projects in the automobile industry. The tool is intended to enable engine developer AVL to provide potential customers with a profound business case on their development projects. It is therefore referred to as AVL Business Case. The results of such a business case may serve as a basis for an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to decide whether or not to place a development order. They are calculated from forecast data concerning target prices, cost and required investments. Given that the AVL Business Case is an instrument to support investment decisions, the thesis explores the principles of decision theory which are then applied to an economic context. From this perspective, the AVL Business Case can be interpreted as being a simplified decision matrix. By considering upfront cost, it contains aspects of life cycle costing, too. As an instrument of supporting internal decisions, the AVL Business Case is generally not compromised by accounting regulations. Even so, there are instances when cost is calculated according to principles specific to financial reporting. This is why part of the thesis is dedicated to differences as well as integration tendencies between accounting systems. It is shown throughout the thesis that the components of the planning tool as well as the underlying planning assumptions are determined by practical conditions, such as the availability of data and the forecast horizon. Decisions about investment projects in the automobile industry are often based on the development of cash flows and the resulting pay-off period. To calculate a project’s cash flows in the AVL Business Case, the indirect method is applied, starting from the profit and loss statement. The user is also provided with a set of key performance indicators, which may serve as decision support to the respective OEM.

Author: Katharina Lenzer, MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

This master thesis deals with one special aspect of internationalization, namely the relation of headquarters with their subsidiaries concerning integration and control, which is investigated by means of a casestudy in cooperation with a selected company. The theoretical background gives information about several tools of integration and control, their implementation, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. The integration of subsidiaries can be classified into general, personal and cultural integration. General considerations include the understanding of subsidiaries, a common vision and mission, a corporate philosphy and strategy. In the course of personal integration, companies have the possibility to arrange an integration team, to percieve subsidiary managers as decisive factors, to support cooperation and to build trust within the company. Cultural integration deals with the communication of a corporate cultur, whereupon it is essential to consider national cultures and to improve intercultural skills. Concerning control personal, formal, social and output control can be distinguished. Personal control makes use of hierarchy, expatriate management, international coordinators and feedback. To achieve formal control process documentation, standardization and compliance-management is necessary. It is also possible to control subsidiaries by setting and reviewing targets as well as by reporting, which are classified as tools of output control. Social control focusses on adequate selection of personnel, socialization, relationship management and the exchange of information. The empirical elaboration expresses the practically applied tools of integration and control by the selected company and the experiences of subsidiaries in this context. Based on these findings it is discussed to what extant there is room for improvement.

Author: Patrick Mittermaier, BSc MSc MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

The widely discussed topic of the Austrian group taxation (introduced in 2005) is processed extensively in this work. The main objective is to investigate the effects of the Austrian group taxation empirically on the investments of Austrian companies in domestic and foreign subsidiaries. The legal framework of the group taxation is explained. Furthermore this master thesis illustrates the legal changes in the field of group taxation caused by the Tax Reform Acts 2012 and 2014. This thesis contains a compact overview of existing theoretical models and empirical results in this research area. The main point of this work is the description of the two empirical studies. From the AMADEUS database, the sampling data were collected on parent and subsidiary company level in the period 2000-2012. In the STATA statistical program the regression models were calculated. As empirical methods the multiple linear regression, the probit regression and a negative binomial model were used. The first empirical study treats the impacts of group taxation on domestic investment structures of Austrian companies. The study confirms an expansion of investments in potential domestic group members after 2004 when the group taxation was introduced (2% increase on the parent company level / 5% increase on the subsidiary company level). The second empirical study deals with the effects on the foreign investment structures of Austrian companies. At parent company level no higher percentage of foreign potential group members could be observed after the reform. However, there is at subsidiary company level a 3-5% higher chance to identify these companies as potential group members after reform. As part of the Tax Reform Act 2012 a limit to the amount of the losses from foreign group members was introduced. The result of this legal change was a small decline in the extent of participation in foreign group members.

Author: Reinhard Schrank, BSc MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

The economic mechanisms and the optimal design of auditor liability are the subject of extensive research activity. Especially decision and game-theoretic models are suitable for gaining insights into the economics of liability rules. Numerous theoretical literature contributions deal with the impact of different liability systems on audit quality, audit fees and social welfare. The investment effects of auditor liability, however, have long been neglected and have been investigated by few contemporary works only. This master thesis aims to shed some light on the impact of auditor liability on business investment by conducting a critical review of these contributions. Of particular interest is the impact of the liability system's strictness on investment tendency, absolute investment levels, the cost of capital and the quality of undertaken investment projects. To this end, possible characteristics of liability systems are described first. Then a broad and thorough survey of prior analytic research is provided. In the main part of the thesis five selected research papers are presented and critically discussed. The analysis shows that the relationship between auditor liability and business investment is ambiguous. On the one hand stricter liability provides a better insurance for investors, thereby positively stimulating investment activity. On the other hand it can elicit negative reactions of auditors, such as increased client rejection, higher audit fees or increased reporting conservatism, and thereby reduce new investment. Relatively straightforward the results indicate that extending auditor liability decreases the cost of capital and increases the quality of undertaken investment projects.

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Author: Christoph Seidl, BA (Econ.) MA (Econ.)

Study Program: Economics

Abstract:

Knowledge is a crucial growth determinant in modern regions and economies. Based on the use of this source of growth Styria managed to become a successful and promising site, even though it was classified as an economically backward area for years and decades. This change could be managed through consistent implementation of a knowledge-based location strategy, which includes extensive investments in human resources, an expansion of regional networking and the promotion of knowledge intensive foundations. This thesis analyses to what extent the demographic-caused aging of the Styrian population weakens these knowledge-intensive strengths and threatens the successful Styrian development. Hence it is proved, that besides a high loss of knowledge and profound changes in formal and informal network structures, Styria is threatened by a decline of innovative capability and a decreasing creation of enterprises. This thesis demonstrates how to avert this threat by formulating new tasks and by presenting appropriate measures. These tasks include the implementation of lifelong learning, the development of intergenerational knowledge transfer measures, the creation of an innovation-promoting environment for older workers and the support of older entrepreneurs. In addition, this thesis shows that regional economic data must be collected age-related in future and that all the new measures must be guided and controlled by a regional knowledge management. Furthermore it is essential to implement extensive awareness raising measures. The concluding presentation of the potentially appropriate project Generationen.WERKSTATT demonstrates a possibility for the implementation of these measures.

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Author: Dr. Thomas Schinko

Study Program: Economics

Abstract:

To avoid the most severe and catastrophic impacts of climate change, anthropogenic GHG emissions, which are the main driver for climate change, have to be substantially reduced. To that end national and international regulatory instruments, such as the Kyoto Protocol, have been put in place. However, in practice, these climate policy frameworks are subject to severe limitations and have therefore not delivered the anticipated results with respect to effective GHG emission reductions on a global scale. Four concrete limitations of current international climate policy and of potential remedies, as well as of the prevailing approaches for their analysis are considered in this doctoral thesis. These limitations refer to the limited regional coverage of international climate policies leading to carbon leakage, the limited effectiveness of potential future anti-leakage border carbon adjustment (BCA) measures, the counterproductive long-term incentives of these anti-leakage policy measures impeding a low-carbon energy transition, and the high financing costs for low-carbon renewable energy technology investments in developing countries triggered by high perceptions of risks by investors. By employing different qualitative and quantitative economic methods, covering a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) model, the computable general equilibrium (CGE) approach, qualitative expert interviews, and case study analyses, this doctoral thesis carries out an economic assessment of these four limitations of current climate policy in the context of a globalized world economy.

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Author: Dr. Christian Lininger

Study Program: Economics

Abstract:

International climate policy is currently characterized by bottom-up, unilateral approaches to emissions abatement. Some authors suggest that the global effectiveness of unilateral policies can be improved by switching from the current system of a production-based to a consumption-based policy orientation, i.e. by not targeting the emissions discharged on the territory of the country that abates, but the emissions embodied in the goods it consumes. This study analyzes whether industrialized countries by adopting this approach can indeed increase policy effectiveness - defined in terms of environmental effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and carbon leakage. First, the findings of two literature strands that both relate to this subject, but that have for some years existed side by side with only little exchange of ideas, are compared - the literature on emissions embodied in trade and the literature on border carbon adjustments. Then a stylized analytical model is developed to examine the effects of changing the policy orientation in more detail. Finally, recommendations for the practical design of effective consumption-based policies are formulated. This study finds that the relative effectiveness of the two policy variants cannot be decided in general, but depends on (i) demand, trade, and production parameters and (ii) the design of the policy instrument used to change the policy base. In particular, to be more effective than a production-based one, a consumption-based policy should not curb the exports of emerging economies, but cause a switch to a cleaner production-technology in these countries. This however requires some cooperation between abating and non-abating countries. Thus, a switch to a consumption orientation is not a policy tool whereby industrialized countries can unilaterally improve the effectiveness of abatement policies - rather it should be seen as an intermediate step on the way from unilateral to fully multilateral approaches to mitigation.

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Author: Dr. Zoran Vergas

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

This thesis aims to present an analysis of the causes for the development of Austro-Serbian trade relations during the period of the late 19th and early 20th century. The analysis is based on the hypothesis that both these export industries, the Austro-Hungarian and the Serbian conducted their trade in such manner by taking the path of least resistance. In this regard, it can be shown that with the greater integration of Serbia into the global division of labor, the Austro-Hungarian industry had lost its market shares in the fast growing sectors; whereby the growth of sectors was in close connection to the unrelenting competitiveness from abroad. On the other hand, the Serbian export structure substantially remained the same for more than two decades, although the industrial development was regarded as quite crucial for improving its economic welfare. All of this changed with the beginning of the Austro-Serbian trade war in 1906, the time when Serbia was able to export goods only to distant and difficult markets. The answer for such a development lies in the fact that the export industry of a country always gravitates to the already known and less competitive markets or market segments; as opposed to that, the greater integration into the global division of labor causes constant changes in the consumer behavior. In other words, the global trade has a stronger effect on the country's demand rather than its production structure.

Author: Dr. Daniel Kombacher

Study Program: Business Education and Development

Abstract:

Enterprise-Resource-Planning-Systems (ERP-Systems) – such as SAP, Infor ERP LN, WINLine and BMD – are becoming increasingly important for private and public enterprises around the globe, including Austria. Because of their huge economic importance ERP-Systems are a relevant subject for vocational education and – from a scientific point of view – a research topic of high interest. However, only a very limited number of scientific contributions like journal articles are available that address the use of ERP-systems in the context of business education. The present doctoral thesis contributes to this field of research with an analysis of learning assignments applying ERP-Systems. Learning assignments in general do have strong influence on planning and execution of classroom lessons and are therefore a research topic of high interest. First, the theoretical background for the analysis of learning assignments applying standard commercial software (ERP-systems) is outlined. Second, the results of a qualitative content analysis study on 1921 learning assignments in textbooks for business colleges in Austria are presented and discussed. The results show that central didactical requirements like the comprehensive development of vocational action competence, openness of problem statements, procedures and results, reference to everyday life and business processes and the use of different kinds of representation of knowledge are considered only insufficiently in the analyzed learning assignments. Based on the presented results recommendations for action are derived. The doctoral thesis is concluded by the presentation of three newly developed prototypal sets of learning assignments that are supposed to concretize the presented recommendations for action.

Author: Gernot Dreisiebner, BSc MSc MSc

Study Program: Business Education and Development

Abstract:

Artificial intelligence (AI) is concerned with the transmission of the human cognitive spectrum on computer systems. Due to a growing importance of technical solutions for acquiring, sharing and analysis of information, the subject gains relevance for business education at Commercial Colleges in Austria. The focus of this master thesis lies on the question, which cognitive requirements are needed for working with artificial intelligent systems and what conclusions arise for business education within Commercial Colleges. First, in the context of cognitive science, a consideration of selected human cognitive processes takes place. The importance of knowledge and knowledge representation as a basis of all cognitive processes is emphasized. Subsequently, the obtained findings are viewed in the context of AI research and the current status of AI research is discussed. In addition to knowledge representation the concepts of reasoning and search strategies are identified as fundamental aspects for the creation of artificial intelligence. The interaction of these components is exemplarily demonstrated by describing the AI system IBM Watson. Based on a discussion of specific application scenarios and the performance of current AI systems – Business Intelligence Systems, Semantic Web and Intelligent Agents – the cognitive requirements are derived, which are required for dealing with intelligent computer systems. Findings from the fields of information literacy and media literacy are used to validate the results. Ultimately, even when using modern AI systems, the ability to find information, to assess its quality and to integrate the attained information into one’s own knowledge base stays relevant for the individual. This educational goal can also be found in the curriculum of Commercial Colleges. At the same time it must be emphasized that the use of (intelligent) computers within the classroom is still no guarantee for the learning success of students.

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