Academic Year 2017/18

Author: Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Christian Schitter, Bakk.

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

Many economic situations depend on the truthfulness of people or entities filing mostly unverified reports. Understanding behavioral patterns of decisions about whether to be (dis)honest can inform the design of contracts, institutions and processes that foster honesty. Such knowledge can also help make auditing strategies more effective. I add to the growing literature in this area with four studies: Study 1 presents experimental evidence for systematic time and path dependency in sequences of honesty decisions that vary both in the amount and patterns of honesty behavior when changing from a gain to a lottery and to a loss framing. Study 2 investigates whether transparency about unverified claims is an instrument to increase honesty. The results from an experiment support this notion. However, the identified positive effect on honesty from transparency is exclusively driven by making unverified reports of each claimant public to others (i.e. by a preference to appear honest), and not by knowledge about the impact of one’s claims on others (i.e. by other-regarding preferences). The last two studies add to methodological aspects of experimental research on honesty: Study 3 argues that online experiments conducted with subjects recruited via crowdworking platforms deliver valid results when considering a few design choices, and specifically when using a research-dedicated crowdworking platform like www.prolific.ac. In Study 4, I present evidence that participants in online honesty experiments do not behave substantially differently depending on their level of experience with experiments in general and honesty experiments in particular. Quite the opposite, I observe consistent behavior in a longitudinal repetition of an online honesty experiment, both on an aggregate and on an individual level.

First Supervisor of the Doctoral Thesis: Assoz.-Prof. Dr. Stefan Palan, Department of Banking and Finance
Second Supervisor of the Doctoral Thesis: Univ.-Prof.i.R. Dr. Ulrike Leopold-Wildburger, Department of Statistics and Operations Research

Author: Lisa-Maria Kampl, BSc MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

Credit risk is a significant factor in the valuation of risky bonds and influences the expected cashflows and subsequently the value of a risky bond. This credit risk consists of the default risk, migration risk and the loss given default. The credit risk has to be quantified because fixed future payments can no longer be assumed as these bonds can default at any time. This paper distinguishes between two valuation methods for risky bonds. The risk-adjusted method that uses risk-averse (historical) probabilities and the risk-neutral method which uses risk-neutral probabilities to evaluate the price of a risky bond. While risk-averse default probabilities are determined on the basis of historical defaults, risk-neutral default probabilities are implied from bond prices (or from credit default swaps) and reflect in addition to expected losses also the risk of unexpected losses. Due to the problems associated with the risk-adjusted method regarding the calculation of time-dependent risk premia, a risk-neutral valuation of fixed-interest bonds is conducted in this work. The necessary risk-neutral probabilities for the valuation are determined using the model of Jarrow, Lando and Turnbull (1997). These probabilities are calculated using historical migration matrices as well as current interest rates and yield spreads. In this context the paper shows how migration matrices can be used to quantify credit risk. In particular, it will be shown how risk-neutral probabilities can be calculated on the basis of historical default probabilities. These risk-neutral probabilities are subsequently used to value risky bonds at different future points in time.

Author: Dr. Julia Grundner, BSc MSc

Study Program: Political and Empirical Economics

Abstract:

Decisions have to be made in various situations. Such situations can be job-related, political, social or private. Voting rules are an important part of the decision making process and the chosen voting rule might play a crucial role for the outcome. This dissertation consists of four essays and focuses on voting rules in theory and practice. The essays contribute to the literature on behavioral social choice, which compares theoretical insights against empirical data. Therefore, data of the 2015 parliament election in Styria was collected and evaluated. This exceptional dataset allows to contribute to the existing literature in the sense of a broader analysis of the election outcomes of various voting rules, behavioral patterns of the voters and strategic aspects. In particular, the first essay shows the influence of various voting rules on the outcome as well as the categorization of the candidates. Furthermore, the influence of the type of candidate on his/her outcome is investigated. The comparison of the outcomes under different voting rules shows similarities among the outcomes of voting rules. The second essay focuses on consistency of answers, when the query mode is changed. The query modes are different ways to allow voters to state their preferences. The results show a high rate of inconsistent answers. Five different reasons are outlined and explained in this essay. Additionally, three behavioral patterns are revealed. The third essay analyses safe strategic voting. First, one of the key assumptions in the literature is changed. Then, three possible ways to determine a strategic preference statement are stated. Finally, this essay includes an algorithmic approach for safe strategic voting and applies this approach to empirical data. The last essay uses bootstrap methods to show that paradoxical situations from the literature rarely exist in real-world datasets.

First Supervisor of the Doctoral Thesis: ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Christian Klamler, Department of Public Eonomics
Second Supervisor of the Doctoral Thesis: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ulrich Pferschy, Department of Statistics and Operations Research

Author: Michaela Käfer, Bakk. MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

This Master's thesis gives an overview of the potentials and challenges of intralogistics due to digitization. On the basis of qualitative questioning of experts and an in-depth study of the literature, the following research questions will be answered: 1. What current challenges does intralogistics have to face in Magna? 2. What current developments in the field of information and communication technologies are important for intralogistics in the Magna? 3. What potential will arise in the coming years through information and communication technologies in the field of intralogistics in Magna? 4. What are the challenges of digitization for intralogistics in Magna? Above all, technologies such as big data, Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and drones are supposed to tackle the current biggest challenges, such as the increasing variety of materials and the interaction of the material abd information flow. Pilot projects in the automotive industry are making first progress. However, the widespread operational use of these technologies often fails because of the high investment costs, the requirements for employee safety and the lack of know-how.

Author: Dr. Heike Krug-Leitold

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

This doctoral thesis explores the retention of customers in consumer relationships and investigates explanatory approaches to customer retention. It tries to answer the question of why customers (don’t) want to be retained and examines the causes of so far still unresolved phenomena of overtly irrational retention behavior. The assumption is made, that different attachment predispositions are associated with the overt behavior in consumer relationships. Furthermore, it is postulated that the attachment predispositions in consumer relationships resemble the predispositions in close personal relationships and that they are determined by a higher-order global attachment model. In the beginning, the classical explanatory approaches are investigated and analyzed as to which extent they explain customer retention as predispositional. Then the attempt is made to refer to attachment theory, an approach from developmental psychology that deals with the human attachment behavior in close relationships, as an explanatory approach to customer retention. In detail, the following research questions are treated: (1) Does the higher-order global attachment model determine the consumer relationship-specific attachment model? (2) Is it possible to derive secure, preoccupied, dismissing-avoidant and anxious-avoidant consumer attachment types in the consumer relationship according to the attachment theoretical dimensions consumer attachment security, preoccupation and avoidance? (3) How do global attachment models and consumer attachment models relate to the quality of the consumer relationship and the retention behavior of customers? In order to answer these questions, a study was conducted in the market for children’s toys.

Author: Ilva Kotori, BSc MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

The Internet of Things, also known as the fourth industrial revolution, brings along many changes and possibilities in product innovation. Considering these changes in the context of the automotive industry, a pervasive change in technology is currently taking place, which is the development of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The increasing integration of ADAS in vehicles changes not only the use, but also the production and testing of them. The higher the level of automation, the more vague and undefined the market development. In cooperation with the AVL List GmbH one major challenge, which is discovering the market development concerning automated driving and therefore how the demand for ADAS will look like in future, has been elaborated. Currently the testing methodologies on vehicles that are getting increasingly autonomous must be adjusted to the changing requirements. Among others, there will be a need in testing relatively less on the road and a higher use of simulation, to be able to cover the exploding number of test cases associated with the rise in automation. To understand what the changing requirements are and where an efficiency gap concerning the use of existing testing tools lies, a market analysis using semi-structured interview guidelines for interviews of experts has been implemented for the first part of the investigation process. The second part consisted of interviewing participants and exhibitors of the ConCar Expo in Berlin using a structured questionnaire. The resulting analysis of these interviews will help to define the market development as well as the customer requirements towards the AVL List GmbH. Furthermore, literature research and a comparison of this market research with other published market researches concerning this topic provide background information and a better overview of the changing market requirements.

Complete Thesis in the University of Graz Library

Author: Hanna Schwarzmüller, BSc MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

Extra-long working hours are especially widespread in the professional field of knowledge-intensive services, such as the legal profession. The previous research on long working hours is primarily dedicated to the resulting health consequences. However, the subjective meanings that individuals ascribe to work time, such as the perception and experience of long work hours, have so far hardly been discussed in scientific papers. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the individual perception of long working hours of junior lawyers. Hence, interviews were conducted with young junior lawyers working in Austrian law firms. This qualitative research provides a comprehensive insight into the perception of work time of junior lawyers. The results of this thesis reveal a differentiated picture of the perception of extra-long working hours, since the experience is dependent on many individual influences respectively is generally strongly influenced by situational factors.

Complete Thesis in the University of Graz Library

Author: Stefan Hurtak, BSc MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

Inventory management plays a central role in logistics. Using the example of a company in the food industry, some important aspects of this field are discussed. In the beginning, key performance indicators for the inventory management of this company are developed. The service level is the most important performance indicator in this context, because it effectively reflects the actual fulfilment of customer demand. It is subsequently combined with stock turnover, turnover ratio, spoilage rate and average remaining shelf life at delivery to form a concept for a performance measurement system. Connections and interdependencies between these figures are also explained. Through the analysis of data provided by the company and a thorough literature review, SKU-classification can be identified as the most eligible method to improve the inventory management of this particular company. After a general introduction to SKU-classification and some of its methods, one classification model and its advantages over classical models are explored in detail. Following an analysis of the data provided by the company using this model, the significance of opportunity costs is examined. The detailed treatment of the selection of an appropriate target service level in the context of SKU-classification results in the suggestion of an iterative heuristic for target service level determination. Finally, an action plan to improve the inventory management of the company is presented. The ascertainment of stock-outs and opportunity costs is the most important step in this action plan, because it will enable the company to use the classification model as described earlier as well as the service level.

Complete Thesis in the University of Graz Library

Author: Gabriel Malli, BA B.A. (Econ.) MA

Study Program: Sociology

Abstract:

The present thesis deals with the legal market for cannabis plants, cultivation equipment and consumption paraphernalia in Graz from a sociological perspective. Applying concepts by Pierre Bourdieu, I consider the local cannabis branch an economic field which is structured by legal boundaries and cultural orientations of the active entrepreneurs. Regarding empirical data from twelve qualitative structured interviews with owners of so-called Head Shops and Grow Shops conducted in the summer of 2017, I first trace the history of the local field. Subsequently, I analyze strategies applied by the entrepreneurs to cope with the precarious legal framework, reduce risk and enhance field-specific legal capital. Furthermore, I will show that firms try to influence the legal and political environment in their favor. Also, entrepreneurs’ cultural orientations structure the field as they produce distinct commercial models, processes of production and business targets. From this, I reconstruct three cultural oppositions within the local field which represent divergent approaches to business in the cannabis branch and which became evident during the ongoing expansion of the market.

Author: Sandra Pfister, BA BA MA MA

Study Program: Sociology

Abstract:

As disasters – like social phenomena in general – lack an inherent meaning, they have to be interpreted. For this purpose, actors apply collective knowledge – i.e. frames functioning as guidelines to perception and interpretation of and acting among phenomena. These frames do not exist in a social vacuum but they are embedded in the structures of the social realm: Ideas concretise themselves in institutions and therefore gain stability over time. Simultaneously, ideas are legitimizing the institutions and therefore ensure their continuity. But the issue of which ideas will become guiding principles of institutional arrangements is neither a question of the functionality of the institutions nor of the plausibility of ideas but more a question of the interests and the power relations of actors who want to realize these ideas (e.g., that they believe in them or that their interests are served). Eventually the issue is to focus on the connection between the symbolic sphere of the disaster and the institutional arrangements of disaster management, whilst keeping the relevant actors and their interests and power relations in mind. The study is an attempt to analyse these relations: the institutional structures of the Austrian disaster management system on the one hand and on the other the cultural framings in the context of a disaster. This will be accomplished by implementing a case study - a mudslide in St. Lorenzen 2012 – in order to demonstrate how the established social order can be – as often stated – maintained in the face of the disaster that actually challenges these structures by upholding specific ideas and, if so, additional stabilizing mechanisms.

Author: Manfred Bacher, BSc MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

This master thesis deals about a medium-term production planning model for an Upper Aus-trian automotive-supplier named MARK Metallwarenfabrik GmbH. At the beginning the main focus is put on the complex supply chain network structures of the global automotive industry and the resulting problems for the involved suppliers. The reasons for the big problems, especially concerning the production planning process, are explained in the theoretical part of this work. After a detailed formulation of the challenges for automotive-suppliers, some theoretical problem solutions are defined. These solutions are structured in general cross-company standards and some inter-company solutions found in the common literature. The cross-company standards to eliminate the production planning problems cannot be used in general. Some suppliers need additional inter-company solutions for an effective and efficient production planning process. Therefore, some general production planning models, especially lot sizing and scheduling models like the CLSP, DLSP and GLSP, are mentioned. Not all the models can be used for the complex planning structures of the global automotive industry. So the main goal of this thesis is the development of a special medium-term production planning model for the MARK. Because of the complex modelling structures, it is necessary to create an own heuristic solution method. The developed heuristic is based on a Threshold Accepting mechanism with a local search algorithm, which then was implemented in Python. To check if the heuristic solution procedure is applicable to real life data problems, some test instances with nearby real life data were solved. The computing results were then compared due to their practicability for the real life planning process at MARK. Overall the result was satisfying and the production planning model was implemented in the company’s planning process.

Author: Lisa Baumgartner, BSc MSc MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

The implementation of the University Act in 2002 (UG 2002) has enforced a significant change among Universities in Austria. Management and leadership tools have been implemented and quality orientation as well as performance orientation have become far more important. In this context, additional sources of financing are necessary in order to keep up with the international competition. However, so far it is still not clear which factors help to generate third-party funding. Therefore, first of all this master thesis aims to answer the arising question of how the University landscape in Austria looks like with a particular focus after the implementation of the UG 2002. Especially due to the increasing orientation towards competition among Universities in Austria, the importance of the individual heads of the departments for raising third-party funding has to be identified as research in this area still reveals a gap. In order to close this gap, an empirical investigation has been carried out, with 214 heads of Austrian departments in scientific as well as technical areas to determine which characteristic features the heads of departments, who are crucial for raising third-party funding, display. The investigation was carried out through a quantitative content analysis, where available CV’s and data from the Austrian Commercial Register were analyzed. The results reveal that the majority of people gained their first work experience at the University and around 30 % gained economic experience during the course of their professional career, as well as 36 % have already taken over management responsibilities. The data was evaluated descriptively and should serve as basis for further research in this area.

Author: Bianca Weidinger, BSc MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

The aim of this master thesis is to discuss the several aspects, implications and influencing factors regarding the potential of manipulation of performance measures, focusing mainly on analytical studies and models. The presented models are based on the agency-theory, hence the basics of this theory are described at first. Based on that, the fact that performance measures can be manipulated is modelled because every performance measure can be manipulated to a certain extent. The analysis of the different methods of earnings manipulation shows that they have diverse effects on the optimal design of the compensation contract and the manager’s incentives. Not only the principal has to consider the potential of manipulation, regulators and standard setters have to do so as well. Accounting scandals in the past have led to several new regulations to reduce (earnings) manipulation by increasing the manager’s manipulation costs. Considering the fact that manipulation activities can be substitutes, a restriction of one form of manipulation can lead the manager to switch to an alternative manipulation activity. There can also be used more than one performance measure in the compensation contract to reduce the possibility of manipulation by the manager because of resulting interdependencies. However, the definition of the weights for the performance measures used is essential since the manager has an arbitrage opportunity and can engage in gaming. Finally, situations where the manager can manipulate the information process instead of the performance measure itself are analyzed. In summary the results of the discussed models and situations have shown that considering the potential of manipulation is crucial as it affects the manager’s incentives and the design of the optimal compensation contract.

Author: Claudia Maria Reiterer, BSc MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

Recently, sustainability has become a major quality feature for companies, which are increasingly assessed based on their attitude towards social responsibility. Experience has shown that corporations will only obtain social acceptance when acting transparently. The coverage of sustainability aspects established by law helps to meet the stakeholders’ call for economic, ecological and social information. The thesis at hand examines the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the most comprehensive multilateral code of conduct for responsible corporate management. A further focus will be laid on the so-called “Nachhaltigkeitsdiversitätsverbesserungsgesetz” (NaDiVeG), a binding national framework regarding the compilation of reports dealing with non-financial information of Austrian businesses. An empirical analysis will examine to what extent the findings of sustainability-publications of ten quoted corporations meet the OECD Guidelines. While aspects such as environment, consumer interests or competition are covered sufficiently, the compilation of reports concerning taxation appears to be deficient. A further investigation, dealing with whether the OECD Guidelines can work as a basis of reporting in the implementation of the NaDiVeG, has revealed controversial results. In the form of the NFI Guideline, the NaDiVeG claims information on four topics, namely environmental, social & workplace-related issues, human rights, corruption & bribery. Even though the OECD Guidelines contain recommendations concerning these four topics, they lack concrete non-financial performance indicators. Thus, they should only be used alongside other reporting standards such as the GRI Guidelines.

Complete Thesis in the University of Graz Library

Author: Teresa Kager, BSc MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

The separation of income achievement and income use or, more precisely, the demarcation of a taxpayer’s operating and private sphere happens to be a common problem concerning taxation – such as in the case of hobby activities. Whenever these two areas must be separated for tax purposes, conflicts may arise. The fact that the taxation on hobby losses is a "bone of contention" between taxpayers and tax authorities was recognised not only in the existing literature, but is also confirmed in consideration of the number of decisions by the Austrian Administrative Court. This master thesis has carried out an empirical analysis of the rulings of the Austrian Administrative Court on the subject of hobbies as a tax-related issue. The aim was to identify those activities which are the most common cause of dispute in view of hobby losses and to derive regulation gaps or need for reforms from it so that eventually a recommendation can be given to the legislator or regulator (Ministry of Finance). The first part of the thesis deals with the legal circumstances of the topic, whereas the second part is formed by the judgement analysis. Almost 400 decisions of the Administrative Court were collected and evaluated for common characteristics and similarities in the underlying situations. Using absolute and relative frequencies, the renting of living space (particularly in form of freehold flats) was identified as the most conflictual activity. Besides, the implausibility or incorrectness of the forecasting – which is directly linked to the renting as it serves as a proof of its earnings capacity – was the most frequent cause for the – in the taxpayer’s view negative – outcome of the proceedings. Therefore, the absence of clear legal requirements regarding the preparation of the forecasting was recognised. Hence, the enactment of guideline values with regard to particular parameters of the forecasting could be formulated as one of the recommended actions for legislature.

Author: Wolfgang Toferer, BSc MSc

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

The implementation of the “right-of-use” approach in the new leasing standard IFRS 16 will lead to the capitalization of a vast majority of operating-leases. As a consequence, the new lease accounting standard will have a substantial impact on the financial reporting of lessees. This study aims to assess the prospective impact on the financial statements through the transition from IAS 17 to IFRS 16. Thereby, the primary focus will be on examining the effects of the constructive capitalization of operating-leases on a set of Austrian and German listed entities. In the first part of the thesis, the regulatory changes in lease accounting will be analyzed in order to develop a conceptual understanding for the following empirical research. However, the main goal of this thesis will be achieved through an empirical investigation of the potential effects of the future capitalization of operating-leases. Therefore, the study uses a simulation model, which is principally based on the method of constructive capitalization of Imhoff et al. (1991), while being modified for company-specific reasons. The main results of the study show material impact of the constructive capitalization on liabilities as well as on long-term assets. Otherwise, the capitalization of operating-leases will only have minor effects on the positions of the income statement, which has been already observed in the previous empirical literature. Furthermore, the implementation of the new lease accounting model could have a significant impact on some key financial ratios of entities, whereby the effects should not be overstated. Certainly, entities of the industry groups “Telecommunications”, “Technology”, “Other Consumer Goods” and “Consumer Services” can expect a material capitalization impact through the application of IFRS 16. These results provide further evidence of the material effects of the new leasing standard.

Complete Thesis in the University of Graz Library

Author: Mag. Bernd Koller, B.A. (Econ.) MSc (Econ.)

Study Program: Political and Empirical Economics

Abstract:

Based on the Austrian EU-SILC 2011 data, this master thesis aims for both male and female employees at estimating the effect of education and the direct effect of social origin on earnings across the conditional earnings distribution, as well as of an interaction effect between social origin and education. This is accomplished by applying quantile regression (QR) and instrumental variable quantile regression (IVQR). Regarding the conventional QR, in almost every instance significant direct effects of social origin are found. There is indication that the direct effect of social origin is stronger at the top of the conditional earnings distribution. The returns to education are almost uniformly significant in the conventional QR, both regarding the operationalization of education via years of schooling and the usage of educational degrees. The returns to education are found to increase by trend along the conditional earnings distribution. In the case of male employees for the upper part of the conditional earnings distribution and for female employees for the middle part of the distribution, also significant and substantial interaction effects between education and social origin are encountered in the conventional QR-analysis. In these instances, the returns to education are the lower, the higher the social background, and the effect of social origin is the smaller, the higher the educational level, respectively. For male employees, in the IVQR nearly universally significant returns to education are found that are by trend increasing along the conditional earnings distribution and are larger than in the conventional QR. The direct effect of social origin and the interaction effect between social origin and education are significant only at the upper part of the conditional earnings distribution. For female employees, the returns to education are small and not significant in the IVQR-analysis, though this finding to some degree depends on the instrument applied.

Complete Thesis in the University of Graz Library

Author: Alexander Marbler, B.A. (Econ.) MSc (Econ.)

Study Program: Political and Empirical Economics

Abstract:

This master's thesis examines the energy transition gap faced in local communities and shows how different policy tools support pro-environmental behavior. I am gradually building a game-theoretic model where heterogeneous agents non-cooperatively choose their emission abatement levels: some individuals have moral concerns about the ideal level of emission abatement and dislike deviating from it, while others do not have such concerns about the environment. I find that agents with environmental preferences choose higher abatement levels than agents without such preferences. The total abatement level, moreover, increases with the number of agents with environmental preferences and the intensity of their moral concerns. The local community, however, fails to achieve the socially optimal total abatement level because of free-riding behavior; policy intervention is needed: both subsidies for emission abatement and command \& control increase the total abatement level in the local economy. The price incentive proves to be less effective for agents with environmental preferences than for agents without such preferences. Furthermore, the subsidy needed to attain a certain level of total abatement decreases in the number of agents with environmental preferences and the intensity of their moral concerns. A minimum standard for emission abatement which binds for all agents forces each agent to choose the prescribed minimum level of abatement. If the standard binds only for agents without environmental preferences, only these agents choose the abatement level defined by the standard. The private pay-off maximizing abatement levels for agents with environmental preferences, on the other hand, decrease. Nevertheless, the total abatement level still increases.

Complete Thesis in the University of Graz Library

Author: Dr. Gregor Jurkovic

Study Program: Business Administration

Abstract:

Das Ziel dieser Dissertation ist es zu erforschen ob, im welchem Ausmaß und wie Kreditinstitute für politische Zwecke in der NS-Zeit benutzt wurden und hat sich diese Nutzung, gemessen an einem „Benchmark“ zum Vor- oder Nachteil dieser Kreditinstitute entwickelt. Die Forschung bedurfte einer Methodenvielfalt: im „Top-Down-Ansatz“ wurde gefragt, wie sich rechtliche, politische und wirtschaftliche Verhältnisse auf den Bankbetrieb auswirkten. Dafür führten wir eine Bilanzanalyse (Zeitvergleich, Betriebsvergleich) durch. Im „Bottom-Up-Ansatz“ wurde die Kreditierungspolitik anhand einzelner Kreditfälle mit Hilfe der Aktenanalyse, erforscht. Wir stellten Veränderungen im Zeitvergleich und im Betriebsvergleich fest. Unterschiede waren durch die juristische Form und die Rüstungsrelevanz eines Kreditinstitutes bedingt. Die Kernaufgabe von Kreditinstituten wurde schrittweise zum Erliegen gebracht. Ab 1942 wurden Kreditinstitute de facto zu Geldsammelstellen umgestaltet. Die Gelder wurden in Staatswertpapiere veranlagt. Im Betriebsvergleich stellten wir Unterschiede gegenüber den schweizerischen Kreditinstituten fest. Einzelne Kreditfälle lassen auf ein selektives Vorgehen bei Kreditvergaben schließen, welches entweder rein politisch oder rüstungsrelevant motiviert war. Unsere Hypothesen wurden bejahend beantwortet. Die politischen Veränderungen nach dem „Anschluss“ wirkten sich deutlich auf den Bankbetrieb aus. Die Kreditinstitute wurden in ideologische Vorhaben und später in die Rüstungsproduktion eingespannt. Dies führte bei Steiermärkischen und Kärntner Kreditinstituten ausschließlich zu deren Nachteil und endete im Jahr 1945 im deren Zusammenbruch. (available in German only)

Author: Julia Teschinegg, BSc MSc

Study Program: Business Education and Development

Abstract:

This master thesis deals with the problem of qualification of elderly unemployed in Austria. Based on an extensive literature research, the thesis aims at answering the research question "What are the challenges concerning the qualification of elderly unemployed in Austria and in which ways does the Austrian labour market policy already account for these difficulties?" The specific challenges which elderly unemployed have to face can have various causes. On the one hand, elderly unemployed face a greater risk of a devaluation of their qualifications, and on the other hand, they can experience difficulties with obtaining new qualifications. There are various factors that affect the risk of dequalification of elderly unemployed: change in qualifications of the Austrian population, change in labour demand concerning qualifications due to technological advances, deterioration of the qualifications and the learning ability due to activities which demand too little from someone and are carried out for years. There are many reasons why it is difficult for elderly unemployed to acquire new qualifications. One reasons it that they are not used to learning and studying anymore. Another reason why elderly unemployed experience difficulties with gaining new qualifications is that they doubt the meaningfulness and the success of learning efforts. A third reason is a lack of learning that is integrated into working, and a fourth reason is the profound significance of in-company qualification on the Austrian employment market. In respect of these specific challenges in connection with qualification measures regarding the labour market policy, the advantages of labour foundations are pointed out and emphasized. Moreover, potentials for improvement are deduced from the results of various studies and from the fact that the elderly use different ways of learning compared to younger people.

Complete Thesis in the University of Graz Library

Author: Denise Bernadett Diex, Bakk. MSc

Study Program: Business Education and Development

Abstract:

Globalization and migration lead to an increasingly heterogeneous living and working environment. The handling of cultural diversity within the professional and social life demands intercultural competence. In order to prepare students for upcoming issues in this regard, measures of intercultural learning need to be implemented in schools. The aim of this master thesis is to clarify the importance of intercultural competence for the education at business colleges and to show the potential usage of intercultural trainings. In the beginning of chapter 2 theoretical essentials of intercultural competence and intercultural learning are presented. Afterwards, the curriculum of 2014 and the educational standards for internationality are analyzed in order to derive the curricular aims of intercultural competence for business colleges. After clarifying the demand for measures of intercultural learning, the aims, application areas, types and methods of intercultural trainings are described in theory in chapter 3. Subsequently, the conception of intercultural trainings – with an emphasis on the determination of training designs – is covered in chapter 4. In order to outline the potentials of intercultural trainings for business colleges, curricular possibilities for subject related, interdisciplinary and cross-cluster usage are shown in chapter 5. Furthermore, important success factors and specific challenges of using intercultural trainings in schools are discussed. In chapter 6 a definite possibility for realizing an intercultural training in the Business Behaviour lesson is demonstrated through a theoretical conception. Based on a didactical rough planning for the subject area of refuge and asylum, cross-cluster extension possibilities are finally displayed to highlight the variety of potentials.

Complete Thesis in the University of Graz Library