Bachelor's Seminar
SM 452 for Bachelor's program (Business Informatics)
General Information
| Lecturer | Prof. Dr. Armin Heinzl |
|---|---|
| Course Format | Seminar |
| Credit Points | 5 ECTS (WI after Fall 2013), 4 ECTS (WI before Fall 2013) |
| Language | English |
| Grading | Seminar paper (70%), presentation (20%), discussion (10%) |
| Exam Date | See course information below |
| Information for Students | Registration: Please see information below! |
Désirée Zercher, M.Sc.
Contact person for Bachelor's Seminar
For further information please contact Désirée Zercher.
Course Information
New Frontiers in Digital Transformation
Brief Description
Digital technologies and the ever-growing amounts of data are radically reshaping our daily lives as well as the economy. Embedded at the very core of the products, operations, and strategies of many organizations, digital technologies are rapidly transforming existing businesses throughout all industries. New market offerings, business processes, as well as business models are emerging around the use of these digital technologies, yielding digital innovation1. The pervasive nature of digital technology is fundamentally transforming our understanding of information systems (IS), especially regarding their development, coordination, use, and the way we interact with them. At our chair, we offer a wide range of research topics in IS, focusing on new digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). In our research, we take human-computer interaction, system design, value creation or organizational perspectives.
In our seminar, we will examine the design of digital technologies as well as their impact on individuals and organizations. In doing so, we link the offered topics to our ongoing research, which has been and is currently being published at leading international outlets.
1. Nambisan, S., Lyytinen, K. & Yoo, Y. Handbook of Digital Innovation. 2–12 (2020) doi:10.4337/9781788119986.00008.
Interested in learning more about digital innovation? Feel free to have a look at our master course IS 607 (https://www.bwl.uni-mannheim.de/en/heinzl/teaching/digital-innovation/) and/
or see Nambisan, S., Lyytinen, K. & Yoo, Y. Handbook of Digital Innovation, (2020), doi:10.4337/9781788119986. Objectives of the Seminar
In this seminar, you will acquire the ability to identify, classify, and evaluate existing research. You will learn how to develop your own research agenda as well as to present and discuss it with the participants of the seminar. You will be taught different techniques of scientific work and writing so that you will be prepared in the best possible way for the conception and writing of your Master's thesis. We offer various different topic areas, which hopefully raise your interest.
Spring 2025
Registration
You may register via our online registration tool (accessible inside the university network or via VPN). During the registration period, you can select the seminar in the registration form (under ‘Application Details’ à ‘Purpose’)
Registration period: see schedule
Requirements:
- Short informal letter of motivation (maximum 1 page):
Please select a topic and give reasons for your choice, i.e., what are you particularly interested in and what do you want to learn. Please also provide two alternative topics.
- Provide your CV and your transcript of records.
We will not consider applications via e-mail or with incomplete data in the registration tool.
Topics
Students are asked to write a short letter of motivation (maximum 1 page) to choose a topic and briefly justify your choice. This letter of motivation will be considered as the key reference for seminar entry, in addition to the CV and the transcript of records.
Explainable AI, Counterfactual Reasoning As artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly shapes critical decisions across domains, understanding its decisions becomes essential. Counterfactual explanations provide one approach to illuminate AI decisions by revealing how specific input changes would affect outcomes. These explanations can offer insights into causal relationships and provide actionable guidance for users. While counterfactuals are commonly applied structured (tabular) data, their application to unstructured data—text, images, and time series—presents significant challenges. Unstructured data's high dimensionality complicates counterfactual generation: text modifications must preserve grammar and coherence, image changes must maintain visual plausibility, and time series require temporal consistency. These challenges require advanced methods for generating meaningful counterfactuals. This seminar thesis explores algorithms and techniques for generating counterfactual explanations in unstructured data domains. It examines recent advancements, identifies key challenges like plausibility and complexity, and discusses applications in fields such as healthcare. Florian Rüffer Team-AI Collaboration, AI Team Members Generative AI systems, such as Github Copilot, are transforming the day-to-day work of software developers. These systems can assist developers in various tasks. However, software development is often a team-based process where several developers collaborate on a single project. Despite the potential of these AI tools, little is known about how generative AI systems impact collaboration, organizational learning, and knowledge transfer among software developers. This seminar thesis should systematically review the literature to answer the question of how generative AI changes (or does not change) collaboration and knowledge transfer during the software development process. It should also help identify whether AI benefits or harms these processes and their impact on the overall effectiveness of software development. Desiree Zercher Data Network Effects in Software Platforms In the digital economy, software platforms have become pivotal in shaping competitive landscapes. Data network effects are a key driver of competitive advantage, arising when user-generated data enhances platform functionality, attracting more users and creating a self-reinforcing cycle. Unlike traditional network effects, data network effects leverage machine learning and data-driven insights to improve service quality and innovation. This seminar thesis will conduct a literature review of Information Systems research to explore how software platforms utilize data network effects to achieve scalability, sustain competitiveness, and shape market dynamics in the context of GenAI. Students will gain insights into the role of data in platform ecosystems, data-driven business models, and strategic challenges in leveraging data network effects. A good place to start: Gregory et al. 2021: https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/134220/1/WRAP-role-artificial-intelligence-data-network-creating-user-value-Henfridsson-2020.pdf Chen et al. 2024 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Liang-Chen-92/publication/383426140_Algorithm_Envelopment_in_Platform_Markets/links/66cd03d475613475fe7f506e/Algorithm-Envelopment-in-Platform-Markets.pdf Tobias Maier Digital Fashion Artefacts 1 – Automation of Avatar Creation The creation of 3D avatars using AI is transforming digital marketing and online interactions. With advanced AI methods, we can generate 3D avatars for various applications, from virtual reality to social media. This seminar thesis will explore the current state of algorithms used for automating avatar generation. In this thesis, the student will conduct a structured literature review to identify and analyze existing AI algorithms for 3D avatar creation. The aim is to understand the capabilities, limitations, and contexts in which these algorithms are applied. The research can cover methods for both the generation of new avatars (e.g. rigs, textures). Additionally, the thesis will examine how these algorithms have been evaluated and validated, focusing on their realism, quality, and adaptability, and whether they were compared with manually created avatars. The thesis should provide insights into the effectiveness of AI in producing engaging and realistic virtual characters. Applicants should have a background in computer science or a related field, with an interest in AI and/ or digital marketing. Experience with programming and AI frameworks is advantageous. Rosa Holtzwart Digital Fashion Artefacts 2 – Virtual Try on The rise of Virtual Try-On (VTO) technologies has revolutionised how consumers interact with products in digital spaces, particularly in fashion and e-commerce. By allowing users to visualise how clothing, accessories, or cosmetics appear on personalised avatars, VTO offers an engaging and immersive shopping experience. However, the implementation of VTO extends beyond technological innovation, raising critical questions about user perception, behavioural responses, and the broader implications for consumer decision-making and business models. Existing research underscores the potential of VTO to enhance purchase intention and satisfaction, particularly through features like self-avatar customisation and real-time interaction. Nonetheless, there is a need to consolidate and deepen understanding of the theories, methodologies, and outcomes related to VTO. This seminar thesis invites students to conduct a structured literature review on VTO, exploring its development, application, and influence on consumer behaviour. The aim is to synthesise existing findings to shed light on: Theoretical frameworks explaining the user-avatar relationship in VTO contexts, such as self-congruity and social presence. Technological considerations, including realism, beautification, and personalization of avatars. User outcomes, such as engagement, trust, purchase intention, and long-term behavioural shifts. By providing a comprehensive overview of the literature on VTO, the thesis will contribute to advancing knowledge in this rapidly evolving field, with implications for both academic research and industry practice. Rosa Holtzwart Manipulation and AI This seminar thesis investigates literature on the use of technology in manipulation and examines how generative AI (genAI) amplifies existing manipulative strategies while enabling new forms of influence. The ability to manipulate human perceptions, decisions, and behaviors is central to a range of societal phenomena, including targeted advertising, political propaganda, and behavioral nudging. This literature review will synthesize studies from disciplines such as psychology, management, information systems, and ethics to understand the mechanisms of technological manipulation. The goal is to integrate insights on traditional manipulation methods with recent advancements in genAI to explore how this technology reshapes the manipulation landscape. Furthermore, the thesis will evaluate mitigation strategies, including technical, regulatory, and ethical frameworks, to address the risks posed by AI-driven manipulation and propose avenues for future research. Deborah Mateja Mobile Health Technologies Topic 1 (Context-Adaptiveness): Mobile health applications (mHealth) are promising tools for promoting healthy behaviors, but their effectiveness depends on sustained user engagement and prolonged use. One way to increase and ensure long-term engagement with mHealth are context-adaptive personalization strategies. In this seminar thesis students are expected to search for, review, and analyze studies on adaptive mHealth technologies designed to promote healthy behaviors, such as regular physical activity. The focus will be on how these technologies leverage contextual information for personalization, feedback adaptation, and enhancing social interaction. Key considerations include the types of contextual data collected, methods of data gathering, and strategies employed to ensure user privacy and data protection. Mechthild Pieper Mobile Health Technologies Topic 2 (Engagement Strategies): Mobile health technologies (mHealth) are promising tools for supporting individuals' behavior change, but their effectiveness depends on sustained user engagement and prolonged use durations – challenges that persist despite extensive research on how to increase engagement over longer use durations. The primary goal of this thesis is to investigate and evaluate the engagement strategies employed in mHealth applications, as reported in major Information Systems and Health journals. The review will also examine which strategies are most effective, how app use has been measured and quantified in existing studies, and whether the identified strategies are universally applicable or context-specific. The findings will provide insights into best practices and guide future research on designing engaging mHealth technologies. Mechthild Pieper IS Affordances Topic 3 (IS Affordances): The concept of technology affordances is a key topic in discussions surrounding Information Systems (IS) use and its outcomes. Originally rooted in ecological psychology, the idea of affordances has become a prominent lens for examining IS use over a decade ago. Since then, extensive research has expanded and refined the understanding of IS affordances. However, this body of research remains dispersed across various studies, papers, and journals, making a comprehensive summary of recent developments and their implications difficult to access. For this seminar thesis, students are expected to conduct a thorough review, analysis, and synthesis of the literature on IS affordances. The objective is to provide a comprehensive overview of how this theoretical concept is understood, applied, and utilized in IS research. Good starting points are: ● Chemero, A. (2003). An Outline of a Theory of Affordances. Ecological Psychology, 15(2), 181–195. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326969ECO1502_5 ● Volkoff, O., & Strong, D. M. (2017). Affordance theory and how to use it in IS research. In R. D. Galliers & M.-K. Stein (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to Management Information Systems (1st ed., pp. 232–245). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315619361-18 ● Markus, M. L., & Silver, M. (2008). A Foundation for the Study of IT Effects: A New Look at DeSanctis and Poole’s Concepts of Structural Features and Spirit. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 9(10), 609–632. https://doi.org/10.17705/1jais.00176 Mechthild Pieper Nudges; User Behavior; IS Use The increasing frequency and intensity of heat waves, driven by climate change, pose significant challenges to public health, infrastructure, and daily life. Information systems (IS) play a crucial role in addressing these challenges by facilitating adaptive behavior and mitigating risks. Developers of IS have an opportunity to nudge individuals to adopt behaviors that reduce heat-related risks, such as staying hydrated, reducing or changing the location of outdoor activity during peak heat, and using cooling measures effectively. IS technologies can leverage dynamic environmental and behavioral data—such as local temperature, user health metrics, and activity patterns—to deliver personalized nudges. However, little is known about how these systems can best encourage behavior change during heat waves. This seminar paper will explore how nudges, tailored messages, and dynamic adaptations can influence behavior to reduce the impacts of extreme heat. Dr. Monica Fallon Platform ecosystems, platform launch, Artificial Intelligence Software platforms have fundamentally transformed global industries, as prominent and successful examples such as Google, Microsoft, or Apple show. These enterprises have demonstrated the immense potential of platforms to drive innovation and foster interactions. Notably, platform business models have flourished in markets in which information technology is a central part of the final product. Despite the success stories of existing platforms, achieving platform ignition and establishing a sustainable competitive position remains a key challenge for platform owners, especially in nascent phases of platform development. In light of the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a core technological driver, the question is whether the principles and strategies of traditional platform business models are applicable to AI-centric platforms, such as OpenAI’s API ecosystem and Hugging Face, which adopt platform strategies. In a seminar thesis within this topic area, students are expected to review extant platform research focusing on the determinants of growth in early phases of platform development and elaborate on their applicability to AI-platform contexts. Dr. André Halckenhäußer Course Outline & Schedule
Event Deadline Deliverables Registration period 03.02. – 06.02.2025 (23:59) – Register via online registration tool – Include your CV, transcript of records, and your letter of motivation Notification of acceptance/ rejection 13.02.2025 (noon) Deadline for drop out 14.02.2025 (noon) Kick-off meeting 18.02.2025, 15:00 pm – 15:45 pm Room: A001, L 15, 1–6 – Participate in the introductory kick-off session – Contact and meet your advisor Milestone 1 04.03.2025 Submit first draft to your advisor – Detailed outline – List of literature Milestone 2 01.04.2025 Submit second draft to your advisor – Table of contents – Introduction: fully formulated – Methodology: fully formulated – Results: structured draft – Discussion: structured draft Seminar paper submission 15.04.2025 (noon) – Send your seminar paper by 12:00 noon in PDF format to Désirée Zercher (zercher@uni-mannheim.de) and add the e-mail address of the chair's secretariat (wifo1@uni-mannheim.de) as CC. – Submit two hard copies to the secretary's office as soon as possible after the deadline. – Send a digital version of the seminar paper (in PDF format) by e-mail to your supervisor Slide deck submission 29.04.2025 (noon) – Optional: Request feedback on presentation in advance from your supervisor – Send your presentation in PDF format via e-mail to Désirée Zercher Final presentation 27.05.2025 & ggf. 28.05.2025 Room: Experience Lab – Attend and actively participate in the discussion on the seminar day – Present and discuss your seminar paper in the joint workshop – Discuss and Literature
- Webster, J., & Watson, R. (2002). Analyzing the Past to Prepare for the Future: Writing a Literature Review. MIS Q., 26.
- Leidner, Dorothy E. (2018) “Review and Theory Symbiosis: An Introspective Retrospective,” Journal of the Association for Information Systems: Vol. 19 : Iss. 6 , Article 1.
To access the literature you have to be in the VPN of the University of Mannheim.