Students who are interested in writing their master's thesis at our chair can generally choose between writing a research-oriented or an industry-related thesis.
Prerequisite for writing a master's thesis at our department is the successful completion of a seminar MKT 7X0 at one of the marketing chairs (LS Homburg MKT 710, LS Stahl MKT 720, LS Kuester MKT 730, LS Kraus MKT 740 or LS Vomberg MKT 750).
We recommend that students write their master’s thesis at the same chair where they wrote their seminar paper as this allows for an early involvement in the research and project work of the respective chair.
Advisor: Alin Schröder
In the face of evolving regulatory standards and consumer expectations, Digital Product Passports (DPPs) offer a promising means of enhancing transparency and traceability throughout the product lifecycle. DPPs not only support sustainability goals but also offer strategic value across various business functions, from enhancing supply chain transparency to informing consumers and aiding regulatory compliance. However, successful implementation comes with challenges, as multiple business functions must work together to align their goals, processes, and data requirements to fully leverage DPPs.
This master’s thesis aims to (1) investigate the strategic and operational value propositions DPPs hold for companies, (2) analyze how DPPs are effectively integrated across broader business functions such as marketing, operations, and sustainability, (3) identify the operational and technical challenges companies encounter when implementing DPPs, and (4) explore methods for overcoming these barriers to achieve cohesive integration across organizational structures. Through expert interviews with professionals across multiple business functions, the thesis will provide actionable insights into the cross-functional impact of DPPs and practical strategies for effective implementation.
The selection of underlying theories, formulation of specific research questions, and the methodology can be determined individually. This master’s thesis may also be written in German.
Advisor: Nicola Weber
Artificial intelligence offers promising opportunities for new product development. Despite the reported benefits of AI in new product development, the adoption rate seems quite low. Potential impediments to adoption are outlined based on numerous studies. Recognizing potential hurdles and opportunities at an early stage makes it possible to develop a holistic strategy for the successful implementation of AI in new product development.
Concerning this background, the superordinate goals of this master thesis are (1) to review and systemize relevant academic literature, (2) to identify success factors and potential hurdles of AI applications in new product development (cross-industry), and (3) to elaborate which managerial implications can be derived. Expert interviews might be conducted to analyze this topic. More specific research questions and the way of inquiry can be determined individually.
This master's thesis may also be written in German.
Advisor: Rebecca Boritzki
One way for companies to remain competitive is to implement personalized pricing. Personalized pricing is a strategy that sets different prices for the same product based on a customer's purchase history, location, and browsing behavior. While it may increase sales opportunities, it simultaneously may also risk customer loyalty or consumer trust.
The superordinate goals of this master's thesis are (1) to review and systemize relevant academic literature, (2) to identify consequences for customer perceptions, and (3) to offer insights for businesses looking to improve their pricing strategy by examining how personalized pricing affects customer responses in different retail contexts, such as e-commerce vs. brick-and-mortar.
For the investigation of this topic, an experiment or a survey could be meticulously designed, with specific research questions and methodology tailored to the unique aspects of the study. This master's thesis also offers the flexibility of being completed in German.
Advisor: Aline Lanzrath
In today's business world, companies such as LinkedIn and OpenAI exemplify the customer-centric B2C2B approach, which has emerged as a distinctive approach in which companies target intermediary users to facilitate connections and attract business customers. Unlike the traditional B2B or B2C models, B2C2B is navigated through intermediary entities (e.g. employees) that play a pivotal role in mediating transactions between companies (e.g. employees asking the company for access to premium features and purchase decisions). Understanding the dynamics of B2C2B transactions is an interesting area of research that offers insights into the complex interplay between companies, intermediaries and end consumers.
This master's thesis aims to fill this gap by investigating the success factors of such customer-centric businesses within the B2C2B paradigm. The main objectives are (1) to review and systematize the relevant academic literature, case studies and academic literature on this approach, (2) to investigate the sales strategies used by LinkedIn and OpenAI to attract intermediary users to facilitate B2B connections (e.g. which value proposition works best for an employee to convince their company to adopt LinkedIn Premium), (3) analyzing the pricing models to meet the needs and preferences of different stakeholders within the B2C2B ecosystem, including end users, businesses and intermediary users. To analyze this topic, a series of expert interviews with industry experts should be conducted.
Advisor: Sebastian Junker
The delegation of pricing authority (PAD) from sales managers to representatives introduces a crucial strategic lever in optimizing sales force performance. However, the conditions under which this freedom in pricing delivers optimal outcomes remain underexplored.
This master thesis investigates the moderating factors—e.g., stakeholders’ interferences with the corporate decision to PAD —that influence the success of pricing delegation. Specifically, it (1) delves into when the optimalbalance of pricing freedom and decision effectiveness in companies can be reached, (2) empirically tests the impact of moderators on delegation outcomes, and (3) provides actionable recommendations for optimizing delegation practices in sales force management.
This master thesis may also be written in German.
Advisor: Sebastian Junker
Embracing the spotlight, the delegation of pricing authority from sales managers to representatives marks a pivotal shift in the dynamics of information flow within organizations. This shift potentially strengthens or mitigates the information asymmetry impacting effective decision-making.
This master thesis delves into the nuanced interplay between delegation and information asymmetry by (1) conceptualizing how the delegation between sales managers and representatives influences the information asymmetry dynamics among them and the customer, (2) validating empirically the effects of potential antecedents on pricing authority delegation, and (3) offer actionable insights for practitioners on optimizing sales force management and pricing strategies.
This master thesis may also be written in German.
Advisor: Sebastian Junker
Given current trends in individualization and personalization, organizations also face challenges regarding the decision for authority delegation in pricing. By acknowledging the diversity of each sales team member, organizations may harness the potential of PAD at the individual level. However, this comes with many issues concerning practicability and fairness.
This master thesis explores how tailoring the delegation of pricing authority affects its effectiveness in driving better pricing decisions. Specifically, it (1) conceptualizes the impact of individualized delegation on decision-making effectiveness within corporate structures, (2) empirically examines the outcomes of personalized delegation strategies in sales management, and (3) provides recommendations on how to practically individualize sales representatives’ decision authority to optimize pricing outcomes.
This master thesis may also be written in German.
Advisor: Florian Holz
Governments belong to the largest customers in the world. Every year, public authorities spend enormous amounts of money on goods and services. In fact, public procurement spending accounts for about 15% of the gross domestic product in many countries. Consequently, governmental customers can be highly lucrative for private companies. However, selling to governments differs from the B2B and B2C context in several dimensions. In particular, public buyers may have different priorities (e.g., public stakeholder interests vs. shareholder interests) and face different incentives (e.g., stability vs. innovation) than buyers from private companies.
Against this background, the superordinate goals of this master thesis are (1) to review and systemize literature on public procurement behavior, (2) to identify key drivers of public buyer behavior, and (3) to outline recommendations for suppliers on how to approach and persuade public buyers.
To analyze this topic, expert interviews or a survey might be conducted. More specific research questions and the way of inquiry can be determined individually.
This master thesis may also be written in German.
Advisor: Guzi Huang
Today, B2B companies are under increasing stakeholder pressure to integrate sustainable products into their supply chain. However, there is a lack of understanding of how individual B2B buyers make sustainable purchasing decisions, especially when faced with competing interests. In particular, it remains unclear what extrinsic and intrinsic motivations, both on the organizational and personal level, influence buyers’ purchasing decisions for sustainable products, especially their trade-offs between price and sustainability.
Against this background, the overall objectives of this thesis are (1) to review and systematize the relevant academic literature on buyer motivations in B2B purchasing decisions, (2) to provide an overview of the factors influencing B2B buyers’ purchasing decisions for sustainable products, and (3) to empirically investigate the influence of competing interests on buyers’ price-sustainability trade-offs in B2B purchasing decisions.
More specific research questions can be defined individually. The empirical study requires a semi-structured expert interview with B2B buyers. Please note that this thesis may only be written in English.
Advisor: Guzi Huang
With growing demand for sustainability, selling firms in B2B markets face the challenge of motivating B2B buyers to choose sustainable products, despite competing pressures related to cost, performance, and organizational goals. This thesis investigates how selling firms can influence sustainable purchasing decisions among B2B customers by integrating sustainable marketing and sales practices.
Key areas of focus may include:
The concrete research scope and the specific research questions can be defined individually. The empirical study requires a survey/
Advisor: Aline Lanzrath
In the rapidly evolving field of digital sales, the interplay between salespeople’s digital sales skills and a supportive psychological sales climate is emerging as a critical factor in sales performance. However, despite the pervasive influence of digitalization, academic attention to the interactions between digital competencies and the psychological climate within teams remains limited, particularly in the context of marketing and sales performance. For example, managers still do not know which salespeople’s competencies are most likely to thrive in which sales team climate (e.g., depending on whether it is competitive or collaborative, short-term or long-term goal-oriented, and extrinsic or intrinsic motivation-focused).
This Master’s thesis aims to fill this gap by systematically analyzing the relationship between digital sales competencies, psychological climate, and sales performance. The main objectives are (1) to review and systematize the relevant scientific literature on digital sales competencies and psychological climate in sales, (2) to identify interactions between competencies and climate that predict sales performance, and (3) to develop practical implications for HR and sales managers to help them manage the performance of their sales teams in the digital age. A survey or expert interviews may be used to analyse this topic.
Advisor: Sebastian Junker
In sales, there is a shift towards agile, cross-functional teams – “pods”, among others, concentrating expertise from different areas. Despite the tendencies toward agility and flexibility, especially KAM requires long-term planning and customer relationship management that focuses on growth over a long time rather than servicing existing customers (Gartner 2019). New, changing team structures call for a structural review of how to manage KAM teams considering all organizational success factors, amidst which incentivization and compensation have not been the focus so far.
Against this background, the superordinate goals of this master thesis are (1) to review and systemize relevant academic literature on team compensation, (2) to identify the antecedents as well as consequences of fixed versus variable pay on key account management teams, and (3) to discuss how firms can effectively adapt, optimize and customize their compensation structure as demanded by today’s team skills and role variety.
To analyze this topic, a survey or expert interviews might be conducted. More specific research questions and the way of inquiry can be determined individually.
This master thesis may also be written in German.
Advisor: Florian Holz
According to framing theory, the way in which messages are presented (“framed”) influences how receivers interpret the information and make decisions. In business-to-business (B2B) sales, framing theory may help to explain varying consumer responses to different value presentations. Relevant framing differences may occur along different factors. For example, salespeople may frame the value of their products and services as productivity gains or cost savings. Understanding how customers react to those framing differences in different selling situations can help salespeople to frame their value arguments effectively.
The superordinate goals of this master thesis are (1) to review relevant literature on framing in marketing and sales, (2) to examine customers’ response to key differences in value presentations under different conditions and (3) outline how companies can utilize framing effects for their sales activities.
To analyze this topic, expert interviews or a survey might be conducted. More specific research questions and the way of inquiry can be determined individually.
This master thesis may also be written in German.
Advisor: Rebecca Boritzki
Using data on past purchases, browsing habits, and even real-time context, brands can create highly relevant product recommendations that resonate with each consumer. But do higher levels of personalization go hand in hand with more positive consumer reactions, for example willingness to pay and word-of-mouth?
This master thesis aims to explore different levels of personalized product recommendations and corresponding consumer reactions by (1) conducting a literature review, (2) empirically investigating the effects of different personalization levels, and (3) giving recommendations for real-life marketing practice.
An experiment or a survey could be designed to investigate this topic, with specific research questions and methodology selected individually. This master's thesis may also be completed in German.
Advisor: Alicia Pett
In an increasingly digital shopping environment, reviews serve as critical sources of information; however, text-based reviews alone may lack the immediacy and clarity that visuals can provide. This study investigates how user-generated visuals contribute to review helpfulness by providing consumers with a more concrete, trustworthy view of products, addressing questions like authenticity, product quality, and practical use.
By examining the effects of these visuals, the superordinate goals of this master thesis are (1) to review and systemize relevant academic literature, (2) to identify what makes a review genuinely helpful, (3) to offer insights for businesses looking to improve their digital feedback strategies.
An experiment might be conducted to analyze this topic. More specific research questions and the method of inquiry can be determined individually.
This master thesis may also be written in German.
Advisor: Sebastian Junker
In the realm of sales, value selling has emerged as a powerful approach to winning over customers and forging lasting partnerships. But what truly drives success in value selling from a purchasing perspective? This research proposal embarks on a quest to unravel the key success factors behind being value sold changing the perspective to the buying side. By uncovering the secrets to mastering value selling, businesses can unlock untapped potential, forge enduring customer relationships, and achieve unparalleled success in today's competitive market.
Against this background, the superordinate goals of this master thesis are (1) to review and systemize literature on value selling with a particular focus on the purchasing perspective, (2) to identify the factors and barriers for value selling in the sales and key account management context, and (3) to elaborate on the consequences for firms giving an actionable recommendation for implementation.
To analyze this topic, a survey (e.g., conjoint analysis) or expert interviews might be conducted. More specific research questions and the way of inquiry can be determined individually.
This master thesis may also be written in German.
Advisor: Aline Lanzrath
Lately, more and more companies have been harnessing the power of influencing as part of their marketing and communication strategies. Defined as employees who use their personal digital platforms to communicate about company-related issues, corporate influencers play a crucial role in representing the organization to the public and communicating its core values. By sharing insights into their work and the company, they bridge the gap between the organization and the public, providing insights into products, services, and corporate values. As a result, companies expect to see tangible benefits in areas such as employer branding and employee engagement, as well as improvements in brand awareness, corporate image, and, ultimately, sales and profits.
However, the effectiveness of Corporate Influencers in achieving these ambitious goals remains a subject of debate. This Master’s thesis aims to delve into the nuances of Corporate Influencer Marketing by addressing the following research questions: (1) To what extent do Corporate Influencers contribute to achieving organizational goals? (2) Is the investment in corporate influencers justified, and if so, how should companies structure their relationships with these influencers to maximize benefits?
Against this background, the aims of this thesis are (1) to review and systematize the relevant academic literature on (corporate) influencer marketing and sales, (2) to identify the opportunities and risks of using corporate influencers, and (3) to elaborate on the contingencies that determine the overall success of influencers. To analyze this issue, a survey or expert interviews may be conducted.
Advisor: Aline Lanzrath
The world of marketing and sales is constantly changing due to constant organizational, scientific, technological and economic changes. To remain relevant, academic researchers must incorporate these trends into their research. But is this actually the case in today's academic research world, or do researchers lag behind the actual developments in the business world? The goal of this research is to identify trends in the scientific discourse in marketing and sales by examining temporal changes in the occurrence of words or expressions in research articles, identifying latent research topics and thus identifying trending issues. For this purpose, abstracts and articles published in the field of marketing in the years 2000 to 2020 might be analyzed with the help of tidytext in R.
If you are interested in any of the topics listed above, please contact the listed thesis advisor directly.
In case you would like to propose your own topic, please contact Alin Schröder.
Below, you may find industry-related topics that are either focused on current issues in specific industries or offered for research in cooperation with a particular company.
Currently, there are no topics available that have a specific industry focus.
Currently, there are no topics available that are based on a cooperation with a company.
If you have any questions concerning industry-related topics, please contact the respective thesis advisor directly. In case of inquiries about topics in cooperation with a company, please contact Alin Schröder.
Provided that you want to contact a company concering your master's thesis yourself, please get in touch with the staff at our chair beforehand.