Master's Thesis

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: 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: 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: 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.