Master's Thesis

Advisor: Matthias Kleinermann

This thesis examines how firms build and use pricing power in B2B markets. It analyzes drivers such as dependence asymmetry, competitive intensity, and data-based capabilities, and explores how these factors help firms strengthen pricing power. The study also examines how pricing power influences negotiation outcomes and firm performance, providing practical insights into value capture in interorganizational exchanges.

This thesis may be written in German.

Advisor: Moritz Trappmann

As sustainability becomes a central dimension of consumer choice, companies increasingly face the challenge of communicating credibly about products that require buyers to accept trade-offs in price, quality, or familiarity. This master's thesis aims to (1) investigate how individual risk propensity shapes consumers willingness to adopt sustainable product innovations, particularly when sustainability claims are accompanied by perceived performance or financial uncertainty, (2) analyze how signal credibility and brand trust moderate the relationship between risk propensity and adoption intention, and (3) identify consumer segments, defined by trait profiles and value orientations, that are most and least responsive to sustainability-framed product communication. Drawing on signaling theory and behavioral decision research, the thesis will provide strategic guidance for the market introduction of sustainable innovations.  

The integration of complementary theoretical perspectives, the formulation of specific research questions, and the methodology can be determined individually. This master's thesis may also be written in German.

Advisor: Matthias Kleinermann

This thesis examines how consumers perceive and respond to dynamic pricing in brick-and-mortar retail settings. It focuses on fairness, trust, and purchase intentions when prices change in-store via electronic shelf labels. Findings provide insights into consumer acceptance and potential risks associated with the adoption of dynamic pricing in offline retail.

This thesis may also be written in German.

Advisor: Matthias Kleinermann

This thesis examines how firms adopt and implement AI-based pricing in B2B markets. It analyzes antecedents such as managerial support, data infrastructure, and competitive intensity, and investigates how AI pricing influences perceived fairness, negotiation outcomes, and firm performance. Findings provide both theoretical insight and managerial guidance for AI-driven pricing strategies.

This thesis may also be written in German.

Advisor: Rebecca Boritzki

This thesis will review existing literature on dynamic pricing, psychological pricing, and the role of color in price perception, with the goal of mapping the largely unexplored intersection between visual price presentation and real-time price changes in retail environments. Building on this foundation, students will empirically investigate how retail prices shape consumer behavior. The findings are expected to contribute to the nascent literature on visual pricing communication and to provide actionable guidance for retailers seeking to implement new pricing strategies.

Advisor: Rebecca Boritzki

This thesis aims at reviewing existing literature on artificial intelligence in B2B sales, with a particular focus on how AI-assisted sales tools shape the dynamics of buyer-seller interactions. It explores the impact of AI support—such as real-time recommendation systems or AI-generated offer configurations—on key buyer perceptions. Applying an empirical research design, this thesis will investigate whether buyers respond differently depending on the degree of AI involvement in the sales process. The findings contribute to the growing literature on human-AI collaboration in sales and provide practical guidance for organizations seeking to integrate AI tools into their sales management.

Advisor: Alin Schröder

Growing regulatory scrutiny, stakeholder expectations, and societal debates about sustainability are reshaping how companies manage their supply chains and interact with suppliers. A key question is to what extent buyers are incentivized to integrate upstream responsibility into their supplier selection decisions. Are accountability considerations aligned with their performance targets and decision-making frameworks, or do traditional criteria such as cost, quality, and delivery still dominate?

This master’s thesis aims to (1) investigate the incentives that shape buyers’ willingness to account for upstream supply chain responsibility in supplier selection, (2) analyze how the presence – or absence – of such incentives influences procurement strategies and evaluation criteria, and (3) identify external and internal factors that determine whether accountability is prioritized in practice. Through expert interviews with purchasing managers and procurement specialists, the thesis will provide actionable insights into the role of incentivization in aligning buyer behavior with upstream supply chain responsibility.

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: Alin Schröder

As regulatory standards, societal expectations, and stakeholder scrutiny intensify, buyers are increasingly held accountable not only for their own practices but also for those of their suppliers. This development places transparency and information sharing at the center of modern B2B buyer-seller relationships. This master’s thesis aims to (1) investigate why and how buyers require transparency from their suppliers, and how these requirements are shaped by regulation, market pressure, and internal strategic priorities, (2) analyze the impact of transparency requirements on buyer-seller relationships, and (3) identify contingency factors – such as power dynamics, dependency structures, and trust levels – that influence whether transparency strengthens or strains these relationships. Through expert interviews with purchasing managers and supply chain professionals, the thesis will provide actionable insights into the role of transparency as both a requirement and a strategic lever in contemporary B2B contexts.

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: Alicia Pett

Women in sales encounter a distinctive set of challenges shaped by gender-specific barriers, heightened performance expectations, and persistent underrepresentation in leadership positions. These dynamics can intensify occupational stress and increase susceptibility to mental health concerns. In response, this study examines the mental health landscape of female sales professionals by identifying prevalent stressors and analyzing coping strategies at the personal, managerial, and organizational levels that may buffer against adverse outcomes.

Building on this foundation, the thesis pursues two primary objectives: (1) to uncover patterns in the mental health experiences of women in sales, and (2) to develop evidence-based, actionable interventions aimed at enhancing their well-being. 

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: Moritz Trappmann

As companies increasingly offer product customization, co-creation, and subscription-based ownership models, understanding when and why consumers develop feelings of psychological ownership over products and brands becomes strategically relevant. This master's thesis aims to (1) investigate which marketing-induced mechanisms, such as product personalization, brand co-creation, or endowment effects, trigger feelings of psychological ownership in consumers, (2) analyze how psychological ownership affects willingness to pay, brand loyalty, and resistance to competitive offers, and (3) identify individual-level moderators, such as promotion vs. prevention focus or self-brand congruence, that determine ownership susceptibility. Through an experimental or survey-based design, the thesis will provide actionable insights for brand managers seeking to deepen consumer-brand relationships beyond transactional exchange. 

The integration of complementary theoretical perspectives, the formulation of specific research questions, and the methodology can be determined individually. This master's thesis may also be written in German.

Advisor: Moritz Trappmann

As digital advertising becomes increasingly personalized through algorithmic targeting, the question arises of whether all consumers respond to such approaches equally. This masters thesis aims to (1) investigate how the stable personality trait Need for Cognition (NFC) shapes the depth of information processing in response to personalized versus generic advertising messages, (2) analyze the effect of NFC on attitude formation and purchase intention in digital advertising contexts, and (3) identify boundary conditions, such as product involvement, message complexity, and platform context, that amplify or attenuate the moderating role of NFC. Through an experimental design, the thesis will provide theoretically grounded and managerially relevant insights into how individual cognitive dispositions determine advertising effectiveness in an era of data-driven personalization. 

The integration of complementary theoretical perspectives, the formulation of specific research questions, and the methodology can be determined individually. This master's thesis may also be written in German.

Advisor: Moritz Trappmann

As social media platforms increasingly blur the boundary between content consumption and commercial transaction, understanding why some consumers are more susceptible to peer-driven purchase cues than others becomes critical. This masters thesis aims to (1) investigate how Consumer Susceptibility to Interpersonal Influence (CSII) shapes consumer responses to influencer-generated content on platforms such as Instagram or TikTok, (2) analyze the mediating role of parasocial relationships and perceived authenticity in translating influence susceptibility into purchase behavior, and (3) identify contingency factors, such as content type, influencer credibility, and product category, that determine when susceptibility translates into actual buying decisions. Through a survey-based or experimental approach, the thesis will provide actionable insights into the psychological mechanisms underlying social commerce effectiveness.  

The integration of complementary theoretical perspectives, the formulation of specific research questions, and the methodology can be determined individually. This master's thesis may also be written in German.