Master­arbeit

Betreuer: 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.

Betreuer: 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.

Betreuer: 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.

Betreuer: 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.

Betreuerin: Alin Schröder

Selecting the right supplier is an information-intensive decision, requiring B2B buyers to evaluate potential partners under varying degrees of uncertainty. Organizational Information-Processing Theory (OIPT) suggests that organizations achieve better decision outcomes when their information-processing capabilities match the information-processing requirements imposed by their environment. In B2B purchasing contexts, buyers increasingly rely on interactions with suppliers, digital technologies, and collaborative information exchange to reduce uncertainty and support supplier selection. However, it remains unclear how buyers develop the information-processing capabilities needed to make informed purchasing decisions and which mechanisms are most effective in addressing different information requirements.

This master's thesis aims to (1) investigate the information-processing requirements that arise during B2B supplier selection, (2) analyze how buyers leverage interactions with suppliers and other information sources to satisfy these requirements and reduce decision uncertainty, and (3) identify contextual factors, such as purchase complexity, perceived risk, buyer expertise, and information availability, that influence the effectiveness of information-processing mechanisms. The thesis will provide actionable insights into how organizations can better align their information-processing capabilities with the requirements of supplier selection.

The formulation of specific research questions and the methodology can be determined individually.

Betreuerin: 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.

Betreuerin: 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.

Betreuerin: 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.

Betreuerin: 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.

Betreuerin: 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.

Betreuer: 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.

Betreuer: 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.

Betreuer: 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. 

Betreuerin: Alin Schröder

Digital Product Passports (DPPs) are expected to increase product trans­parency by providing consumers with information on aspects such as product origin, composition, environmental impact, repairability, and end-of-life options. While DPPs are gaining momentum in both business practice and policy, their success will ultimately depend on whether consumers perceive them as valuable and are willing to use them in their purchasing decisions. However, it remains unclear what information consumers actually seek, whether they see a need for a tool such as DPPs, and how DPPs should be designed to effectively support consumer decision-making.

This master's thesis aims to (1) investigate consumers' perceptions of and need for DPPs, (2) explore whether and how consumers expect DPPs to influence their purchase decisions, and (3) identify consumer preferences regarding the content, functionality, and design of DPPs to maximize their perceived usefulness and usability. The study will employ a qualitative research design based on either semi-structured interviews or focus groups. For focus groups, participants may be provided with a DPP prototype to facilitate discussion and elicit feedback on potential design features and use cases. The findings will provide actionable insights into the consumer-centered design and implementation of DPPs.