Thesis Topics

Ciriello et al. (2016) describe employee-driven innovation as a new form of direct participation in which employees take the initiative to generate, develop, and implement ideas. In a digital context, employee-driven digital innovation (EDDI) is defined as the initiation, development and implementation of new digital products, services or processes originating from “ordinary employees”, or the use of digital tools to support employee-driven innovation processes. Therefore, as EDDI is a relatively new form of innovation, as the innovation actors is pursues both, innovation by design and innovation by use. This potentially leads to different kind of innovation outcomes such as changing use contexts, changing functions, repurposing, recombining etc.. To date, there is no classification scheme to identify and classify the different innovation outcomes of EDDI. Therefore, this topics aims for the creation of literature- or qualitative based taxonomy

Method: Literature Review or interviews (e.g. Case Study)

Language: Preferably english, German possible

Literature to start:

• Opland, L. E., Pappas, I. O., Engesmo, J., & Jaccheri, L. (2022). Employee-driven digital innovation: A systematic review and a research agenda. Journal of Business Research, 143, 255-271.
• Hildebrandt, Y. (2022). Hunting Darwins Counterpart: Tracing the Exaptation Phenomenon in IS Research.
• Holmström, J. (2018). Recombination in digital innovation: Challenges, opportunities, and the importance of a theoretical framework. Information and organization, 28(2), 107-110.

Supervisor: Yannick Hildebrandt

Due to digital technologies and their recombinatorial characteristics and new paradigms like the modular layered architecture of digital innovations the recombinatorial opportunities are exploding. A special result of recombination is exaptation, where recombinated components change their originally intended function. Exaptation can be viewed as an outcome, classifying artifacts in design science research but also as behavior of individuals in the context of pervasive digitalization. Existing research aimed for structuring the field, but neither covers the area of design science research, nor a differentiation between exaptations as outcomes and exaptations as behavior.

Therefore, based on previous research the following question arise:

• What is the current state of research and how can we structure the field of exap-
  tation theory in IS research?

Method: Literature Review

Language: Preferably english, German possible

Literature to start:

• Hildebrandt, Y. (2022): Hildebrandt, Y. (2022)Hunting Darwins Counterpart: Tracing the Exaptation Phenomenon in IS Research Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik, Nürnberg, Germany
• Beltagui, A., Rosli, A., & Candi, M. (2020). Exaptation in a digital innovation ecosystem: The disruptive impacts of 3D printing. Research policy, 49(1), 103833.
• Andriani, P., & Cattani, G. (2016). Exaptation as source of creativity, innovation, and diversity: introduction to the special section. Industrial and Corporate Change, 25(1), 115-131.

Supervisor: Yannick Hildebrandt

Due to digital technologies and their recombinatorial characteristics and new paradigms like the modular layered architecture of digital innovations the recombinatorial opportunities are exploding. A special result of recombination is exaptation, where recombinated components change their originally intended function. Mostly this happens through serendipity. As people in the digital age - with a digital mindset - systematically think in recombinatorial patterns and potentially enforce unintentional functions of digital components, exaptations gain relevance in the digital age.

To unravel the phenomenon and its characteristics like serendipity, various research questions arise e.g.:

• Is Exaptation and its characteristics like serendipity still applicable in the digital age?
• Is there a link between the digital mindset or aspects of the digital mindset and exaptations in the digital age?

Method: Various as it depends on the research question (Lit. Review, Case Study, Interviews, Survey)

Language: Preferably english, German possible

Literature to start:

• Holmström, J. (2018). Recombination in digital innovation: Challenges, opportunities, and the importance of a theoretical framework. Information and organization, 28(2), 107-110.
• Beltagui, A., Rosli, A., & Candi, M. (2020). Exaptation in a digital innovation ecosystem: The disruptive impacts of 3D printing. Research policy, 49(1), 103833.
• Andriani, P., & Cattani, G. (2016). Exaptation as source of creativity, innovation, and diversity: introduction to the special section. Industrial and Corporate Change, 25(1), 115-131.

Supervisor: Yannick Hildebrandt

Gartner’s Hype Cycle is one of the most frequently published and cited technology forecasts. But, how reliable, consistent, and accurate is it? Objective of this thesis is to set up a data base of historical Gartner hype cycle reports and compare both their consistency over time and their accuracy mapping it with other data sources.

Method: Secondary data analysis, potential for use of AI-based pattern recognition techniques

Language: preferably English

Literature for getting started:

• Mullany (2016): 8 Lessons from 20 Years of Hype Cycles. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/8-lessons-from-20-years-hype-cycles-michael-mullany/
• Fenn, Raskino, Burton (2013, 2017): Understanding Gartner’s Hype Cycles. https://wiki.harvard.edu/confluence/download/attachments/213389796/Shaffer_Understanding%20Gartners%20Hype%20Cycles.pdf?version=2&modificationDate=1485889905000&api=v2
• Cho, Daim (2013): Technology Forecasting Methods. In: Daim, Oliver, Kim (eds.): Research and Technology Management in the Electricity Industry, Springer, pp. 67-112.
• https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4471-5097-8_4
• https://www.computerwoche.de/a/diese-technologien-veraendern-ihre-welt,3549644

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Daniel Beimborn

Achieving high response rates in survey-based empirical studies is a challenging endeavor. Managers have little time and receive more questionnaires, which reduces their willingness to participate in surveys. In turn, for researchers, it is mission-critical to design survey processes in a way that the study attracts participation of as many managers as possible.

Aim of this master’s thesis is to review existing empirical studies in the Information Systems discipline which did survey-based studies at the organizational level (e.g., outsourcing management, IT business value, IT change & transformation, organizational adoption of IT/IS). A meta-analysis shall compare the studies with regard to their design (which companies, which manager roles, which “incentives”, which countries etc.) and try to identify factors that lead to higher vs. lower response rates.

An example for a comparable study of another research discipline can be found in (Hiebl/Richter 2018).

Method: literature review, meta-analysis

Language of master’s thesis: English

Literature for getting started:

• Hiebl, M.R., Richter, J.F. (2018): Response Rates in Management Accounting Survey Research. Journal of Management Accounting Research (30:2), pp. 59-79.

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Daniel Beimborn