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The role of the retailer in reducing consumer food waste : a comparative study of supermarket chains in Austria
No full textFood production is the single greatest environmental impact humans have on the planet, and according to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), approximately one third of all food produced for human consumption is wasted (FAO, 2011). Emissions occur both in the production of wasted food and in its disposal. Food waste represents eight percent of global greenhouse gases, and if food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the US (FAO, 2011).
The environmental, economic and social impacts of food loss and waste affect everyone, and as with the many downsides of environmental degradation, those at the lower end of the income spectrum and/or in developing countries will suffer the impacts most acute.
The UN SDG 12.3 is to halve global food waste by 2030. Food loss and waste occur across the entire food supply chain. However – food waste at the consumer level is by far the highest percentage, at 45% of total food waste (EU, 2018).
Retailers represent a critical part of the food supply chain system for two distinct reasons – first, they sit at the very important junction between upstream suppliers and downstream consumers. Secondly, food retailers are one of the most concentrated retail sectors; and in Europe, grocery market concentration across EU member states, on average, is 60% for the four largest retailers (Van Dam, 2021). And not only do food retailers have direct interaction with both the suppliers and the consumers – they exert a tremendous amount of power in both directions. Because food retailers in Europe, and especially Austria are so concentrated, they have unrivalled leverage over farmers and suppliers. And as consumers in developed markets have a limited choice of food retailers – their supermarket options are limited and their food options and purchasing environment are largely determined by a handful of powerful companies.
If reducing food waste by 50% in the next 8 years is the goal, how are we going to achieve it? And what role do retailers play in reducing consumer food waste?Masterarbeit Wien, Fachhochschule des BFI Wien 202
Personalisierung im E-Commerce : Herausforderungen & Barrieren für kleine und mittelständische Unternehmen in Deutschland
No full textMasterarbeit Wien, Fachhochschule des BFI Wien 202
Strategisches Management und Geschäftsfelderweiterung am Beispiel des mittelständischen Unternehmens VR-NetWorld GmbH
No full textThis master’s thesis outlines the problems and challenges that companies must address when planning business area expansions. Starting from theoretical basic and general questions, the thesis than takes a focused look at business area expansions at the medium-sized enterprise VR-NetWorld GmbH. The aim of this piece is to analyze the success factors for this particular company so that the VR-NetWorld GmbH can succeed in new business fields in the future and mistakes in business field expansions can be minimized. Consequently, the research question of this thesis aims at transferring the analyzed factors from theory into practice and from practice onto the VR-NetWorld.
The theoretical part first deals with strategy content research in a solid and well-founded assessment and sheds light on its approaches. For this purpose, four scholarly monographs were chosen, all of which have in common that they are close to corporate practice. The thesis examines these monographs in order to show in detail how key performance indicators for successful companies can look like.
In its second part, the thesis uses qualitative expert interviews and has therefore a qualitative design. The expert interviews were used to collect elementary data, which was interpreted, analyzed and evaluated using Mayring’s method. This approach served the objective of significantly analyzing characteristics and peculiarities of the process of business area expansion.
Subsequently, six interviews with other experts were undertaken to obtain a clear idea of how new business areas are created in corporate practice. The analysis of the interviews reveals that there are eight different but decisive success factors. These factors can be subsumed as (1) clear and ambitious objectives, (2) a precise definition of the market, (3) minimization of risk by creating the product by the company itself, and (4) the use of synergies of all kinds. Moreover, it is also (5) about the needs of customers and employees. In addition, (6) leadership is very important for the motivation and identification with the company’s goals. (7) strategy and (8) product development are the last two success factors. Looking ahead, the paper summarizes these findings in a burning-glass manner for the VR-Net-World and puts them together in form of a recommendation for action.Masterarbeit Wien, Fachhochschule des BFI Wien 202
Die Auswirkung von sozialer Unterstützung am Arbeitsplatz auf das Burnout-Erleben der ArbeitnehmerInnen
No full textNach dem ICD-11 handelt es sich bei Burnout um ein Syndrom, das als Folge von chronischem Stress am Arbeitsplatz entwickelt wurde. Das Burnout-Syndrom stellt ein zunehmendes Problem in den unterschiedlichsten Personen- und Berufsgruppen dar und wird mit einer Abnahme des physischen und psychischen Wohlbefindens sowie Zunahme von Fluktuation und Erkrankung in Verbindung gebracht. Die soziale Unterstützung am Arbeitsplatz ist ein wichtiger Arbeitsbedingungsfaktor, der nachweislich einen entscheidenden Einfluss auf die Gesundheit der ArbeitnehmerInnen nimmt. Diese Ausarbeitung setzt sich das Ziel einen ersten Forschungsbeitrag für den deutschen Automobilbereich zu liefern, indem die Zusammenhänge zwischen sozialer Unterstützung und dem Burnout-Erleben der Ingenieure und Ingenieurinnen von deutschen Standorten der Unternehmen Volkswagen AG, Merce-des-Benz AG und BMW AG untersucht werden. Für die Datenerhebung wird eine quantitative Fragebogenkombination aus den Berliner Social Support Skalen und dem Maslach Burnout Inventory verwendet. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die soziale Unterstützung am Arbeitsplatz moderat bis stark mit dem Burnout-Erleben korreliert (r = -0,462). Von besonderer Bedeutung ist hierbei die Führungskraft als Unterstützungsquelle am Arbeitsplatz (r = -0,528). Für die soziale Unterstützung seitens der Kollegen/Kolleginnen zeigen sich zwar signifikante, jedoch nur schwache bis moderate Zusammenhänge (r = -0,220). Diese Arbeit kann keine Kausalaussagen treffen, zeigt jedoch die mögliche Relevanz der sozialen Unterstützung am Arbeitsplatz auf und liefert somit einen wichtigen Impuls für künftige Forschungsarbeiten.Masterarbeit Wien, Fachhochschule des BFI Wien 202
Förderliche und hinderliche Faktoren bei Projekten der grenzüberschreitenden Kooperation in der saarländischen Gesundheitsversorgung
No full textDespite other political and scientific forecasts of the past two decades, public health care in Europe has so far only been organised in a rudimentary way across borders. People are regularly treated in their country of residence. Especially in border regions, due to their peripheral location and often rural settlement structure, care close to home cannot always be guaranteed in the country of residence. In most European border regions, however, there is no systematic cooperation management for cross-border cooperation in the health sector.
This study systematically examines the objectives of cross-border cooperation in the health sector as well as the factors that promote and hinder it, based on a European border region. The study aims to take stock of cross-border cooperation projects in health care on the border between the German Federal State of Saar-land and the French Département Moselle, also with the perspective goal of identifying needs for action for future cooperation projects.
The main research question was: What are conducive and obstructive factors in the realisation of cross-border cooperation projects in the health sector in Saar-land? In a two-step analysis, existing projects are to be examined with regard to the actual implementation of their original objectives. A combination of document and interview analyses was used to examine the effects of border processes in the implementation of these cooperative projects and to identify the anthropological, political, geographical, social and economic factors that promote and hinder their implementation. Guided interviews with experts from relevant stakeholder groups and with professional activity in this field were analyzed via qualitative content analysis, which integrates quantitative and qualitative procedural steps. Despite previous initiatives, difficulties in health cooperation still arise due to national border demarcations.
The objectives of cross-border cooperation in Saarland are largely difficult to operationalise. Cooperation is viewed in the abstract as a sui generis goal, especially by political bodies, whereas at the concrete project level general objectives play a subordinate role. Especially the major objectives, such as the introduction of a ZOAST, have not yet been achieved. Improving access to care, the supply of care and the quality of care are the main goals, along with improving cooperation per se by means of development goals. There is a large number of regional development goals that see health as instrumental for the general development of the Greater Region.
The interviews show that these goals have only partially been achieved. The small-scale achievement of goals also depends on a large number of obstructive factors. Legal and administrative hurdles showed to be predominantly obstructive. Such legal and administrative hurdles can be compensated by strengthening competence in dealing with heterogeneous systems. The basic political support for cross-border cooperation in the border region seems to be predominantly given, but a lack of political awareness at the national level has a hindering effect. To compensate for both, broad citizen participation, political awareness of the problem and the participation of local decision-making bodies are supportive. Economic interests were mentioned less often as hindering factors, but rather as sup-porting factors. Unclear, non-binding, over-ambitious or non-needs-based objectives as well as non-measurable objectives proved to be obstacles to cooperation. Conducive are feasible goal formulations and the willingness of the project partners to compromise on the objectives. The financial resources are consistently assessed as available and sufficient. Long-term staffing is a significant positive contribution. Language barriers and cultural differences were mentioned by all interviewees as an obstacle. In order to be able to deal with these differences, a certain cultural openness through language competence and intercultural competence strengthening is needed. Existing networks and early and broad involvement of actors also are important. Clear and early project planning and institutionalisati-on promote cooperation just as much as the use of (institutional) bridge builders. A high level of commitment makes an important contribution to success. External communication has not been developed in a structured way in the study area; where it exists, however, it has proven to be helpful.
The interviews suggest some approaches for improvement such as tailor-made solutions and a step-by-step cooperation that is scalable and modular, as well as by involving Luxembourg as a national partner. It is also possible to let existing cooperations grow into the health sector. Lobbying should also be expanded. High-quality further training formats for specific tasks of cross-border cooperation are also needed for the current medical and nursing staff. These approaches con-firm that border regions could play a major role as innovation laboratories.Masterarbeit Wien, Fachhochschule des BFI Wien 202
Soziale Repräsentativität in Beteiligungsprozessen : Stakeholder Engagement in der Stadtentwicklung am Beispiel Wien „Südraum Favoriten“
No full textThis paper discusses public participation processes for urban development in the framework of stakeholder engagement, using Vienna’s Südraum Favoriten district development project as a case study. The author explores the reasons behind non-participation in these processes amongst members of hard-to-reach societal groups.
The paper focuses on the lack of social representation and its consequences, such as imbalance in decision making. It represents an attempt to systematically develop an understanding of the reasons for non-participation, especially those stated by non-participants, given the relatively low volume of insight that research in the field currently offers.
A qualitative approach consisting of a series of twenty-one interviews has been applied. Fifteen of these were conducted with residents of Favoriten - and as such stakeholders in the ongoing Südraum Favoriten district development project - who, crucially, were nonparticipants in the associated public participation process, Vienna's largest so far. The remaining six interviews were conducted with established experts in public participation processes. The responses of all interviewees were evaluated and used as the basis for identifying the specific factors for non-participation as well as suggestions for future approaches.
The key findings are: a) a general lack of information and awareness of the processes, as well as a lack of trust in the processes and the politics behind them as the main reported reasons for non-participation; b) given the general absence of any systematic collection of data during these processes, the current understanding of who is and is not participating is based largely on the subjective perception of the process organisers, and c) only a limited demographic sample is being reached in public participation processes, making a large share of the public hard to integrate.
Based on these findings, suggestions are then made for future improvements. The two key areas for improvement are: a) a focus on (re)building trust in public participation processes by offering more transparency and evidence of citizens' ability to effect change; and b) development of in-depth insights into the profile of non-participants, by means of quantitative analysis, to better understand the extent to which the participant pool is representative of the wider public.Masterarbeit Wien, Fachhochschule des BFI Wien 202
The impact of Minimum Requirement for own funds and Eligible Liabilities (MREL) on EU banks’ value
No full textDuring the financial crisis of 2007-2009, banks were bailed out by governments because the consequences of these banks’ failures were too massive. The legal framework that would have allowed for a structured process for resolving institutions was not in place. The minimum requirement for own funds and eligible liabilities (MREL) as part of the Single Resolution Mechanism, which is one of the three pillars of the European Union’s banking system, is in the phase of implementation across the European Union, with the first binding target set on the 1st of January 2022. The banks were and are intensely restructuring their balance sheets to be able to meet the imposed requirements with eligible instruments.
The focus of this paper is to examine the behaviour of stock returns because of the announcement of the minimum requirement for own funds and eligible liabilities (MREL) for banks in the European Union and other news around the regulation.
An event study and regression analysis were used to investigate how the stock prices of European banks changed as a reaction to five chosen news around MREL and to examine whether the price changes are significant subject to the country in which the observation was made.
With the help of statistical tools, quantification of the results was done, and they signified that, in general, the news about MREL was perceived negatively by investors in European banks. The news had a negative impact on the banks’ value in three of five cases, whereas it should also not be overlooked that previous expectations play not least role in the actual perception. With regards to country-wise differences, in a like manner, significant dissimilarity was registered around the news in three of five cases.
The paper succeeds in drawing a conclusion that, in general, the impact of MREL on the value of European banks’ share prices is viewed as negative, whilst the investors continue to accustom themselves to MREL and adjust their expectations in the light of new publications and amendments to the complex standards.Masterarbeit Wien, Fachhochschule des BFI Wien 202
Die digitale Transformation in kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen am Fallbeispiel Frank Motorgeräte
No full textMasterarbeit Wien, Fachhochschule des BFI Wien 202
Schulleiterinnen Schulleiter
No full textTo meet the major challenges of the digital world, we need a modern education system. In the digital age, education is one of the most important resources. How-ever, the German school system is lagging far behind other countries in terms of digitization. So far, only a small proportion of schools have managed to embark on a successful digital path. It is clear, however, that school leaders play a key role in shaping the digital transformation in schools.
This thesis examines how school leaders in digital pioneer schools understand leadership and which mindset is conducive to a successful digital transformation. It also investigates how they have developed their leadership roles over time. The findings of this thesis should help to show how this understanding of leadership could be carried across the board, so that more school leaders set out to make their schools fit for the future. Based on an extensive literature review, the first part of this thesis addresses the topic of leadership in educational institutions. Besides, this work includes qualitative interviews with five principals of pioneer schools. The thesis concludes with key findings and recommendations for school practice.
In summary, the study shows that the personality and mindset of school leaders play a very crucial role in whether their school successfully manages digital transformation. It is of great importance that school leaders recognize the opportunities and the necessity of digitization and actively drive the digital transformation forward - even if, or precisely because, the expansion of the digital infrastructure in German schools is progressing only slowly and there has been too little support from policy-makers to date. In addition, the thesis shows that successful school leaders have certain skills and characteristics. Furthermore, a number of key factors and leader-ship principles have emerged that are conducive to the digital transformation of schools.Masterarbeit Wien, Fachhochschule des BFI Wien 202
Nudging towards sustainable food options in the context of online grocery shopping
No full textDie Menschheit hat einen kritischen Punkt erreicht, an dem ein Wandel hin zu einem nachhaltigeren Lebensstil unumgänglich ist. Mit Hilfe von Erkenntnissen aus den Bereichen Verbraucherverhalten, Verhaltensökonomie und Nudging sollen daher Hindernisse für umweltfreundliches Verhalten wirksam überwunden werden, um zur Entwicklung nachhaltigerer Konsummuster beizutragen. Nudging, das darauf abzielt, Menschen in bestimmte Richtungen zu lenken, ohne ihre Entscheidungsfreiheit einzuschränken, gilt dabei als vielversprechender Ansatz, um das VerbraucherInnenverhalten auf nachhaltigere Gewohnheiten umzustellen. Obwohl Nudging-Maßnahmen in verschiedenen Kontexten untersucht wurden, besteht Forschungsbedarf zu den Unterschieden zwischen Generationen in Bezug auf die Wirksamkeit von Nudging-Maßnahmen, speziell im wachsenden Bereich des Online-Lebensmitteleinkaufs. Mit dem Ziel, diese Forschungslücke zu schließen, untersucht die vorliegende Studie, ob Nachhaltigkeits-Nudges, konkret in Form von Label, Information und sozialer Norm, wirksam sind, um Verbraucher zum Kauf von nachhaltigeren Lebensmitteln zu bewegen. Hierbei werden insbesondere Unterschiede zwischen den Generationen Y und Z und mögliche weitere Faktoren, die sich auf die Effektivität der Nudges auswirken, untersucht. Für die Untersuchung wurde ein Online-Fragebogen mit einem integrierten Experiment entwickelt, welches drei Nachhaltigkeits-Nudges für drei verschiedene Produktkategorien, Nudeln, Schokolade und Kaffee in einem nachgestellten online Lebensmittelshop testet. Die gewonnenen Ergebnisse zeigten jedoch, dass keine der drei getesteten Nudges einen signifikanten Einfluss auf die Kaufbereitschaft von nachhaltigen Lebensmitteln der Befragten hatten. Die Annahme, dass es erkennbare Generationsunterschiede zwischen den Generationen Y und Z gibt, musste ebenfalls zurückgewiesen werden. Des Weiteren wurde im Falle dieser Studie die Wirkung der Nudges durch zusätzliche Variablen wie die Motivation zur Lebensmittelauswahl, die Bildung, Einkommen und die Produkt Kategorie nicht beeinflusst. Obwohl die Ergebnisse den Erwartungen zuwiderliefen, wurden dennoch nützliche Erkenntnisse für künftige Studien, insbesondere mit Blick auf das Forschungsdesign gewonnen.Masterarbeit Wien, Fachhochschule des BFI Wien 202