Open Access

Die Digitalisierung verändert Geschäftsmodelle und betriebliche Prozesse. Zugleich beeinflussen auch eine verbesserte Datenverfügbarkeit und leistungsfähige analytische Methoden das Controlling und erfordern vermehrt das Einbringen statistischer und informationstechnologischer Fertigkeiten und Kenntnisse. An einem Fallbeispiel aus dem Marketing-Controlling zeigt der Beitrag den Einsatz von Methoden der Business Analytics und thematisiert die Aufgaben des Controllings im digitalen Zeitalter.

Flexibilität, Anpassungsfähigkeit und eine schnelle Reaktionsfähigkeit ist der Anspruch an die Arbeitswelt von heute und wird in Zukunft weiter an Dynamik gewinnen. Durch die Entwicklung agiler Ansätze wurden hierfür Lösungsansätze gefunden. Diese können an die Anforderungen der eigenen Arbeitsumgebung adaptiert werden und unterstützen die Unternehmen dabei, auch bei zukünftigen Veränderungen der Arbeitswelt erfolgreich agieren können. Für eine effektive Nutzung agiler Ansätze ist eine stetige Weiterentwicklung der Kompetenzen der Mitarbeitenden unumgänglich. Klassische Methoden zum Erwerb neuer Kompetenzen hinken dem Wandel hinterher. Der Einsatz agiler Ansätze im Arbeitsalltag erfordert daher agile Kompetenzentwicklungsansätze. Ob agile Ansätze selbst ein Erfolgsfaktor beim Erwerb von Kompetenzen darstellen, wird in dieser Studie behandelt.

This research seeks to explore the cultural impact in the development of a new product, and if operational CRM (CRM technologies) can bring these two concepts together. As an industrial designer, the researcher finds it fascinating to explore how the abilities that a designer uses can help to solve users' problems could be implemented into structural or strategic decision-making of a company. Therefore, the researcher believes that the results might bring value to the head of international teams in charge of Product Development, by bringing some ideas for what is essential to consider in these processes and how CRM could become a relevant tool to satisfy customers and users. This research generates value to international management and leadership studies because it brings the management of new product development from an organizational point of view within an international context to the forefront. It also builds an understanding of what to consider when the value chain is decentralized and involves international collaboration in product development processes. And positive elements and/or problems that may arise concerning culture and the role of the CRM within this process.

Digitalisation poses great challenges for regional tourism management. However, many organisations are currently undergoing a transformation from a marketing to a destination management organisation (DMO), which is why only a few have managed to adopt new digital approaches and to assert themselves as DMOs within the destination and against ever growing global platforms. The presented master thesis therefore deals with this issue and aims to pave the way for DMOs to develop and use digital business models themselves. The objective of the thesis is to develop a systematic process for the development of own DMO business models and to evaluate whether the establishment of a multi-sided platform as the recipe for the success of global platform providers is also suitable for DMOs. For this purpose, an extensive literature research was conducted and semi-structured expert interviews were evaluated. In addition, the Anchor Point Canvas was developed as a supporting framework for the modelling of business models for companies with historically grown structures and constraints.

Companies develop and implement strategies with the aim to address the needs of their customers. Acquisition is one market expansion strategy that companies can use to acquire new market access, technologies and/or to grow organically. In recent years, Chinese companies have been active in acquiring companies all over the globe to develop their strategic position. This caused certain contra reaction in Europe and as well in the Swiss media against cross-border acquisitions of Swiss companies. Swiss companies and particularly the Swiss-MEM (Machinery, Electrical and Mechanical) industry is highly export oriented and their value proposition builds on attributes like knowledge, technology, and differentiating products. Among them are many “hidden champions” and niche players who successfully dominate the market segment. As observed with Chinese companies, Indian companies also started to become more active outside of their domestic markets by increasing their foreign direct investments into Europe, Asia and North America, over the last decades. The lasting and good relationship of India and Switzerland might trigger the wish for Indian companies to acquire Swiss and particularly Swiss-MEM companies for acquisitions. This Master’s Thesis assesses how often Indian investments into public and privately owned Swiss-MEM companies by acquisition happen, how are the attempts of acquisitions perceived by the stakeholders and what measures Swiss and Swiss-MEM companies can take, to protect themselves from being acquired. To access the research topic, several sub-questions will be analysed with the aid of primary and secondary research to assess the situation. The research topic is of particular interested to the author since he spent over 20 years working in the Swiss-MEM industry, involved in international affairs and in recent years specifically with India. The observation of Chinese acquisition activities and insight into the size and potential of India were the drivers for researching whether India might follow China’s example. In conclusion, Indian companies are not explicitly targeting Swiss and Swiss-MEM companies, but there are reasons to believe that it would make sense for Indian companies to look into the acquisition of Swiss and Swiss-MEM companies. The perception of such acquisitions varies, but there are arguments for and against them. Companies must take strategic and organisational measures in order to prevent themselves from becoming the target of an acquisition. However, it is known that the state should not interfere in the market and a discussion at a political level, planning how to deal with cross-border acquisition, is needed. Further areas for research based on this Master’s Thesis could be the review of how the targeting of Swiss and Swiss-MEM companies by Indian companies would look, and also the topic of the succession planning in Swiss secondary sector in conjunction with Indian targeting for acquisitions. A third area to research might be investigating the political aspects involved in the research questions.