German Companies Research Articles

Financial constraints for R&D and innovation: new evidence from a survey experiment

ABSTRACT We utilize a survey experiment to evaluate the existence and degree of financial constraints for R&D. The experiment not only allows for the deduction of the presence of financial constraints but also for evaluating their economic significance. Using data on German companies, we find that financial constraints exist, but their relevance might have been overestimated in the literature. Most R&D projects that have not been implemented because of financial constraints seem to have low expected marginal rates of return. While this finding contrasts with other studies, we also find results that align with the literature: young firms are most constrained, and the constraints occur at the intensive margin, i.e. our results do not suggest that firms are deterred from innovation. Instead, highly innovative companies are restricted by the capital market. Small firms, in particular, had innovation projects in their portfolios that were not implemented.

The institutionalization of digital compliance

PurposeThis research paper investigates how companies incorporate digital compliance, particularly data security and protection, as a fundamental aspect of corporate digital responsibility (CDR). We address the gap in understanding the institutionalization of digital compliance as a part of CDR.Design/methodology/approachUsing institutional theory, we assess the impact of coercive, mimetic and normative forces on digital compliance. We used survey data from 162 predominantly large German companies and analyzed it through ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions.FindingsMimetic forces, driven by competitor knowledge, substantially affect digital compliance. Normative forces related to professional knowledge are also influential, while coercive forces exerted by customers have no significant impact on the adoption of digital compliance. In a supplemental analysis, the study highlights the moderating role of organizational agility.Research limitations/implicationsCDR is not limited to digital compliance. Future research should explore higher levels of CDR and consider stakeholders beyond customers. The focus on large German companies may limit generalizability.Practical implicationsThe findings stress the importance of understanding competitive landscapes and professional discourses. Managers should be aware of these institutional forces and incorporate them into strategic planning for digital compliance and CDR.Originality/valueThis research extends institutional theory to digital compliance, offering insights into CDR-related corporate behavior and strategy, emphasizing the importance of competitor awareness and professional norms to manage digital risks.

Effects of Smart Glasses on the Visual Acuity and Eye Strain of Employees in Logistics and Picking: A Six-Month Observational Study.

The usage of smart glasses in goods logistics and order picking has mainly been studied through cross-sectional experimental studies. Our longitudinal field study investigated the effects of smart glasses on the eyesight of 43 employees at two German companies. We combined ophthalmological examinations and questionnaire surveys at two points in time, six months apart. The vision of the employees was examined before and after each work shift. Mixed effects logistic regression was conducted to determine the associations between smart glasses use and effects on visual acuity. In the baseline examination, differences in eyesight before and after shifts were small and not statistically significant. However, some individuals experienced deteriorations, especially in visual acuity at near distances (n = 7 for the right eye, n = 6 for the left). Participants over 40 years of age had 16.1 times higher odds of deterioration compared to those under 40 years (95% CI: 2.7-95.9, p = 0.002). The most commonly reported eye strains were eye fatigue (n = 32), rubbing (n = 25), and burning (n = 24). If smart glasses are to be implemented in logistics companies, it is recommended to offer employees eye tests with an industrial physician in advance.

Development and Production of a Children's Upper-Limb Cycling Adapter Using 3D Printing.

The research described in this study focuses on the development of an innovative upper-limb adapter for young children aged 1-3 years who have congenital upper-limb defects. The objective was to create a functional and affordable solution that allows children to engage more safely and actively in physical activities such as cycling. The adapter was designed within the DESIGN+ project at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen in collaboration with the German company Ottobock. The development included a detailed analysis of hand movements during cycling, modelling using CAD software (NX 1888), prototype manufacturing through 3D printing, and subsequent testing. The result is an adapter that allows 360° rotation around the arm axis, provides natural hand movement while turning, and is made of soft material to enhance safety. Despite initial challenges and necessary prototype adjustments, a functional and reliable design was achieved. This adapter will contribute to improving the quality of life for children with upper-limb disabilities, supporting their coordination, strength, and confidence in daily activities.

Covid-19 pandemic trouble? An exploratory study on German acquisitions in Japan

PurposeThis study investigated how the Covid-19 pandemic impacted cross-border acquisitions. Though literature suggests that cross-border investments decreased during the pandemic, there is little conclusive evidence on specific characteristics in the execution of particular acquisitions during such times. We applied the case study format to conduct our investigation by (1) providing a classification of influences on cross-border procedures and (2) highlighting critical characteristics during three phases of acquisitions, namely, search, negotiation and integration periods.Design/methodology/approachThe grounded theory approach was applied to three in-depth case studies of German companies that acquired Japanese targets during the Covid-19 pandemic. Data were supplemented by information received through additional case studies of German subsidiaries in Japan and interviews with consultants.FindingsFirms had already intended to acquire their respective targets, with their decisions having been made prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, the pandemic had no impact on target selection in the case firms. Owing to travel restrictions, information exchange was limited which inevitably led to higher usage of digitalization. While several barriers led to delays in negotiations, prevailing mutual trust and assistance from consultants helped to reduce difficulties. During the integration period, we found delays in synergy creation and increases in remote communication. Nevertheless, the digital workflow improved the efficiency.Originality/valueOur study provides novel insights into the execution of cross-border acquisitions impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. We discuss new implications for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) research and practice for the post-pandemic era, focusing on German firms acquiring Japanese targets.

From Core Business to By-product Why German Media Companies Still Invest in Journalism

The emergence of digital technologies over the past two decades has brought about changes that threaten the very existence of german media companies. The journalistic business model is losing sales, and the decline in print circulations is making it successively difficult to earn money with journalistic products. Therefore, german media companies have been investing in business models that have no relation to journalism to generate growth for years – with success. Considering this development, it is astonishing from a purely economic perspective that media groups, which are increasingly developing into technology companies, are still clinging to the ailing journalistic business model at all. To examine their motives to do so, this study poses the following research question: "Why do media companies still invest in journalistic products today?" To answer it, the researcher conducted interviews with highlevel employees from media companies as part of a qualitative study. Analysis of the data revealed that media companies continue to invest in journalism mainly because they benefit economically from the brands their journalistic products represent. Other reasons like serving as a pillar of the democratic constitution or to help shape public discourse seem to be less important.

The demise of the antibiotic pipeline: the Bayer case

Antibiotics, celebrated as symbols of scientific triumph and societal advancement, have played a critical role in combating infectious diseases. However, their overuse has inadvertently fueled the emergence of antibiotic resistance. The primary strategy to tackle the resistance has been to develop new antibiotics. However, since the 1980s, there has been a noticeable downturn in the development of new antibacterial drugs. This slump, often referred to as the ‘dry antibiotic pipeline’, was particularly prevalent during the 1990s and aligned with that; many major pharmaceutical companies exited the antibiotic field in the early 2000s. That is also the main timeframe this paper focuses on. This work analyzes the dry antibiotic pipeline as a historical phenomenon and sets the stage by outlining the narrative context and key actors involved. It then discusses critical elements such as the understanding of innovation, scientific advances, regulatory requirements for clinical trials, and commercial models. These elements were often considered factors explaining the difficulty of developing new antibiotics. Using the case of the pioneering German company Bayer, these elements are brought together to illustrate the complexity of the crisis in the research and development of antibiotics. The Bayer story provides new insights into the internal realities of the company and reveals a range of entangled and multilayered challenges, which ultimately resulted in Bayer abandoning its storied production of anti-infectives, particularly antibiotics, calling into question the common understanding of the dry antibiotic pipeline.

Expanding the boundaries of digital orientation research: Scale development and validation

Firms keep struggling to realize the benefits of digital transformation processes. Research, therefore, proposes implementing a firm-wide organizational configuration with a digital orientation (DO) fostering digital innovation and transformation initiatives. However, exploration of DO remains somewhat constrained as existing measurement approaches are limited to secondary data. In this study, we develop a new scale to measure DO, specifically in survey-based research. Leveraging survey data from 1,488 top executives of German companies and drawing on the resource-based view, we empirically validate that our scale captures the performance-enhancing effects of DO.

“Under Pressure!”

The use of digital technologies or applications can have positive and negative effects on workers: Digital technologies might support workers' decision-making by providing necessary information, but digital technologies might also lead to time pressure and mental strain. In this paper, the authors specifically analyze the characteristics of digital work and the link to mental strain to estimate the effects on work performance in industry. They report survey data from four German companies in the manufacturing, service, and logistics sector with N=279 participants. Results indicate that technology-based organizational and personal resources mitigate, while technology-based demands enhance mental stress and strain. Time pressure is the most important individual factor increasing mental stress and strain. Mental strain, in turn, negatively influences work performance. Considering such connections is crucial for human resource management in digital work contexts and specifically workers' use of and interaction with technologies beyond the analyzed specific manufacturing, service, and logistics industries.

Risk perception of SMEs: strategic risks, family-related risks, external risks

While risk perception is essential in understanding risk-taking behavior, the risk perception of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) remains widely unexplored. Analyzing the current business situation of about 1000 German companies, we present stylized facts on the perception of risks. Our first result is that five out of twelve risks are dominantly perceived. The second result is a classification of all possible 4096 risk profiles into eight classes of ideal types of risk perception. Finally, we investigate which factors determine the probability of perceived risks using information on size, industry sector, and business situation of companies, together with data on their equity and family firm status. We use logistic regressions to investigate their impact. Data show that a good business situation lowers the probability of perceiving some of the strategic risks. We strongly argue to focus more strongly on risk perception for creating a better understanding of how SMEs take risks and manage uncertainty.

Geostrategic study of the evolution of energy harvesting systems based on the patent activity of flywheels and regenerative shock absorbers

This paper analyses the technological activity on energy harvesting and storage systems, such as flywheels and regenerative shock absorbers, for support of renewable energy and electric vehicle applications. The activity is analyzed based on the evolution of the patents over the last 20 years, based on databases such as Patbase and Derwnet. The data reveal that less than 50 % of the total flywheels patents and utility models are granted. China is identified as the leading innovator in this area, followed by the United States, Japan, and Germany, which collectively account for 84 % of all patent families. A ranking of related companies and institutes is dominated by Chinese companies such as CANDELA (SHENZHEN) TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION CO., SHENYANG WEIKONG NEW ENERGY TECH CO., followed by German and American companies such as LUK LAMELLEN, VYCON, Siemens, and Caterpillar Inc. The leading regions on regenerative shock absorbers technologies are Germany, China, USA, and the European Patent Office (EPO). The study shows a leadership of Germany accounting for 39 % of the priority patents. The study also identified the top 20 applicants with the highest number of patent families, which included European companies such as SCHAEFFLER AG, HYDAC, VOLKSWAGEN AG, and Continental Automotive GmbH.

Dow Jones Sustainability Indices and ESG Scores: Do They Tell the Same Story?

The focal point of this research is to compare two of the largest global organizations’ sustainability indices and scores, namely Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSIs) and Standard & Poor’s Global (S&P Global) ESG scores (environmental, social, and governance), which rank companies based on their sustainability practices, and to learn if they correspond to each other. Considering that Germany is the hub of large companies from leading global industries, this research compares the ESG scores of the German companies that appear on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. Several statistical analyses are conducted to determine if the German companies on the DJSIs correspond with high ESG scores. The years under consideration are 2018 through 2023. The results of this research indicate that DJSIs and ESG scores do not tell the same story and there are discrepancies regarding the sustainability practices of the studied companies that are added to the DJSIs and the assigned high ESG scores by S&P Global.

O-105 HOW HEALTHY IS YOUR WORKPLACE? OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAMS IN GERMAN COMPANIES – CREATION AND VALIDATION OF EFFECTIVE MEASURES*

Abstract Introduction Companies are struggling with the costs of absenteeism due to their employees’ physical and increasing psychological illnesses. At the same time, employers should recognize the value of healthy employees in terms of greater productivity and the development of positive organizational attitudes. Many organizations have implemented workplace health promotion (WHP) programs; however, we still have limited knowledge about the effectiveness of various measures. The present study examines 18 WHP activities and their effect on employees’ perceived health support and actual absence rates. Methods I organized 112 German companies into four groups based on their subjective (employee perception of health promotion) and objective (absence rate) performance. Applying multinomial regression analysis, I assessed a company’s likelihood of falling into one of the four clusters if a specific measure is not implemented in it. Results Five measures were identified that significantly differ between company clusters: healthy food offerings, sports offerings, having fitness rooms, systematically evaluating WHP programs, and smoking cessation courses. Discussion Sports courses and fitness rooms not only give employees the chance to improve their physical and mental health but also fulfill social needs by enabling contact with other colleagues. Companies should inform their employees about health topics and make them aware of their own health behavior. Moreover, health managers should carefully implement interventions and follow strategies not only to ensure high participation rates but also to evaluate the interventions systematically. Conclusion Investing in occupational health management can be a strategic asset for organizations. It shows that employers can enhance employee well-being by using simple WHP activities. *The full article will be published in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management, DOI 10.1108/IJWHM-08-2023-0118.

Thinking Out Loud? Internal vs. External Communication of Sustainability in Companies

Climate change is already having a significant impact, and Germany, the EU’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide, is experiencing this firsthand, prompting adaptation measures in cities. German companies must balance social and environmental responsibility with economic goals. Achieving sustainable business goals requires employee support and engagement, which can be facilitated through internal and external communication using storytelling and narratives. This paper addresses a gap in research on internal and external sustainability communication by examining both simultaneously. Using a semi-structured interview study, the paper examines the current state of sustainability communication in selected German companies, focusing on addressees, channels, structure, and content. The results revealed a high relevance of sustainability in companies, identified similarities between internal and external characteristics of communication, but also highlighted specific differences (e.g., with regard to communication strategies). This paper also identifies effects of communication and areas for improvement and suggests directions for future research to improve sustainability communication and its role in promoting a more sustainable society.

Německé divadlo v archivu Kanceláře prezidenta Masaryka

The office of President Masaryk officially began its work on 1 January 1919. Its archive contains documents on the depressing situation of some German theatres operating in Czechoslovakia (Plzeň 1922), illustrates Masaryk’s personal contacts with some foreign theatre artists (Alexander Moissi, Ernst Toller), provides evidence of Czech political censorship in Prague, etc. There is an extensive collection of documents on the events of 16 November 1920, when Prague actors, legionaries and citizens occupied the Estates Theatre, the stage of the German company, and took it over for Czech operations.

Gender diversity and financial performance in executive positions in German companies

An underrepresentation of women in executive positions has persisted for decades. This paper aims to analyze the financial impact of women in executive positions in German companies by examining the economic value added and exploring the effects of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors and female supervisory board members on female board members. The results indicate that in the 200 largest German companies, the share of female executives increased between 2018 and 2022. Regardless of industry, female executives started at very low levels at around 4% in 2018; in 2022, this figure reached around 11%. Thereby, the financial sector showed the highest share of female executives at around 14% in 2022, and the industrial sector at around 9%. A closer look reveals that large companies have higher shares of female executives than smaller companies. Large companies show an average of 17% compared to small ones, and in 2022, only 8%. There is a positive correlation between the share of female supervisory board members and female executives, arguing that female supervisory board members seem to hire more female executives. Companies with more female executives tend to have lower ESG controversy scores, and companies with more female executives, measured by the economic value added, perform better financially than companies with few or no women. Companies with female executives show about 2 percentage points higher economic value added than those with the lowest share of females (no or few female executives). Thus, it seems that female executives matter and make a difference in companies.

Understanding dynamic capabilities in emerging technology markets: antecedents, sequential nature, and impact on innovation performance in the extended reality industry

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the role of dynamic capabilities, specifically the sequence of sensing, seizing, and transforming capabilities, in highly uncertain, emerging technology environments. Focusing on the extended reality industry, the study aims to understand the antecedents to these dynamic capabilities, their sequential nature, and their subsequent impact on innovation and company performance.Design/methodology/approachBased on a survey of 130 German companies in the extended reality sector, we built a structural equation model that explores the relationship between dynamic capabilities, their antecedents, and their effect on innovation and company performance.FindingsThe analysis suggests that sensing capabilities positively influence seizing and transforming capabilities, while seizing directly contributes to transforming. Transforming capabilities are linked to improved innovation performance, which in turn boosts company performance. Organizational ambidexterity, market orientation, and technology orientation are found to be crucial antecedents, accounting for 33.1% of the variance in sensing capabilities.Originality/valueThis research illuminates the interdependence of dynamic capabilities in highly uncertain business environments, such as emerging technology markets. It contributes original insights by elucidating the sequential nature of dynamic capabilities and identifying their vital antecedents. It also enlarges the understanding of how dynamic capabilities impact firms’ innovation performance.

MANAGEMENT PRACTICES: SHAPING EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION AND COMMITMENT IN LARGE GERMAN COMPANIES

The rapid evolution of the political, economic, and social landscape has generated increased interest in understanding the contextual application of Management styles and behaviours toward employees. In this context, organizations must comprehend and assess employee satisfaction to enhance productivity and realize their strategic and economic goals. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the prevailing and significant Management behaviours toward employees in large German companies and their impact on employee satisfaction and job commitment. To achieve the research objective, the study will employ a qualitative method to explore Management behaviours toward employees. Data was collected through interviews with randomly selected Managers from different companies and departments. The study aims to uncover discrepancies or variations in employee expectations regarding Management behaviour. The findings will provide a better understanding of the most prevalent and significant Management behaviours toward employees in large German companies and their impact on employee satisfaction and job commitment. The results will be valuable to Management in adopting suitable leadership styles and improving employee satisfaction, leading to increased productivity and organizational performance. The research will contribute to the existing body of knowledge in the field of Management and human resource Management by providing insights into the impact of Management behaviours on employees. It will also offer recommendations to Management on how to enhance employee satisfaction and job commitment, leading to improved organizational performance. In conclusion, this study will investigate the prevailing Management behaviours toward employees in large German companies and their impact on employee satisfaction and job commitment.

German companies take stand against extremism

German companies take stand against extremism

CONSIDERATIONS ON SPECIFICS OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT: A QUALITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS BASED ON CASE STUDIES WITH INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES

The present paper reveals a qualitative exploratory study of change management processes in either reorganization measures or system changes in German companies. The empirical endeavor deals with the content analysis of four descriptive case studies in the field of change management, built with and promoted for instructional purposes. Our results may serve as incentives for change management practitioners (i.e., change agents, project managers, coaches, and trainers) and scholars aiming the change management field of study and its related disciplines. We thus, encourage firstly, (1) the use of instructional case studies while teaching and learning about change and secondly, (2) the intensification of qualitative research endeavors, which offer an in depth understanding of the organizational mechanisms and flows