Why: Although digitalization helps us to stay connected it also has its downsides. Encouraged by e.g., the COVID crisis, individuals spend more time on their technical devices. The intensive usage of technical devices results in behaviors that are difficult to control and that lead to negative health consequences. To better control for a healthier usage of technical devices, digital detox has developed. Digital detox refers to a period during which individuals do not use a technical device, because they usually use this device too much. Digital detox concepts can proactively support users in reducing stress and encourage social interaction, and it is a reaction to the increasing availability and usage of digital devices in our daily and work-life. However, research still struggles to understand how effective the concept of digital detox can be.

How: This master thesis aims to analyze different kind of digital detox concepts. Therefore, different kind of apps will be worked with that represent different detox concepts (e.g. a rewarding concept vs. a guiding concept etc.). To evaluate the usefulness of each concept, a longitudinal study will be used that analyzes psychological as behavioral outcomes and its development while using a detox app. A diary study in combination with a survey will be used to analyze the participants experiences.

Start: immediately or by arrangement

Over the last several years, technology has radically changed the way people and machines work together. Work systems in organizations are changing at an accelerating rate. The former premise that workplaces and work systems are designed and exist for decades is now being critically questioned. In your thesis, you will address the topic of how micro shifts in work practices through technology are radically changing the way entire work systems operate over time.

This thesis topic is aimed at highly motivated students who want to work on a real research project. As part of their thesis, they will be able to utilize extensive interview data, previous research findings, and literature summaries. We offer close supervision and the opportunity to present your results to an international expert audience at the International Conference on Information Systems in Copenhagen.

Looking forward to hear from you!

Businesses operate in a turbulent ever-changing environment. As part of your thesis, you will explore how traditional ways of working have been transformed by digital opportunities over the past few decades and what drivers have enabled increasing agility. In essence, your thesis can shed light on the topic, but is not limited to what the big change drivers have been in the past and what they might be in the future.

As part of your thesis, you will be able to draw on previous research and extensive research material. We offer you flexible and close supervision in this highly relevant topic and the opportunity to present excellent results to experts at renowned conferences.

Looking forward to hear from you.

COVID-19 has led to many changes – the most prominent being the extreme increase in home-office and remote working.The question you ask yourself in this paper is how managers can find the optimal setting for their company, how new work organization can take place in a hybrid setting, and which opportunities and challenges have to be mastered.

In the context of your thesis you can draw on existing interview data as well as on previous research. We offer you close supervision in this highly relevant topic and the opportunity to present excellent results to experts at renowned conferences.

Why:
The generation “Millennials” request to receive more feedback from their organizations to develop and learn. This is reflected by a growing number of digital feedback apps which facilitate high-frequency feedback exchange. However, the effect of feedback has hardly been studied on an organizational level due to complexity. Therefore, the goal of this master thesis is to analyze organizational feedback exchange with an agent-based simulation model. This simulation method is well known from Covid-19 in which researchers try to predict events and behaviors of people under certain conditions.

How:
You don’t need to start from scratch, you can extend and build our existing model (which won the most innovative paper award)

We use the software NetLogo, which has an easy to understand syntax (no programming skills required)
Key-Facts:
The collaboration will take place in close supervision, with regular review meetings, feedback sessions, etc.
You will work in an international research team (Temple Uni-USA and HSG)
The thesis can be started immediately, but should be completed within the next ±6 months

Literature on Agent-Based Modeling:

Davis, Jason P.; Eisenhardt, Kathleen M.; Bingham, Christopher B. (2007): Developing Theory Through Simulation Methods.

Beese, Jannis; Haki, M. Kazem; Aier, Stephan; Winter, Robert (2019): Simulation-based research in information systems.

Our previous work

Accumulation of legal design knowledge in software development

Legal knowledge is becoming an increasingly important part of software development. New stricter data protection regulations such as the GDPR increase the pressure on developers to implement legal requirements. Design patterns are an established tool in software development to capture proven solutions to recurring problems. Thus, design patterns can also be a way to share legal knowledge with developers.

The research project investigates how developers of smart personal assistants such as Amazon Alexa can be supported in developing the systems as legally as possible and in accordance with the latest data protection regulations.

Possible theses can deal with:

• GDPR compliant smart personal assistants
• Design patterns to codify legal design knowledge
• Development of frameworks to support developers in solving legal challenges
• Qualitative and quantitative studies with developers
• Research on how developers can best improve their skills and extend their legal knowledge

Start immediately or by arrangement.

When using digital technologies and making decisions on digital environments, e.g., booking a flight, various data traces are left behind for collection, storage and analysis. Innovative solutions for information systems are needed that mitigate privacy risks and foster information privacy. One mechanism to achieve this is the use of privacy nudges. Nudges are a concept from behavioral economics to influence individual’s decision making. Nudges intend to alter people’s behavior in a predictable way without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives.

As part of a greater research project, this study seeks to create and evaluate a process model for designing digital nudges that foster privacy sensitive behavior.

Start immediately or by arrangement

From smart home devices such as Google Home or Amazon Alexa, voice control systems in vehicles and half of all search requests being performed by voice  – technology has shifted towards voice-based interfaces within the past years. These hands- and eyes-free interfaces have the potential to optimize work processes (think medical surgery) or reach new customer groups (think visually impaired, elderly). But what happens to those target groups who cannot be understood? For instance, accuracy of search results can differ depending on whether an algorithm recognizes your accent.

As part of a greater research project, this study seeks to identify the unintended implications the wide-spread deployment of commercial voice interfaces bring along. The student might investigate how language variants or accents (i.e., Hochdeutsch vs Schweizerdeutsch) influence the interaction with a voice-based interface as part of an empirical study.

Start immediately or by arrangement