Bachelor Thesis Summer Term 2024
Bachelor's thesis supervision Summer term 2024
Before you consider to apply for thesis supervision at the BIM chair, please carefully read the following:
1) Do not write your thesis under our supervision if at the same time you plan to work full time, do an internship , travel the world, or still need to do a large number of other courses! The thesis is an integral part of your study program and, thus, should be in the focus of your attention. You will need all the time to be able to deliver the best package (we fully understand that most of you have a student job and this is perfectly doable). All students that despite our warnings still started a full-time job or internship etc. struggled with finishing their thesis in time and delivering the desired quality. YOUR thesis should be YOUR first priority!
2) Only write your thesis under our supervision if you are commited, motivated, and responsible as well as willing to accept new challenges! If you consider to write your thesis at the BIM chair you should be well-organized, be able to motivate yourself to achieve your goals, and be willing to independently learn new skills (e.g., learn new statistical approaches largely on your own). Writing your thesis with us inlcudes to go beyond what you have learned in your seminars and lectures. We expect that you are proavtive and motivated. Our job is to reduce uncertainty. Be prepared for all meetings and show us that you invest effort and time to solve issues yourself. This is YOUR thesis, work for it!
3) We are not your personal assistant. Our job is to supervise your thesis with respect to the topic and method as well as the general content and process (e.g., literature search, writting, etc.). It is not our job to remind you of deadlines, to fill out your documents, or to replace your own efforts to understand the submission procedure. All this information is publicly available on the website of our faculty, specifically the examination office. We are not your internet search engine substitude. This is YOUR thesis, YOU need to organize it!
4) Time problems on your side do not create time pressure on our side! It is part of the mission of the BIM chair to provide students with timely answers to their questions as well as a timely feedback and grading after submission. Time constraints on your side do NOT create time issues on our side. Our aim is to answer questions and request via email within two working days. We are usually much faster than that but if you send your question Friday late in the afternoon you cannot expect an answer on the same day. Organize yourself and try walking in the shoes of the members of the BIM chair. The same applies to the situation once you have submitted your final thesis. If you want to start a job or internship, have visa requirements or travel plans, if you want to/need to move out of your apartment, or if you want to get back your semester fee etc. this is all your business and your responsibility. We have eight weeks to finish the grading of your thesis (see the study regulations) and while we aim for a much shorter time, it will not always be possible to finalize within two weeks. Each member of the BIM chair at any given point in time during the year is supervising at least five Master's thesis students, five Bachelor's thesis students, seminars, scientific projects, and supervised internships etc. We simply cannot take into account all particularities for each and every supervised student as this otherwise would fill our schedule completly. All submitted theses are graded on a first come, first served basis. If you need your grade as soon as possible make sure to submit early. YOUR issues, YOUR business!
Application: To participate in the Bachelor Thesis Seminar please apply via the Office of Study Affairs' registration form and via the E-Learning platform. For more information click here.
Once you are assigned to the BIM chair, you will receive an e-mail asking for your most preferred topics. In addition, the e-mail will inform you about the date of our first meeting. The thesis should include a minimum of 25 text pages plus references, tables, and figures etc. Students provide an overview of their findings in a 15 minute presentation held after submission of the final thesis. We will ask questions and discuss the findings afterwards (about 15 minutes). Depending on the regulations of your specific study programme you can write the thesis in English or German (check the IBE and IM regulations respectivly). Given that the literature is in English, we recommend to write in English.
Important dates summary:
First meeting with supervisor: Until April 18th 2024 (start of the two-week reading period is the day after)
Registration of the thesis by students: Until May 15th 2024
Thesis submission: Latest by June 28th 2024
Thesis defenses: July 11th and July 12th 2024
Bachelor thesis topics Summer Term 2024
Below, you can find the current list of topics. These are broad topics and they need to be specified in the individual meetings with your supervisor. Own research ideas are very welcome, but also need to be discussed sufficiently in advance.
Topic 1: The role of technological capabilities in a firm’s internationalization: A systematic literature review
A firm's technological capabilities can be defined as its ability to effectively and efficiently leverage technology and related resources to achieve strategic objectives and gain a competitive advantage. The objective of this bachelor thesis is to provide an overview of the previous research investigating the relationship between technological capabilities and a firm’s internationalization outcomes (e.g., internationalization degree, internationalization speed, internationalization performance, growth through internationalization, among others). The thesis includes a comprehensive critical review of the most common definitions, conceptualizations, and measurements of technological capabilities. The thesis should further include an abstract, an introduction to the topic (including a short summary of the results), a detailed and replicable description of the literature search and review process, the results of the literature review, a vote-counting of outcomes (if applicable), and a discussion of the findings and their implications for the field. The systematic literature review requires a thorough literature search, coding, and analysis of articles on the role of technological capabilities (i.e., conceptual articles, qualitative studies, and quantitative studies). The literature search involves the use of a variety of databases and should be guided by predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The identified studies will be critically evaluated and analyzed to extract and synthesize the main findings. If a sufficient number of quantitative empirical studies have examined the relationships between technological capabilities and internationalization outcomes, a vote-counting approach should be applied (i.e., a minimum of five studies for a relationship). The vote-counting approach refers to counting the number of studies that support or refute a particular hypothesis on an association (e.g., technological capabilities are positively associated with internationalization speed) to provide a quantitative assessment of the current state of the literature and would help to identify areas of agreement and disagreement among the studies. The literature review aims to identify gaps in the current research and suggests areas and methodological approaches for future study.
Starting literature:
Adomako, S., Amankwah‐Amoah, J., & Danquah, J. K. (2022). R&D support, technological turbulence, and SMEs' degree of internationalization: The mediating role of technological capability. Thunderbird International Business Review, 64(3), 251-262.
Kuivalainen, O., Puumalainen, K., Sintonen, S., & Kyläheiko, K. (2010). Organisational capabilities and internationalisation of the small and medium-sized information and communications technology firms. Journal of International Entrepreneurship, 8, 135-155.
Kyläheiko, K., Jantunen, A., Puumalainen, K., Saarenketo, S., & Tuppura, A. (2011). Innovation and internationalization as growth strategies: The role of technological capabilities and appropriability. International business review, 20(5), 508-520.
Topic 2: The relationship between cross-cultural training and work-related outcomes: a systematic literature review
Cross-cultural training (CCT) encompasses educational interventions before or during the expatriates’ stay abroad to reduce uncertainties and cultural shocks in the new cultural environment. The objective of this bachelor thesis is to provide an overview of the previous research investigating the relationship between CCT and several work-related outcomes along the expatriation process (e.g., expatriation intention, cross-cultural adjustment, job and life satisfaction, job performance, turnover intention, among others). The thesis includes a comprehensive critical review of the most common definitions, conceptualizations, and measurements of CCT. The thesis should further include an abstract, an introduction to the topic (including a short summary of the results), a detailed and replicable description of the literature search and review process, the results of the literature review, a vote-counting of outcomes (if applicable), and a discussion of the findings and their implications for the field. The systematic literature review requires a thorough literature search, coding, and analysis of articles on the role of CCT (i.e., conceptual articles, qualitative studies, and quantitative studies). The literature search involves the use of a variety of databases and should be guided by predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The identified studies will be critically evaluated and analyzed to extract and synthesize the main findings. If a sufficient number of quantitative empirical studies have examined the relationships between CCT and the respective expatriate outcome, a vote-counting approach should be applied (i.e., a minimum of five studies for a relationship). The vote-counting approach refers to counting the number of studies that support or refute a particular hypothesis on an association (e.g., CCT is positively associated with job performance) to provide a quantitative assessment of the current state of the literature and would help to identify areas of agreement and disagreement among the studies. The literature review aims to identify gaps in the current research and suggests areas and methodological approaches for future study.
Starting literature:
Chenyang, L. (2022). Meta-analysis of the impact of cross-cultural training on adjustment, cultural intelligence, and job performance. Career Development International, 27(2), 185-200.
Deshpande, S. P., & Viswesvaran, C. (1992). Is cross-cultural training of expatriate managers effective: A meta analysis. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 16(3), 295-310.
Kempf, C., & Holtbrügge, D. (2020). Moderators and mediators of cross-cultural training effectiveness: literature review and development of a conceptual model. European Journal of International Management, 14(2), 293-326.
Topic 3: The relationship between expatriate personality traits and work-related outcomes: a systematic literature review
Individuals’ personality traits are commonly measured with the Five-Factor Model of Personality (Big Five), encompassing emotional stability, openness, extraversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness. The objective of this bachelor thesis is to provide an overview of the previous research investigating the relationship between the Big Five and several work-related outcomes along the expatriation process (e.g., expatriation intention, cross-cultural adjustment, job and life satisfaction, job performance, turnover intention, among others). The thesis includes a comprehensive critical review of the most common definitions, conceptualizations, and measurements of personality traits. The thesis should further include an abstract, an introduction to the topic (including a short summary of the results), a detailed and replicable description of the literature search and review process, the results of the literature review, a vote-counting of outcomes (if applicable), and a discussion of the findings and their implications for the field. The systematic literature review requires a thorough literature search, coding, and analysis of articles on the role of personality traits (i.e., conceptual articles, qualitative studies, and quantitative studies). The literature search involves the use of a variety of databases and should be guided by predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The identified studies will be critically evaluated and analyzed to extract and synthesize the main findings. If a sufficient number of quantitative empirical studies have examined the relationships between the Big Five and the respective expatriate outcome, a vote-counting approach should be applied (i.e., a minimum of five studies for a relationship). The vote-counting approach refers to counting the number of studies that support or refute a particular hypothesis on an association (e.g., emotional stability is positively associated with job performance) to provide a quantitative assessment of the current state of the literature and would help to identify areas of agreement and disagreement among the studies. The literature review aims to identify gaps in the current research and suggests areas and methodological approaches for future study.
Starting literature:
Caligiuri, P. M. (2000). The big five personality characteristics as predictors of expatriate's desire to terminate the assignment and supervisor‐rated performance. Personnel psychology, 53(1), 67-88.
Han, Y., Sears, G. J., Darr, W. A., & Wang, Y. (2022). Facilitating cross-cultural adaptation: A meta-analytic review of dispositional predictors of expatriate adjustment. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 53(9), 1054-1096.
Harari, M. B., Reaves, A. C., Beane, D. A., Laginess, A. J., & Viswesvaran, C. (2018). Personality and expatriate adjustment: A meta‐analysis. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 91(3), 486-517.
Topic 4: Adopting a common corporate language: A critical review of the literature
Intel plans to use English as a corporate language in the new factory in Magdeburg. In the realm of organizational communication and management, the adoption of a common corporate language stands as a pivotal factor influencing internal operations and external interactions. This thesis endeavors to delve into this critical aspect by conducting a thorough review of existing academic literature. The premise of adopting a common corporate language revolves around the notion that effective communication within an organization is contingent upon shared linguistic frameworks. However, the process of establishing such a language is multifaceted and its implications extend beyond mere linguistic coherence. This research aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge surrounding the adoption of a common corporate language. It will critically review the literature, exploring various dimensions including the conceptualization of a common language, strategies for implementation, challenges encountered, and the impact on organizational dynamics. The methodology involves a systematic literature review, encompassing a wide array of sources ranging from theoretical frameworks to empirical studies. Through meticulous analysis and synthesis of findings, this thesis seeks to uncover insights into the complexities of corporate language adoption and its implications for organizational behavior and performance. Moreover, the thesis aims to identify gaps in existing research, paving the way for future investigations in this domain. Students interested in delving deeper into specific areas such as cross-cultural communication, knowledge management, or organizational change may find ample opportunities for exploration within this overarching topic.
Starting literature
Fredriksson, R., Barner‐Rasmussen, W., & Piekkari, R. (2006). The multinational corporation as a multilingual organization: The notion of a common corporate language. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 11(4), 406-423.
Marschan-Piekkari, R., Welch, D., & Welch, L. (1999). Adopting a common corporate language: IHRM implications. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 10(3), 377-390.
Topic 5: Culture shock: A systematic literature review
Culture shock is a well-documented phenomenon characterized by the psychological and emotional challenges individuals face when transitioning to a new cultural environment (see also ‘culture shock’ (Guthrie, 1975), ‘culture fatigue’ (Smalley, 1963), ‘language shock’ (Byrnes, 1966), ‘role shock’ (Bock, 1970), and culture shock stages (Taft, 1977). This bachelor thesis aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of culture shock, encompassing a critical examination of its definition, conceptualization, and measurement. Additionally, it seeks to explore the association between culture shock and various outcomes within the context of cultural adaptation, such as adjustment, job satisfaction, task performance, and turnover intention. The thesis will commence with an introduction to the concept of culture shock, followed by a detailed description of the literature search and review methodology employed. Through a systematic approach, relevant articles including conceptual pieces, qualitative studies, and quantitative research will be identified and critically evaluated. The results of this literature review will be synthesized to highlight key findings and trends in the field. Furthermore, if a sufficient number of quantitative studies exist, a vote-counting approach will be applied to assess the strength of relationships between culture shock and relevant outcomes. This quantitative analysis will provide insight into the consensus or divergence among empirical findings, offering a quantitative assessment of the current state of the literature.
Starting literature
Black, J. S., & Mendenhall, M. (1991). The U-curve adjustment hypothesis revisited: A review and theoretical framework. Journal of international business studies, 22, 225-247.
Oberg, K. (1960). Cultural shock: Adjustment to new cultural environments. Practical anthropology, (4), 177-182.
Topic 6: Of blind spots and cultural biases: A systematic literature review and critical analysis on ethnocentrism
In the international management/international business (IM/IB) literature the concept of ethnocentrism refers to the tendency to view one’s own culture or group as superior to others. It is a cognitive bias that can have negative effects on intercultural interactions and decision-making in the IM/IB context. The objective of this bachelor thesis is to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge on ethnocentrism, including a comprehensive critical review of the definition, conceptualization, and measurement as well as on overview of the association between ethnocentrism and various relevant outcomes in the IM/IB field. The thesis should include an introduction to the topic, a detailed description of the literature search and review process, the results of the literature review, a vote-counting of outcomes (if applicable), and a discussion of the findings and their implications for the field. The thesis should provide a comprehensive overview of the concept of ethnocentrism, including its definition and conceptualization and it will review the existing literature on the measurement of ethnocentrism and the various scales that have been developed to assess it. The systematic literature review requires a thorough literature search, coding, and analysis of articles on ethnocentrism (i.e., conceptual articles, qualitative studies, and quantitative studies). The literature search would involve using a variety of databases, and should be guided by pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The identified studies would then be critically evaluated and analyzed to extract and synthesize the main findings. If a sufficient number of quantitative empirical studies have examined the relationships between ethnocentrism and relevant outcomes, a vote-counting approach should be applied (i.e., a minimum of five studies for a relationship). The vote-counting approach refers to counting the number of studies that support or refute a particular hypothesis on an association (e.g., reverse culture shock is negatively associated with task performance), to provide a quantitative assessment of the current state of the literature and would help to identify areas of agreement and disagreement among the studies. The literature review would also identify gaps in the current research and suggest areas for future study. Student who are interested in a thesis with a focus on the marketing area could also focus on consumer ethnocentrism.
Starting literature
Bizumic, B., & Duckitt, J. (2012). What is and is not ethnocentrism? A conceptual analysis and political implications. Political psychology, 33(6), 887-909.
Keith, K. D. (2019). Ethnocentrism: Seeing the world from where we stand. Cross‐Cultural Psychology: Contemporary Themes and Perspectives, 23-38.
Neuliep, J. W., & McCroskey, J. C. (1997). The development of a US and generalized ethnocentrism scale. Communication Research Reports, 14(4), 385-398.
Topic 7: Reverse culture shock: A systematic literature review and critical analysis
Reverse culture shock (also labeled as re-entry shock, cultural reentry shock, re-entry syndrome, home culture shock, and cultural re-adjustment syndrome among others) is the psychological and emotional disorientation that can occur when individuals return to their home country after an extended period of living abroad. The objective of this bachelor thesis is to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge on reverse culture shock, including a comprehensive critical review of the definition, conceptualization, and measurement of the reverse culture shock construct as well as on overview of its association with various relevant outcomes within the expatriation context (e.g., adjustment, job satisfaction, task performance, and turnover intention among others). The thesis should include an introduction to the topic, a detailed description of the literature search and review process, the results of the literature review, a vote-counting of outcomes (if applicable), and a discussion of the findings and their implications for the field. The systematic literature review requires a thorough literature search, coding, and analysis of articles on reverse culture shock (i.e., conceptual articles, qualitative studies, and quantitative studies). The literature search would involve using a variety of databases, and should be guided by pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The identified studies would then be critically evaluated and analyzed to extract and synthesize the main findings. If a sufficient number of quantitative empirical studies have examined the relationships between reverse culture shock and relevant outcomes, a vote-counting approach should be applied (i.e., a minimum of five studies for a relationship). The vote-counting approach refers to counting the number of studies that support or refute a particular hypothesis on an association (e.g., reverse culture shock is negatively associated with task performance), to provide a quantitative assessment of the current state of the literature and would help to identify areas of agreement and disagreement among the studies. The literature review would also identify gaps in the current research and suggest areas for future study.
Starting literature
Adler, N. J. (1981). Re-entry: Managing cross-cultural transitions. Group & Organization Studies, 6(3), 341-356.
Andrianto, S., Jianhong, M., Hommey, C., Damayanti, D., & Wahyuni, H. (2018). Re-entry adjustment and job embeddedness: The mediating role of professional identity in Indonesian returnees. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 792.
Rudmin, F. (2009). Constructs, measurements and models of acculturation and acculturative stress. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 33(2), 106-123.
Szkudlarek, B. (2010). Reentry—A review of the literature. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 34(1), 1-21.
Topic 8: Just like a fine wine? The timely use of data in quantitative empirical international management/international business research
When is data too old to inform international management/international business (IM/IB) research and practice? In general, it should take about three years from data collection to journal publication but recent meta-analytic studies indicate that the data that is used in IB/IM research is often much older than this. The focus of this bachelor thesis is on the impact of data currency on the results and conclusions of empirical studies in the IM/IB field. The thesis will examine the age of data in quantitative empirical studies and the extent to which the age of data affects research findings. It will explore the ways in which the use of older data can introduce bias and error into empirical studies, and the ways in which this can impact the conclusions and implications drawn by researchers. The thesis will also explore approaches used to ensure the relevance and timeliness of data in international management and international business research. It will examine the ways in which researchers can assess the age of data and determine its suitability for a specific study, and the ways in which data can be updated or refreshed to ensure its continued relevance. Additionally, the thesis will also discuss the impact of the age of data on the generalizability of the research findings. The thesis will examine how the use of older data might limit the ability to generalize findings to current contexts and how to overcome such limitations. Overall, the thesis will provide an in-depth examination of the impact of data currency on the results and conclusions of quantitative empirical IM/IB research, and offer recommendations for best practices to ensure the relevance and timeliness of data used in research.
Starting literature
Robins, J. A. (2004). When does the age of data matter? Notes on the selection of data for strategy research. In Research Methodology in Strategy and Management. Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Different field but highly informative: Dale, C. M., & Logsdon, M. C. (2022). When is data too old to inform nursing science and practice?. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 78(12), e155-e156.
Different field but highly informative: Nelson, M. S., Wooditch, A., & Gabbidon, S. L. (2014). Is criminology out-of-date? A research note on the use of common types of data. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 25(1), 16-33.
Topic 9: Beyond the numbers and graphs: A critical review of bibliometric studies in the international management/international business literature
The objective of this thesis is to examine the existing literature on bibliometrics in the field of international management and international business (IM/IB). The thesis will provide an overview of the key bibliometric studies in this field, as well as a critical evaluation of their methodology, findings, and implications. The thesis will provide an overview of bibliometrics, including its definition and key concepts. The third chapter will present the methodology for the thesis, including the research design, and the data collection and analysis. The fourth chapter will review the existing literature on bibliometric studies in the IM/IB field and will critically evaluate the methodology used in the bibliometric studies, including the data sources, metrics, and statistical techniques. The fifth chapter will will summarize the main findings of the thesis, discuss the implications of the research for international management/international business literature and identify areas for future research.
Starting literature
Block, J. H., & Fisch, C. (2020). Eight tips and questions for your bibliographic study in business and management research. Management Review Quarterly, 70(3), 307-312.
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285-296.
Koseoglu, M. A., Rahimi, R., Okumus, F., & Liu, J. (2016). Bibliometric studies in tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 61, 180-198.
Linnenluecke, M. K., Marrone, M., & Singh, A. K. (2020). Conducting systematic literature reviews and bibliometric analyses. Australian Journal of Management, 45(2), 175-194.
Zupic, I., & Čater, T. (2015). Bibliometric methods in management and organization. Organizational Research Methods, 18(3), 429-472.