The Volksbank Weinheim Foundation and ZEW Grant Research Award for Third Time
Research
The research award "Zukunft der Arbeitswelt" ("The Future of the Working World") has been conferred by the Volksbank Weinheim Foundation in cooperation with ZEW for the third time. As part of the fourteenth ZEW Conference on the Economics of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Dr. Kai Spohrer (32) was presented the award for the best doctoral thesis. In addition, Reinhold Kesler (26) received the award for the best Master's thesis.
"Dr. Spohrer's research not only indicates genuinely effective mechanisms for collaborative quality assurance amongst software developers, but also highlights the shortcomings of the current quality assurance measures used by businesses," explains Professor Irene Bertschek, Head of the ZEW Research Department "Information and Communication Technologies" and jury member for the research award.<o:p></o:p>
"The selection committee has also selected Reinhold Kesler's Master's thesis. It addresses the highly relevant question of whether businesses' presence on social media, and the subsequent feedback which they gain from customers, provides them with valuable impulses for innovation," says Irene Bertschek. The Master's thesis is methodologically very sound and makes an outstanding contribution to the existing literature.<o:p></o:p>
High quality of research, education and training in the Metropolitan region
As Thomas Kohl, Director of Business and Administration at ZEW and also a jury member, explains, "The fact that we have been able to award the prize for the third time in a row is not only proof of the extremely high quality of research, education and training in the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan region. Perhaps more importantly, the recipients of the prize have illustrated the critical relevance, which insights from scientific research into the working conditions in businesses and sectors, as well as into the digitalisation of work processes have for business practice."<o:p></o:p>
Dr. Kai Spohrer completed his thesis under the supervision of Professor Armin Heinzl, Chair of General Management and Information Systems at the University of Mannheim. Spohrer carries out research and teaches at the University of Mannheim in his position as academic senate and assistant professor for business informatics. Reinhold Kesler studied economics at the University of Mannheim, where he specialised in applied microeconomics and industrial economics. He is currently a researcher in the ZEW Research Department "Information and Communication Technologies".<o:p></o:p>
The recipient of the award for the best doctoral thesis receives 3,000 euros, whilst the award for the best master’s thesis includes 2,000 euros. The research award shall also be conferred in 2017. Eligible doctoral and master’s theses in the field of economics should be submitted by October 31, 2016.
For more information please contact
Thomas Kohl, Phone +49 (0)621 1235 111, E-mail kohl@zew.de