Practical project I: Experimental market research
Niveau
Bachelor
Learning outcomes of the courses/module
The students
• are familiar with the psychological aspects of business founding, acquisition, and succession and understand the specific challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises as well as startups.
• understand the core processes of decision-making, the motivational structures in teams, and the dynamics that occur in business contexts.
• can use experimental market research methods to test psychological models and theories in practice, especially in the context of leadership styles and their effects on employee motivation.
• analyze how different leadership styles affect employee satisfaction and performance and how changes in team composition shape corporate culture.
• assess the effectiveness of psychologically based management strategies and develop data-driven solutions for real business problems.
Prerequisites for the course
None
Course content
In the Bachelor's program in Economic Psychology, students dedicate themselves to an in-depth investigation of practice-based case studies that highlight the psychological aspects of company formation, acquisition, and succession. The focus is on collaboration with small and medium-sized enterprises as well as startups, which directly involves students in the real challenges and psychological processes that shape these economic phases.
The course content includes a thorough analysis of decision-making processes, motivational structures, and team dynamics that occur in companies. Leadership styles and their impact on employee motivation and productivity are also examined. A key component of the course is the application of experimental market research methods, which allow students to practically test and validate psychological theories and models.
Using these methods, students can investigate, for example, how different leadership styles affect employee performance and satisfaction or how changes in team composition influence corporate culture and workplace climate. The results of these studies contribute to developing data-supported, psychologically-founded strategies for business management and development.
In addition to deepening their professional knowledge, this approach also enhances important complementary skills such as critical thinking, analytical abilities, and the capacity to apply scientific methods in real economic contexts. Students take complete charge of planning and executing the research projects, from hypothesis formation through data collection and analysis to presenting their findings. This comprehensive methodological and practical experience optimally prepares students for future professional challenges at the intersection of psychology and economics.
Recommended specialist literature
• Fueglistaller, U., Fust, A., Müller, C., Müller, S., & Zellweger, T. (2020). Entrepreneurship: Modelle – Umsetzung – Perspektiven Mit Fallbeispielen aus Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz. Wiesbaden: Springer Verlag.
• Kreuser, K., & Robrecht, T. (2019). Professionelle Beratung: Menschen und Unternehmen kompetent begleiten. Unterföhring: SOKRATeam.
• Lippold, D. (2022). Einführung in das Consulting: Strukturen – Trends – Geschäftsmodelle. Berlin/Boston: Walter de Gruyter GmbH.
• Pfannstiel, M. A., & Dautovic, A. (2023). Transferinnovationen und Innovationstransfer zwischen Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft. Wiesbaden: Springer Verlag.
Assessment methods and criteria
• Final report and
• Final presentation
Language
German
Number of ECTS credits awarded
4
Share of e-learning in %
0
Semester hours per week
2.0
Planned teaching and learning method
- Working on a real problem with a company using the tools and techniques learned during the course
- Supervision of the project by an experienced coach/project manager
- Preparation of a final report, which can be handed over to the company
- Holding a final presentation with the participation of the client
Semester/trimester in which the course/module is offered
3
Name of lecturer
STGL
Academic year
Key figure of the course/module
PRA 1
Type of course/module
project
Type of course
Compulsory
Internship(s)
-