Economics - Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt
Transcription
Economics - Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt
WIWI Thinking beyond business and borders Faculty of Management and Economics 1 How we can think beyond business and borders The Faculty of Management and Economics at Klagenfurt University shows just how enjoyable the experience of cultural diversity in daily life can be, how interdisciplinary research through regional and world-wide exchanges can work, and how you can learn the art of management to perfection at the heart of a popular holiday destination. Kornelia Kanyo Matej Čertov Sonja Grabner-Kräuter A good place to study Kornelia Kanyo is one of 3,500 students at the Faculty of Management and Economics at the Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt. Born in Hungary and with Swabian ancestors, what she particularly values about the university in Klagenfurt is the way it «promotes problem-solving skills». She has already made an invention – a file storage device carried in place of a bag – for a competition in one of the courses that formed part of her basic studies, and even holds a patent for it. This smart little business accessory has not yet gone into production, but she is devoting less time to this than to finishing her studies. Ms Kanyo is very comfortable here, surrounded by mostly Austrian fellow students and the «very good and very many professors in this faculty who have accompanied and motivated me throughout my studies». Students of Applied Business Administration (ABW) form the biggest student group at Austria’s southernmost university – there are currently approximately ten thousand students Thinking beyond business and borders enrolled on courses from across the university. Fifteen per cent of ABW students come from abroad, and a large proportion from the local area. Why is he studying in Klagenfurt? «Because everything is right here: the location, the study programme and the lecturers,» Matej Čertov gets straight to the point. A native of Zell/Sele in southern Carinthia, he has already completed his Bachelor’s in ABW and is now studying for his Master’s in International Management. More than just dull theory Sonja Grabner-Kräuter is responsible for developing new curricula. A graduate in business studies, she describes the general concept behind the study of management and economics at Klagenfurt in the following terms: «Here we try to impart well-substantiated basic knowledge and to encourage structured analytical thinking. Our aim is to teach our students the skills they need to take a creative approach to problems.» Her colleague, Gottfried Haber, who succeeded the long-serving programme director Franz 3 Ofner, is responsible for the degree programmes for management and economics, that is to say for converting the curricula into actual courses. «You can only truly understand management and economics if you have got to know every subdivision of a business and the economy as a whole, namely accounting, marketing, sociology, economics, law etc. The Applied Business Administration degree programmes in Klagenfurt are designed to be put into practice later, so we have to train all-rounders, because, particularly when dealing with small to medium-sized businesses, the demands are very high, and it requires a broad base of knowledge and training.» He is a university lecturer of Economics and Business Management as well as being the Chairperson of the «Wirtschaftspolitische Beirat der Kärnt ner Landesregierung», (Economic Policy Advisory Board for the Carinthian Provincial Government), an external committee, which evaluates the economic work of the Province and draws up guidelines for the future. Another member of this advisory committee is Paolo Rondo-Brovetto. As a Professor of Public, Nonprofit and Health Management, he focuses intensively on practices and management in health care organisations and current reform issues in the public health care sector. The interlocking of theory and practice in the public and nonprofit management spheres is also of great significance for his colleague, Iris Saliterer, and is reflected in wideranging practice-oriented projects. The WIWI faculty has a long tradition of developing and running postgraduate programmes for people already working in the field and for ongoing personal development. At present, the WIWI is running eleven university courses. The faculty is also heavily involved in the Alpen-Adria-School of Management, Organizational Development and Technology M/O/T, which was founded in 2008, and largely arose out of the business sciences. It currently runs 16 courses here. Neighbours near and far International research into the business sciences has been an indispensable feature of 4 The Faculty of Management and Economics currently offers Bachelor’s degrees in Applied Business Administration, Geography, Information Management, and Economics & Law, as well as Master’s degrees in Applied Business Administration, Geography and Regional degrees, Information Management, and International Management. It also offers the teacher training programme in Geography and Economics, and the doctoral programmes in the Social Sciences and Economics or in the Natural Sciences. the Department of Economics from the beginning. This is also demonstrated by the fact that current issues in international economic policy are included in the studies. Reinhard Neck and Dmitri Blüschke have shown that a solution to the current economic crisis in Europe could be found by drawing up a common monetary and fiscal policy, provided that cost-cutting measures are implemented, which would not unduly burden the Eurozone economies. In collaboration with an institute in Slovenia they have worked out concrete scenarios for Slovenia. Oded Stark and Marcin Jakubek are working on the economic causes and consequences of migration. Professor Stark has been named best Austrian economist by the Handelsblatt newspaper on several occasions, and has been published in the top specialist journals world-wide. Students working on dissertations are given intensive supervision at the Department of Economics, and participate in international projects, including projects in collaboration with the Austrian National Bank, the World Bank, and universities from across the world. Veronika Gustafsson describes her new working environment enthusiastically: «It’s so beautiful.» She comes from Russia and has spent fifteen years conducting research at Sweden‘s Jönköping University. «I want to combine my research and my context», she says as she, herself an immigrant, studies the differences between entrepreneurship in Central Europe and in the countries of Eastern Europe. Her wide-ranging and inter-cultural knowledge is now being called upon for a new Master’s degree, «International Management». After a stringent selection process, this started in the winter term of 2011/2012, with 28 students from various parts of the world. In all, there were twice as many applicants for places. Gottfried Haber Paolo Rondo-Brovetto Iris Saliterer Reinhard Neck Thinking beyond business and borders Veronika Gustafsson Ralf Terlutter Karen Meehan Wolfgang Nadvornik Johannes Heinrich Gerhard Baumgartner Ralf Terlutter, programme director and current incumbent of the Chair for Marketing and International Management describes the programme in the following terms: «It prepares you for a career in the international sphere, but focuses on the Alps-Adriatic region. English is the only language of instruction on this programme.» In order to ensure the quality of the informative texts issued by the faculty, they frequently turn to native speakers, such as Brit Karen Meehan. She is one of approx. twenty versatile colleagues, who work in the administrative sector and deal with the day-to-day management of academic life at the university. tance in general terms and then demonstrates the need for specialised knowledge of the law using the example of the legal regulations for accounting. A Master‘s programme focusing on finance, taxation and commercial law is being developed; after all, well educated legal experts are needed in the field of accountancy, in the financial and Time for the students The Faculty of Management and Economics currently boasts fourteen chairs. As well as the Academic staff (left to right) Dmitri Blüschke, Veronika Gustafsson, Marcin Jakubek, classic core subjects of the busi- Martin Waiguny, Fanny Dobrenova, Stephan Leitner, and student Kornelia Kanyo ness sciences these include (standing). economics, law, sociology and geography. Eleven study programmes including banking sectors, in public enterprises and in teacher training can be taken at the WIWI. Says NPOs. The teaching content is decided by HeinWolfgang Nadvornik, «Although our student rich or his colleagues, Gerhard Baumgartner and numbers are relatively high, we don’t hold Johannes Zollner, based on current need. «We mass classes». And it is important that adequate teach the students what is particularly relevant space be given to individualised expert supervi- at the time.» This claim is backed up by Claudia sion outside of the courses too. It is possible to contact the lecturers at any time, «if not in their Mischensky, managing director of the Federation consulting hours, then via e-mail or Facebook». of Austrian Industry for Carinthia, who graduated Nadvornik is Professor for Finance & Account- in Applied Business Administration at Klagening and also a specialist for business succession furt: «The Faculty of Management and Economics in family businesses, among other things. «This at Klagenfurt scores points with its combination is particularly interesting here in Carinthia», of the impressive quality of teaching and supervihe says, «because of the high level of tourism- sion, its sound links to the regional economy and its integration in an international university and related industries». Since it is not possible to manage a business research network.» However, other skills are also needed for without some knowledge of the law, Johannes Heinrich teaches it to the AWB students and management, namely a solid knowledge of media students from the Economics and Law Bachelor’s management and communication. «Everything is degree. «Every aspect of business life is heavily slowly coming together», says Matthias Karmainfluenced by the law,» Heinrich states the impor- sin of the Department of Media and Communi- Thinking beyond business and borders 5 Professors and staff with post-doctoral qualifications at the Faculty of Management and Economics: Front row Wolfgang Nadvornik, Gottfried Haber, Heike Egner, Erich Schwarz, Sabine Kanduth-Kristen, Diana Krause; 2nd row Gernot Mödritscher, Friederike Wall, Sonja Grabner-Kräuter; 3rd row Herwig Winkler, Ralf Terlutter, Gudrun FritzSchmied, Johannes Zollner, Norbert Wohlgemuth; 4th row Reinhard Neck, Gerhard Pongratz, Johannes Heinrich, Guido Offermanns, Gerhard Baumgartner 6 Thinking beyond business and borders Johannes Zollner Claudia Mischensky Diana E. Krause Guido Offermanns Malgorzata Wdowiak cation Sciences, and he is not only referring to the inter and trans-disciplinary package Media and Convergence Management. «We need people who understand the interfaces that arise out of this.» Telecommunication, IT, media, entertainment and security, TIMES for short, must mesh seamlessly in a good business. And it is not just in the teaching, but also in research that collaborations between the business and the cultural sciences have been running for some time now. A collaborative textbook, namely the «Handbook of Media and Convergence Management», which Mathias is producing with business economist, Sandra Diehl – also from the Department of Media and Communication Sciences – is currently in progress. This will be useful for the planned «Media and Convergence Management» Master’s programme. Responsible research Diana Krause has travelled the world. The native of Berlin spent four years teaching and conducting research in the USA and Canada before taking up the Chair for Business Administration with a focus on organisation and the management of human resources. Her research extends as far as the USA, Canada, China, Germany, India and South Africa, always with people as the focus. «This is essential for a business to prosper.» She declares that the «intrinsic motivation of the employees [is] an important factor in the success of a good company». This also applies to her own team, who put their heart and soul into their research. One of them is Guido Offermanns. For the business expert and health-care researcher, research means «benefiting society». In his work, this is demonstrated, for example, in a project developing public health objectives for Carinthia. «Maintaining health through preventive measures will become increasingly important. All areas of politics have to collaborate in this.» The issue of health is also regarded as significant within the university as a whole. Gunhild Sagmeister from the Department of Sociology has established the project «Workplace Health Promotion», which has received numerous awards. Peter Mandl Thinking beyond business and borders Having found the right place «Working in an environment like this, you cannot help but thrive», Malgorzata Wdowiak affirms, after having spent seven years conducting research in the Department of Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship. «Of course it also makes a difference whether you always stay in the place you were born, or whether you leave it», or whether, like her, you have a veritable odyssey behind you. «Emigration brings high social costs», the native of Poland knows, having moved from one European border area to the next. It has caused her to feel discouraged at times, but constantly having to acclimatise to a new environment has driven her to great achievements. She finds Carinthia interesting and hopes to stay here for some time: «I find it fascinating to be able to live, think and work in such an intercultural area.» Living and working in Carinthia is something which Peter Mandl also values. The geographer, who was born in Klagenfurt, believes that Geography is a «predestined field if you want to understand the scientific value of being at home». Thus local inhabitants provide important data for a Volunteered Geographic Information project, which then merely needs to be merged with nationwide data using the appropriate web-based tools. Mandl specialises in geographical information systems and has taught and conducted research in this field not only here in Carinthia, but also in Salzburg, Bonn and Münster. At present he is participating in EU projects on the 7 harmonisation of the geodata infrastructure for the whole of Europe. For Robert Rossberger, member of the academic staff in the department of Human Resource Management, Leadership and Organizational Behavior (PFO), Carinthia is «like the Bavarian Forest», which is where the former businessman originates from. For many years he worked for the family business in Bangkok and India, and has got to know many different cultures. «Culture is relevant for every area of business administration», he states, and he likes to bring this in to his course «Intercultural human resources management». Bulgarian Fanny Dobrenova is a specialist in food marketing who travelled abroad and finally to Carinthia through various international programmes. She believes that «when you work you have to be mobile if you want to develop as an expert, whether you work in academia or in industry». Going beyond one’s own subject Martin Waiguny of the Department of Marketing and International Management (MIM) insists «MIM is automatically interdisciplinary – it couldn‘t be anything else». The Carinthian native is trying to «expand his thinking in a specific way», and is studying entertainment theories in advertising. When is something entertaining? Not only did he acquire the necessary basic knowledge of social and cognitive psychology as 8 a Visiting Scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, but he also picked up suitable research methods there. Waiguny is soon to leave Klagenfurt to continue his research at the other end of the world, at Auckland University of Technology. Ralf Terlutter, Waiguny’s superior, values the good work done by his team, and takes care to create the best possible working conditions for them. Links to industry are very important for the demanding researchers, and are always in place. Large companies in particular (most recently a brewery, a fruit juice producer and two banks) are keen to profit from the latest knowledge acquired by the academics, and to use this to determine their own marketing strategies. Companies want to know specific details of their customers, and MIM helps them to »understand« their customers. «This interaction is ideal», says the stoic Terlutter, currently President of the European Advertising Academy, «We can apply our research to the most wideranging clientele and that is beneficial for both partners – academia and industry». The university also benefits from his levelheadedness and management experience: as Vice Dean he works with Dean Erich Schwarz to promote the development of the whole faculty, which is currently undergoing a process of transition. Robert Rossberger Fanny Dobrenova Martin Waiguny Erich Schwarz «An entrepreneurial faculty»: From an idea … This is partly to do with a massive generational shift. A large number of those professors who were involved in founding the institute for the business sciences in 1984 have now entered their emeritus years. In recent years seven chairs have passed to new incumbents. Says Erich Schwarz: «Rejuvenation by bringing in a new generation has been successful, and obviously opens up opportunities to explore new directions». Given his job, Schwarz was virtually predestined to deal Thinking beyond business and borders Friederike Wall Gernot Mödritscher Stephan Leitner with the restructuring that that entails: he has been the incumbent of the first Chair for Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship in Austria since 1999. So where should the 120-strong faculty team go now, and where do they want to go? «The combination of business administration, geography and regional studies, law, sociology and economics constitutes the unique selling point of Klagenfurt’s WIWI. It enables us to think beyond business and borders. This should be realised not only through common research projects, but also through interdisciplinary programmes» Thus in the new ABW Master’s degree, students will also have the opportunity to specialise in energy and environmental management. «The broad content base will enable us to become an entrepreneurial faculty in the medium-term», says Schwarz and explains the thinking behind the concept. «Entrepreneurship is the logical extension of our years spent focusing on SMEs. With this topic we are researching and teaching a key theme in the European Union, since entrepreneurship is seen as a driving force for innovation, competitiveness and the creation of jobs.» A key task for an entrepreneurial faculty is to provide students with the perfect qualifications for their professional life: «Here they learn entrepreneurial thinking and behaviour, i.e. to recognise and evaluate opportunities, to innovate continually, to calculate risks and deal with them, as well as to make good use of limited resources.» So says Dean Schwarz, who is enthusiastic in his responsibility for the faculty and works tenaciously on its further development. … to a multifaceted implementation Friederike Wall, Professor for Controlling, also sees its diversity as one of the faculty’s strengths. «Here a wide range of different subject areas Thinking beyond business and borders complement each other, and the huge complex beast that is entrepreneurship can be illuminated from many sides.» Added to this is a good strong background in IT in many fields, including her own. She has her roots not only in controlling, but also in business information systems – both in academic terms and through a practical background of experience in SAP introduction programmes. Together with her team, the current Vice Rector for Research covers a core subject area of the course, which profits greatly from her own research with specific areas of focus. Gernot Mödritscher has spent a long time working on the topic of business strategy. How can you really implement a strategy? «For that you have to build a bridge directly between thought and action and you have to make the necessary tools available to the business», says Mödritscher, who knows exactly what he is talking about. He has spent over fifteen years working directly with companies in his research and also runs the «biztec», a research institute, funded primarily by private companies, where the necessary business technologies are being developed. His colleague Stephan Leitner also likes to commute between practice and theory. After studying Business Administration he spent a few years working in private industry and values the opportunity to be able to combine this experience 9 with knowledge «and so be able to constantly develop his own ability to think outside the box». He is currently writing an interdisciplinary dissertation and feels that he is «being well looked after» by mathematician Franz Rendl and none other than Ms. Wall. Fundamental support With her systemic approach to research, Heike Egner, Head of the Department of Geography and Regional Studies, introduces carefully considered views on enterprises, by conceiving of a business as a social system. «How it organises itself is critical for the success of a business – and for how a community draws its boundaries», says Egner. Together with her assistant Kirsten von Elverfeldt she conducts interdisciplinary research into the processes in business systems. «Against a background of the relationships that exist between society, people and the environment we are researching questions of self-organisation in social and natural systems, by which we mean social and physical geographic as well as biotic systems.» Dieter Bögenhold has been the incumbent of the Chair for Sociology at the department of the same name since October 2011. Born in Oldenburg, he is an exponent of evolutionary economics, and a follower of two classic sociologists, Josef Schumpeter and Max Weber. In Klagenfurt, he hopes to convert his long years of research into entrepreneurship, having already taught in Jönköping, Saarbrücken, Trier, Vienna, Bolzano and Turku. «An interesting coincidence», thinks Bögenhold and he believes «that two interesting perspectives will be united at the WIWI Klagenfurt». Helmut Guggenberger from the Department of Sociology focuses on research in the sphere of Higher Education. At the «intersection where the education system meets the business system» he observes linkages between studying and the world of work. Amongst other things, he endeavours to determine how «entrepreneurial thinking can become more firmly established» among students. 10 The Alpen-Adria-Universität is comprised of four faculties: Faculty of Humanities (KUWI), Faculty of Management and Economics (WIWI), Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies (IFF), and Faculty of Technical Sciences (TEWI). Aiming at long-term effects Greater emphasis is to be placed on the themes of energy and sustainability in the strategic development of the university. Doris Hattenberger, Senior Assistant Professor and expert on environmental and commercial law at the WIWI is one of a group of researchers and lecturers drawn from all four of the university’s faculties who are developing an optional course on sustainability. «Our motto is: living interdisciplinarity.» Specialist colleagues from economics, mathematics, intervention research, teacher training, sociology and geography are approaching the topic of sustainability in a variety of ways; a special didactic concept ensures that the knowledge acquired is also sustainable. Economist Norbert Wohlgemuth is working on possible structures for a future energy system. Taking account of a sustainable and cheapest possible provision of energy services, the most important aspect is the sensible combination of technologies to deal with both supply and demand, that is to say, the trade-off between sources of renewable energy and technologies to improve energy efficiency. For Herwig Winkler, head of the Department of Production Management and Business Logistics, sustainable development is a major trend at present, which will mean considerable changes for industrial production and logistics. Together with the Environmental Officer for Klagenfurt, he has just submitted a logistics project to the EU: electric vehicles for transportation, self-sufficient energy to drive them, and a smart transportation concept could make Klagenfurt a model region in terms of economic and environmental practices. «The university could play its part in this by installing photovoltaic systems on its large roof surface to help provide electricity for the region», Winkler suggests. Heike Egner Kirsten von Elverfeldt Dieter Bögenhold Doris Hattenberger Thinking beyond business and borders Norbert Wohlgemuth Herwig Winkler Gudrun Fritz-Schmied Alexander Brauneis Friedrich Palencsar A passion for teaching Gudrun Fritz-Schmied from the Finance & Accounting Department is passionate about teaching and a believer in trial and error, which also promotes problem-solving skills. «It is better for the students to work something out themselves and make mistakes in doing so, than to stupidly learn off by heart something that is prescribed.» Her specialist area is national and international accounting, and she finds it truly inspiring when what she is researching has practical relevance. Her colleague Alexander Brauneis also enjoys teaching: «I am lucky enough to be able to teach about what really interests me: securities and computational tools for the financial markets.» The economist A definite asset on the campus is the University’s Sports Institute. «loves numbers» and loves to Not only does the USI offer indoor and outdoor (from Grossglockner to lose himself in higher maths, Dalmatia) activities for students and university staff, but in collaborasuch as the ARIMA time series tion with the Faculty of Management and Economics it also offers a models, when working on his university course in Sport, Health and Entrepreneurship. post-doctoral thesis, «Riskbased, behavioural and statistical factors in the and Taxation but is also Vice Rector for Human Resources and Women’s Advancement. In this success of business strategies». In didactic and methodological terms teach- role she tries to «create the necessary conditions ing is constantly subject to new developments. to make the university more family and child Friedrich Palencsar has been a specialist teacher friendly». She herself has two small children, one in the Department of Geography and Regional of whom attends a crèche on campus. «Both there and through the onsite Children’s Office, employStudies for two decades. He frequently conducts field research, and enjoys interdisciplinary work. ees can develop good contacts, a real parent He sees the revision of academic standards network for mutual support.» How does the busifollowing the Bologna process as an opportu- ness expert with a research focus on creating nity to take on a new role: «Self-directed learn- appropriate legal forms organise her day? «Only ing means that the role of the lecturer vis-à-vis with a great deal of discipline, and it is a question his students is more that of a coach, a learning of good management – without the support of my family it would not work.» companion.» More than just a job Sabine Kanduth-Kristen has several roles. She not only leads the Department of Business Finance Thinking beyond business and borders 11 The maintenance of good relationships beyond the campus brings us first of all to the Lakeside Science & Technology Park. There, directly adjoining the university campus, we find both university institutes and dozens of international companies, as well as spin-offs from the AAU, including the «build! Gründerzentrum», a true child of the business sciences, where 15 young entrepreneurs are taking their first steps towards independence. They and other interested parties are given the opportunity to take courses to gain a «certificate in entrepreneurship». «This is a big advantage of the Klagenfurt campus: everything is close at hand», says Rector Heinrich C. Mayr, who was also the dean of the faculty for over eight years, at a time when the business sciences and information technology were still combined. He sees the future development of the Business Faculty as «promising and exciting – the research is pulsating and its international recognition is growing accordingly. Thanks to constant redevelopment, In the lecture series «The WIWI today» the faculty combines its own expertise with that of international experts and passes it on to the general public or throws it open for discussion. This is frequently done in cooperation with partners such as the Karl-Popper-Foundation or the Universitäts.club. Living and working together The foundations for this are built on relationships and trust. Thus the best collaborations have usually unfolded over many years and in the immediate surroundings. Links have developed, and continue to develop, as a result of the faculty’s now traditional interdisciplinary approach. This starts with the teaching of business administration, which collaborates with economics, sociology and geography – all within the same faculty. The Economics and Law programme is offered in collaboration with the Department of Law, Information Management is tackled with the Faculty of Technical Sciences and a further combined studies programme, «Business and Engineering», is being planned by Martin Hitz, the founding dean of the Faculty of Technical Sciences. Until 2006 the computer scientists belonged to the same faculty as the «economists», but everything started to change at the beginning of the 1980s, when it was decided, during the first phase of expansion of the University for Educational Sciences, as it was called then, to include business administration and business information systems in the teaching programme. Since then it is not only the field of business sciences that has expanded; with seven different institutes, the technical sciences have had their own faculty since 2007. But collaboration has continued to be a positive feature, both in the academic and in the teaching fields. 12 Sabine Kanduth-Kristen Since as long ago as 1989 the «Society for the Promotion of the Business Sciences» has particularly supported collaboration with other universities at home and abroad, the continued scientific training of the lecturers and practice-based student projects. Managing director Alexandra Rausch works hard to maintain good contacts between local businesses and the university. the degree programmes in this faculty are totally up-to-date, and give our students the best possible foundation for a successful career». Thinking beyond business and borders The Faculty’s international contacts Australia Korea Brazil Mexico Canada Nepal China New Zealand India South Africa Indonesia Tanzania Israel USA Japan Bulgaria Romania Croatia Russia Denmark Slovakia Finland Slovenia France Sweden Germany Switzerland Great Britain Spain Ireland Czech Republic Italy Turkey Latvia Ukraine Liechtenstein Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Thinking beyond business and borders 13 Chairs and departments Thinking beyond business and borders! – taxation planning Thinking beyond business and borders! – systemic Taxation Geography and Regional Studies – GEO Head Associate Prof. Mag. Dr. Sabine Kanduth-Kristen Core areas of research Choice and creation of legal form from the point of view of taxation; optimising taxation when founding a company, running a company and transferring or dissolving a company; business restructuring and insolvency; setting tax limits and family taxation; value added tax Thinking beyond business and borders! – control orientated Controlling and Strategic Management – CSU Head Univ.-Prof. Dr. Friederike Wall Core areas of research Agent-based simulation in managerial accounting; quality of information and validity of management accounting systems; decision behaviour of senior management; stakeholder-orientated managerial accounting Thinking beyond business and borders! – finance Finance & Accounting – FIN Head Full Univ.-Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Nadvornik Core areas of research Corporate finance and business appraisal; credit management; quantitative capital market research; national and international accounting; international financial reporting Thinking beyond business and borders! – financial law aspects Financial Law Head Univ.-Prof. MMag. Dr. Johannes Heinrich Core areas of research Corporate tax; taxation of business partnerships; taxation aspects of corporate and property succession; international taxation law; value added tax Head Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heike Egner Core areas of research Self-organisation and self-referencing of social and natural systems; environment and ecosystems; geography teaching methodology; geographical information systems & geographic information science; regional studies Thinking beyond business and borders! – innovation orientated Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship – IME Leitung Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Erich Schwarz Core areas of research Open innovation management, user co-creation; personal and organisational innovativeness; decision behaviour in businesses; business models; factors influencing the success of technological and growth-orientated businesses Thinking beyond business and borders! – customer centred Marketing and International Management – MIM Head Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ralf Terlutter Core areas of research Advertising, business communication and media; customer behaviour; customer trust and business ethics; branding; marketing for specific target groups Thinking beyond business and borders! – leadership orientated Human Resource Management, Leadership and Organizational Behavior – PFO Head Univ.-Prof. Dr. Diana E. Krause Core areas of research Management and innovation; human resources selection and development; power, influence and trust in organisations; effects of management on stress and health; intercultural human resources selection 14 Thinking beyond business and borders Thinking beyond business and borders! – public Thinking beyond business and borders! – society related Public, Nonprofit and Health Management – PUMA Sociology – SOZIO Head Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Paolo Rondo-Brovetto Core areas of research Municipal accounting systems; the use and benefits of indicators; innovation and cooperation in healthcare; performance-related provision; public service/public sector motivation Thinking beyond business and borders! – under public law Public Law Head Univ.-Prof. Dr. Gerhard Baumgartner Core areas of research Austrian and European public commercial law; constitutional law and administrative reform; environmental law; public right to information Thinking beyond business and borders! – under private law Private Law Head Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Johannes Zollner Core areas of research Corporate law; capital market law; foundation law; law of corporate succession; company law Head Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dieter Bögenhold Core areas of research Sociology and economics; consumption and lifestyle; entrepreneurship, creation of companies; regions and globalisation; research on higher education; resources and organisation: health, work-life balance; human and social capital Thinking beyond business and borders! – economics Economics – VWL Head Full Univ.-Prof. Dr. Reinhard Neck Core areas of research Money and fiscal policy; financial management; applied econometrics; quantitative economic policy; theory of economic policy Thinking beyond business and borders! – regional economic aspects Economics – VWL Economic and Regional Policy Head Univ.-Prof. Dr. Oded Stark Core areas of research Migration; population control; applied microeconomics; energy economics; social theory Thinking beyond business and borders! – industrial Production Management and Business Logistics – PLM Head Associate Prof. Dr. Herwig Winkler Core areas of research Optimisation of production systems; logistics/supply chain management; accounting and cost management in an incentive based system; research into industrial flexibility; interface assessment and management Gedruckt nach d des Österreichis Medienfabrik Gr Imprint Published by the Faculty of Management and Economics at the Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt 2012. www.aau.at/wiwi Concept and editorial Barbara Maier Translation David Wright Photos Johannes Puch (40), Gerhard Maurer (1), Foto Wallner (1), Archiv (3) Graphics Andreas Dobos (www.area4.at) Printing Medienfabrik Graz Responsible for content Erich Schwarz Printed in accordance with the guidelines for «Druckerzeugnisse» of the Austrian eco-label, UW No. 812 Thinking beyond business and borders Gedruckt nach d des Österreichis Medienfabrik Gr 15 Firm foundation Studying at Klagenfurt University provided me with a valuable addition to my professional activities: With my academic background I am able to analyse market developments more precisely, and thereby base my decisions on a much broader, firmer foundation. Erlfried Taurer Graduate in Business Management, Chairman of Constantia Industries AG Good opportunities Klagenfurt’s WIWI is a young faculty, which has made good use of its opportunities. It is innovative, both with regard to its topics of research and in the faculty‘s interesting structure. Here we see assembled a productive and interesting mix of highly research-oriented and very practice-oriented colleagues. Ewald Nowotny Economist, Governor of the Austrian National Bank, Honorary Doctor of the Alpen-Adria-Universität 16