master thesis sustainability reporting

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Completed master theses

Sustainable adaptations to climate change: a comparison of austrian and united states ski areas.

Beatrice King, 2023

Climate change has affected many realms of businesses and industries worldwide. In particular, the warming of the planet has impacted the winter tourism and ski industries in Austria and the United States. Due to the economic importance and growth of these industries, ski areas are forced to implement adaptations to climate change, with some engaging in sustainable adaptations.

However, there is little in-depth research regarding cross-cultural comparison of ski areas in two different countries, and whether ski areas in these countries experience similar or dissimilar motivations, challenges, and outcomes when engaging in sustainable adaptations. Therefore, this research paper uses a qualitative approach to examine the two cases of Austria and the United States by assessing sustainable adaptation measures to climate change. The goal of this research will demonstrate why and how ski areas in Austria and the United States practice sustainable adaptation to climate change, and whether there are differences in each country based on underlying driving forces or motivators.

The findings revealed that ski areas in both countries have many similar experiences when implementing sustainable adaptations, and some differences stem from country-specific circumstances. Additionally, underlying factors suggest that ski areas in both countries engage in sustainable adaptation largely voluntarily, out of responsibility and duty to socioenvironmental contexts. Country-specific factors are layered on top of that; ski areas in Austria are also motivated by a societal and institutional sense while financial aspects predominantly influence ski areas in the United States.

Measuring Company Impact in Impact Investing: A Novel Approach Focusing on Real-World Changes

Hendrik Brosche, 2022

This master thesis explores a novel approach to measure 'impact' in the field of impact investing. It first sets down the essential requirements of an impact measurement methodology placing particular emphasis on the contribution of companies in solving global sustainability challenges. It then outlines the adequate design for an impact measurement methodology. Based on grounded theory, exploratory research from a planetary perspective is conducted with a focus on large, mainly stock-market listed corporations. This study identifies 35 essential requirements for 'goal-setting', 'firm-level metric selection', as well as 'methodology design and usage'. Subsequently, a company impact measurement methodology is designed that uses science-based targets for 18 firm-level metrics to measure the threshold alignment of companies. A feasibility check reveals that the designed methodology complies with most identified requirements but only 59% of the necessary data is available from major ESG data providers. This research contributes to the academic literature by applying a planetary perspective that demonstrates the need for contextualization in impact measurement and thresholds-alignment in impact investing. Furthermore, it supports the mitigation of terminological challenges in the field by distinguishing two schools of impact understanding and providing new definitions and categorization approaches based on insights from other academic fields.

Strategy-level analysis of the impact claim of impact funds

Johannes Metzler, 2022

Facing global challenges like climate change requires overall change in many business models. This needed transformation necessitates financing to facilitate this kind of action. In addition to philanthropically motivated impact investors seeking to use their capital for such purposes, there are also actors who exploit desires to help. They advertise funds that are supposed to have a clear positive impact. In reality, these fund managers practice "impact washing", as they aim to attract funding without actually seeking for significant environmental or social change (Busch et al., 2021).  This raises the question of the extent to which an impact investing based on scientific evidence is practiced and which funds are guilty of impact washing. Therefore, this thesis examined and classified a systematically selected number of funds at the strategy level for impact characteristics based on qualitative content analysis.

The analysis showed that the phenomenon of impact washing within the funds examined is serious. At nearly 68%, almost two-thirds of the 185 funds have an impact claim that cannot be proven. Regarding the disclosure quality of fund information, three main problems emerged: inconsistency, superficiality, and generalization. The lack of accessibility to relevant information is significant. Additionally, much of the published data did not provide a detailed description which hindered an accurate understanding of the fund. Lastly, much of the information relates to the entire company and no fund-specific data is published.

The most important aspect of impact investing is proving materiality by logically linking investment strategy and achieved outcomes using measurement frameworks. Most funds in the analysis lack the publication of these specific information to demonstrate the precise causal link. Therefore, especially with regard to materiality, future research should attribute great importance to identify approaches and instruments that enable a more concrete measurement, calculation and attribution of quantitative impact data and thereby continuously expanding these causal relationships.

Overcoming the Barriers of Circular Business Model Implementation: A Qualitative Analysis of the Norwegian Textile Industry

Juni Sulen Skogseth, 2021

The concept "The Tragedy of the Commons" (Hardin, 1968) seems to be an accurate way of illustrating how scarce natural resources are currently being overexploited for the personal gain of humans. The economic problem describes the scenario in which everyone has free access to a common pool of resources, generating a rise of utilization which ultimately overwhelms the supply. This results in a mutual ruin around the corner; depletion of resources to everyone’s detriment. The modern industrial economy works similarly, with a high reliance on the throughput of new materials extracted and massive amounts of waste and emissions being disposed of. It is also often referred to as the linear economic model, which contributes to a massive transgression of the planetary boundaries and destabilization of ecosystems, climate systems, and biodiversity. In order to curb the current ramifications and arrive on a path in line with sustainable development, the circular economy is often suggested as a possible means by scholars, researchers, business leaders, and policymakers. A circular economy aims to create a systemic shift that generates long-term resilience, economic, environmental, and societal benefits as well as business opportunities. It nevertheless requires a radical change in how resources are handled along the value chain and holistically transforms the “business as usual” scenario. The textile industry is regarded as one of seven pressure categories by the EU and contributes to severe ramifications upon the environment and societies throughout its lifecycle. This study provides an overview of how the textile and clothing industry, specifically in Norway, can become more in line with a circular economy. The aim is to establish an overview of barriers impeding the circular transition and solutions needed from authorities, businesses, and consumers for the Norwegian textile industry to achieve a higher level of circularity.

Corporate barriers to deep decarbonization: A cross-sectoral exploration of German companies

Theresa Rötzel, 2021

Although climate change has received increased attention in the last years, greenhouse gas emissions are still rising. Efforts in mitigating climate change need to intensify profoundly in the coming decade to achieve the target of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. Companies have realized the necessity of extensive emission reductions. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that they encounter significant barriers when aiming for emission reductions. Yet, the barriers to deep decarbonization, the most decisive and effective road to carbon and climate neutrality, have not been appropriately studied. The purpose of this thesis is to extend the current knowledge on corporate barriers to deep decarbonization, thereby laying the foundation for further research on these barriers and how to overcome them. It aims at answering the following research question: What are the barriers perceived by companies that emerge during the process towards deep decarbonization in Germany? To answer the research question, four companies operating in distinct sectors are investigated using qualitative data from semi-structured expert interviews. The collected data is evaluated by applying qualitative content analysis using an inductive approach. The findings show that companies encounter 42 specific barriers. These can be classified into four categories: individual-, micro-, meso-, and macro-level barriers, which comprise up to three sub-level categories. This thesis concludes that barriers are rather company-, than sector-specific. In addition, they are interconnected, which increases the complexity for companies to address them. The evidence from this study suggests that there is a need for large-scale transformations within companies and concerning the current economic system surrounding them. This indicates that internal and external stakeholders must assume responsibility for driving the required changes to achieve deep decarbonization. The findings presented in this thesis add to the understanding of corporate barriers by offering a nuanced differentiation and a new structuring. Future research could build on the present results to develop strategies for effectively overcoming corporate barriers to deep decarbonization.

Barriers to Onshore Wind Energy Development in South Africa: A Stakeholder Analysis

Francesca Larrain, 2021

A prerequisite to sustainable development in the global south is the integration of environmental practices and supporting infrastructure in industries. This will help facilitate a reduction in the anthropogenic driven greenhouse effect and resulting climate change. A fundamental element of sustainable development is the provision of both affordable and clean energy supplies via greenhouse gas emission-free technologies such as renewable energy. The following thesis investigates sustainable development in the context of the South African Wind Energy Industry.

This study aims to identify the barriers to Onshore Wind Energy Development via a Stakeholder Analysis, to highlight the existing barriers identified in the literature and that which experts in the industry provide. Based on the latter, the study provides a barrier ranking of significance to the market. Based on the fundamental barriers to renewable energy penetration framework by Painuly (2001), this research expands upon the findings in the context of the South African Wind Energy Industry and involved stakeholders. This qualitative research uses inductive reasoning through both a literature review, ten stakeholder semi-structured interviews, and a questionnaire measured via Likert scale.

The main barriers to development in order of significance rank were identified as political, economic, technical, social, and environmental. The research aim is to illustrate the gap of barrier identification and proposed solutions between literature and stakeholders to claim stakeholder integration in the reduction and mitigation of barriers to the development of onshore wind farms in South Africa. Holistic comprehension of the barriers to Wind Energy Development in South Africa is critical to their successful removal.

How can companies measure the product carbon footprint of their supply chain using Blockchain technology

Fatima Khalilova, 2021

To maintain a long-term competitive advantage, manage climate-related risks and be prepared for emerging policies and regulations, the companies need to understand and manage their product- and supply chain-related greenhouse gas emissions risks. Thus, corporates shift towards accounting for a more granular level carbon footprint which requires a deeper analysis of purchased materials, processes, and services. The challenges in supply chain emissions exist due to highly complex, fragmented, specialised, and outsourced global value chains caused by multi-stage production and complex networks. These factors complicate environmental data and information exchange among the partners where technology, in this case, blockchain can bring several advantages.

Blockchain is a distributed ledger system for recording transactions among multiple parties in a verifiable and tamper-proof way. It includes a chronological string of blocks where each block is encrypted and distributed to all participants who keep their copies of the transactions. They are immutable meaning the past data cannot be overwritten; it is a highly secure network. Therefore, it can help to efficiently connect value chain actors enhancing traceability over the product’s life cycle in a trustless environment. This plays as an encouraging mechanism for manufacturers, tiers, OEMs to improve their environmental footprint; supports consumers to better understand the product’s environmental impact.

Since the technology's application in supply chain PCFs is in its infancy, there is a gap in exploring practical models. Thus, the research paper presents a conceptual framework based on CarbonBlock pilot project to investigate how blockchain technology can help companies to measure the PCF of their supply chain. The pilot project's focus was to measure and manage the upstream carbon footprints of materials, parts or components using smart contracts based on private blockchain technology. The research paper differentiates itself by investigating the practical use case of blockchain technology as a solution bringing together the large automotive industry representatives.

The relevance of macroeconomic data for firm-specific non-financial information

Imke Sterf, 2021

Concerns about the impact and consequences of climate change have notably intensified in recent decades. Additionally, the publicity around "sustainable finance" and "ESG investments" has grown immensely in recent years and has become an essential topic on the European policy agenda. Precise and reliable data is crucial to further understand how businesses impact the ecosystem around them. Despite significant developments in the understanding, measurement, and monitoring of environmental impacts, the required availability and quality of this data is currently often unavailable, making informed decisions on ESG investments challenging. Consequently, the need for methods to identify the fundamental causes of environmental and social impacts is becoming increasingly important. In this context, this thesis studies how macroeconomic data for firm-specific non-financial information could be utilized. By applying input-output analysis, macroeconomic datasets could be applied to assess the environmental implications of companies’ complete supply chains. The methodology relies on semi-structured interviews with various experts from organizations that collect macroeconomic data to analyze the critical barriers of the practice. It offers a qualitative approach towards a new way of using existing macroeconomic data and explains the underlying factors that would need to change to make it successful. Key findings reveal that numerous factors hinder macroeconomic data from being utilized. Policymakers must improve the availability and quality of collected information on a macroeconomic level. They need to implement new laws and requirements and start legislative reforms to support the collection of macroeconomic data and further regulate the supply of non-financial information on all levels. Although large amounts of data points are collected, it is not ensured that the reported datasets are useful to others. The macroeconomic data could become more valuable and relevant if policies and regulations were changed.

Betriebliche Klimaschutzmaßnahmen: Interne Hürden und wie sie überwunden werden können – Fallstudie zu einem Einzelhandelsunternehmen

Magdalena Bau, 2021

In der öffentlichen Debatte nimmt die Bedeutung von Umwelt- und Klimaschutz weiter zu. Unternehmen geraten immer stärker unter Druck, ihren Kohlenstoffdioxidausstoß zu senken. Ein besonderes Potenzial für CO2-Einsparungen liegt in der Umsetzung von Klimaschutzmaßnahmen innerhalb der unternehmenseigenen und angemieteten Gebäude. Obwohl viele Unternehmen sich der Relevanz des Klimaschutzes bewusst sind, gibt es Hürden, welche die Implementierung von betrieblichen Klimaschutzmaßnahmen am Unternehmensstandort einschränken bzw. behindern. Diese werden vor allem durch organisatorische Rahmenbedingungen sowie durch menschliches Verhalten innerhalb des Unternehmens hervorgerufen. In bisherigen Forschungsarbeiten wurden Hürden, die bei der Umsetzung von Klimaschutzmaßnahmen bestehen, bereits intensiv untersucht. Im Gegensatz dazu wurde die Überwindung dieser Hürden empirisch kaum erforscht. Ziel der vorliegenden Forschungsarbeit ist es, interne Hürden anhand einer Fallstudie zu identifizieren und effektive Überwindungsstrategien abzuleiten. Das Herausarbeiten der zielgerichteten Lösungsvorschläge basiert auf einer Analyse der zuvor bestimmten Hürden. Die Untersuchung ebendieser bezieht den Zeitpunkt des Auftretens der Hürde während des Implementierungsprozesses, die Ursachen der Hürden, die beteiligten AkteurInnen sowie die Einflussmöglichkeit des Unternehmens ein. Zur Erreichung dieses Forschungsziels werden sechs ExpertInneninterviews durchgeführt und diese anhand der inhaltlich strukturierenden Inhaltsanalyse nach Kuckartz ausgewertet. Die Arbeit identifiziert sieben interne Hürden, denen die Interviewteilnehmenden bei der Implementierung von betrieblichen Klimaschutzmaßnahmen begegnen. Zusätzlich ermittelt sie zehn Ursachen, die diese Hürden bewirken und beeinflussen. Darauf basierend erarbeitet die Studie neun Überwindungsmöglichkeiten, die einzelnen oder mehreren Hürden zugewiesen werden. Diese Masterarbeit trägt zur Erweiterung der Literatur bei und liefert theoretische und praktische Implikationen zur Hürdenüberwindung.

Giving waste a second life: A Life Cycle Assessment on spent coffee grounds comparing traditional waste treatment methods with upcycling for application in the cosmetic industry

Alina Hüning, 2021

In today's growing society, immense amounts of waste resulting from fast circulating materials through the economy embody a tremendous strain for the environment. Coffee is one product generating extensive amounts of waste at the end of its lifetime in the form of Spent Coffee Grounds (SCG). These bear the potential to have their life prolonged through upcycling. Since coffee production is resource-intensive, its life cycle extension promises relief for the environment. However, the actual alleviation in impacts highly depends on the concrete value-addition process and cannot be presupposed.

This master thesis aims to estimate the environmental impacts of traditional waste treatment methods of SCG Incineration and Anaerobic Digestion. These shall be compared with the environmental burdens emanating from the process of SCG Upcycling for cosmetics to find out which method exerts the least pressure on the environment. To meet this goal, a Life Cycle Assessment has been applied. The thesis is written for and based on data from a German cosmetic company, which uses upcycled SCG in its cosmetic products.

Key findings reveal that both SCG Upcycling and Anaerobic Digestion result in smaller environmental impacts than Incineration. Additionally, shortened transport distances for the process of SCG Upcycling slightly decrease environmental pressure. A more significant impact possesses the change in energy supply from an average German electricity mix to 100% renewable sources leaving the SCG Upcycling as the preferred option among all three closely followed by Anaerobic Digestion. As a result, it can be concluded that the value addition of SCG, in this case, is justified due to actual savings in impacts.

This LCA shall serve as a prelude in a quantitative examination the company plans in the future to determine the environmental impacts of the other ingredients inherent in the products for a planned communication and labeling of those.

Klimaneutrale Veranstaltung - Eine Bilanzierung der CO2-Emissionen von Großveranstaltungen

Alina Thiele, 2020

This master's thesis examines the question of how a large event can be balanced with regard to its impact on the climate. Using the example of the "36th European Group for Organizational Studies Colloquium", the emissions caused by the conference are quantitatively represented and evaluated. To calculate the amount of carbon dioxide equivalents, a formula is derived. The conference pursues climate neutrality as its aim. The amount of carbon dioxide equivalents to be compensated is calculated to enable compensation through climate certificates. The emissions are divided into five areas: Catering, consumption of materials, accommodation, on-site mobility, and the event location. The result of the balancing results in a total amount of 197.49 t CO2-equivalents. Excluding the travel of participants, the largest amount is emitted in the accommodation sector with 83.04 %, followed by the catering sector with 12.52 %. The main reasons are high consumption and high emission factors. Furthermore, the results indicate that the most effective decarbonization measures are animal-free food, energy supply from renewable energy sources, and climate-friendly transportation. In general, the climate balance of the event can be classified in the lower range, as numerous measures have already been implemented. However, a regulatory political framework and a measurement standard to provide optimal transparency in the balance are missing. This work shall contribute to close this gap. The analysis will help to implement own measures and to derive motivations for further climate-neutral events in order to create a "best practice" solution in the future.

Assessing Sustainable Characteristics of Structured Products – A Qualitative Case Study on Sustainable Finance in the European Union

Jana Kapfer, 2021

To achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, major global investments are needed. Private investments have to be redirected toward sustainable development. The European Union leads the debate on sustainable finance, e.g., by working on a unified classification system for sustainable investments and establishing a label for sustainable financial instruments. The European label would build on renowned national labels such as the label for sustainable funds by the German Forum Nachhaltige Geldanlagen. This label serves as a case for this thesis. Structured products are a popular financial instrument that is hardly considered in the approach of the EU or sustainable finance in general. Furthermore, these products have faced criticism in the course of the Global Financial Crisis 2008 with researchers discussing e.g., lacking transparency in the market. Building on the question catalogue of the label of the Forum Nachhaltige Geldanlagen, it is discussed how sustainable characteristics of structured products can be assessed. This was done by conducting a qualitative case study resulting in an adjusted question catalogue. The characteristics of structured products were derived from previous research and integrated into the question catalogue. To implement sustainability in structured products, most importantly transparency should be increased and a proper risk assessment ensured. Criteria addressed to the fund manager should be extended to the issuing banks to guarantee a thoroughly sustainable portfolio. Moreover, the riskiest and most speculative types of products should be excluded. Implementing sustainability objectives in the market of structured products is an opportunity to improve transparency and investors' trust. By increasing the sustainability potential of these products they can play a critical role in redirecting capital flows towards sustainable development.

Two decades of corporate responses to climate change - A systematic literature review

Miriam Arndt, 2020

The awareness of the climate crisis is increasing in society as well as in the corporate world. Many businesses put climate change and sustainable business development on the agenda. Yet, GHG emissions are steadily increasing. This big disconnect (Dyllick & Muff, 2016) is starting to get more attention from the management literature and needs further investigation. The master thesis at hand takes upon this phenomenon and presents a review of 60 articles from the past two decades on corporate responses to climate change to find the most reported corporate activities.

The findings show that there are 16 distinct activities, which companies choose and implement in response to climate change. These activities can be classified into four categories (communication, collaborations, managerial measures, operational measures). As Dyllick and Muff (2016) call for a distinction between effective and ineffective corporate measures, and Slawinski et al. (2017) claim that corporate activities need to lead to absolute emission reduction to be effective, the corporate activities of this analysis are examined on their GHG emission reduction potential. One can see that only the category of operational measures stands out.

Hence, the study shows that companies need to target absolute emission reduction by changing their products, processes, or energy source if they want to make an effective contribution to climate change mitigation. In the variety of corporate strategies to climate change, this result helps to identify whether companies are contributing to climate change mitigation. This study further highlights future research proposals and points out the need to take the ecological and social macro-level into perspective when talking about corporate strategies and climate change mitigation.

Corporate ESG-related disclosures – Supporting factors and barriers for implementing the TCFD's recommendations

Lisa Krombholz, 2020

Physical and transitional risks from climate change will have a significant impact on the resilience of businesses and financial market stability. Consequently, investors, banks, insurers, and other stakeholders are interested in the financial effects of climate risks and opportunities. To enable more informed decisions to be made on financing and investment matters climate-related disclosure is demanded. This was reinforced by the publication of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)'s recommendations in 2017 which aim for consistent and comparable reporting on climate issues.

The goal of this thesis is to answer two research questions: 1) What is the status quo of the implementation of the TCFD's recommendations? 2) What are the barriers that currently prevent companies from implementation and what are supporting factors? To answer the research questions empirical data is collected through secondary sources and expert interviews. The data is evaluated by a systematic document analysis and a qualitative content analysis.

The results show that the implementation of the TCFD's recommendations is still at an early stage of dissemination. The pluralism of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) frameworks distracts and confuses companies. Some companies are neither able nor willing to disclose climate-related information while established business processes impede implementation in practice. In terms of practical feasibility, companies face limited resources and business complexities. Climate disclosures are based on uncertain future developments which deter companies from making definite statements. The implementation can be facilitated by the alignment of different ESG frameworks. Companies need expanded guidance on TCFD implementation which goes beyond high-level advice. Increased pressure from influential stakeholders can accelerate TCFD implementation. Internal alignment lays an important foundation as it ensures that management and employees share the same understanding and have strategies and processes in place that incorporate climate aspects. Finally, cross-company collaboration enables to pool resources to progress collectively toward comprehensive and comparable TCFD reporting.

Sustainable Supply Chain Management Diffusion in the Palm Oil Supply Chain: A Trader Perspective

Carlo Wessel, 2020

Sustainable supply chain management unites the three dimensions of sustainable development (social, environmental, and economic) with supply chain management, aiming to produce and distribute more sustainable products. In light of globalization, supply chains have become increasingly complex and are known to cause negative externalities further upstream. This is especially the case for the supply chains of multinational corporations, whose operations often include many sub-tier suppliers outside of their scope of interaction. The palm oil supply chain has been observed to contain complex sourcing networks with sustainability issues such as deforestation and exploitation of workers, making it a relevant supply chain to investigate. 

This thesis aims to explore how diffusion of sustainable supply chain management practices occurs in the palm oil supply chain. This is done through researching the case study of the trader and processor of palm oil, the Archer Daniels Midland Company, which serves as an example between suppliers at the origin of the product and producers of consumer goods utilizing palm oil. Detailed observations are made regarding the mechanisms, actors, and stakeholders that contribute to the diffusion process in order to understand how successful sustainable supply chain management practices can be diffused. This thesis builds a framework and model to depict and summarize the diffusion process, which from an institutional perspective, consists of various stakeholder pressures and the work that particular actors and stakeholders engage in. Non-governmental organizations, consultancies, and multi-stakeholder initiatives are key actors that were identified to drive the diffusion of sustainable supply chain management practices.

The CO2 Effectiveness of E-Mobility

Mareike Hack, 2020

Climate change and the associated increase of greenhouse gas emissions constitute some of the biggest challenges of the 21st century. Electric vehicles (EV) are currently one of the main objects of attention with the potential to reduce GHG emissions essentially. However, the extent of the positive impact on the climate of EVs is controversially discussed in research. The subject of the potential climate impact of e-mobility has been addressed by various studies. The quantification of the strengths and weaknesses of the studies is mostly measured by the approach of life cycle assessment (LCA). It is challenging to compare the existing studies due to their different basic assumptions such as scope, regional context, system boundaries, or database. Therefore, the results vary significantly.

This thesis provides a literature review about LCAs that comprehensibly analyzes the existing literature on the CO2 impact of e-mobility in terms of key drivers that lead to different results. By the application of this methodology, the examined studies are structured and reduced to comprehensible clusters that lead to a facilitated identification of limitations and advantages of the literature. This approach helps to clarify whether all of the analyzed studies dealing with the CO2 effectiveness of e-mobility come to similar results or whether there are significant differences, inconsistencies, or even contradictions. The key question is how to make robust statements about the climate impact of e-vehicles when LCA-literature consists of divergent results.

Material Flow Cost Accounting from a Natural-Resource-Based Perspective

Julia Gross, 2020

Material flow cost accounting (MFCA) is a method that promotes sustainable production by tracing and quantifying material and energy flows in physical and monetary units, in order to reveal the true costs of waste and inefficiency. A focus on the identification of opportunities for waste prevention and improved material and energy efficiency creates the possibility of achieving a win-win benefit of improved economic and environmental performance.

In order to successfully realize the resource efficiency improvements suggested by MFCA, firms may need to make changes to their existing resources and capabilities (R&C) or develop new ones. However, the existing body of research on MFCA has not yet explored the connection between the implementation of MFCA’s proposed improvements and the application of existing or potential company R&C. The purpose of this study was to conduct a quantitative MFCA analysis on a small manufacturing company and then to qualitatively analyze the results through the natural-resource-based view (NRBV) of the firm, a theory which focuses on the R&C that enable economically and environmentally sustainable business strategies.

Findings show that the identification and quantification of material and energy losses and the ensuing process of analyzing their causes and ways to reduce or eliminate them facilitates transparency into the R&C that can be leveraged or that need to be developed. Specifically, the MFCA analysis in combination with concepts from the NRBV can help management to identify which existing R&C they can already exploit, which ones they should further invest in, and what specific form these R&C should take for their company, in order to support a proactive environmental strategy of pollution prevention. In addition, this research contributes to an understanding of the origination of dynamic capabilities for environmental and economic sustainability by showing how MFCA can potentially influence the acquisition, reconfiguration, or development of R&C.

Influential factors of investment professionals for the integration of sustainable investments into portfolio choice

Célia Jeanne Erika Kaiser, 2020

Although social, economic, and political interests in sustainable investments have increased significantly in recent years, the market share of sustainable funds and mandates in Germany was still 4.5 percent in 2018 (Forum Nachhaltige Geldanlagen e.V., 2019). Previous research on possible influential factors is still fragmented – especially with a focus primarily on investment professionals. However, studies suggest that short-termism in the investment landscape could be an explanation for insufficient integration efforts of sustainable investments into portfolio choice. Exploring this question and identifying additional factors creates a knowledge gap, which is filled by this study.

The aim of this paper is therefore to investigate the influence of short-termism on investment professionals and to identify additional inhibiting and supporting factors for the integration of sustainable investments. The findings derived from ten interviews conducted show that besides major supportive key factors – such as societal awareness and the consideration of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) criteria into risk management – definition issues, extra costs, and short-term factors do play a major inhibiting role for the integration of sustainable investments into portfolio choice. Accordingly, the investment sector appears to be in a transition process, in which traditional finance is increasingly confronted with new structural and investment requirements, revealing the different integration levels of investment professionals towards sustainable investments. These propositions align well with existing academic literature, in general, and contribute to new insights related to factors influencing the integration of sustainable investments into portfolio choice. While this study holds multiple implications for academic scholars and practitioners alike, more research is needed to adequately persuade the investment sector in delivering ambitious integration efforts in order to close urgent investment gaps in the future.

A Mixed Method Approach: Comparing ESG Rating Agencies with Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods

Marina Zelenitsyna, 2020

The ESG rating agencies play an essential role in socially responsible investment serving as data providers to review companies' sustainability performance. Asset managers and investors increasingly rely on ESG ratings while making strategic decisions. However, the assessment processes of ESG raters are still lacking transparency and clarity. Therefore, the leading well-established ESG rating agencies – Bloomberg, MSCI, Sustainalytics, and Thomson Reuters – were compared in the current research with qualitative and quantitative methods to identify differences in their assessment criteria and ESG scores.

This research investigates the divergence in the evaluation methodologies of the selected ESG raters. It provides significant evidence on the existence of controversial ESG scores within the period from 2009 to 2017. In the qualitative part, the four major differences in the assessment processes were defined: the focus of assessment, the definition of materiality, aggregation and weighting systems, and data processing. These differences can potentially influence divergence in ESG scores of selected raters. In the quantitative part, ESG scores were compared to test the significance of controversy. In fact, the results of this study show that the major trends in the sector, such as market concentration, best practices adoption, and improvements in ESG data disclosure and standardization, do not reduce controversy of the ratings.

The results have significant implications for investors, companies, and ESG rating agencies. The detailed analysis of four major contradictions can guide investors to choose a suitable ESG rating approach and apply it in their decision-making process. Also, companies can get better scores if they focus in their reporting on concrete metrics, data processing, and other criteria of the chosen ESG rating agency. Finally, ESG rating agencies can improve the communication on their focuses, criteria, and assessment methodology to minimize confusion and gain trust from investors and other stakeholders.

Elements of Organisational Climate and Corporate Culture in the Implementation of MFCA at Hydro Aluminium GmbH

Beatrice Bertoncello, 2019

The development of a management system, that combines both financial and environmental objectives, was found to be of crucial importance for modern corporations, and one way of building it is the employment of Environmental Management and Accounting (EMA) tools. Among other methods, Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) has raised considerable attention in the scientific community and has been addressed as an innovation with great potential for reducing costs and pursuing environmental goals. Such an innovative method, however, would not be effective if other organisational aspects were not taken into account. More specifically, corporate culture and organisational climate that encourage innovation and creativity are of critical importance. Hence, this research aimed at investigating what elements of culture and climate can contribute to a successful MFCA implementation, by employing the MFCA method and by conducting semi-structured interviews at Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH. The results of the quantitative analysis enabled to identify cost reduction potentials, and higher transparency in the process under study was achieved. From a qualitative perspective, it was established that cultural elements such as the job structure, the nature of interpersonal relationships and the focus on supports and rewards would foster a successful MFCA implementation at the company under investigation. On the other hand, aspects including the inhomogeneous employee's involvement in establishing the company's strategy and the perceived low internal competitiveness were found to be possible barriers for good integration of the MFCA tool.

Diffusing Business Model Innovations for Sustainability: The Role of Organizational Capabilities

Wilhelm Bohlender, 2019

This thesis explores the strategies by which sustainable entrepreneurs seek to actively diffuse their business model innovations for sustainability to potentially enable sustainable market transformations while considering the role of organizational capabilities as theorized drivers for diffusion success. Building on a lack of a holistic understanding of what such a spreading toward sustainable impact in a market environment may entail, this thesis draws on related literature to derive a theoretical framework. The included theories revolve around the interplay between business model innovations for sustainability, as introduced in a niche environment, and organizational capabilities that may assist with specific diffusion strategies. The theoretical framework is then empirically tested by three qualitative in-depth case studies situated in the zero-waste food retailer niche as part of the food retail industry in Germany. First, it is found that the development of organizational capabilities is highly dependent on the state of the niche where sustainable entrepreneurs should initially focus on effective communication and alliance-building for success. Second, during the early state of the niche, it is found that the only reasonable option appears to be the diffusion strategy of dissemination whereas affiliation and branching seem to be useful later. Sustainable entrepreneurs should be aware of the state of their niche as to not waste their resources pursuing inadequate options. Third, the composition of the organizational capabilities differs as well as their prioritization. It is suggested that sustainable entrepreneurs should focus on those capabilities that may assist best with the chosen diffusion strategy. Finally, it is discussed how the involved diffusion strategies relate to the sustainable market impact and which limitations may be encountered.

Using Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) for Eco-efficiency in Production and Supply Chains: A Case Study

Marie Zieglerová, 2019

Material flow cost accounting (MFCA) is becoming a widely used tool for sustainable practices especially in production; allowing companies to identify material and energy losses and measures to avoid or diminish them. However, the successful implementation of such a tool, and by extension sustainability in general, is contingent upon internal and external environments of the company. The purpose of this study was to apply material flow cost accounting into the production and supply chain processes of a food packaging company, and thereafter, with the research lenses of contingency theory, recognize internal and external enablers and barriers of the implementation. Moreover, connections between production and supply chain were being investigated. A quantitative research method was applied when carrying out MFCA analysis, which was extended by a qualitative research method when investigating influential factors of implementing sustainability. The findings of the study showed that the food packaging company is greatly contingent upon internal enablers and barriers to sustainability. Additionally, strong alignment between factors important for both production and supply chain was discovered, expanding on current literature. In conclusion, the study proved that contingency is a suitable approach to exploring supporting and limiting factors of implementing sustainability in both production and supply chain.

Setting emission reduction targets in line with climate science: A comparative analysis of different methods to develop a science-based target

Brigitte Frank, 2019

In light of ongoing climate change and its corresponding risks and impacts, it is essential that companies reduce their greenhouse gas emissions drastically. So far, however, only a few companies have set emission reduction targets that are based on climate science, also known as science-based targets (SBT). One major reason for this is that there are several methods for developing an SBT to choose from. While most of the methods are complex, the differences, advantages, and disadvantages of each method are not obvious.

The relevant literature provides clear recommendations for companies with homogeneous outputs and a high percentage of total emissions in Scopes 1 and 2. However, guidance is still lacking for companies with heterogeneous outputs and a high percentage of total emissions in Scope 3, and yet, these latter characteristics apply a majority of companies worldwide.

In order to close this knowledge gap, the author investigates various methods for deriving an SBT. The purpose of the thesis is to identify differences between the methods as well as to reveal advantages and disadvantages for companies with heterogeneous outputs and a high percentage of total emissions stemming from Scope 3. This is accomplished using a theoretical approach, which is completed by an empirical analysis using the exemplary case of a listed German company in the retailing sector.

The main finding of the thesis is that in practice currently, only one of the methods analyzed is suitable for companies with heterogeneous outputs and a high percentage of total emissions in Scope 3. Further important findings are:

• Most of the disadvantages of all four methods are due to the fixed combination of the method and its underlying emission scenario(s). As a result, the decisive limitations of each SBT method derive from weaknesses in the emission scenarios applied. The most significant disadvantages are: (a) None of the methods is able to take sector-specific emission reduction potentials of heterogeneous sectors into account; and (b) three out of four methods are not able to generate an SBT that is compatible with a 1.5 °C global warming target.
• The data requirements differ significantly between the methods, whereas increased data requirements lead to a more company-specific target.
• In all methods, companies with a good initial emission performance are at a disadvantage when compared to companies with poor initial emission performance. This is due to the fact that all methods use a company’s initial emission performance as the reference value.

These findings are relevant to both practitioners and researchers. On the one hand, the findings enable companies to shorten the complex and time-consuming method selection process, and thus, speeding up the development and implementation phases of such targets. On the other hand, the identification of the methods’ shortcomings forms the basis for further research and development on SBT.

Strategische Ausrichtung von Corporate Citizenship Projekten im Unternehmen am Beispiel der Hamburger Hochbahn AG

Lisa Femerling, 2019

Corporate Citizenship verzeichnet eine zunehmende Bedeutung in der Wirtschaft, da die Erwartungen an das gesellschaftliche Engagement von Unternehmen steigen. Infolgedessen wächst das Interesse an Methoden, welche eine strategische Ausrichtung von Corporate Citizenship ermöglichen. Obwohl zahlreiche Vorteile einer strategischen Einbindung von Corporate Citizenship in das Unternehmensgeschäft wissenschaftlich untersucht und belegt wurden, ist die eigentliche strategische Ausrichtung in der Theorie noch wenig bearbeitet und eine Umsetzung in der Unternehmenslandschaft größtenteils noch nicht realisiert worden. Diese Arbeit hat zum Ziel, im Rahmen einer qualitativen Fallstudie einzelne, in der Theorie isoliert betrachtete, Corporate Citizenship Elemente zu einer holistischen Strategie zusammenzusetzen. Aus dieser Zielsetzung entsteht eine Leitlinie zur Umsetzung von Corporate Citizenship am Beispiel der HOCHBAHN, dem Betreiber der städtischen U-Bahnen und Busse.

Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit verdeutlichen, dass die Perspektiven und Erwartungen der Stakeholder der HOCHBAHN bezüglich der Ausrichtung von Corporate Citizenship größtenteils mit den theoretischen Grundlagen in Bezug auf dieses Thema übereinstimmen. Im Gegensatz hierzu belegen die Resultate einer Dokumentenanalyse, dass im aktuellen gesellschaftlichen Engagement der HOCHBAHN die theoretischen Grundlagen und Perspektiven der Stakeholder keine ganzheitliche Beachtung finden. Die empfohlene zukünftige Ausrichtung des gesellschaftlichen Engagements adressiert vier strategische Zielgruppen, bezieht das Engagement auf das Kerngeschäft der HOCHBAHN und die Region Hamburg und realisiert "make" Unterstützung in Kollaboration mit Partnern. Projektübergreifend finden Mitarbeitereinbindung in das unternehmerische Engagement, Erfolgsmessung der sozialen Projekte und integrierte Kommunikation des Engagements Einzug in die neue Corporate Citizenship Strategie.

B2B customer satisfaction and materiality assessment in the context of corporate sustainability: The case of Südzucker AG in the sugar industry

Carolin Grießbach, 2018

Today, the focus on sustainability activities of firms is increasing and especially society demands more and more environmentally friendly and socially responsible products. Thus, customers expect sustainable actions of corporations and put pressure on the manufacturing firm, which passes on this pressure to its suppliers. This study investigates a top-tier supplier’s perspective to manage relationships with its B2B customers since the inclusion of stakeholders’ expectations is necessary for a long-lasting relationship and the success of a company. The research aim is to gain a better understanding of how satisfied B2B customers are and which sustainability activities are of relevance for them by carrying out a quantitative research project. Therefore, an online self-completed questionnaire is administered to B2B customers of the Südzucker AG, who serves as a case study.

The theoretical contribution of this study consists of insights regarding sustainability requirements for the sugar industry in a B2B environment. Additionally, the practical contribution comprises fields of action for the top-tier supplier. Thereby, the knowledge gained from this study helps managers to successfully implement B2B customer expectations in their sustainability and communication strategy. Overall, the concept of sustainability is set into practice, and thus, this study presents an operationalization of satisfaction levels and materiality assessment. This practical application is crucial for the business context since companies are left with little guidance when implementing sustainability strategies.

Barriers to a solid waste management system in a greater metropolitan area of a Latin American upper middle-income economy – The case study of San José, Costa Rica in 2018

Gabriel Garro Reinhardt, 2018

Solid waste management is one of the major challenges that urbanized cities in developing countries face due to increasing waste generation rates; also, scarce studies address the challenges of waste management in urbanized regions such as the metropolitan areas of Latin American economies. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to study the barriers for solid waste management in the metropolitan area of San José. Data was collected from various sources such as scientific literature, official reports, legislation and the implementation of practical research. The latter was carried out through a case study using structured in-depth interviews with professionals in charge on waste management in mid-large privately-owned businesses, autonomous public institutions, alongside with key governmental officers from the Congress, The Ministries of Health and Environment and an international cooperation agency. The Waste Management System Performance and the Integrated and Sustainable Waste Management represented the models used as the main frameworks to associate the barriers and to establish a relationship among their features to sustainable development. Even though private firms and public institutions revealed suitable practices on their solid waste management, findings evidence waste segregation issues and extremely low recycling rates. To reach the ambitious goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral country of the world by 2021, the Central Government should bestow solid waste, its management and recycling higher political importance. Thus, it is recommended to reinforce control mechanisms and to focus on inter-institutional coordination for coherent action plans. In addition, the Costa Rican Ministry of Health should implement stronger education towards the value of waste, its segregation and the appropriate treatment methods.

Sustainability materiality assessment in the light of new reporting requirements

Leonie Reulecke, 2018

In 2017, a new German directive ("CSR-directive") was released, obligating 550 companies to disclose sustainability-related information on a yearly basis. However, the identification of the requested sustainability information via materiality analysis has always been regarded as a challenge. Therefore, practical guidance for reportable business is required. The aim of this work is thus, to derive a legally compliant sustainability materiality process that provides guidance for organizations by building on commonly agreed on reporting standards. The development of this materiality process is based on a threefold analysis. The practical applicability of the deduced process is demonstrated by a case study with a company operating in the renewable energy sector.

The outcome of the work is twofold: (1) A comprehensive and adjustable sustainability materiality process is developed that reflects the principle-based nature of the CSR-directive and supporting standards, providing a high level of flexibility by offering an overview about different methods for compliance. (2) The work offers a further interpretation of the CSR-directive, structuring the requirements along the hereby derived process.

Making a greener choice – The potential of life cycle assessment for Globetrotter Ausrüstung GmbH as the foundation for customer communication fostering sustainable purchasing

Christina Freise, 2018

This qualitative study conducted in cooperation with Globetrotter Ausrüstung GmbH aimed to research how a tool for life cycle assessment (LCA) needs to be designed in order to meet a retailer’s demands. It furthermore evaluated how the thereby generated assessment of a product's sustainability performance can be integrated into the retailer’s customer communication to promote sustainable purchasing.

In the first part, an extensive analysis of relevant literature was conducted. Theoretical findings were subsequently transformed into a framework of requirements for customer communication promoting sustainable purchasing and the preferred underlying product evaluation LCA. The consideration of scientific requirements and practical feasibility led to a variety of partially contradicting requirements of a label on the one hand and the practical implementation on the other hand, which must be brought into balance. To this end, the second section applied the theoretical foundation to the case of Globetrotter, a retailer in the outdoor industry that recently introduced its communication tool A Greener Choice with which product alternatives are labelled that were identified to be more sustainable. Subsequently, an iterative feasibility study of the two different labelling software products Higg Product Module by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) and Umberto LCA+ by the ifu Hamburg was conducted. To successfully promote sustainable purchasing, recommendations were made to align A Greener Choice more closely with the theoretically defined framework.

The thesis extended scientific research by examining the unique positioning of retailers as a 'neutral' link between a variety of brands and consumers for promoting sustainability in customer communication. In addition, it added insights into the practical constraints and limitations of theoretical requirements when conducting LCAs as the foundation for broad product reviewing.

Do emission reductions pay off? An empirical investigation into the reliability of carbon emission data and the carbon performance – financial performance link

Thomas Pioch, 2018

Climate change is one of the key challenges of the 21st century since a number of problems directly result from it or are accelerated by it, and the main driver behind it is anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. With governmental efforts to curb climate change slowing down, corporations may profit from picking up the torch and proactively engage in keeping climate change within the 2°C range.

If investors, as a key stakeholder group, take into account carbon emissions in their decision-making processes, companies showing progress in that regard may benefit. However, carbon emission data is to a substantial degree too unreliable and incomplete to provide meaningful information. This thesis compares the six main providers of carbon emission data with respect to completeness and consistency and develops a range of criteria that help identify the reliable data within the databases. Based on the natural-resource-based view, the hypothesis, that "improvements in carbon emissions will positively affect financial performance," is developed and then tested. Using only those carbon emission data that are characterized as particularly reliable, and thus carry the most meaning for investors, the thesis finds strong evidence that firms will profit from efforts towards emission reduction.

Sustainability in the Finance Sector – A Status Quo Analysis for the Swiss Market

Mailin Bues, 2018

Sustainable finance has received increasing interest in recent years. Various initiatives in the private sector, on a regulatory level as well as in academia have emerged all over the world to create more sustainable financial markets that are able to withstand future challenges and benefit from arising opportunities. Sustainable investments (SI) provide an approach to integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into the selection and management of investments. To catalyze further growth of the SI market, this market study aims to generate a deeper understanding of the application of SI by financial market participants. More specifically, it intends to shed light on the SI trends and dynamics that exist in the Swiss finance sector. In collaboration with the association Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF), a large-scale standardized survey among asset managers and asset owners of the SSF membership network, was employed to capture their SI activities. Data analysis demonstrates that the Swiss market for SI has continued to grow significantly from 2016 to 2017. For example, the total volume of core SI has increased by 82%, accounting for CHF 390.6 billion at the end of 2017.

Furthermore, this market study identified existing challenges and possible opportunities regarding the further growth of the SI market. For example, market participants rated concerns regarding financial performance as a prominent barrier and investors’ demands as an important driver for this development. Altogether, the findings of this market study create a favorable picture of the status quo of SI in Switzerland and allow to assume a steep upward trend of sustainable finance in the coming years. However, they also call for further action by the finance sector as well as academia to address identified barriers and to support a positive trend in the future.

Business model innovation for circular economy: An exploratory case study approach

Judith Ehmann, 2018

The circular economy concept is discussed as a promising solution to overcome growing resource use as well as increasing waste streams and pollution. In a circular economy, "waste" does not exist, but resources are reused and recycled to circulate safely within technical and biological cycles. Regarding business, one major building block towards a circular economy is the development and implementation of new business models that innovatively translate the circular economy principles into new logics for value creation. This exploratory case study examines prerequisites for circular economy business model innovation (CEBMI) on a business model level and on an organizational level, based on the examination of two best practice firms. The business model analysis reveals that the firms can overcome barriers to CEBMI to a certain extent because the value proposition of their business models fits their conventional customer segments as well as new customer groups, such as sustainability-oriented customers. However, the findings also reveal that to really "close the loop" and scale up circular economy business models, customer behavior change is inevitable. On an organizational level, the findings of this thesis show that firms, intending to engage in CEBMI, are enabled by four interrelated dynamic capabilities constituting essential organizational foundations for CEBMI: shared vision; openness to the external environment; holistic thinking; and openness to alternative solutions.

An analysis of the sustainable development goals in the public perception and possible ways for corporations to align business practices with societal expectations

Marvin Coböken, 2018

Climate change or growing inequalities between rich and poor are only some of the major challenges the world faces today. In total, the United Nations (UN) identified 17 global issues that require immediate action by governments, businesses and civil society. They are commonly known as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Even though businesses are explicitly expected to contribute to the 17 goals, the concept is so far only scarcely addressed in management literature and sporadically embraced by companies. To reach the ambitious goals by 2030, research needs to start developing new concepts for SDG integration and provide companies with more assistance on how to engage in the concept. In an attempt to facilitate the applicability of the concept in business practice, this research analyzes the SDGs in the public perception in order to draw conclusions on the prioritization of corporate sustainability efforts. Furthermore, the analysis reveals a concrete set of measures which describes how society expects companies to contribute to the goals. This framework serves as an ideal reference point for SDG integration and simultaneously helps companies to align their business practices with societal expectations. Future research should further extend the list of tools and methods for SDG integration to encourage more companies to contribute to the goals.

Unternehmen in der Postwachstumsökonomie - Eine Betrachtung unter Einbezug von Nachhaltigkeit Trade-offs

Laura Popiol, 2018

Die Postwaschstumsökonomie stellt die These auf, dass sich ungebremstes ökonomisches Wachstum und die Einhaltung von Nachhaltigkeitszielen nicht vereinbaren lassen. Diese Implikation stellt Wirtschaftsakteure vor die Herausforderungen, alternative Wirtschaftsformen und –aktivitäten zu gestalten. Bisher betrachtete Konzepte einer Postwachstumsgesellschaft bleiben in Bezug auf Unternehmen teilweise abstrakt und Forschungsarbeiten auf Unternehmensebene liegen nur wenig vor. Diese Arbeit befasst sich daher konkret mit der Motivation und der Ausrichtung von Postwachstumsunternehmen und untersucht die Fragestellung, warum sich kleine und mittlere Unternehmen vom klassischen Wachstumsparadigma abwenden. Darüber hinaus reflektiert die Arbeit, welche Nachhaltigkeit Trade-offs in diesem Kontext auftreten können. Unter Berücksichtigung einer historischen Entwicklung klassischer Wachstumstheorien wird eine theoretische Einordnung des Postwachstumskonzpets vorgenommen und ein aktueller Forschungsstand aufgezeigt. Auf Basis einer qualitativen, interviewbasierten Untersuchung von fünf kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen in Deutschland mit einem induktiven Kodierprozess, werden vier Ergebnisfelder generiert: Vision und Motive, Position gegenüber Wachstum, Unternehmenseigenschaften und Strategien, Herausforderungen und Trade-offs. Alle Unternehmen hinterfragen aus einer intrinsischen Motivation heraus etablierte Wirtschaftsformen und haben Strategien definiert, um innerhalb der planetarischen Wachstumsgrenzen zu agieren. Diese können Trade-offs in den Unternehmensprozessen mit sich bringen. Insgesamt zeigt sich auch, dass die Mehrzahl der Unternehmen dennoch wachsen will, um einen positiven Beitrag zu einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung voranzutreiben. Die Resultate berücksichtigen durch das nicht randomisierte und kleine Sample einen limitierten Ausschnitt der relevanten Akteure und können nicht ohne weiteres verallgemeinert werden kann.

Implementing Sustainability through Corporate Education: Learning from Car Producers in Germany

Pauline Sprenger, 2017

The importance of sustainability for companies is rising. The literature shows that knowledge is key for the implementation of sustainability, but that hardly any empirical insights on the topic of corporate sustainability education exist yet. For that reason, this master thesis dives into the sustainability-related education activities of German automotive companies based on a qualitative analysis of their sustainability reports and interviews. Therefore, the thesis provides detailed insights on how employees acquire the necessary knowledge on sustainability, enlarges the existing body of literature on corporate sustainability education and offers practitioners starting points to rethink their own sustainability-related education activities. The results lead to seven overarching conclusions: (1) Many sustainability topics are already integrated into education and training, but without a systematical approach and not under the label ‘sustainability’. (2) Corporate sustainability education exists in the tension between centralization and decentralization of educational activities. (3) A need orientation based on the job profile and risk exposure is crucial to provide the right employees with the right topics, competencies as well as formats and methods. (4) Web-based training gain more importance and interactive methods are essential to involve employees. (5) Sustainability competences are generally demanded competences and do not play a significant role in corporate sustainability education. (6) Corporate sustainability education aims to provide new knowledge by improving the employees’ ability to perform their job and trigger a change in mindset and behavior. (7) For the future, strengthening of corporate sustainability education is expected and proving success will become more important.

Eine Analyse der Auswirkungen der EEG Novelle 2017 auf Bürgerenergie in Deutschland

Steffen Heberlein, 2017

Die Einführung des EEG 2017 1  sowie des Ausschreibungsmodells für den Leistungsausbau der erneuerbaren Energien bedeuten einen weitreichenden ‚Paradigmenwechsel‘ 2  für die Förderung der erneuerbaren Energien in Deutschland. Mit diesem Wechsel des Förderungs-Regimes gehen weitreichende Auswirkungen für Bürgerenergie-Akteure einher, die in ihrem gänzlichen Ausmaß zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt noch nicht absehbar sind. Zur Analyse der Auswirkungen auf die Akteursgruppe der Bürgerenergie wurden qualitative Experteninterviews mit den verschiedenen Marktteilnehmern der deutschen Energiewirtschaft durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit geben eine Beschreibung der Risiken und Schwierigkeiten, mit denen Bürgerenergie-Akteure aktuell konfrontiert werden. Sie bestätigen die Risiken, die bereits durch Schick et al. 3  und Leuphana und Nestle 4  dargestellt wurden und ergänzen diese um das Risiko der abnehmenden Akzeptanz und Glaubwürdigkeit durch Gesellschaften von Großinvestoren unter dem Deckmantel der Bürgerenergie. Dabei ist immer wieder ein Unterschied zwischen den beiden für die Bürgerenergie wichtigsten Technologien Windenergie an Land und Photovoltaik zu erkennen. Während die Situation der Windenergie an Land bereits so komplex ist, dass Bürgerenergie kaum noch ohne professionelle Partner ein Projekt realisieren kann, bietet die Photovoltaik mit im Vergleich geringerem Planungsaufwand und Anlagengrößen, mit denen Bürgerenergie-Akteure unterhalb der Mindestgrenze für die Ausschreibungen arbeiten können, ein weniger risikoreiches Tätigkeitsfeld. Gleichzeitig zeigen die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit auch strategische Möglichkeiten wie Zusammenschlüsse von Bürgerenergie-Gesellschaften in Dachorganisationen auf und deuten auf das wachsende Potential von ‚Prosumer-Modellen‘ und Verbrauchsgemeinschaften hin.

---------- 1  Originaltitel: Gesetz zur Einführung von Ausschreibungen weiteren Änderungen des Rechts der erneuerbaren Energien Vom 13. Oktober 2016 für Strom aus erneuerbaren Energien und zu weiteren Änderungen des Rechts der erneuerbaren Energien. 2  Informationsportal Erneuerbare Energien. 3  Schick et al. (2016). 4  Leuphana Universität Lüneburg & Nestle (2014).

Transdisciplinary Leadership for Sustainability

Charlott Hübel, 2017

The inherent interrelatedness of Earth system processes in conjunction with the global scope of contemporary challenges create the necessity to adopt more holistic approaches when it comes to leading for sustainability. Business, particularly business leadership, assume a major role in responding to the identified necessity, thusly enabling sustainability transitions for society as a whole. Although in the more recent past, an increasing number of scholars has already suggested adopting holistic approaches to corporate sustainability leadership, studies still fall short in suggesting concrete means for their implementation. Responding to these inadequacies, this study puts forth a transdisciplinary framework for corporate sustainability leadership. By establishing the link between sustainability leadership and transdisciplinarity, the resulting multi-level, multi-process framework manages to engage both the mental and practical component of deep change.  An investigation of the practical relevance of the proposed framework reveals that neither holistic approaches to leadership nor transdisciplinary practices find wide-spread application in corporate sustainability management. Successful implementation seems to be contingent upon a range of factors including the organizational set-up, sources of knowledge, personal mindsets, role of relationships and underlying system structures. Due to the plurality of influential factors, practical recommendations comprise multi-level approaches, ranging from re-thinking basic societal systems and developing individual holistic mindsets to fundamentally changing organizational structures and processes of decision-making.

Waste Management in the Food Processing Industry: Eco-efficiency at university canteens

Lisa Wonka, 2017

Reducing food waste is a valuable tool for achieving eco-efficiency gains in the food processing industry. In Germany, however, there is still little reliable data available, which allows the quantification of the actual rates of food waste and the related economic and environmental costs in university canteens. For this reason, the present study aims at investigating the economic and ecological saving potential, which can be achieved by reducing food waste in university canteens. Furthermore, practical strategies for achieving this saving potential are identified. The results indicate that about 70% of food waste can be avoided. The largest sources of avoidable food waste are surpluses with a share of 37% of the total food waste amount and plate waste with a share of approx. 24%. By reducing surpluses and plate waste in all of the canteens supported by the Studierendenwerk Hamburg by 15%, an amount of about € 90.000 could be saved each year. At the same time, there is an ecological saving potential of approx. 113 tons of CO2 equivalents per year. The derived recommendations can roughly be divided into the areas of internal and external communication as well as measures aimed at organizational and material structural changes. Overall, it has become clear that even small and short-term measures can considerably contribute to the reduction of biogenic waste rates in university canteens. The study provides a valuable impetus for further research in which the product-specific resource consumption should be taken into account.

Role and Challenges of Intermediaries in Industrial Symbiosis Networks

Julia Kroschewski, 2017

Industrial Symbiosis is regarded as a key tool for advancing the transition to a circular economy. Yet, despite economic and environmental potential, its realization has fallen short of expectations and many attempts to realize industrial ecosystems have failed. Meanwhile, both academics and practitioners have begun to acknowledge the importance of intermediaries, labelling them as ‘lubricants’. However, little is known regarding intermediation in industrial symbiosis. Hence, the purpose of this study is to examine the intermediation process and to answer the question of how intermediaries foster industrial symbiosis.

Methodology

Following the approach of analytic induction, this study draws on qualitative data, gathered from 12 in-depth interviews with knowledgeable agents, as well as from complementary secondary resources. The combination of inductive and deductive elements allowed to develop an empirically grounded theoretical framework, which has been validated by two additional discussions, covering both theoretical and practical perspectives.

Major findings

The findings allowed to identify a stable set of 15 roles that are embedded in a dynamic process of intermediation in industrial symbiosis. Each role is either taken by intermediaries or industry actors, depending on capabilities and resources. Additionally, the roles can be divided by the level of intermediation and the concentration of interest. Of particular novelty was the identification of the Translator. This complementary role describes a facet of three distinctive roles and turned out to be required for linking the network level and the meta level of intermediation.

Originality

The model of intermediation in industrial symbiosis could be used as a conceptual resource. Scholars could use it for a more systematic and differentiated exploration of intermediation in industrial symbiosis and to further examine the interrelations, especially with regards to industry actors. Practitioners could use it to evaluate the ‘big picture’: it supports governmental initiatives to plan, manage and fund intermediation, or intermediaries to position themselves purposefully and to detect changes that may affect them. Thus, the model aims to increase the effectiveness of intermediation efforts.

Industrielle Symbiose: Eine Defizitanalyse für den Standort Deutschland unter Berücksichtigung der Erfolge von Kalundborg (Dänemark) und des National Industrial Symbiosis Programmes (UK)

Svenja Kühn, 2016

Ein Wirtschaftssystem, das auf der Annahme unbeschränkt vorhandener Ressourcen basiert, hat keine Zukunft. Umfassendes Umdenken ist gefordert – von der Politik, den Konsumenten und auch von den Industrien. Das Konzept der industriellen Symbiose lässt ein Unternehmensnetzwerk entstehen, in welchem insbesondere Abfälle und Nebenprodukte wiederverwendet werden, wodurch eine erhebliche Verbesserungen in der Ressourceneffizienz realisiert werden kann. Dabei weisen die Unternehmensnetzwerke unterschiedlichste Charakteristika auf, begonnen bei der bottom-up oder top-down Entwicklung über die Zusammensetzung und Position der Unternehmen bis hin zum Umfang des gegenseitigen Vertrauens und der Art der Kommunikation und Kooperation.

Die Mastarbeit untersucht die Defizite am Standort Deutschland in Bezug auf die Umsetzung industrieller Symbiose und formuliert diesbezüglich Handlungsempfehlungen. Ausgangspunkt bilden die best-practice Beispiele des Symbiosenetzwerkes in Kalundborg und des National Industrial Symbiosis Programme, für welche maßgebliche Erfolgsfaktoren aufgedeckt wurden. Die Analyse am Standort Deutschland umfasst den politischen Rahmen, einen Status-quo zur Ausbreitung der industriellen Symbiose und vier konkrete Symbioseprojekte.

Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass eine mangelnde Regulation und ein zu enger politischer Fokus auf die Ressourceneffizienz in der Produktion vorliegen. Zudem wird das Konzept der industriellen Symbiose kaum wahrgenommen und es findet kein Austausch zwischen Parteien statt, die Erfahrungen mit ihrer Etablierung besitzen. Die formulierten Handlungsempfehlungen sehen vor, zunächst grundlegende Bedingungen in Deutschland zu ändern, bevor detaillierte Strategien formuliert werden können.

Overcoming Barriers of Energy Efficiency in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises: A Case Study on Optimizing Electricity Consumption

Silvia Damme, 2016

Climate change poses a major threat to humankind and presents great challenges to society, politics and businesses around the world. Whereas environmental impacts and practices of larger corporations have increasingly been in the political and public eye, environmental impacts of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) still very often escape attention. As they constitute a large part of national economies, their pollution contribution and part in climate change mitigation should not be underestimated.

Due to SMEs’ particular characteristics, they face a number of barriers when approaching environmental management, e.g. tight resource constraints or lack of information and expertise. To provide a better understanding of how the environmental improvement potential of the SME sector can be realized, this work aims to answer the question of how SMEs can overcome prevailing energy efficiency barriers. To answer the research question and help to facilitate the practical implementation of efficiency measures in SMEs, an action research case study is conducted within a SME currently introducing energy management into their business practice.

This work outlines a six-step energy management and optimization framework for SMEs. Through its application, so far unrealized economic as well as emission optimization potentials can be realized in accordance with internal firm capabilities and resources. The research, moreover, presents other key findings, such as the importance of a continuous, strategic change process, top-management commitment, employee engagement and the advantages of real-time electricity data measurement when implementing energy management. Findings of the study are discussed and summarized. Moreover, suggestions for future research are provided.

An Analysis of Sustainability Hotspots of Global Supply Chains – Applying the MRIO Model to Wind Energy

Melanie Welzel, 2016

In order to effectively reduce adverse environmental and social effects and to create internal and external transparency, companies are in need of extensive information about the negative impacts related to their goods and services. Therefore, this work aims to generate a quantitative information base that supports a better understanding of the sustainability performance of products and of hotspots in companies’ global supply chains, thus empowering management to better prioritize actions and more effectively reduce negative impacts. For that reason, in the course of this thesis an Excel-based sustainability assessment tool is developed, enabling the analysis of selected sustainability indicators subdivided in regions, industries, and tiers. The calculations utilize an environmentally and socially extended version of the multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model which is a powerful method to assess the supply chain of organizations comprehensively.

In a case study approach, the MRIO model is applied to the global supply chain of a company operating in the wind energy sector. Utilizing the tool, screening life-cycle-assessments (LCAs) of four sample projects are conducted and sustainability hotspots within the company’s global supply chain are identified. Analyses of the four sample projects with diverse characteristics indicate energy payback times between x.x – x.x months and greenhouse gas (GHG) intensities of xx.x – xx.x g CO2-e / kWh. Furthermore, hotspots in the country of erection and production are unraveled, caused mainly by the electricity, metal, and concrete industries. The supply chain dominates overall impacts extensively; supplier tiers 2 to 4 causing the largest share of GHG emissions. Hence, for the case study company, the implementation of a supply chain management is of major importance.

It is concluded that the MRIO model proved to be an effective method that enables the analysis of entire supply chains with rather little effort. However, to assess the identified hotspots in detail, carrying out a process-based analysis is advised. To enable a more precise analysis of all sustainability dimensions, it is important to broaden the range of social indicators available on the MRIO database Eora in the future.

Evaluation der Wirtschaftlichkeit von „Power-to-Gas“ Nutzungsformen

Hinnerk Denker, 2015

PtG kann eine Schlüsseltechnologie des neuen Energiesystems und damit als einer der Wegbereiter für eine erfolgreiche Energiewende sein. PtG speichert die voraussichtlich zunehmende erneuerbare und überschüssige Energie und aktiviert diese im Bedarfsfall durch Rückverstromung. Einerseits kann mittels einer Elektrolyse der über den Bedarf hinausgehende Strom genutzt werden, um Wasser in Sauerstoff und Wasserstoff zu spalten. Der gewonnene Wasserstoff wird in Form von Gas ins Gasnetz geleitet und kann auf diese Weise langfristig gespeichert und transportiert werden. Andererseits kann anhand von Gasturbinen, Automobilmotoren oder Brennstoffzellen eine Rückverstromung erfolgen.

Vorzüge sind dabei die bereits vorhandene und fortschrittliche Erdgasinfrastruktur (Netze, Speicher) in Deutschland, die ein theoretisches Speicherpotential von 400 TWh chemischer Energie in Form von Methan aufweist und eine wichtige Voraussetzung für PtG bildet. Darüber hinaus verfügt die PtG Technologie über die Besonderheit unterschiedliche Energiesysteme verknüpfen zu können. PtG verbindet die Stromerzeugung und das Elektrizitätsnetz mit der Gasbereitstellung und Gasnetzinfrastruktur. Diese Vernetzung von Primär- und Sekundärenergien bietet grundlegend neue Möglichkeiten für eine moderne und revolutionäre Energieversorgung.

Obwohl bereits einige Unternehmen an der Entwicklung eigener PtG-Anlagen arbeiten, haben diese einhergehend mit hohen Forschungsaufwänden und Kosten im Vergleich zu Pumpspeicherkraftwerken (Anteil von 99% der Stromspeicher weltweit) noch Pilotcharakter. Der Durchbruch dieser vielversprechenden Technologie kann nur dann gelingen, wenn diese die gleichen Nutzungsqualitäten ebenso kostengünstig bereitstellt wie der konkurrierende Energieträger Erdgas oder ihre ökologischen Qualitäten einen Preisbonus beinhalten.

Anhand dieser Masterarbeit soll überprüft werden, ob Nutzungsformen von PtG wirtschaftlich betrieben werden können. Die folgenden beiden Szenarien, die unterschiedliche Ansätze verfolgen, sind Gegenstand der vorliegenden Untersuchung und dienen der Bewertung:

Im ersten Szenario wird die finanzielle Situation aus Sicht eines Speicherbetreibers, der den energiehandelsoptimierten Betrieb zur Ermittlung der minimalen Gasgestehungskosten von Wasserstoff bzw. Methan aufzeigen soll, dargestellt. Die Berechnungen beruhen auf einem Modell, das mit dem Programm MATLAB entwickelt wurde und sollen als Grundlage für einen Vergleich mit dem konkurrierenden Energieträger Erdgas dienen. Das zweite Szenario befasst sich zunächst mit der Ermittlung der Gasgestehungskosten aus Windenergie (sog. Windgas) und dem ökologischen Vorteil gegenüber Erdgas. Für die Untersuchung der ökologischen Effizienz wurden die CO2-Vermeidungskosten als Bewertungsinstrument verwendet. Im Gegensatz zum ersten Szenario, bei der die betriebswirtschaftliche Sicht im Vordergrund steht, wird beim zweiten Szenario eine gesamtwirtschaftliche Sicht angenommen, um externe Kosten einzuschließen.

Ein wirtschaftlicher Betrieb von PtG-Anlagen könnte eines der größten Probleme der Energiewende lösen – die schwere Steuerbarkeit Erneuerbarer Energien und die damit verbundene nicht grundlastfähige Stromquelle.

Dezentrale Stromversorgung von Haushalten durch Solarstrom

Melanie Verheyen, 2015

Die Masterarbeit beschäftigte sich mit der dezentralen Stromversorgung von Haushalten durch Solarstrom als Teil der vierten technischen Revolution und insbesondere den Einflussfaktoren der Eigenverbrauchsquote. Es wurde untersucht, welche Faktoren die Eigenverbrauchsquote maßgeblich beeinflussen und wie diese zukünftig bei der Prognose des Eigenverbrauchs berücksichtigt werden können. Als Datenbasis dienten die Kundendaten eines Hamburger Start-up Unternehmens, das sich als dezentraler Stromversorger versteht und seinen Kunden ein Pachtmodell für Solaranlagen anbietet.

Development and Incorporation of a Carbon Factor into Supplier Evaluations at Siemens Wind Power

Maximilian Schnippering, 2015

Die Lieferantenauswahl bei der Siemens AG basiert auf einem Bewertungssystem, das die Perspektiven Kosten, Zeit und Qualität berücksichtigt, um nicht den günstigsten sondern den optimalsten Lieferanten auszuwählen. Ziel der Masterarbeit ist es, das Bewertungssystem um die Perspektive CO 2 -Effizienz zu erweitern. Dazu soll ein Tool entwickelt werden, das ermöglicht die CO 2 -Emissionen eines Lieferanten anhand von Reportingkennzahlen zu schätzen.

Companies Towards Energy Transition – A Sensemaking Perspective

Sophia Schuster, 2015

The energy transition challenges companies with rising electricity prices. This paper examines how companies make sense of the German energy transition and the respective measures allowing them to counteract the increased cost burden. For this purpose nine managers have been interviewed that make use of renewable energies and/or energy saving and efficiency measures. Based on the analysis of the interviews an ideal sensemaking process towards the energy transition has been developed. The results show that the concept of sensemaking is eligible to explain differences in the companies’ engagement and that there are certain aspects within an manager's cognitive frame that are central for the outcome of this engagement. Among others it is shown that a clear and distinct perception of sustainability and corporate responsibility as well as high technical skills on behalf of the managers positively influences the implementation of energy measures.

Corporate Carbon Performance – A retrospective assessment of transport related CO2 emissions of Cargill Refired Oils Europe

Priscilla Owosekun, 2015

CO 2 emissions arising from corporate activities are accounted as one of the main drivers of climate change. As carbon emissions from maritime supply chains increasingly contribute to the CO 2 levels of overall supply chains, they demand particular emphasis.  Maritime logistics are an essential pillar for the markets Cargill Refined Oils Europe (CROE) are operating in.  Through a retrospective investigation on the carbon performance of vessel and barge movements in the stages of CROE's maritime supply chain, the author aimed to identify future potentials for CO 2 efficiency gains and cost savings. Besides of the build up of a unique database with sufficient parameters the author disclosed potential austerity measures for global maritime supply chains. The findings can be used as a business case which helps academic, industry and market research to understand the challenges of assessing actual Scope 3 CO 2 emissions values in the supply chains of the food ingredients industry.

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• Master of science program 'Strategy & Sustainability' (SAS)
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Structure of the M. Sc. 'Strategy & Sustainability'

Upon the succesful completion of all module groups in the SAS program, the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences (SOWI) awards the degree „Master of Science“ (M. Sc.) in Strategy & Sustainability.

The program encompasses five module groups for a total of 120 ECTS*:

• A Strategy & Markets (24 ECTS)
• B Sustainability (24 ECTS)
• C Digitalisation, People & Culture (36 ECTS)
• D Research (12 ECTS)
• E Master thesis (24 ECTS)

*ECTS = European Credit Transfer System

Module group A: Strategy & Markets

In module group A "Strategy" you need to obtain 24 ECTS from two baskets:

Pick two of the following modules: "Corporate Strategy and Growth", "Strategic Renewal and Transformation" or "Price Management".

Pick two modules from a list of currently six modules, such as "Strategic Practice and Process", "Change Management", "Implementation and Diffusion of Innovations" or "International Finance".

Module Group B: Sustainability

In module group B "Sustainability" you need to obtain 24 ECTS from two baskets:

Pick two of the following modules: "Sustainability and Responsibility in Management", "Sustainability Accounting and Reporting" or "Organizational Crisis Management".

Pick two modules from a list of currently five modules: "Sustainable (Corporate) Finance", "Seminar Sustainability Reporting", "Corporate Responsibility and Product Management: Competitive Advantages by Sustainable Product Strategies", "European and International Politics" oder "Advanced Macroeconomics".

Module Group C: Digitalisation, People, & Culture

In module group C "Digitalisation, People and Culture" you need to obtain 36 ECTS from two baskets:

Pick two of the following modules: "The Future of Work", Digital Transformation of Value Creation Systems" or "European Human resource Management Program B".

Pick four modules from a list of currently more than ten modules, such as "Digitization Finance and FinTechs", "Computational Social Science", "Intercultural Challenges in Customer and Account Management", "Designing a Life With Purpose" oder "Blockchain Applications for Business".

Module Group D: Research seminars

The M.Sc. SAS is a master of science program. It prepares students - among other possible futures - to follow an academic career or to work in a private or public research institute.

As a consequence, SAS includes a module group that allows you to acquire and improve research skills. You can chose two out of several academic research seminars and thus complete 12 ECTS.

• Research Seminar Business-to-Business
• Research Seminar Management Accounting & Sustainability
• Research Seminar International Innovation Strategies
• Research Seminar Empirical Financial Markets Research

Module Group E: Master thesis

Four months (24 ECTS), typically in semester 4, that is, towards the end of the SAS program.

Information regarding the registration process for your master thesis is available from the exam office:  Prüfungsamtes .

For the supervision of your master thesis you will typically contact a  Professor in management (BWL) . You may also address a request to the exam commission (Prüfungsausschuss) in case you wish to have another Professor from a different field as your supervisor (e.g. VWL , Soziologie , Politik ). If so, you also need to obtain a "Betreuungszusage" (i.e., the confirmation of the willingness to supervise your work) from the Professor from the different field and include it in your demand to the exam commission. Your demand can be made by email. It is in many cases possible to write your master thesis in cooperation with a company, a government agency, an NGO, or other organizations. The process needs to be coordinated by a chair (Lehrstuhl), typically by your supervisor. Please note: The master thesis must in any case be supervised by a professor from the University of Bamberg!

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Kennesaw State master’s graduate makes the personal academic

KENNESAW, Ga. | Jun 4, 2024

So, he broke new ground.

Reed, who earned his master’s degree in exercise science , connected his love of soccer with his academic interest in human performance, earning acclaim along the way. In 2023, he earned honors at the Symposium of Student Scholars and at Wellstar College of Health and Human Service ’s Research and Engagement Day. In April, he won the Graduate College ’s Three-Minute Thesis competition, all for his research into proper conditioning and analyses of running form for soccer officials.

“Soccer teams and leagues invest millions in their players, but I haven’t seen that kind of investment in officials—conditioning them or studying their work,” said Reed, who has officiated soccer games for three years. “My courses and research at KSU led me to deep study on this topic, and I hope to keep looking into it.”

In soccer, an official, known as the assistant referee, runs along the sideline carrying a flag, which adversely affects running form. Reed sought empirical data on those effects while working as a graduate assistant with associate professor of exercise science Garrett Hester.

“Most of the subjects’ movements and associated variables—whether that be forced production, whether it be acceleration variables, whether it be velocity or power—are all reduced significantly when they're holding that flag,” said Reed, whose thesis was titled “Kinetic and Kinematic Effects of Unilateral Flag Carrying on Referee Sprinting and Agility Performance.” “Whatever the mechanism is, when they're holding that flag, performance does in fact decrease.”

Senior lecturer of exercise science Kevin Huet, who officiates college and professional soccer games, first started working with Reed during Reed’s undergraduate studies; Reed also earned his bachelor’s in exercise science from KSU in 2022. Huet advised the undergraduate exercise science student group and stayed in touch with Reed as he advanced in his studies. When Reed got the idea for his thesis, he sought Huet’s advice.

“I’ve done similar research on soccer referees, but William came up with this idea on his own,” Huet said. “When he presented it to me, I was practically jumping out of my chair. I was so excited to see a student advancing this research, and I’ve been honored to help him out these past couple of years.”

Huet had contacts in various leagues, and he provided them to Reed for the research. Reed, in turn, worked with officials at multiple levels, from youth through college, and even included one subject with certification from FIFA, the world’s governing body for soccer. From the perspective of an official, Reed said he was happy to expand the base of knowledge on soccer officials beyond studies simply scrutinizing the accuracy of in-game officiating decisions.

Down the road, Reed hopes to publish his thesis in exercise science and strength and conditioning journals, touting the novelty of the research into an understudied realm. He wouldn’t rule out a doctoral degree focusing on sprinting mechanics or conditioning for soccer officials.

“If there's something you're interested in, chances are there is at least one professor who will support you if not multiple professors,” he said. “There is space for a person to explore what they want to. The world, and academia, only grow because of students taking, doing research and exploring their interests. Since KSU fosters that environment, I can't really think of a better compliment for an academic institution.”

– Story by Dave Shelles

Photos by Darnell Wilburn Jr.

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu .

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