Abstract:
Business research increasingly considers wicked problems and complex dynamic systems. Analytical models of such problems and systems quickly become untraceable and unsolvable. Given increasing computational power, simulation models provide an alternative tool. They can fuel studies tracing the long-term evolution of systems and comparing the outcomes of alternative scenarios. However, successfully applying simulation modeling for business research requires expertise on applicable simulation paradigms, approaches to model validation and the analysis of stochastic results.

Date of Event:
10. – 13. April 2017

Location:
RWTH Aachen
Seminarraum 3020|03.3 – Se3
Kackertstraße 15
52072 Aachen

Lecturer:
Prof. Dr. Catherine Cleophas (RWTH Aachen, School of Business and Economics)

Registration:
The deadline for registration is 30 March 2017.
Please click on the link to open the registration form: http://vhbonline.org/veranstaltungen/doktorandenprogramm/anmeldung/anmeldeformular/ or send an email to doktorandenprogramm@vhbonline.org.

Institution: VHB ProDok

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Catherine Cleophas (RWTH Aachen, School of Business and Economics)

Date: 10. – 13. April 2017

Place: Aachen

Registration: Please click on the link to open the registration form or send an email to doktorandenprogramm(at)vhbonline(dot)org.

Abstract:
Business research increasingly considers wicked problems and complex dynamic systems. Analytical models of such problems and systems quickly become untraceable and unsolvable. Given increasing computational power, simulation models provide an alternative tool. They can fuel studies tracing the long-term evolution of systems and comparing the outcomes of alternative scenarios. However, successfully applying simulation modelling for business research requires expertise on applicable simulation paradigms, approaches to model validation and the analysis of stochastic results.

Further information

Institution: VHB ProDok

Lecturer: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Elke Schüßler (Johannes Kepler Universität Linz) & Prof. Dr. Jörg Sydow (Freie Universität Berlin)

Date: 4. – 7. April 2017

Place: Berlin

Registration: Please click on the link to open the registration form or send an email to doktorandenprogramm(at)vhbonline(dot)org.

Abstract:
This doctoral seminar exposes students to foundational and current research in organization theory. It specifically focuses on macro-organizational theory, derived largely from sociological and economic theoretical traditions. This type of organizational theory is interested in the interaction of organizational structures and processes with the wider political, economic, societal, or natural environment. Among others, it tries to explain the emergence of organizational forms and organizational survival, resource acquisition and utilization, interaction between organizations, the perception of organizations in society, or organizational responsibility. Instead of giving a comprehensive historical introduction into the “classics” of organization theory, this course will focus on current advancements of core theoretical concepts such as sensemaking, institutions, routines or networks as well as on more recent theoretical streams such as the ‘strong’ process view of organization or the communicative constitution of organization. Assessment will mainly be based on reading assignments and participation.

Further information

Institution: VHB ProDok

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Stefan Helber (Leibniz Universität Hannover)

Date: 27. – 30. März 2017

Place: Hannover

Registration: Please click on the link to open the registration form or send an email to doktorandenprogramm(at)vhbonline(dot)org.

Abstract:

The course covers the basic elements of i) Markovian models of stochastic systems and ii) Markovian decision processes plus some basic elements of inventory theory. In this course, participants will learn how to construct and use these particular classes of probabilistic models of systems and decision processes. The defining feature of the Markovian models is the memoryless property of the underlying stochastic processes. It essentially states that the future behavior of a system depends only on its current state, but not its previous history. The participants will learn why and how this often makes it possible to determine the probabilities of the different system states and how these probabilities can then be used to determine performance measures of the system or to assign economic values to decisions made in an uncertain environment.

Content

We will start by describing the defining features and variants of stochastic processes, focusing on those processes with a discrete state space. We will initially cover Markovian processes in discrete time as their modeling and analysis happens to be straightforward, clear and illustrative. On this basis, we will then address Markovian processes in continuous time, the so-called Markov Chains. We will describe Poisson processes, the famous memoryless property of the exponential distribution and derive the necessary and sufficient balance equations for the steady-state analysis of Markov Chains in continuous time. The participants will install and use Scilab, an free and open-source software for numerical computation (www.scilab.org), on their machines to perform numerical experiments and solve small exercises.

Based on this foundation, we will then address the analysis of Markovian queuing systems and show how to determine the probability of having a given number of customers or jobs in the system or the queue. After introducing and explaining Little’s Law, we will use it to determine expected waiting or cycle times. Closing this introduction to queuing models, we will briefly explain and demonstrate Kingman’s approximation for the expected waiting time G/G/1 and G/G/N queueing model.

In the next section, we will briefly cover basic elements of the probabilistic analysis of inventory systems. We will introduce the classical newsvendor problem and use it to explain and apply the first order loss function for the case of normally distributed demand.

The next part of the course will be devoted to stochastic (dynamic) programming, also known as stochastic decision processes. Starting with a finite-horizon deterministic setting, we will treat the basic version of Bellman’s recursion equation and explain its usage to determine an optimal course of actions in a multi-stage decision situation. On this foundation, we will next consider the stochastic case of a finite-horizon Markovian Decision Process in discrete time, explain the optimality equations and their solution via the backward induction algorithm. Finally, we will consider the infinite-horizon, continuous time case of discounted Markov decision processes and the value and policy iteration algorithms to determine policies that are optimal in expectation.

On the fourth day, we will consider a linkage between stochastic modeling and optimization by treating two-stage linear programs using scenario techniques. Here we will use the GAMS modeling system to essentially embed a numerical simulation within an (formally deterministic) linear or mixed-integer linear optimization program. We will furthermore discuss either (and preferably) current research projects of the participants that involve probabilistic modeling or (alternatively) some interesting papers showing the methodologies taught in the course.

Further information

Institution: VHB ProDok

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Georg Schreyögg (Freie Universität Berlin) & Prof. Dr. Jana Costas (Europa-Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder))

Date: 21. – 24. März 2017

Place:
Harnack-Haus
Tagungsstätte der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
Ihnestr. 16-20
14195 Berlin
http://www.harnackhaus-berlin.mpg.de/

Registration: Kurs ist ausgebucht. Warteliste für spätere Kurse möglich. Bitte nutzen Sie das Anmeldeformular oder senden Sie eine Email an doktorandenprogramm(at)vhbonline(dot)org.

Abstract:
Dieser Kurs wendet sich an NachwuchswissenschaftlerInnen der Betriebswirtschaftslehre, die in ihrer Forschung qualitative Methoden einsetzen wollen. Grundlegendes Ziel dieses Kurses ist es, den Teilnehmern methodische Grundlagen und weitergehende Kenntnisse in der qualitativen Managementforschung zu vermitteln. Nach Besuch des Kurses sind die Teilnehmer in der Lage,

• methodologische Grundlagen zu verstehen und verschiedene Methoden der qualitativen Forschung zu unterscheiden, einzuordnen und auszuwählen;
• Ziele und Einsatzzwecke, sowie Stärken und Schwächen qualitativer Forschung einzuschätzen;
• Schlüsselfragen der Planung und Vorbereitung, des Forschungsdesigns, der Datensammlung und der Analyse zu stellen und zu verstehen;
• Kernprobleme während der Planung, Durchführung, Analyse und Niederschrift qualitativer Studien zu identifizieren, zu analysieren und mit diesen umzugehen;
• gute qualitative Managementforschung von schlechter zu unterscheiden.

Further information

Institution: VHB ProDok

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Florian von Wangenheim (ETH Zürich) & Dr. Markus Zimmer (ETH Zürich)

Date: 6. – 9. Februar 2017

Place: Zürich

Registration: The deadline for registration is 15 January 2017. Please click on the link to open the registration form or send an email to doktorandenprogramm(at)vhbonline(dot)org.

Abstract:
The course focuses on the theoretical foundations of marketing and marketing research. Its purpose  is to confront students with current theoretical thinking in marketing, and currently used theories for understanding and explaining buyer and customer behavior in response to marketing action. For this, we will also generally discuss Marketing as a scientific field, the role of theory in advancing marketing science, and the development of marketing research over the past decades. Students will work on theory in general as well as some specific relevant marketing theories.

Further information

Institution: VHB ProDok

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Markus C. Arnold (Universität Bern)

Date: 31. Oktober – 3. November 2016

Place: Harnack-Haus, Tagungsstätte der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Ihnestr. 16-20, 14195 Berlin, http://www.harnackhaus-berlin.mpg.de/

Registration: Please send your registration by Email to doktorandenprogramm@vhbonline.org

Abstract:
The purpose of this course is to provide broad exposure to the research opportunities available using experimental data to explore management and financial accounting topics. Therefore, this course covers recent experimental studies from financial and managerial accounting areas that apply behavioral decision theory, psychology, and economics to address a variety of accounting research questions. This includes published research, as well as working papers, mainly from leading accounting researchers in the field.

The goals of this course are

• to familiarize students with recent experimental research in accounting,
• to help students develop the skills necessary to critically evaluate such research,
• to help students find the right research method for their question and to challenge the limits of the experimental research method
• to help students develop rigorous experimental designs for conducting their own research.

Further information