Master Theses under the supervision of Prof. Fuchs

For the winter semester 2024/25 the application phase starts on May 25th, 2024. Deadline: June 3rd, 2024.

Applying for the topics advertised:

If you are interested in one of the advertised topics, please send your application via e-mail to judith.ladenstein@univie.ac.at. Your application should include the following:

• exposé in English (max. 5 pages)
• Curriculum Vitae (tabular)
• Current transcript of records

You are expected to complete the thesis within 1 semester!

After finishing the theses: The following documents are required at the administration and at the chair:

• At the administration: 3 hard copies of the final thesis (SSC)
• At the chair: electronic version of your final thesis as Word and PDF as well as raw data and analysis files (e.g. SPSS or NVivo files).

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Available Topics for the winter semester 2024

UTILITY AND WASTE

Although consumers are generally waste averse, waste is often inevitable. Still, consumers do not necessarily keep using a product until its utility is zero but instead discard products once their utility is below a certain threshold. Consumers may thus discard leftovers because they would rather eat something else or they may donate clothing they do not find fashionable anymore. Understanding how product characteristics affect the perceived utility, how consumers judge a product’s utility and when they deem it low enough to waste could open avenues to decrease waste in general. For instance, if a major reason to purchase a prosocial product compared to its regular counterpart, is to feel good about the purchase, does the prosocial product’s utility decrease (and the likelihood to waste increase) right after the purchase? How would this affect subsequent purchases within or outside the category the original purchase was made in? Does consumers’ aversion to wasting utility follow the same rules within the food category are it does in other categories? Do consumers prefer upcycling to recycling because they can provide new utility of products that have none left?

You are expected to review the literature to find a novel and relevant research topic, set up hypotheses, and test your hypotheses by conducting experimental research.

Related literature

Bolton, L. & Alba, J. W. (2012). When less is more: Consumer aversion to unused utility. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 22(3), 369–383

Van Herpen, E., & De Hooge, I. E. (2019). When product attitudes go to waste: Wasting products with remaining utility decreases consumers' product attitudes. Journal of cleaner production, 210, 410-418.


MORAL BUSINESSES

Social impact is a focal point for some for-profit businesses: Tony’s Chocolonely is seeking to revolutionize an industry that’s been benefitting from child labor, Ben & Jerry’s has been fighting for human rights for decades, Beyond Meat has set out to remove animal suffering from consumers’ diet and Patagonia arguably is passing on sales in favor of sustainability. Such a moral stance may be in contrast to the necessary evils of doing business as also moral companies may lay off personnel, engage in aggressive competitive tactics or exploit legal loopholes. How do consumers perceive such actions? Are moral businesses forgiven more easily or are moral businesses held to higher standards across all aspects of doing business? How should moral businesses communicate such practices? Do consumers feel wronged if a moral business engages in immoral actions that do not directly affect consumers?

You are expected to review the literature to find a novel and relevant research topic, set up hypotheses, and test your hypotheses by conducting experimental research.

Related literature

Muldoon, J., Davis, P. E., Bendickson, J. S., McDowell, W. C., & Liguori, E. W. (2022). Paved with good intentions: Moral disengagement and social entrepreneurship. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 7(4), 100237.

Effron, D. A., & Monin, B. (2010). Letting people off the hook: When do good deeds excuse transgressions?. Personality and social psychology bulletin, 36(12), 1618-1634.


CROWDING OUT

Increasingly, the market is becoming saturated with prosocial products championing environmental sustainability, animal welfare, or workers' rights, wages and overall working conditions. The good feeling of contributing to a greater good has been found to act as a halo elevating unrelated product characteristics. Fairtrade coffee and eco‑friendly fruit, for instance, are perceived to taste better and ethical chocolate is perceived to be lower in calories compared to their regular counterparts. As such, prosocial products are often seen as a win-win-win situation benefitting producer, the consumer, and the supported third party.

However, choosing a moral option is not meaningful unless more selfish options are eschewed. When the moral option (i.e., the prosocial product) is perceived as the more selfish option, the motives for people’s choice become muddled, decreasing choice. For instance, the selection of prosocial products (e.g., eco-friendly lightbulbs) is reduced when ostensibly selfish motives are introduced (e.g., price discounts). Presenting conflicting motives for consumers to purchase products—altruistic and selfish benefits—has thus been argued to reduce the appeal of said products but does that apply to selfish motives other than price (e.g., functionality)? If so, how can prosocial products promote selfish benefits? Do consumers appreciate their promotion equally to the promotion of regular products?

You are expected to review the literature to find a novel and relevant research topic, set up hypotheses, and test your hypotheses by conducting experimental research.

Related literature

Andrews, M., Luo, X., Fang, Z., & Aspara, J. (2014). Cause marketing effectiveness and the moderating role of price discounts. Journal of Marketing, 78(6), 120-142.

Schwartz, D., Loewenstein, G., & Agüero-Gaete, L. (2020). Encouraging pro-environmental behaviour through green identity labelling. Nature Sustainability, 3(9), 746-752.


CONVERSATION STARTERS

“Ignorance is bliss” means that ignoring issues can be an appealing strategy. Consumers may thus engage in willful ignorance by avoiding information that could taint their consumption experience. For instance, consumers may try to prevent learning about the origin of their food or the conditions under which their clothes were produced. If consumers knew about these, they may feel bad and thus experience a need to change their behaviors. Willful ignorance is thus a barrier for prosocial behaviors, a barrier that may be difficult to overcome. Moral rebels—consumers who confront morally problematic situations—may be reluctant to tell others about their own prosocial behaviors in fear of being perceived as braggarts and creating discomfort. Perhaps moral rebels could trick the willfully ignorant into learning about the behaviors displaying intriguing cues such as pins on clothing, stickers on electronics or descriptions in one’s social media bio. Would the willfully ignorant be more likely to change if they learned about a morally problematic situation by asking about it? Could moral rebels thus trick the willfully ignorant to start the conversation and thereby into changing their ways?

You are expected to review the literature to find a novel and relevant research topic, set up hypotheses, and test your hypotheses by conducting experimental research.

Related literature

Vu, L., Soraperra, I., Leib, M., van der Weele, J., & Shalvi, S. (2023). Ignorance by choice: A meta-analytic review of the underlying motives of willful ignorance and its consequences. Psychological Bulletin, 149(9-10), 611.

Monin, B., Sawyer, P. J., & Marquez, M. J. (2008). The rejection of moral rebels: Resenting those who do the right thing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(1), 76–93.


DIVERSITY & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) became pervasive in brand discourses (Arsel et al., 2022), products, and workplace practices. Importantly, little research explored diversity in new product development, particularly in the impact of individuals with mental and/or physical disabilities in this process (Chamorro-Premuzic 2017; Cossu et al. 2020). In this work, you are invited to investigate different kinds of questions, such as whether involving disabled individuals improves new product development, at what stage disabled individuals should be involved, how the involvement of disabled individuals changes product components, among others.

Companies can profit from developing products with universal designs and more intuitive usage as these products can achieve a broader user base and open up new market segments. Moreover, companies benefit from minimizing their associations with stigma and stimulating a culture of acceptance (Harmeling et al. 2021).

Related literature      

Arsel, Crockett, Scott. (2022). Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Journal of Consumer Research 48 (5)

Chamorro-Premuzic (2017). Does Diversity Actually Increase Creativity? Harvard Business Review

Cossu, Estes, Vosgerau (2020). Uncommon Beauty: Physically Disabled Models Positively Affect Consumers’ Attitudes and Choices. NA - Advances in Consumer Research

Harmeling, Mende, Scott, Palmatier (2021). Marketing, Through the Eyes of the Stigmatized. Journal of Marketing Research, 58(2) 223-245.


COMPANIES & MINORITIES

Companies are becoming increasingly interested in diversity and inclusion and seeking ways to incorporate marginalized groups into their businesses (Arsel et al. 2022). Indeed, consumers’ demand for more responsible practices has been fastening this process (McKinsey 2022). However, there has been little research on how consumers perceive brands with distinct inclusion policies. For example, you will investigate how companies are perceived if they work with different marginalized groups, such as disabled individuals, ex-inmates, or other minority groups (UNODC 2020; Aichner 2021). You will also be able to study how disclosing this information changes how consumers perceive products (originality, quality, etc). Please propose a research question suitable for a quantitative approach (surveys or experiments).

Related literature

Aichner (2021). The economic argument for hiring people with disabilities. Humanities & Social Sciences Communications

Arsel, Crockett, Scott. (2022). Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Journal of Consumer Research 48(5)

McKinsey & Company. (2022). The rise of the inclusive consume. www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/the-rise-of-the-inclusive-consumer

UNODC (2020). Initiative to reintegrate prisoners: Brands of prison products. www.unodc.org/dohadeclaration/en/prisons/brands.html


AI & CREATIVE PROCESSES

The introduction of generative AI is estimated to affect 80% of the U.S. workforce (Eloundou et al. 2023). This tool is already being used for multiple working tasks, such as written assignments, coding, creative ideation, among others.

Prior research suggested that generative AI can alter human productivity (Noy and Zhang, 2023), decision-making (Shin et al. 2023) and perceptions (Bergner et al. 2023). However, the influence of AI on the innovation process is still underexplored (Mednick 1962; Crawford and Benedetto 2014).

In this work, you will study how and when creatives use AI in their creative journey and investigate the possible consequences of this interaction.

Related literature

Bergner, Hildebrand and Haubl (2023). Machine Talk: How Verbal Embodiment in Conversational AI Shapes Consumer–Brand Relationships. Journal of Consumer Research, 50.

Crawford and Benedetto (2014). New Products Management. McGraw Hill Higher Education.

Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock (2023). arXiv: 2303.10130

Mednick (1962). The associative basis of the creative process. Psychological Review, 69(3):220–232

Noy and Zhang (2023). Experimental evidence on the productivity effects of generative artificial intelligence. Science, 381, 187-192

Shin, Kim, Opheusden, and Griffiths (2023). Superhuman artificial intelligence can improve human decision-making by increasing novelty. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Master Theses under the supervision of Prof. Eisend

For the winter semester 2024/25 the application phase starts on May 25th, 2024. Deadline: June 3rd, 2024.

Applying for the topics advertised:

If you are interested in one of the advertised topics, please send your application via e-mail to judith.ladenstein@univie.ac.at. Your application should include the following:

• exposé in English (max. 5 pages)
• Curriculum Vitae (tabular)
• Current transcript of records

You are expected to complete the thesis within 1 semester!

After finishing the theses: The following documents are required at the administration and at the chair:

• At the administration: 3 hard copies of the final thesis (SSC)
• At the chair: electronic version of your final thesis as Word and PDF as well as raw data and analysis files (e.g. SPSS or NVivo files).

****

Available Topics for the winter semester 2024

BRAND CRISIS RESPONSE STRATEGIES

Data breaches, corporate social irresponsibility, product-harm crises, and endorser scandals are examples of brand crises. Companies adopt different response strategies to deal with brand crisis situations, and how consumer react depends largely on these response strategies. How should firms respond to brand crises to reduce detrimental effects?

Please explain and describe hypotheses on how different response strategies affect consumer reactions and suggest a potential context factor that can influence the response strategy effect. The hypotheses should be tested in an experimental study that manipulates companies’ strategies on how to respond to a brand crisis along with another independent variable (e.g., brand characteristic or consumer characteristics) and include measures of consumer responses as the dependent variables.

Starting Literature:

Chen et al. (2019), Does a Firm's Product-Recall Strategy Affect Its Financial Value? An Examination of Strategic Alternatives during Product-Harm Crises, Journal of Marketing, 73(6), 214-26.

Hersel et al. (2019), The Corrective Actions Organizations Pursue Following Misconduct: A Review and Research Agenda, Academy of Management Annals, 13(2), 547-85.

Liu et al. (2017), Crisis Management Strategies and the Long-Term Effects of Product Recalls on Firm Value, Journal of Marketing, 81(5), 30-48.

 
OLDER ENDORSERS IN ADVERTISING

Despite the increasing market size and consumption power of older consumers, older people seldom appear in advertising. One of the reasons might be that consumers react more negatively towards portrayals of older consumers as compared to younger consumers, presumably because the depictions of the elderly apply negative stereotpyes. How do consumers respond to portayals of older endorsers? How are older endorsers depicted in advertising?

Please explain and suggest hypotheses on the effects of older endorsers on consumers and what these effects could depend on. Alternatively, suggest several hypotheses on how elderly are depicted in advertsing.
The hypotheses should be tested in an experimental study that manipulates endorser age along with another independent variable and measures consumer responses ad dependent variables. Alternatively, a content analysis of older people in advertising (e.g., print, online, or social media) can be conducted to assess how elderly are depicted.

Starting Literature:

Huber et al. (2013), Endorser Age and Stereotypes: Consequences on Brand Age, Journal of Business Research, 66, 207-15.

Kwon et al. (2015), Who Said What: The Effects of Cultural Mindsets on Perceptions of Endorser-Message Relatedness, Journal of Consumer Psychology, 25(3), 389-403.

Prieler/Kohlbacher (2016). Advertising in the Aging Society. Understanding Representations, Practitioners, and Consumers in Japan. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.

Simcock/Sudbury (2006), The Invisible Majority? Older Models in UK Television Advertising, International Journal of Advertising, 25(1), 87-106.

 
DEEPFAKES IN ADVERTISING

Deepfakes refer to content that is digitally modified by artificial intelligence algorithms that alter videos and/or pictures to create highly realistic, but fake content. Deepfakes can be misleading to the audience because they can show people saying or doing things that they have never said or done. How do consumers react to deepfakes in advertising?

Please explain and suggest hypotheses on the effects of deepfakes in advertising on consumers and what these effects could depend on. The hypotheses should be tested by an experimental study that manipulates different types of deepfaked or AI-generated ads (i.e., realistic portrayals of untrue information that can mislead viewers) along with another independent variable (e.g., product characteristic or consumer characteristics) and uses measures of consumer responses as dependent variables.

Starting Literature:

Campbell, Plangger, Sands, & Kietzmann (2022), Preparing for an Era of Deepfakes and AI-Generated Ads: A Framework for Understanding Responses to Manipulated Advertising, Journal of Advertising, 51(1), 22-38.

Kietzmann, Mills, & Plangger (2020), Deepfakes: Perspectives on the Future “Reality” of Advertising and Branding, International Journal of Advertising, 40(3), 473-485

Kim, Choi, & Wakslak (2019), The Image Realism Effect: The Effect of Unrealistic Product Images in Advertising, Journal of Advertising, 48(3), 251-270.

 
GENDER IDENTITY OF SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS

An increasing number of consumers do no longer support or conform to the traditional gender binary but instead view gender as a fluid, dynamic continuum. Companies who work with diverse and nonbinary endorsers, celebrities, or social media influencers can signal progressive values and position themselves as socially conscious, but might run the risk of negative reactions by consumers who support a binary view of gender. How do consumers respond to nonbinary genders of social media influencers?
Please explain and suggest hypotheses on the effects of the gender identity of influencers on consumers and what these effects could depend on. The hypotheses should be tested by an experimental study that manipulates influencer’s gender identity (using binary and non-binary genders) along with another independent variable (e.g., product characteristic or consumer characteristics) and measures of consumer responses as dependent variables.

Starting Literature:

Eisend/Rößner (2022), Breaking Gender Binaries, Journal of Advertising, 51(5), 557-73.

Frankel/Ha (2020), Something Seems Fishy: Mainstream Consumer Response to Drag Queen Imagery, Fashion and Textiles, 7(23), 1-17.

Read-Bullock (2018), Social Identity in Advertising: News Stories, Phenotypic Prototypicality, and Model Identity Influence Cognitive Processing and Evaluation of Advertisements, PhD Thesis, Indiana University.

 
BODY IDEALIZATION IN ADVERTISING

Advertising oftentimes promotes unrealistic and idealized body images, because the physical attractiveness and beauty of endorsers have positive effects on consumers and increase, among other things, their evaluations of the ad, the brand, and purchase intentions. At the same time, idealized body images are believed to lead to negative body images of the viewers, increases their body dissatisfaction, and corresponding behavioral consequences (e.g., dieting). How do consumers respond to idealized bodies in advertising?

Please explain and suggest hypotheses on the effects of idealized body images in advertising on consumers and what these effects could depend on. The hypotheses should be tested in an experimental study that manipulates body idealization of advertising endorsers along with another independent variable (e.g., product characteristic or consumer characteristics) and measures consumer responses towards advertising as well as their body image and/or satisfaction as dependent variables.

Starting Literature:

Grabe, Ward, & Hyde (2008), The Role of the Media in Body Image Concerns Among Women: A Meta- analysis of Experimental and Correlational Studies, Psychological Bulletin, 134(3), 460-476.

Häfner & Trampe (2009), When Thinking is Beneficial and When It Is Not: The Effects of Thin and Round Advertising Models, Journal of Consumer Psychology, 19, 619-628.

Richins (1991), Social Comparison and the Idealized Images of Advertising, Journal of Consumer Research, 18(June), 71-83.

Subject areas:

• Responsible Marketing
• Consumer Well-being
• Balancing Needs in Consumers' various Life Domains
• Work-Life Balance & Employer Branding (ev.: Across Generations)
• Transformative Marketing

Master Theses under the supervision of Prof. Reisinger

There are no more free capacities for the summer semester of 2024. Applications for the winter semester 2024/2025 are possible from May 2024. The exposé must be prepared in German (max. 5 pages, 1.5 lines) and sent directly to Mr. Reisinger. The exposé should include motivation, research questions, hypotheses, a rough concept for the empirical analysis and selected references (the references do not count towards the page limit).

Master Theses under the supervision of Prof. Sichtmann

For the winter semester 2024/25 the application phase starts on May 25th, 2024. Deadline: June 3rd, 2024.

Applying for the topics advertised:

If you are interested in one of the advertised topics, please send your application via e-mail to judith.ladenstein@univie.ac.at. Your application should include the following:

• exposé in English (max. 5 pages)
• Curriculum Vitae (tabular)
• Current transcript of records

You are expected to complete the thesis within 1 semester!

After finishing the theses: The following documents are required at the administration and at the chair:

• At the administration: 3 hard copies of the final thesis (SSC)
• At the chair: electronic version of your final thesis as Word and PDF as well as raw data and analysis files (e.g. SPSS or NVivo files).

****

Available Topics for the winter semester 2024

WILLINGNESS TO PAY A CARBON PRICE – AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Consumption habits contribute significantly to climate change. While decarbonization of production is necessary, experts insist on changes in consumption patterns, particularly in Western nations, to effectively address climate change mitigation. As a means of lifestyle changes they propose that consumers pay for the carbon footprint of products and services. Since carbon-intensive goods and services become more expensive, their consumption will be reduced. However, such a measure is controversial as it is associated with a loss of wealth. Customers will have less to spend, which will lead to discontent. The critical question is: under what circumstances will consumers be willing to accept such a price on carbon?
Against this background, the aim of the master thesis is to measure the willingness of consumers to pay a carbon price in an experimental study.


THE IMPACT OF A DIALECT ON SERVICE SATISFACTION IN THE CASE OF A SERVICE FAILURE – AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

This master's thesis is about whether it makes a difference if you are served by a service employee who speaks Austrian dialect compared to an employee who speaks High German and/or with a foreign accent. In particular, a situation in which a service failure occurs is to be examined.

The idea is to set up an experiment in which test persons listen to an audio recording with a short dialog in which a service employee has a different accent: an Austrian dialect/High German/a foreign accent. The aim is to simulate a service failure. Does it make a difference to customer satisfaction?