Your thesis at the IES
You can write your bachelor's or master's thesis at one of the two chairs of the IES. Please contact the department that best matches your areas of interest. Below you will find an overview of the topics covered by the two professorships.
Tips for a successful start to your thesis
- Reflect on your interests: Consider topics that motivate you, what you'd like to discover, and your post-graduation aspirations. These questions can help you find a compelling topic, perhaps by combining your field of study with one covered by our institute.
- Explore initial research: Read a few research papers related to your preliminary topic ideas. This will provide an overview of the academic literature and spark interesting research questions.
- Utilize research tools: For your research you can use bonnus (the search portal of the University of Bonn). But also sites such as Google Scholar, Elicit, EBSCO or Web of Science could be used for research.
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© Public Domain
Formal requirements
Familiarize yourself with the formal requirements for your thesis within your study programme. Key Questions to consider include:
- In which language must the thesis be written?
- What are the registration and submission deadlines?
- Are there any additional requirements for your degree programme?
We are looking forward to your interest in writing your bachelor's or master's thesis with us. We are open to theses in the areas of entrepreneurial action, innovation, change management, sustainability & impact, resilience, or knowledge transfer.
Below you will find the main topics of our department and the supervisors. Please feel free to contact us to write your thesis with us – even if you are not sure whether it fits in with our main areas of focus.
Topics at the Chair for Entrepreneurial Behaviour
1. Antecedents of Entrepreneurial Behaviour
How can entrepreneurial behaviour be predicted?
2. Sustainable Entrepreneurial Behaviour
How can entrepreneurs contribute to a sustainable and regenerative future?
3. Entrepreneurial Behaviour in Emerging Economies
How can entrepreneurship be promoted in emerging markets?
4. Dynamics of Entrepreneurial Behaviour
How do entrepreneurs behave throughout the entrepreneurial process?"
Supervisors at the Chair of Entrepreneurial Behaviour
- Entrepreneurial Resilience
- Sustainable Entrepreneurship
- Workplace Culture
- Openness towards technology
- (Sustainable) Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
- Entrepreneurial Learning
- Entrepreneurial Finance & Impact Investing
- Blockchain for common good, DeFi, DAOs
I prefer to supervise final theses written in English.
Thesis Research at the Chair of Entrepreneurial Behaviour
Topics for theses should be scientific in nature and broadly align with the chair's research focus. We welcome conceptual work or literature reviews, such as the development of frameworks. You can also undertake empirical papers, conducting qualitative research (e.g., case study interviews) or quantitative research with primary or secondary datasets.
Additionally, we offer the opportunity to write a practice-oriented thesis in cooperation with a start-up or an established company."
| Degree | Topic | Supervision |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor / Master | Systematic literature review: Innovation strategies of agricultural machinery manufacturers in the agricultural industry | Dorothee Scharpenberg |
| Bachelor / Master | Start-ups as drivers of disruptive agricultural technologies | Dorothee Scharpenberg |
| Bachelor / Master | Resale behaviour of farmers: case study of milking robots in dairy farming | Dorothee Scharpenberg |
| Bachelor / Master | The influence of generational change on innovation decisions in family-run agricultural businesses | Dorothee Scharpenberg |
| Bachelor / Master | Determinants of adoption factors for innovative technologies in animal husbandry | Dorothee Scharpenberg |
| Bachelor / Master | Innovative technologies in animal welfare and human well-being management | Dorothee Scharpenberg |
| Bachelor / Master | Economic versus ethical dimensions of the use of innovative technologies in animal husbandry | Dorothee Scharpenberg |
| Bachelor / Master | Adoption of Autonomous Vehicles and Robotics in European Agriculture. | Dorothee Scharpenberg |
| Abschluss | Thema | Supervision |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor | Classification of difficulties faced by sustainable start-ups and coping strategies | Kristin Brennhäußer |
| Bachelor | Influences of sustainability values on corporate resilience | Kristin Brennhäußer |
| Bachelor | Between idealism and reality: challenges faced by sustainable entrepreneurs and their coping strategies | Kristin Brennhäußer |
| Bachelor / Master | Crises as opportunities for growth? Successful coping strategies from sustainable entrepreneurs | Kristin Brennhäußer |
| Bachelor / Master | The glass ceiling as a stress test: coping strategies of female entrepreneurs in sustainable industries | Kristin Brennhäußer |
| Bachelor / Master | Between frustration and growth: How founders deal with disappointment in employees | Kristin Brennhäußer |
| Bachelor / Master | The influence of disappointed expectations on leadership and team dynamics | Kristin Brennhäußer |
| Bachelor / Master | Business succession in the agricultural industry beyond traditional farm structures | Dorothee Scharpenberg |
| Bachelor / Master | From Protest to Startup? The emergence of entrepreneurial initiatives from social movements. | Chiara Backes |
| Bachelor / Master | Grow or Get Stuck? Opportunities and challenges for sustainable start-ups in politically sensitive markets | Chiara Backes |
| Bachelor / Master | Impact or income? Conflicting goals in sustainable entrepreneurship How environmental entrepreneurs navigate between ecological goals and economic viability |
Chiara Backes |
| Abschluss | Thema | Supervision |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor | Role of mentoring for the entrepreneurial resilience of founders/farmers | Kristin Brennhäußer |
| Bachelor | Influences of cooperation and communities on entrepreneurial resilience | Kristin Brennhäußer |
| Bachelor / Master | Between regulations and innovation: The role of networks in overcoming regulatory challenges for start-ups | Kristin Brennhäußer |
| Bachelor / Master | From lobbying to mentoring: How start-ups influence regulatory processes through networks | Kristin Brennhäußer |
| Bachelor / Master | Shared Goals, Shared Success? How Cultural Norms Drive Collaboration in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems | Moritz Mey |
| Bachelor / Master | Mentorship, Finance, and Networks: Which Support Works Best for Sustainable Start-ups? | Moritz Mey |
| Bachelor | Goal (Mis-)Alignment in a Regional Ecosystem: A Case Study of a Cleantech Startup | Moritz Mey |
| Bachelor | A Comparative Analysis of Support Mechanisms for Sustainable vs. Traditional Tech Startups | Moritz Mey |
| Bachelor / Master | How Entrepreneurs Navigate "Adaptive Tensions": Multi-Case Study of Sustainable Ventures | Moritz Mey |
| Master | Developing a Framework to Assess the Sustainability Orientation of an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem | Moritz Mey |
| Master | The Co-Evolution of Policy and Practice: How Sustainable Entrepreneurs Shape Regional Support Structures | Moritz Mey |
| Master | The Influence of "Lighthouse" Sustainable Ventures on Ecosystem Norms and Culture | Moritz Mey |
| Master | From the Ground Up: How Sustainable Agricultural Entrepreneurs Co-Evolve Regional Food Systems | Moritz Mey |
| Master | Architects or Anchors? The Strategic Role of Entrepreneurial Support Organizations in Constructing a Sustainable Ecosystem | Moritz Mey |
| Abschluss | Thema | Supervision |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor/Master | The Mittelstand's Credit Transformation: How Banking Transformation is Reshaping Finance and Innovation for German Family Businesses. | Moritz Mey |
| Bachelor/Master | Fields of Finance: Navigating Banking Shifts, Credit Access, and the Future of Innovation in German Agriculture. Farmers' Perspectives on the evolution of Bank Lending |
Moritz Mey |
| Bachelor/Master | Entrepreneurial Finance: Venture capital, alternative financing and impact investing | Moritz Mey |
| Master | Impact & Sustainability in Start-ups: Measurement, best practices and challenges | Moritz Mey |
| Bachelor / Master | DeFi & DAOs, alternative financing and organisational options. Opportunities, risks and challenges | Moritz Mey |
| Bachelor | Literature Review: creating effective incubation and acceleration programs | Moritz Mey |
| Bachelor / Master | Scaling agriculture: The role of venture capital and accelerators | Dorothee Scharpenberg |
| Bachelor / Master | The influence of government subsidies on innovation investment in agriculture | Dorothee Scharpenberg |
| Bachelor / Master | Investment behaviour of agricultural businesses in the context of technological innovations | Dorothee Scharpenberg |
| Abschluss | Thema | Supervision |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor | Wait and See or First to Move? Strategies of entrepreneurs under regulatory uncertainty in volatile political markets | Chiara Backes |
| Bachelor | Follow the Rules or Change the Game? How institutional frameworks shape entrepreneurship and how start-ups drive institutional change | Chiara Backes |
| Bachelor | Boost or Barrier? The impact of entrepreneurship policy and public funding programmes on start-up ecosystems | Chiara Backes |
| Bachelor / Master | Adapt or Transform? Founders as drivers of institutional change in political and regulatory processes | Chiara Backes |
| Bachelor / Master | Adjust or Exit? Entrepreneurial decision-making under changing subsidy and funding regimes | Chiara Backes |
| Degree | Topic | Supervision |
|---|---|---|
| Master | Blockchain and AI for social innovation: applications and ethical considerations | Moritz Mey |
| Master | Decentralised finance (DeFi), decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs): governance and entrepreneurial aspects | Moritz Mey |
| Bachelor | Systematic literature reviews on high-tech for social good (blockchain, AI, ethical aspects) | Moritz Mey |
| Degree | Topic | Supervision |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor | Influence of positive and negative emotions on the resilience of entrepreneurs/farmers | Kristin Brennhäußer |
| Bachelor | Emotional intelligence as a factor influencing entrepreneurial resilience | Kristin Brennhäußer |
| Bachelor / Master | Emotion management by start-up teams in times of crisis | Kristin Brennhäußer |
| Bachelor / Master | The right twist: Psychological factors influencing successful and timely pivots in start-ups | Kristin Brennhäußer |
| Degree | Topic | Supervision |
|---|---|---|
| Master | Identification of stranded assets in agriculture and development of innovative business models for repurposing in cooperation with aarnt bioworks GmbH | Moritz Mey |
| Bachelor | Analysis of the AgriTech start-up landscape: Innovative solutions for the repurposing of stranded assets and market opportunities for entrepreneurs in cooperation with aarnt bioworks GmbH | Moritz Mey |
| Bachelor | Financing strategies for indoor farming start-ups: investor analysis and development of specific financial products in cooperation with aarnt bioworks GmbH | Moritz Mey |
| Bachelor / Master | Open topic in the field of urban farming, circular economy in cooperation with Pilzling | Moritz Mey |
Do you have an idea that motivates you and can be linked to founding a company, start-ups or entrepreneurship? Then please get in touch with Moritz Mey.
Topics & supervisors
I welcome applications for bachelor's and master's theses on the following topics:
- Data Protection and Digital Corporate Responsibility in Agricultural Businesses:
This includes exploring data protection for smart, connected products (e.g., agricultural machinery), decisions on data sharing (e.g., between farmers, local authorities, and businesses), decision-making frameworks and architecture for data sharing, and alternative business models for monetizing data (e.g., questions of data ownership). - Technology and Innovation Management for Climate Change Adaptation:
This area covers sustainable technologies, innovation management for adapting to climate change effects (e.g., heavy rainfall, drought), adaptation of urban architecture and infrastructure, and cooperation between startups and local authorities for climate change adaptation.
Generally, I am open to all thesis suggestions related to technology and innovation management within data protection and climate change adaptation. Theses can be submitted in English or German.
Contact: korneeva@uni-bonn.de
I welcome applications for bachelor's and master's theses on the following topics:
- Challenges in Cooperation within the Aid and Development Sector: Research on organizational learning, inter- and intra-organizational communication, cooperation, governance, and conflict resolution in this sector.
- Organizational Responses to Climate Change Emergencies: Investigating how organizations respond to climate change-induced emergencies like natural disasters and extreme weather events, focusing on building resilience, crisis management, and adaptation strategies.
- Technological Innovation for Climate Change Adaptation: Exploring the potential and role of new technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), in enhancing ecosystem adaptability, optimizing resource management, and supporting policy decision-making to combat climate change effectively.
Generally, I am open to all thesis suggestions related to technology and innovation management and organizational development in connection with climate change adaptation. I welcome theses in English or German.
Contact: mkionka@uni-bonn.de
I welcome applications for bachelor's and master's theses on the following topics:
- Management of Common Pool Resources: This includes the management of shared resources like freshwater, the organizational structure and effectiveness of institutions managing shared resources (e.g., river basin organizations - RBOs), and financing and business models for these organizations.
- Organizational Learning and Knowledge Exchange within and between Impact Organizations: Examining cooperation between NGOs, industry, and startup ecosystems for community resource management, as well as public-private partnerships and knowledge exchange networks.
- Innovation and Technology Use for Sustainable Resource Management: Research on technologies and innovations for the sustainable management of community resources, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and AI.
Generally, all topic suggestions related to technology and innovation management in the context of sustainable community resource management are welcome. I welcome theses in English or German.
Contact: bhummel@uni-bonn.de
Do you have any suggestions or questions?, then please feel free to contact us.