Projects
The Chair for Communications Management researches management issues from a communication perspective. At present, the following projects are under way.
Creability
With this project we aim to identify, evaluate, and deploy the current best practices in group creativity tools and help organizations use them effectively for their diverse teams and innovation efforts.
In the project we will give special emphasis to a new generation of (analytical) creativity techniques that rely on visual support and take real-life innovation constraints into account. Application contexts for these tools are strategizing, product, service or business model innovation, project management, and business development. (Martin J. Eppler, Friederike Hoffmann & Roland Pfister)
Clarity in Complex Corporate Communication (consortium research project)
In this project on intelligibility in corporate communication we want to develop an accurate, consistent and pragmatic method for evaluating, assessing and guaranteeing clarity in corporate communication. The project was launched in December 2010 in St.Gallen. The practical partners for the project come from the telecommunications, communication, insurance and consulting sectors. All partners already have a long-term commitment to demonstrating clarity in communication and bring with them valuable knowledge of the subject.
As an introduction to the project we have drawn up a summary of literature in which we have found that clarity in corporate communication is a subject that is frequently mentioned but seldom explained. The subject is discussed in many different academic disciplines, such as linguistics and psychology; however, it is striking how little there is on the subject in management research. In addition, the concept of clarity has yet to be operationalized. As part of the project we are also planning 1) to work on a new communication methodology; 2) to establish consulting and educational needs by means of a survey; 3) to support cooperation and knowledge transfer and 4) to establish and continue the cooperation of the practical partners as the first network for clarity in corporate communication. (Nicole Bischof & Martin J. Eppler)
An Experimental Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Visual Sales Approaches
As part of Roland Pfister’s doctoral thesis project, we are researching in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Alexander Haas of the University of Graz, Austria, the influence of different visualization techniques and degrees of interaction on the effectiveness of sales presentations. Our hypothesis is that sales meetings, in which the salesperson uses interactive sketching methods, result in customers gaining a more positive impression so that they subsequently have a greater interest in the products being introduced than those customers who were given advice without these visual aids. Our hypothesis was tested empirically in 2010 during more than 130 sales meetings. The next step will now be to devote ourselves to evaluating the data.
Business Model Innovation with Design Thinking
As part of Friederike Hoffmann’s doctoral thesis project, we are researching the development of new business model ideas in existing companies that find this innovation to be one of the greatest challenges. In 2010 we analyzed barriers to innovation in existing business models and made the distinction between cognitive and organizational barriers. The next step was to identify methods that were suitable for the complexity and abstraction of the task and to test them in initial experiments for the generation of ideas for new business models. One of the most frequently discussed methods for innovation in business models is the Business Model Innovation Canvas by Osterwalder & Pigneur (2009), which we made available to experienced managers in an experiment. At the same time we test methods which are used in the Design Thinking Innovation courses and evaluate the extent to which they are suitable for complex, very abstract innovations and for innovation in business models.
Sketching at Work: Visual Problem Solving and Collaboration (transfer project)
This English-language book publication originated from a qualification project for managers and students on communication and cooperation by means of simple sketches. This handy book contains practical suggestions for use in five areas: for analysis, e.g. with a risk map or an iceberg model for problem analysis, for (team) communication, e.g. with an agenda or an empathy map, for the organization of work meetings, e.g. with a funnel timeline or a mind map, for the planning of workflows, e.g. with a scenario diagram or a stakeholder map and for sales, e.g. with a negotiation sketch. The goal is to show managers in which situations sketches can help them in their work. (Martin J. Eppler & Roland Pfister)
Experiments on the Validation of the Added Value of Visualization in Management Processes
In this research project involving a total of five Ph.D. students, we investigate empirically the added value of interactive real-time visualization in management using several experimental studies, thus making a contribution to basic research in this area. In each case the studies concentrate on different areas in management, such as the planning of consulting for new customers, the planning and implementation of strategies in international teams, the exchange of knowledge in newly formed teams and the risk evaluation of projects.
In these experiments the respective situations and problems are simulated and visualization methods are employed in the course of the experiment in some teams, whereas others work without any visual aids. This means that after the group work we can not only compare the result of the work with or without visualization methods, but also assess it for the perceived and objective quality of the process and the participation of the members of the group.
The visual methods that we have investigated empirically to date are visual cooperation tools such as flip charts, posters, 3D worlds such as Second Life, interactive moderation software and visual templates.
Knowledge Management in the Area of Natural Hazards and Risk Management in Switzerland (interdisciplinary SNSF project)
This transdisciplinary project is concerned with the issue of how the exchange of knowledge operates between research and practice and how it can be optimized. This is investigated taking the example of the institutionalized natural hazard management system in Switzerland. In addition, a significant proportion of the empirical work is being carried out this year. In the interviews with experts it was mainly visualization methods that were used, such as timetables for formulating decision-making processes, assessment grids for evaluating an online tool for risk minimisation, and actor maps to record the constellation of actors (see diagrams 2 and 3).
These visual tools have a positive effect on the process of knowledge acquisition in interviews in various ways: firstly, they stimulate the discussion partners to give a detailed description of their experiences, secondly, they increase the focus on a specific subject and thirdly, they improve the transfer and exchange of knowledge between those involved. The linking of image and language therefore also has a positive effect in empirical management research and generates an acquisition of knowledge.