Online and Social Media Marketing

Format: Lecture and Exercise

Description: 

Over the last decade, Social Media platforms have evolved from purely hedonic platforms for private use into potent organizational tools used both internally within an organization and externally for communication and collaboration with various stakeholders. Internally, embedding Social Media tools within organizations has been linked to enhanced participation and communication, empowering employees with a voice in organizational matters. Externally, Social Media platforms have triggered unprecedented changes in customer relationship management, turning customers into co-creators of company value. Indeed, with 2.32 billion users on Facebook alone, popular Social Media platforms offer companies unique opportunities to connect with their customers, hear their voices, and engage with them on a more personal level. Considering this potential for value, businesses increasingly view social media as a key strategic enabler. Reflecting these developments, the goal of this course is to familiarize students with the fundamentals of Social Media management. Hence, the following topics are central to this course:

• Web-Site Usability
• Social Media Marketing
• Social Media Governance
• Content Marketing
• Video Marketing
• Psychology of Social Media Users
• Copywriting
• Social Media Analytics
• Gamification
• Legal Aspects of Online and Social Media Marketing, GDPR

Instructors: Prof. Dr. Krasnova 

User Behavior on Algorithmic Platforms

Format: Seminar

Algorithmic platforms have evolved from an exception to the norm. They increasingly shape a wide range of online spaces, from social media environments to interactions with large language models (LLMs). However, their growing presence also brings significant societal and individual challenges.

This seminar will focus on two key domains: social media, particularly online incivility and online misogyny, and large language models. The aim is to equip students with the conceptual and methodological tools needed to critically examine these issues.

Throughout the seminar, students will work in small groups to design and conduct their own research projects. The development of these projects will be accompanied by three presentations, each focusing on a different stage of the project. Between these presentations, groups will have the opportunity to participate in individual consultations with the instructors to receive feedback and guidance. By the end of the seminar, students will have gained hands-on experience in conducting research on contemporary challenges related to algorithmic platforms.

Instructors: Vica Dung and Melanie Jacobsen

Advanced Research Methods

Format: Lecture and Exercise

Description: 

This course offers an overview of advanced research methods and enhances postgraduate students’ knowledge and skills for conducting, analyzing, and interpreting research in business administration. Particular focus will be placed on developing critical thinking, which is essential for an investigator. The course focuses on both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The knowledge gained will be useful for conducting research and as tools for professional practice. Students will be trained to obtain and interpret essential outcomes using appropriate software (e.g., SPSS, SmartPLS). Panorama of the course content:

• Introduction to quantitative and qualitative methods (e.g., theoretical perspectives and approaches)
• Qualitative analytical strategies (e.g., content analysis, grounded theory)
• Statistical inference (e.g., effect sizes, power, confidence intervals, significance testing)
• Psychometrics (e.g., reliability, validity)
• Test of difference (e.g., ANOVA family and higher-order analyses)
• Test of association (e.g., multiple regression, logistic regression)
• Factor analysis
• Structural Equation Modeling with PLS

Instructors: Prof. Dr. Hanna Krasnova

Social Media Research

Format: Lecture and Exercise

Description:

As adoption and use of social applications (e.g., Facebook, Airbnb, Twitter, PatientsLikeMe) rise, there is growing interest in understanding users' behavior and perceptions, as well as the impact of this use on businesses, the public sector, and society as a whole. Against this background, the goal of this class is to equip students with research approaches and methods to understand this phenomenon. Among other things, course participants will be trained to collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data reflecting usage patterns and user perceptions across various social applications. This course may serve as sound methodological preparation for a master's thesis or, especially, a seminar at the chair of Business Informatics. Social Media and Society.

Instructors: Hannes-Vincent Krause, Margarita Gladkaya