This book introduces readers to modern organizational concepts and their consequences for working people in the digital economy. Decentralization, networking, the merging of the physical and virtual worlds, and the ever-increasing interaction of human and artificial intelligence are (re) shaping organization and leadership. Digital technologies are changing the coordination of internal and external organizational processes and require new competencies. The aim of the book is to illustrate ...

This book takes an in-depth look at the software industry as a major factor in future global economic performance. It explores how software-based companies are a significant factor behind economic growth and serve as important bridge builders between industries. Countries with a weak and underdeveloped software industry risk being left behind in the 21st century.The book examines the case of Germany as one of the world's major industrial nations, which is facing loss of competitive...

This book presents a very novel and strategic approach to Sales Management, an area that has suffered from a lack of sophistication in practice. This content-rich and thought-provoking book has a very unique positioning: It considers the sales performance of an organization at a very high, strategic level and offers specific guidance in managing not just a few direct reports but an entire organization?s sales function. The book includes many useful tools and guidelines and is enhanced with...

This book examines volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) and addresses the need for broader knowledge and application of new concepts and frameworks to deal with unpredictable and rapid changing situations. The premises of VUCA can shape all aspects of an organization. To cover all areas, the book is divided into six sections. Section 1 acts as an introduction to VUCA and complexity. It reviews ways to manage complexity, while providing examples for tools and approaches ...

This open access volume provides insight into how organizations change through the adoption of digital technologies. Opportunities and challenges for individuals as well as the organization are addressed. It features four major themes: 1. Current research exploring the theoretical underpinnings of digital transformation of organizations. 2. Insights into available digital technologies as well as organizational requirements for technology adoption. 3. Issues and challenges for designing and...

The Expert Career is an attempt to better understand the nature of career paths for highly specialized experts who chose a non-managerial career. It analyzes past dual ladder career theories as well other existing career alternatives for experts and assesses their effectiveness to organizations and employees. It further includes an empirical study with unprecedented data of 140 companies that tests existing expert careers. Based on the findings of this study, this book pre...

Corporate decisions have consequences, especially if they pertain to a company’s strategic advancement. These decisions are almost always implemented using an organizational development project. Understandably, members of the senior management and project management prefer to make the process as predictable and tangible as possible. Frequently, they rely on resource planning for (a subjective sense of) certainty. However, it can be generally observed that traditional resource planning is a...

This open access book provides a systematic overview of experiences with Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) and undergraduate research (UR) in German universities, covering both research universities (Universitäten) and universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen). Divided into three parts, the book starts with the principles and common practices of IBL/UR at all universities. Part Two discusses the implementation of IBL/UR for twenty-one individual disciplines, ranging f...

This book shows the role data plays in communication and marketing and how it can be used as an important source for storytelling. Because data, as a raw material of the digital age, inspires corporate strategy. Provided it is collected, interpreted and processed properly, it provides new and sometimes surprising insights into contexts and offers the opportunity to develop exciting stories from it. Stories that also create relevance with regard to corporate goals, spark dialogues and make ...

When (re-)designing organizations, one must first be clear about what is meant by the structures of an organization and what can be done in order to change them. In this book, we present communication channels, programs and personnel as central structures. We also unfold the aspects that come to the forefront when one focuses on either the formal, the informal or the display side of an organization. At the core, we elaborate on how structures cause blind spots, and how these can be utilize...

This open access Springer Brief provides a systematic analysis of current trends and requirements in the areas of knowledge and competence in the context of the project “(A) Higher Education Digital (AHEAD)—International Horizon Scanning / Trend Analysis on Digital Higher Education.” It examines the latest developments in learning theory, didactics, and digital-education technology in connection with an increasingly digitized higher education landscape. In turn, this analysis forms the bas...

For some people, Public Relations used to be "that former journalist type who deals with the media." However, the public perception of the profession has changed quite substantially. Communication has become a genuine modern management function. The integration of successful public relations is a crucial contribution to raising the level of professionalism in an organization. "Communication and Leadership in the 21st Century" is a review of theoretical and empirical research papers on this...