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Research with impact
As the only consulting company with its own Europe-wide university institute, zeb focuses on research that has a direct impact and opens up new horizons for your company. To this end, we cooperate with the network of top business schools worldwide and are part of the management of the Steinbeis University and the Faculty of Business & Economics.
Our research and that of the Steinbeis University are based on the same idea: to put the latest scientific findings into practice in order to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to problems.
Let’s inspire you and take a look at our research, how we can do research for you and how we make international research useful for you.
Our research: new topics with impact on your business
The market environment is becoming more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. New competitors claim interfaces to customers for themselves with digital platforms and ecosystems. We want to make financial services providers more courageous. We help them better understand complex systems and new technologies and how to use them for their own business development. We never look at individual technologies and methods in isolation, but holistically, so that we create solutions that make your company more resistant and successful in a constantly changing environment.
For example artificial intelligence (AI): zeb with the first AI-based AI study
There are many surveys, position and discussion papers on the status quo and further development of artificial intelligence in Germany—but no AI study that uses exactly what it investigates: AI. We wondered: what is published about AI in Germany? How does the content differ from articles on financial services and regulation? How do experts assess the connections between these factors? And: what are the consequences for financial services providers? Read the whole story and see the results of the AI study on the zeb Banking Hub zeb Banking Hub. And if you would like to know more about our study and about conclusions about information and data protection risks, read our article in the Center for Security Studies at the ETH Zurich.
For example: agile Organization
zeb carries out over 2,000 projects every year, more than 25,000 since its foundation: a unique treasure trove of experience and data. We make targeted use of the opportunity to gather our experience on current topics and make it available to you. A current example is the transformation of rigid hierarchies into agile, linked forms of organization. On the basis of our own research and extensive project experience, we show for which business areas and tasks agility is suitable and for which it is not, what benefits and risks arise from agility and how the path to an agile organization can be successfully mastered. Read more in our book "How organizations can successfully become agile". We present our results on international symposia, like the "Digital Transformation and Strategy" Forum in London.
For example: Team-Mind - the future of teamwork
“The management sees teams as a tool for improving performance and reducing costs. But that doesn’t work”. This is what Jos de Blok says in an interview for our book “Team-Mind”. And he should know: Jos de Blok is the founder of the outpatient nursing care network “Buurtzorg”, which started with four nurses in the Netherlands in 2005 and today employs 15,000 nurses in 20 countries—and all of them in self-organized teams. We interviewed experts from financial services, industry, professional sports, medicine and the military: among them, Karl von Rohr, CEO of Deutsche Bank, on “teams and responsibility”, Wolfgang Sommerfeld, Sports Director and Chairman of the German Handball Federation, on “Teams and Performance”, and Peter Klett, CEO of Weser-Elbe-Sparkasse, on the transformation of his savings bank into an agile company. The latest experience and insights for successful teamwork can be found in this book, the best tools and educational opportunities at zeb.
For example: Corporate social responsibility (CSR)
From a business management perspective, sustainability was above all a promising business model as a viable economic basis. However, demands for social sustainability and environmental compatibility have been added and are summarized under the term “corporate social responsibility”. Together with scientists from the zeb.business school, zeb’s CSR officers have developed a concept that has been awarded the renowned EcoVadis rating in gold. You can find more information here.
Your research: we research for you
We haven't done any research on the subject that’s been bothering you? But we can: because we create studies, surveys and reports for your company and we develop research projects with you and apply for funding. Here are a few examples of what this looks like.
Finding and retaining talent
A study for a Bavarian employers’ association on the shortage of skilled workers shows “best practices for attracting and retaining highly qualified employees”. And on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, we have compiled a cross-industry overview of life phase-oriented personnel management: "Competent throughout life".
Social networks for education
Together with the association of Sparda Banks, we have investigated how the technology of social networks—such as Xing or LinkedIn—can be used in a safe way within banks to improve vocational training. The results include: qualification costs and time required for introducing a new distribution system were halved—and a grant from Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) was obtained.
Diversity - Diversity for productivity and innovation
As part of a project also funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, we investigated the effects of diversity in companies and how differences, e.g. of gender, age or migration background, can be used for the benefit of the company and its employees. You can find a practice-oriented summary in the Harvard Business Manager. More information on the topic and numerous tips are available at the zeb Banking Hub.
Joint research: international networks
Today, topic and business development no longer work alone but in networks and ecosystems. This is also true of our research work: we work internationally with innovative business schools and researchers around the world to collect the most important results and examples for you and your business. Here you can find some examples of our cooperation projects.
Innovations in management
DekaBank and the Fresenius Foundation, along with many other organizations, were partners in a cooperation project with the Frankfurt School to research and improve innovative capabilities in the company. Take a look at one of the books that were produced as part of the project.
Global tech start-up competition
The Chinese innovation agency WTOIP organizes once again the international startup competition IPIEC global, which takes place every year at the same time in important innovation centers. Venues are for example Tel Aviv, London, Dubai, Paris, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong - and Berlin. Partner of the "German Chapter" is the zeb.business school, which also accompanies the international finals in China.
International Summer Schools
The zeb.business school regularly invites to a summer school with a research and a visiting programme. In the research program, the zeb.business school presents its own research to an international audience, but also invites renowned researchers, especially from the USA. Guests were among others the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with the initiative on the Digital Economy (IDE), the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration for the assessment of climate risks and Fraunhofer USA, Center for Manufacturing Innovation.
