How do consumers perceive and extrapolate “good” qualities of a product? When we see a healthy product, do we automatically assume that it’s also sustainable, conscious or locally sourced? What parallels do we draw and how factually accurate are they?

In this thesis you will review literature, design a quantitative study, collect and analyze the data to draw new insights about consumer heuristic perceptions of “good”.

Contact: tatiana.karpukhina@wu.ac.at

We usually want our acts of good to make a positive impact. The more impact the better! Can we collectively “correctly” distribute our efforts to make the biggest impact? Is something standing in the way of our objective judgements and actions?

In this thesis you will review literature, design a quantitative study, collect and analyze the data to draw new insights about wisdom of the crowds for the world’s problems.

Contact: tatiana.karpukhina@wu.ac.at

How do we feel when using digital technologies? With the increasing digitalization that surrounds us in our daily lives, this question is gaining relevance. In this context, scientific interest has emerged regarding the experience of meaning (i.e., feeling a sense of purpose, significance, and coherence) in interactions with digital technologies. While questionnaires to assess situational meaning have been proposed in the literature, a thorough comparison of their strengths and weaknesses in the context of technology use is missing so far. Addressing this need for research, this thesis adopts a quantitative approach. When working on the thesis, you will engage with literature on meaning and digital technologies, select questionnaires, apply them in the context of technology use, and gain new insights into consumers’ experiences in digital environments.

Contact: till.bieg@wu.ac.at

Recent marketing research has highlighted the important role of meaning (i.e., an individual’s experience of purpose, significance, and coherence) for the adoption of products that automate or greatly facilitate tasks in consumers' everyday lives (e.g., a cleaning robot performing household chores). On the one hand, products that facilitate tasks may be perceived as a threat to consumers' sources of meaning. On the other hand, these products may enable a strengthened engagement with relevant sources of meaning, for example by supporting an individual's autonomy and competence. In this thesis, you will explore this tension between impediment and enablement for products based on generative artificial intelligence. When working on the thesis, you will design surveys or experiments, apply quantitative methods, and develop a better understanding of consumers' preferences towards artificial intelligence.

Contact: till.bieg@wu.ac.at