"Performance" in HSG Focus
We believe we can measure it statistically. We value people according to it. And we keep misjudging its character. We are talking about "performance", the subject of the dossier in the new edition of the university magazine HSG Focus.
Newly composed President's Board has taken up its work
The newly formed President's Board under the leadership of President Bernhard Ehrenzeller has been in office since 1 February 2021. Urs Fueglistaller is now on board as Vice-President of Institutes & Executive Education.
50 years of women’s suffrage in Switzerland
Fifty years ago, Swiss women were given the vote. This was preceded by a decades-long, emotional referendum campaign. By Gudrun Sander.
Top ten position in the Financial Times ranking
The University of St.Gallen is ranked 7th and thus, for the eighth year in a row, has been placed among the ten best business universities in Europe.
A new age for higher education in Switzerland is approaching as around 500 scientific libraries merge their catalogues and courier services. The HSG library is a participant and an initial founder of this mammoth project. Here you can find further information and the link to the registration.
An international team of researchers, including HSG Assistant Professor Charles Gottlieb, study how the ability to work at home differs across countries.
With "HSG Insights: Returning from Lockdown - Successfully Shaping the New Normality", the University of St.Gallen (HSG) is launching a free online series lasting several months in close cooperation with the Executive School.
In the Winter Semester of 1900/01, a certain Alice Scheitlin enrolled as an auditor in the Commercial Academy, which had been set up in 1899 and was located in the west wing of the St.Gallen Cantonal School (today’s Cantonal School on Burggraben).
Like countless other businesses, the HSG has reacted to this unusual situation with a range of measures, not least digital ones. Alongside internal measures to guarantee the continuation of studies, the university sets great store on making its own contribution to overcoming the crisis.
How much influence should investors be able to exert for the sake of short-term interest, if they endanger the company’s long-term development in the process? And why do we stand and watch this happen? The Corporate Governance Competence Centre of the University of St.Gallen (HSG) believes there is an urgent need for a debate on this subject.
Creative learning, money and religion as well as the reorientation of management training: These and other subject matters were the object of discussion over the course of two days by social sciences and humanities students at the University of St. Gallen (HSG).
The media stands in the middle of a digital transformation. What does it take to survive into the future? During a podium discussion, representatives of Swiss media companies confidently showed that digital opportunities will help quality journalism to flourish once again.
Due to the pandemic, universities moved their lectures into the virtual space. Researchers from the HSG, the University of Geneva and the EPF Lausanne have now investigated the impact of this shift on student performance.
In our new video series "In the Lab", we shed light on research projects in the making, provide insights into initial interim results and show where the research journey is headed. In the first episode, cultural and media scientist Prof. Dr. Jörg Metelmann and organisational psychologist and transformation consultant Dr. Björn Müller explain their interdisciplinary research project "Transformatics". (in German, English Subtitles)
Many companies use chatbots to communicate with their customers. Depending on how they are designed, they can have more or less influence on buying behaviour. Very subtle features also play a role.
Artificial intelligence is advancing in the field of personnel management: whether it is being used to find suitable employees for open positions or to monitor and evaluate the work of and performance of current employees… and this can all be done automatically. Where have these types of algorithms already taken over executive positions in Switzerland and what effects this can have on the relationship between employees and their company? These topics have been investigated by the Research Institute for Work and Working Environments at the HSG (FAA-HSG). This video also examines what is legally permissible in regard to surveillance in the workplace.
Natural disasters and extreme weather conditions are increasing globally. The effects of these extreme events are often far worse in emerging markets than in developed economies. For their low-income populations, insurance cover is often not offered or is unaffordable. The HSG researchers Professor Alexander Braun and Niklas Häusle are convinced that an innovative, decentralised insurance model based on block chain technology has the potential to mitigate these problems.
Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for a growing number of companies. Not least because customers are also attaching greater importance to climate and environmental protection. As early as 2012, a research project was launched which offers companies a management tool for business model innovation: the "Business Model Navigator". An interdisciplinary team led by Professor Karolin Frankenberger further developed this approach. The aim: to link the topic of sustainability and business model innovation and to develop sustainable, future-oriented business models that focus on "circular economy". (in German)
Switzerland's energy supply is at a turning point: away from fossil fuels and nuclear energy and towards a sustainable energy supply using renewable energies. Here decentralised energy supply systems, which rely on local photovoltaic systems, are becoming increasingly important. A national pilot project of the University of St.Gallen, headed by Professor Felix Wortmann, developed a solution in collaboration with ETH Zurich: the "Quartierstrom" energy platform. The basic idea: locally produced electricity should be consumed locally. (in German)
Prof. Dr. Gudrun Sander on the advantages of heterogeneous teams in challenging times of crisis. How can the diversity of employees be used to achieve corporate goals? And why is diversity management first and foremost a management task? (in German)
How could the economic consequences be mitigated? Which macroeconomic measures could be helpful in this respect? And what does this crisis mean for Europe and Switzerland?
In areas such as health care or education, there is high cost pressure. At the same time, this type of service can only be made more efficient to a limited extent, as direct interpersonal contact is often essential for its benefit. The HSG's Institute of Information Management has investigated which approach is best suited to resolving this contradiction. How, for example, can visits to doctors be arranged in such a way that new technologies not only lead to greater efficiency but also to a better quality of life and treatment for patients? (in German)
Society is getting older and older, which puts the current system of old-age provision increasingly into financial distress. In addition, there are other social trends that increase the need for reform of the social security system. Against the background of these developments, the Institute of Insurance Economics at the HSG derived possible fields of action and examined their acceptance by the population.
Blockchain technology could bring more transparency to global supply chains and thus ensure greater social and environmental sustainability. First pilot projects in this area have already been launched. One of these has been accompanied by the Institute for Supply Chain Management at the HSG, which has investigated the stumbling blocks that exist for such solutions.
Prof. Dr. Miriam Meckel and Prof. Dr. Damian Borth on their project "Vocally Yours" which operates at the interface of artificial intelligence and journalism. Deep neural networks will be used to turn an author's text into recordings using their voice. How can journalists use this new technology? How can illegal use and so-called deepfakes be prevented? (in German)
Prof. Dr. Judith Walls on the carbon footprint of companies, the influence of consumers on corporate strategies and the significance of the "Friday for Future" movement. To what extent can renewable energies and biodiversity affect climate change?
The sculptor Wilhelm Mundt on his work group "Trashstones", art & transience as well as the changes that have occurred over the years in his reflections on art and sculpture. (in German)
"It is not sufficient to roll out standardised user interfaces. Instead, they need to be adjusted towards the way consumers think." Emanuel de Bellis on mass customization platforms and the apparent Western bias in their design. De Bellis is Vice Director and Assistant Professor for Marketing and Research Methods at the Institute for Customer Insight at the University of St.Gallen (ICI-HSG).
Prof. Dr. Patrick Emmenegger on the outcome of the 2019 Federal Council elections, the battle for seats in the Federal Council and considerations on concordance, power and one seat for the Green Party in the Federal Council. (in German)
"One of the big challenges as a strategic leader is to change the organisation as it is growing." Peter Murmann elaborates this argument through the example of Huawei and explains what poetry and plumbing have to do with good leadership. He is Professor of Strategic Management at the Institute of Management & Strategy of the University of St.Gallen.
The magazine Science has published an article about cyber risks. In the article, Martin Eling, Professor for Insurance Management at the University of St.Gallen (HSG), and an international team of scientists discuss how the challenges of cyber attacks can be analyzed.
Leaders need to be close to their own personal meaning to provide a compelling vision and purpose to their followers. This is shown by a study by Petra Kipfelsberger, Institute for Leadership and Human Resource Management of the University of St.Gallen.
In the Global Competitiveness Index 4.0 comprising the most competitive countries in the world, Switzerland is ranked 5th behind Singapore, the USA, Hong Kong and the Netherlands. The Executive School at the University of St.Gallen (ES-HSG) has once again carried out this year’s survey of business leaders of Swiss companies. An interview with Dr. Tobias Trütsch, Head of Economics Division of the Executive School of the University of St.Gallen. (in German)
Crowdsourcing works best in collaborativ settings - with collaborative crowds. In other settings, such as crowdsourcing competitions, individuals become less creative over time. This is shown in a study by Ivo Blohm, Assistant Professor for Data Science and Management at the Institute of Information Management (IWI-HSG).
What traits and characteristics can we look for in leaders that indicate that they will move their companies towards better social and environmental performance? An interview with Judith Walls, Chair for Sustainability Management of the Institute for Economy and the Environment (IWÖ-HSG).
Globalisation facilitates the flows of capital, goods, and ideas and it provides firms with access to new markets. Yet, the benefits from globalisation are not distributed equally. How do these imbalances feed back into the allocation of talent across competing teams? A research project by Ulrich Schetter (Swiss Institute for International Economics and Applied Economic Research at the HSG) and Oriol Tejada (ETH Zurich) provides answers to these questions.
Prof. Dr. Martin Kolmar compares our consumption to a never ending story. What stands at the end of our consumption? Which neuroscientific aspects are associated with consumption? And what did the old virtues teach us? A video interview. (in German)
Disruption is on everyone's lips. New technologies but also rapid social change can quickly become a disaster for many companies and their established business models. This makes it more important for companies to systematically monitor their own environment in order to identify threatening trends at an early stage. But what is the best way to do this? Dr. Maël Schnegg from the Institute for Accounting and Controlling at the HSG has helped to develop a tool for this challenge.
The Swiss artist Zilla Leutenegger on her work "Staircase: Lonely at the top", her art concept and the sgraffito technique used for the first time in her work. An art interview. (in German)
"The most human thing in the world is art." Tony Cragg on the essence of sculpture, on form and material, and sculptures as radical political attitude. An art interview. (in German)
What is the influence of family business background on next-generation entrepreneurship? An interview with Josh Hsueh, Ph.D., post-doctoral researcher at the Center for Family Business at the University of St.Gallen.
To err is technical: Even autonomous cars can cause accidents. Who has to answer for the damage caused by the the vehicle "Trooper" in a careless moment? Melinda Lohmann, Assistant Professor of Business Law with special emphasis of Information Law, explains the case from the perspective of European law.
Felix Lehner, founder and managing director of Kunstgiesserei St.Gallen and Galerie Felix Lehner AG, on the artist Hans Josephsohn. Which sculptural and artistic questions have occupied Josephsohn throughout his life? What is so special about his work "Standing Figure, Untitled, 1962", which can be seen at the University of St.Gallen? And how important is the "counterpart" in all his works? (in German)
Franz Schultheis on the inhabitants of the art world, heterogeneous paths into the art world and the laws of the art market. What roles do social and cultural capital play and what characterizes Art Entrepreneurs? (in German)
The HSG becomes a research center for artificial intelligence. It is the first Swiss university to receive an NVIDIA supercomputer. Damian Borth, Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at the University of St.Gallen, talks about the "DGX-2" and its potential for research. (English subtitles)
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Jenewein on "Empowerment" and "Positive Leadership". Why do traditional leadership methods no longer work? How important are empathy and communication for leaders and the ability "to see people and to recognize their individuality"? A video interview. (in German)
The American roboticist and roboethicist Ronald C. Arkin on the possibilities of robotics, artificial intelligence and robot companions. Which ethical questions follow here and why is it necessary to deal in a responsible way with the programming and pretensioning of emotions in robots? A video interview on the occasion of the 48th St.Gallen Symposium.
Architects Sou Fujimoto and Marie de France talk about their project "Open Grid", the new Learning Center at the University of St.Gallen. How does the building fit into its surroundings? What are the project's focal points and which aspects are decisive for a modern learning environment that embraces the digital future?
Prof. Dr. Christoph Aymanns on the Bitcoin boom of the last couple of months. What characterizes the crypto currency? How can it be used and what could the future of the crypto currency look like?
Tomas Casas, the director oft he China Competence Center at the University of St.Gallen, takes a look at the rise of both Amazon and Alibaba.
Guido Cozzi, Ph.D., on the Horizon 2020 Project "MONROE" which focuses on a mathematical model for research and innovation policies. The model will allow policy makers to forecast the effects of their choices on the macro-economy in general and on society. Guido Cozzi is Professor of Macroeconomics at the School of Economics and Political Science (SEPS-HSG).
"Donald Trump is an empty vessel, he is a black hole. He spent his whole life trying to fill that hole. That's the essence of Donald Trump." An interview with Tony Schwartz, Ghostwriter of Donald Trump's book "The Art of the Deal" and CEO of "The Energy Project", at the St. Gallen Symposium 2017.
Sharing goods, sharing resources: This is the basic idea of the "sharing economy". Prof. Dr. Marcus Schögel about the different models of sharing economy, new economisation approaches and legal issues that are related to the new business models. (in German)
At the award ceremony, we say goodbye to our PhD students
The region of Linth and the St.Gallen end of Lake Zurich: cultural landscapes at a historical interface.Registration required!
Ageing and sexuality.Registration: www.montagsforum.ch
Saints and scoundrels: America’s most influential presidents.Registration required!