Thesis

If we have aroused your interest, we would be pleased to offer you the opportunity to write your thesis at our department. You can choose from the topics provided by us or suggest your own topic from the following subject areas:

  • AI-Based Systems
  • Digital Assistants
  • Digital Detox
  • Digital Work and Remote Organizations
  • Ethics & AI
  • Crisis Communication and Crisis Management
  • Social Media

How to prepare your thesis at our chair.(258.0 KB) After this process you will have to register at the Examination Office and start working on your reseach. 

Predefined Topics

Leading in the Era of GenAI

Technologies have the capacity to influence self-perception, positively and negatively, since they can render a job obsolete (Vaast & Pinsonneault, 2021). Knowledge workers are concerned because of AI’s potential to assume and subsequently supersede their roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes of human workers (Strich et al., 2021). GenAI in particular may harm individual’s job autonomy (Zhou et al.,2025). Consequently, knowledge workers respond to technology and exhibit behaviors that either affirm or modify their own self-image and that of others to manage these challenges (Craig et al., 2019). Therefore, management should understand the changes brought about by GenAI and adapt to them. This work aims to answer the question of what leadership should look like in work environments where GenAI prevails.

Literature: 

  • Craig, K., Thatcher, J. B., & Grover, V. (2019). The IT Identity Threat: A Conceptual Definition and Operational Measure. Journal of Management Information Systems, 36(1), 259–288. doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2018.1550561
  • Strich, F., Mayer, A.-S., & Fiedler, M. (2021). What Do I Do in a World of Artificial Intelligence? Investigating the Impact of Substitutive Decision-Making AI Systems on Employees’ Professional Role Identity. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 22(2), 304–324. doi.org/10.17705/1jais.00663
  • Vaast, E., & Pinsonneault, A. (2021). When Digital Technologies Enable and Threaten Occupational Identity: The Delicate Balancing Act of Data Scientists. MIS Quarterly, 45(3), 1087–1112. https://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2021/16024
  • Zhou, J., Lu, Y., & Chen, Q. (2025). GAI identity threat: When and why do individuals feel threatened? Information & Management, 62(2), 1-13. doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2024.104093

Level: 

  • Bachelor: Systematic Literature Review (SLR)
  • Master: SLR and Qualitative Research

Contact: jana.lekscha(at)uni-bamberg.de 

Social Media’s Role in Mobilization and Misinformation During Crises

In response to  environmental crises, social media plays a central role in social communication and mobilization (Mirbabaie et al., 2021; Rieskamp et al., 2023). It enables information to be shared quickly, communities to be mobilized, and awareness of climate-related issues to be raised (Rieskamp et al., 2023). Platforms offer real-time updates, promote discussion (Zander et al., 2023), and organize collective action—thanks to their cost-free nature, user-friendliness, and opportunities for interaction (Luna & Pennock, 2018). Social media has become indispensable, especially in times of crisis, such as natural disasters (Mavrodieva & Shaw, 2021). However, social media also carries risks, particularly through misinformation (Chen et al., 2023). This can severely undermine the credibility and effectiveness of crisis communication (Vosoughi et al., 2018). Misinformation can have serious consequences, for example, by putting individuals in danger, misdirecting resources, or weakening trust in authorities and official channels. With a systematic literature review (SLR) this thesis aims to answer how have emergency and crisis organizations evolved in their use of social media, and what role do AI, analytics tools, and strategies against misinformation play. 

Literature: 

  • Chen, S., Xiao, L., & Kumar, A. (2023). Spread of misinformation on social media: What contributes to it and how to combat it. Computers in Human Behavior, 141(2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.10764
  • Luna, S., & Pennock, M. J. (2018). Social media applications and emergency management: A literature review and research agenda. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 28, 565–577. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2018.01.006
  • Mavrodieva, A. V., & Shaw, R. (2021). Social Media in Disaster Management. In R. Shaw, S. Kakuchi, & M. Yamaji (Hrsg.), Media and Disaster Risk Reduction: Advances, Challenges and Potentials (S. 55–73). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0285-6_4
  • Mirbabaie, M., Stieglitz, S., & Brünker, F. (2021). Dynamics of convergence behaviour in social media crisis communication – a complexity perspective. Information Technology & People, 35(1), 232–258. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-10-2019-0537
  • Rieskamp, J., Mirbabaie, M., & Zander, K. (2023). GenAI-powered Social Bots for Crisis Communication: A Systematic Literature Review. 1–19.
  • Vosoughi, S., Roy, D., & Aral, S. (2018). The spread of true and false news online. Science, 359(6380), 1146–1151. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aap9559 

Level: Bachelor/Master

Contact: jana.lekscha@uni-bamberg.de

Opportunities and Risks of Digital Patient Twins in Breast Cancer Therapy: A Systematic Literature Review

With approximately 70,000 new diagnoses each year, breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women in Germany (Cancer Research Center, 2023). Despite advances in screening technologies and diagnostics, selecting the right treatment strategy is critical for patient outcomes due to the heterogeneity of breast cancer subtypes. Digital Patient Twins (DPTs) represent a promising innovation in personalized medicine (Singh et al., 2021). These AI-powered, data-driven models create virtual representations of individual patients, enabling the simulation of therapy plans, prediction of treatment outcomes, and support for complex clinical decision-making. DPTs integrate technologies such as machine learning, real-time data processing, and cloud infrastructures (Zhang et al., 2021). While DPTs offer great potential, their implementation also raises challenges. These include data quality, transparency and explainability of AI decisions, technical feasibility, and regulatory and clinical integration. This thesis aims to systematically review the current state of scientific research on digital patient twins in the context of breast cancer therapy.

Literature: 

  • Singh, M., Fuenmayor, E., Hinchy, E., Qiao, Y., Murray, N., & Devine, D. (2021). Digital Twin: Origin to Future. Applied System Innovation, 4(2), 36.
  • Yan, S., Li, J., & Wu, W. (2023). Artificial intelligence in breast cancer: Application and future perspectives. Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, 149(17), 16179–16190.
  • Yan, S., Li, J., & Wu, W. (2023). Artificial intelligence in breast cancer: Application and future perspectives. Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, 149(17), 16179–16190.
  • Zhang, D., Pee, L. G., & Cui, L. (2021). Artificial intelligence in E-commerce fulfillment: A case study of resource orchestration at Alibaba’s Smart Warehouse. International Journal of Information Management, 57, 102304

Level: Bachelor

Contact: jana.lekscha@uni-bamberg.de

Digital Mirrors: Investigating IT Identity and Well-Being Through Everyday Tech Use

Smartphones, social media, and behavior change apps have become extensions of who we are. We don't just use them — we form emotional bonds, depend on them, and integrate them into our daily identity. This thesis explores how this deep connection with technology influences mental states such as stress, fatigue, workload, and flow. Grounded in IT Identity Theory (Carter & Grover, 2015), the study examines how individuals' sense of self is shaped through technology — and how that affects well-being. Using qualitative interviews, you will gain deep insights into how people experience and internalize their tech use. Do these digital habits empower users — or silently exhaust them?

Literature:

  • Carter, M., & Grover, V. (2015). Me, my self, and I (T). MIS quarterly, 39(4), 931-958.
  • Mirbabaie, M., Stieglitz, S. & Marx, J. Digital Detox. Bus Inf Syst Eng 64, 239–246 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-022-00747-x
  • Jeong, Hyein and Syed, Romilla, "Relationship between the Use of IT and Wellbeing: A Literature Review" (2024). Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 2024 (HICSS-57). 2.
     

Level: Bachelor/Master

Contact: jana.lekscha@uni-bamberg.de

Crisis Communication: Identifying and Countering Misinformation on Social Media

Climate change poses significant global challenges, such as rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and natural disasters. Social media plays a central role in crisis communication, enabling the rapid dissemination of information, mobilizing communities, and raising awareness about climate-related issues (Mirbabaie et al., 2021; Rieskamp et al., 2023). At the same time, social media poses risks from misinformation, which can undermine the credibility and effectiveness of communication (Chen et al., 2023). This thesis aims to develop scientifically sound approaches to identify misinformation in times of crisis and minimize its impact. Using interviews and the analysis of social media data (e.g. X), crisis communication will be made more targeted and user-centered.

Literature: 

  • Chen, L. (2024). Combatting climate change misinformation: Current strategies and future directions. Environmental Communication, 18(1-2), 184-190.
  • Mirbabaie, M., Ehnis, C., Stieglitz, S., Bunker, D., & Rose, T. (2021). Digital nudging in social media disaster communication. Information Systems Frontiers, 23(5), 1097-1113.
  • Mirbabaie, M., Stieglitz, S., & Brünker, F. (2022). Dynamics of convergence behaviour in social media crisis communication–a complexity perspective. Information Technology & People, 35(1), 232-258.
  • Rieskamp, J., Mirbabaie, M., & Zander, K. (2023). GenAI-powered Social Bots for Crisis Communication: A Systematic Literature Review.

Level: Bachelor - Systematic Literature Review (SLR) or Master - SLR and Qualitative Research

Contact: jana.lekscha(at)uni-bamberg.de 

Gamifying Collective Sustainability

Digital platforms play a key role in enabling sustainable behavior and collective environmental engagement. While gamified applications such as Klima-Taler, JouleBug, or Changers CO? Fit successfully motivate individuals through rewards, challenges, and social comparison, it remains unclear how these mechanisms can foster collective, community-driven sustainability rather than isolated individual actions. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Collective Action Theory (CAT), this thesis explores how motivation and community interaction shape sustainable behavior in digital environments.

The thesis aims to identify the sociotechnical mechanisms that enable or hinder collective engagement in gamified sustainability platforms. Therefore, a qualitative study with active users of such platforms (e.g., Klima-Taler) will be conducted using semi-structured expert interviews and analyzed through Gioia methodology to uncover motivational and coordination processes. This study contributes to the growing field of IS for sustainability by explaining how gamification can drive not only individual eco-actions but also collective, community-based sustainability movements.

Literatur: 

  • Corbett, J. (2013). Designing and using carbon management systems to promote ecologically responsible behaviors. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 14(7), 339–378. doi.org/10.17705/1jais.00338
  • Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011). From game design elements to gamefulness: Defining “gamification.” Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments, MindTrek 2011, 9–15. doi.org/10.1145/2181037.2181040
  • Gaur, D., Gupta, K., Tiwari, C. K., & Pal, A. (2025). AI Powered Gamification: The New Catalyst in the Arena of Online Investment Platforms Impacting Behavioral Intentions. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 0(0), 1–17. doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2025.2483862
  • Koivisto, J., & Hamari, J. (2019). The rise of motivational information systems: A review of gamification research. International Journal of Information Management, 45(June 2017), 191–210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2018.10.013
  • Olson, M. (1965). The Logic of Collective Action. Harvard University Press.
  • Seidel, S., Recker, J., & Vom Brocke, J. (2013). Sensemaking and sustainable practicing: Functional affordances of information systems in green transformations. MIS Quarterly: Management Information Systems, 37(4), 1275–1299. doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2013/37.4.13

Zielgruppe: Master, Bachelor

球探足球比分: Marie Langer

AI-powered Social Bots in Crisis Communication

Due to climate change, there are severe weather changes, bushfires, floods, and heat waves that have increased in recent decades and have all been occurring on an unprecedented scale. In these extreme situations, the public needs a reliable source of information and recommendations on how to act to ensure safety and avoid the spread of fake news. Such information is being disseminated not only via traditional channels but also via social media, the necessity, and effectiveness of which has been confirmed by various studies (Willems et al., 2021; Bec and Becken, 2021; Yigitcanlar et al., 2022). This thesis focuses on AI-powered social bots (i.e., automated actors in social networks) to disseminate relevant information and automatically debunks disinformation. This raises the question of the extent to which safety can be guaranteed and how we can prepare for natural disasters using AI-powered social bots in order to make a reliable source of information accessible to the public. The aim of this thesis is to conduct a literature review to capture the current state of research on social media crisis communication using social bots during natural hazards and to develop a prototype of an AI-powered social bot.

 Literature:

  • Rieskamp, J., Mirbabaie, M., & Zander, K. (2023). GenAI-powered Social Bots for Crisis Communication: A Systematic Literature Review. Proceedings of the 2023 Australasian Conference on Information Systems. Australasian Conference on Information Systems, Wellington. https://aisel.aisnet.org/acis2023/65

  • Stieglitz, S., Hofeditz, L., Brünker, F., Ehnis, C., Mirbabaie, M., & Ross, B. (2022). Design principles for conversational agents to support Emergency Management Agencies. International Journal of Information Management, 63, 102469. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJINFOMGT.2021.102469

  • Yigitcanlar, T., M. Regona, N. Kankanamge, R. Mehmood, J. D’Costa, S. Lindsay, S. Nelson and A. Brhane (2022). “Detecting Natural Hazard-Related Disaster Impacts with Social Media Analytics: The Case of Australian States and Territories” Sustainability 14 (2), 810.
  • Stieglitz, S., Mirbabaie, M., Ross, B., & Neuberger, C. (2018). Social media analytics – Challenges in topic discovery, data collection, and data preparation. International Journal of Information Management39, 156–168.
  • Hofeditz, L., Ehnis, C., Bunker, D., Brachten, F., & Stieglitz, S. (2019). Meaningful Use of Social Bots? Possible Applications in Crisis Communication during Disasters. In Proceedings of the 27th European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS), Stockholm & Uppsala, Sweden.
  • Lahby, M., Pathan, A.-S. K., Maleh, Y., & Yafooz, W. M. S. (Eds.). (2022). Studies in Computational IntelligenceCombating Fake News with Computational Intelligence Techniques. Springer International Publishing.
  • Messias, J., Schmidt, L., Oliveira, R., & Benevenuto, F. (2013). You followed my bot! Transforming robots into influential users in Twitter. First Monday.
  • Peffers, K., Tuunanen, T., Rothenberger, M. A., & Chatterjee, S. (2007). A Design Science Research Methodology for Information Systems Research. Journal of Management Information Systems, 24(3), 45–77.

Level: Bachelor

Contact: jonas.rieskamp(at)uni-bamberg.de

 

What happened to Group Decision Support Systems?

Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS) were once a core topic in Information Systems (IS) research, aiming to enhance group collaboration and decision-making through technology. Despite their strong theoretical and practical foundations in the 1980s and 1990s, interest in GDSS research has significantly declined over the last years. However, recent advances in (Generative) Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) create new opportunities to revisit and reimagine GDSS, potentially addressing long-standing limitations related to coordination, motivation, and collective action.

This thesis aims to systematically review the GDSS literature in leading IS journals to analyze its evolution, decline, and potential resurgence. Using Collective Action Theory as a deductive analytical framework, the study will examine how GDSS research has conceptualized coordination, incentives, and community dynamics. Building on these insights, the thesis will explore how GenAI technologies could close existing gaps between GDSS theory and practice—for example, by automating facilitation, summarization, or consensus-building processes. The results may serve as a conceptual foundation for integrating GDSS with next-generation collaborative AI systems and connect to ongoing work by Michail on decision-making support.

Literatur:

  • Gopal, A., & Prasad, P. (2000). Understanding GDSS in symbolic context: Shifting the focus from technology to interaction.MIS Quarterly, 24(3), 509–512, 539.
  • Hirschheim, R., & Klein, H. K. (2012). A Glorious and Not-So-Short History of the Information Systems Field.Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 23(5), 1012–1059.
  • Olson, M. (1965). The Logic of Collective Action. Harvard University Press.
  • Sambamurthy, V., & Poole, M. S. (1992). The effects of variations in capabilities of GDSS designs on management of cognitive conflict in groups. Information Systems Research, 3(3), 224-251.
  • Watson, R. T., DeSanctis, G., & Poole, M. S. (1988). Using a GDSS to facilitate group consensus: Some intended and unintended consequences.MIS Quarterly, 12(3), 463–479.

Level: Bachelor

球探足球比分: marie.langer.aic(at)uni-bamberg.de

Evaluating the Necessity in GenAI-powered Social Bots for Crisis Communication Tasks

Social media platforms have become important channels for disseminating information in times of crisis. Users are looking for specific guidance and real-time information to alleviate feelings of vulnerability. However, the landscape continues to evolve with the increasing presence of social bots, particularly those powered by generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), adding a new facet to crisis communications. While social media is invaluable for urgent interactions, GenAI's inherent tendency to produce inaccurate results poses a challenge for its use in tasks that require precision. In tasks where accuracy is critical, human oversight is crucial, suggesting that augmentation may be a more appropriate strategy than full automation. This research addresses the identification of specific tasks within the functions of GenAI-driven social bots in crisis communication that require human supervision to strike the delicate balance between automation and augmentation.

Literature:

  • Austin, L., Fisher Liu, B., and Jin, Y. 2012. “How Audiences Seek Out Crisis Information: Exploring the Social-Mediated Crisis Communication Model,” Journal of Applied Communication Research (40:2), pp. 188–207. (https://doi.org/10.1080/00909882.2012.654498).
  • Bender, E. M., Gebru, T., McMillan-Major, A., and Shmitchell, S. 2021. “On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots: Can Language Models Be Too Big?,” in Proceedings of the 2021 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency, pp. 610–623. (https://doi.org/10.1145/3442188.3445922).
  • Brachten, F., Mirbabaie, M., Stieglitz, S., Berger, O., Bludau, S., and Schrickel, K. 2018. “Threat or Opportunity? - Examining Social Bots in Social Media Crisis Communication,” in Proceedings of the Australasian Conference on Information Systems.
  • Maniou, T. A., and Veglis, A. 2020. “Employing a Chatbot for News Dissemination during Crisis: Design, Implementation and Evaluation,” Future Internet (12:12). (https://doi.org/10.3390/FI12070109).
  • Ross, B., Pilz, L., Cabrera, B., Brachten, F., Neubaum, G., and Stieglitz, S. 2019. “Are Social Bots a Real Threat? An Agent-Based Model of the Spiral of Silence to Analyse the Impact of Manipulative Actors in Social Networks,” European Journal of Information Systems (28:4), pp. 394–412.
  • Ross, B., Potthoff, T., Majchrzak, T. A., Chakraborty, N. R., Ben Lazreg, M., and Stieglitz, S. 2018. The Diffusion of Crisis-Related Communication on Social Media: An Empirical Analysis of Facebook Reactions. (https://doi.org/10.24251/HICSS.2018.319).
  • Stieglitz, S., Hofeditz, L., Bru?nker, F., Ehnis, C., Mirbabaie, M., and Ross, B. 2022. “Design Principles for Conversational Agents to Support Emergency Management Agencies,” International Journal of Information Management (63), (https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJINFOMGT.2021.102469). Pergamon, p. 102469.

Level: 

  • Master: Mixed-Methods-Design - Qualitative analyses (e.g. interviews) and content analysis

Contact: jana.lekscha(at)uni-bamberg.de 

The Impact of Metaverse Sports Environments on Motivation and Commitment

The rise of immersive technologies has transformed sports and fitness by offering virtual alternatives to traditional settings (Chen & Li, 2023; Todorov et al., 2019). These developments raise important questions about how such environments influence user motivation. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) provides a robust framework to examine the types of motivation (amotivation, extrinsic, and intrinsic) that shape sustained engagement and performance in these settings (Ryan & Deci, 2017). This thesis aims to explore how Metaverse sports activities impact user motivation and fitness engagement. It aims to elaborate how virtual environments foster different forms of motivation and their subsequent effects on well-being, performance, and long-term training sustainability.

Literature: 

  • Chen, H., & Li, H. (2023). Emotional Experience in Virtual Reality Sports Use.
  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2012). Self-Determination Theory. In Handbook of Theories of Social Psychology: Volume 1. SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446249215
  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford publications.
  • Todorov, K., Manolova, A., & Chervendinev, G. (2019). Immersion in Virtual Reality Video Games for Improving Physical Performance Measures: A Review. 2019 27th National Conference with International Participation (℡ECOM), 35–38. https://doi.org/10.1109/℡ECOM48729.2019.8994884
  • Yoon, K.-I., Jeong, T.-S., Kim, S.-C., & Lim, S.-C. (2023). Anonymizing at-home fitness: Enhancing privacy and motivation with virtual reality and try-on. Frontiers in Public Health11https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1333776

Level: 

  • Bachelor: Systematic Literature Review
  • Master: Systematic Literature Review + Qualitative Research 

Contact: jana.lekscha(at)uni-bamberg.de 

Leveraging Blockchain for Identity Management

Blockchain technology, known for its secure and decentralized structure, offers a potential solution for managing digital identities, ensuring transparency, security, and anonymity (Alabi, 2017; Raddatz et al., 2023). Despite its promise, adoption of blockchain identity systems remains in pilot stages, with many barriers to widespread use (Barbino, 2019). The research should explore the barriers and facilitators of adopting blockchain-based identity systems, focusing on how these systems are perceived by key stakeholders—governments, organizations, and users. By analyzing acceptance factors, it contributes to understanding the potential of blockchain. 

Literature: 

  • Alabi, K. (2017). Digital blockchain networks appear to be following Metcalfe’s Law. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications24, 23–29.
  • Barbino, V. H. (2019). Finding refuge: blockchain technology as the solution to the syrian refugee identification crises. 48 
  • Liang, T.-P., Kohli, R., Huang, H.-C., & Li, Z.-L. (2021). What Drives the Adoption of the Blockchain Technology? A Fit-Viability Perspective. Journal of Management Information Systems38(2), 314–337. doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2021.1912915
  • Raddatz, N., Coyne, J., Menard, P., & Crossler, R. E. (2023). Becoming a blockchain user: Understanding consumers’ benefits realisation to use blockchain-based applications. European Journal of Information Systems.

Level: 

  • Bachelor: Systematic Literature Review
  • Master: Systematic Literature Review + Qualitative Research 

Contact: jana.lekscha(at)uni-bamberg.de 

Toxic Positivity: Analyzing the AI Hype on LinkedIn

The widespread use of AI has generated a lot of excitement in the technology world. Especially on platforms like LinkedIn, we face content that is strongly positive towards AI and its use. Although AI and language models such as ChatGPT are praised for their ability to bring about significant changes they still face important challenges like biases, high costs, and discrimination, which are largely neglected in the public discourse. This thesis aims to explore the interconnected relationship, between the hype surrounding AI and the phenomenon of toxic positivity on LinkedIn. We will delve into how the positive narratives surrounding AI tend to overshadow the challenges it presents. By employing frame analysis, this research aims to decipher how individuals and groups perceive and interpret AI-related information on LinkedIn, shedding light on the nuances of the AI discourse in the context of toxic positivity.

Literature:

  • Lecompte-Van Poucke, M. (2022). ‘You got this!’: A critical discourse analysis of toxic positivity as a discursive construct on Facebook. Applied Corpus Linguistics, 2(1), 100015.
  • Kwon, S., & Park, A. (2023). Examining thematic and emotional differences across Twitter, Reddit, and YouTube: The case of COVID-19 vaccine side effects. Computers in Human Behavior, 144, 107734.
  • LaGrandeur, K. (2023). The consequences of AI hype. AI and Ethics. doi.org/10.1007/s43681-023-00352-y
  • Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101.

Level: Master

Contact: jonas.rieskamp(at)uni-bamberg.de

AI Ethics: A Preventive Approach

Contemporary AI applications are subject to biases, stemming from their training data. As a result, the outputs and decisions from AI applications are skewed towards the training data, lacking of fairness and inclusivity. AI ethics research submitted several design principles for AI application to enhance fairness. However, these principles are difficult to translate into practice, which leaves the fairness issues and resulting risks rather unaddressed. New approaches of AI risk management proposed the idea to “capture” Ai application in limited space in which it can act. This aims to contain harmful consequence (e.g., discrimination and unfairness) in a controllable environment. Yet, while the approach of ethics principles remain unfruitful, the capturing of AI contains negative consequence only retrospectively. A good solution, however, should act proactively. Considering the AI ethics issues as “IT failure” allows us to employ sociotechnical system perspective, which investigated solution for issues emerging from IT projects. This thesis will summarise current AI ethics issues and categorises them according to sociotechnical system perspective. Upon successful categorisation, proactive solutions will be derived and synthesised. 

Literature:

  • Bostrom, R. P., & Heinen, J. S. (1977). MIS Problems and Failures: A Socio-Technical Perspective. Part I: The Causes. MIS Quarterly, 1(3), 17–32. https://doi.org/10.2307/248710
  • Bostrom, R. P., & Heinen, J. S. (1977). MIS Problems and Failures: A Socio-Technical Perspective, Part II: The Application of Socio-Technical Theory. MIS Quarterly, 1(4), 11–28. https://doi.org/10.2307/249019
  • Asatiani, A., Malo, P., Nagb?l, P. R., Penttinen, E., Rinta-Kahila, T., & Salovaara, A. (2021). Sociotechnical Envelopment of Artificial Intelligence: An Approach to Organizational Deployment of Inscrutable Artificial Intelligence Systems. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 22(2), 325–352. https://doi.org/10.17705/1jais.00664
  • Mirbabaie, M., Brendel, A. B., & Hofeditz, L. (2022). Ethics and AI in Information Systems Research. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 50(1), 726–753. https://doi.org/10.17705/1CAIS.05034
  • Laine, J., Minkkinen, M., & M?ntym?ki, M. (2025). Understanding the Ethics of Generative AI: Established and New Ethical Principles. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 56(1). https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol56/iss1/7
  • Mittelstadt, B. (2019). Principles alone cannot guarantee ethical AI. Nature Machine Intelligence, 1(11), 501–507. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42256-019-0114-4 

Level:

  • Bachelor: Systematic Literature Review

Contact: jonas.rieskamp(at)uni-bamberg.de

Enabling a Better Management of AI – An AI Taxonomy

The pervasive use of the term Artificial Intelligence (AI) has led to inflation, rendering it a catch-all for a multitude of concepts. In navigating the expansive "frontiers of computing," as discussed by Berente et al. (2021), the challenge arises in discerning meaningful boundaries to facilitate the management of AI. Effectively managing AI necessitates a nuanced understanding, distinguishing between probabilistic and deterministic systems, particularly to mitigate negative consequences. Notably, rule-based AI systems entail different implications than probabilistic counterparts, emphasizing the need to categorize and conceptualize a more nuanced view of AI types.

The goal of this thesis is to explore the various facets of AI types comprehensively. Understanding the capabilities and consequences of each type is crucial for informed decision-making and management. The ultimate goal is twofold: to derive a more nuanced definition of AI and to develop a systematic taxonomy categorizing AI types based on their unique capabilities and characteristics.

Literature:

  • ?gerfalk, P. J., Conboy, K., Crowston, K., Eriksson Lundstr?m, J. S., Jarvenpaa, S., Ram, S., & Mikalef, P. (2022). Artificial Intelligence in Information Systems: State of the Art and Research Roadmap. Communications of the Association for Information Systems50(420–438). https://doi.org/10.17705/1CAIS.05017
  • Berente, N., Gu, B., Recker, J., & Santhanam, R. (2021). Special issue editor’s comments: Managing artificial intelligence. Management Information Systems Quarterly45(3), 1433–1450. https://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2021/16274
  • Kundisch, D., Muntermann, J., Oberl?nder, A. M., Rau, D., R?glinger, M., Schoormann, T., & Szopinski, D. (2022). An Update for Taxonomy Designers. Business & Information Systems Engineering64(4), 421–439. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-021-00723-x
  • Mikalef, P., Conboy, K., Eriksson Lundstr?m, J., & Popovi?, A. (2022). Thinking responsibly about responsible AI and ‘the dark side’ of AI Thinking responsibly about responsible AI and ‘the dark side’ of AIhttps://doi.org/10.1080/0960085X.2022.2026621
  • Raisch, S., & Krakowski, S. (2021). Artificial Intelligence and Management: The Automation–Augmentation Paradox. Academy of Management Review46(1), 192–210. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2018.0072

Level:

  • Bachelor: Taxonomy development

Contact: jonas.rieskamp(at)uni-bamberg.de

All-Remote Organising: ‘Handbooks,’ ‘Guidelines,’ and ‘Manifestos’

Remote work practices have become increasingly prevalent in organisations. Yet, it remains puzzling why remote work at scale, that is, remote organising, creates substantive challenges for transforming organisations, while perennial all-remote organisations seem to thrive with it. Many all-remote organisations openly share and promote their work processes through remote work ‘handbooks,’ ‘guidelines,’ and ‘manifestos.’ The goal of this thesis is to qualitatively analyse the ‘handbooks,’ ‘guidelines,’ and ‘manifestos’ to improve our understanding of remote organising. 

Literature:

  • Brünker, F., Marx, J., Mirbabaie, M., & Stieglitz, S. (2023). Proactive digital workplace transformation: Unpacking identity change mechanisms in remote-first organisations. Journal of Information Technology, 0(0), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/02683962231219516 
  • Choudhury, P. (Raj)., Foroughi, C., & Larson, B. (2021). Work-from-anywhere: The productivity effects of geographic flexibility. Strategic Management Journal, 42(4), 655–683. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.3251

  • Rhymer, J. (2022). Location-Independent Organizations: Designing Collaboration Across Space and Tme. Administrative Science Quarterly, 68(1), 1-43. https://doi.org/10.1177/00018392221129175

Level: Master

Contact: j.marx(at)unimelb.edu.au

Relationships between humans and AI systems

The relationship between humans and AI systems is of central importance as AI becomes more and more integrated into our everyday lives. This relationship not only influences the way we work and communicate, but also our decision-making and our trust in technologies. A deep understanding of these dynamics can help to develop AI systems that are ethical, transparent and user-friendly. This topic is particularly relevant as it examines the interface between technology and human behavior and thus provides important insights for the design of information systems.
A thesis could focus on investigating trust building between users and AI systems. This could be done through surveys and experiments testing different interaction designs to find out which factors strengthen or weaken user trust.
You are also welcome to contact me with your own thesis ideas on this topic. 

 

Literatur:

  • Pal, D., Vanijja, V., Thapliyal, H. & Zhang, X. (2023). What affects the usage of artificial conversational agents? An agent personality and love theory perspective. Computers in Human Behavior, 145, 107788.
    doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107788
  • Song, X., Xu, B. & Zhao, Z. (2022b). Can people experience romantic love for artificial intelligence? An empirical study of intelligent assistants. Information & Management, 59(2), 103595.
    doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2022.103595

 

Level: Bachelor

球探足球比分: milad.mirbabaie(at)uni-bamberg.de

AI-Ethics

AI ethics is essential because it ensures that AI is in line with human values and rights, promotes trust through transparency and accountability, protects against abuse and harm through guidelines for fair and safe use, and supports justice by minimising discrimination and prejudice. It also emphasises privacy through responsible data handling and supports security by identifying and mitigating risks and threats.
A thesis topic could be an investigation how the use of AI technologies affects the digital divide between different social groups. To do this, an analysis of the accessibility and usability of AI systems for different population groups can be carried out. 
You are also welcome to contact me with your own thesis ideas on this topic. 

Literatur: 

  • Mirbabaie, M., Brendel, A. B. & Hofeditz, L. (2022). Ethics and AI in Information Systems Research. Communications Of The Association For Information Systems50(1), 726–753. 
    https://doi.org/10.17705/1cais.05034
  • Floridi, L. & Cowls, J. (2021). A unified framework of five principles for AI in society. In Philosophical studies series (S. 5–17). 
    doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81907-1_2

 

Level: Bachelor

球探足球比分: milad.mirbabaie(at)uni-bamberg.de