Newest publications
Gambling advertising on social media
(2025) Singer, Johannes; Sousa-Poza, Alfonso
Digitalisation has made social media available worldwide and driven the global growth of the gambling industry. In response to these dynamic developments in a rapidly changing media landscape, the State Treaty on Gambling legalised online gambling in Germany in 2021. Providers are now also permitted to use advertising to direct interested parties to the legal gambling market. Since the legal gambling market, unless illegal gambling offers, is supervised by the German gambling authority, and providers must comply with applicable regulations, the aim is to protect the population, especially vulnerable groups, from gambling-related harm. However, advertising gambling can pose risks, especially for children and young people. A particularly high volume of gambling advertising appears on social media because these networks have established themselves as attractive advertising platforms. As children and young people are the most active social media users in Germany, they are likely to be exposed to a high level of gambling advertising on these platforms. Against this background, this dissertation analyses gambling advertising on social media in Germany for the first time.
First, a systematic review provides an overview of the research literature on the advertising strategies of gambling providers and their effects on social media. To this end, three scientific databases were searched, and international journal articles in English published in or after 2021 were included. The review addresses the following four questions: (i) What are the characteristics of gambling advertising on social media? (ii) How do gambling advertisements and strategies affect users' attitudes and behaviour on social media? (iii) What safeguards are in place to protect individuals, particularly vulnerable groups, from gambling-related harm? (iv) What research gaps exist in the study of gambling advertising? Clearly, social media play a central role in gambling providers' advertising strategies. They can adapt their strategies flexibly to prevailing circumstances. However, the increasing intensity and complexity of gambling advertising, coupled with the blurring of boundaries between advertising and neutral content, appear problematic. Vulnerable groups, especially children and young people, are exposed to an increased risk as these forms of advertising are especially appealing to them. Furthermore, rapid developments make it difficult for regulatory authorities to keep up.
The following chapter makes a first attempt to analyse the advertising strategies and content of German gambling providers on social media. For this purpose, various providers from different sectors are compared with each other. These include providers of sports betting, state lotteries, social lotteries, commercial lotteries, and casinos. The data analysis is based on tweets from selected accounts on the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter) that were collected via the associated API. A mixed-methods approach is adopted, combining a qualitative summative content analysis with semi-supervised guided topic modelling to determine the frequency, number of followers, interactions, and content of the tweets. Overall, the accounts of German gambling providers demonstrate significantly lower activity levels than those of providers in other countries. Apart from the fact that all sports betting providers mainly used content from the 'News' category, no clear patterns emerged in the advertising strategies of the different providers or sectors. However, the ‘News’ content category was often used in combination with less neutral content categories. This is problematic given that most tweets had hardly any age restrictions or responsible gambling messages. Consequently, this leads to blurring of the distinction between neutral content and gambling advertisements, particularly when the latter is not explicitly identifiable as advertising. This advertising practice specifically endangers children and young people, despite the State Treaty on Gambling defining this target group as needing protection.
Finally, a deep learning approach was employed to examine the stigmatisation of gambling disorder on the video platform YouTube in Germany and how it is expressed in the everyday language of users. As stigmatisation and self-stigmatisation are substantial barriers to therapy, and as young people are the age group most affected by gambling-related harm and the most active social media users, it is reasonable to assume that they encounter stigmatising statements on social media. This analysis combines guided topic modelling with qualitative summative content analysis to demonstrate the occurrence of statements associated with the stigmatisation of gambling disorder. Gambling disorder is associated with negative attributes and moral judgments. However, social media can also offer a suitable channel through which to protect young people from the negative consequences of stigmatisation and disseminate information to the general public, as well as targeted groups that are at risk. For example, attention could be drawn to treatment options or the fact that recovery is possible. It can also emphasise that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. This highlights the potential of social media to help reduce the stigma surrounding gambling disorder.
To summarise, the role of social media in the context of the State Treaty on Gambling can be described as ambivalent. On the one hand, they are suitable as an attractive advertising platform for gambling providers to address interested individuals and direct them to the state-monitored, legal gambling market. In this sense, they help to protect the population from gambling-related harm since legal gambling providers are subject to the control of the state gambling supervisory authority and must comply with applicable gambler protection regulations, such as advertising regulations. In addition, social media offers the opportunity to address a young age group and inform them about prevention options and offers of help. On the other hand, young people, as the most active user group on social media in Germany, are highly exposed to gambling advertising. Since young people in Germany are most frequently affected by a gambling-related disorder, this certainly seems problematic. High exposure to gambling advertisements harbours health risks, especially as such content is often not accompanied by age restrictions and responsible gambling messages. This blurs the lines between harmless content and gambling advertising. Furthermore, gambling providers can flexibly adapt their advertising strategies on social media to evolving conditions. The fast-moving changes in the media landscape and the advertising practices of gambling providers ultimately present the regulatory authorities with the challenge of keeping pace with these dynamic developments.
The role of digital technologies to support sustainability management in agriculture
(2025) Weber, Rolf; Lewandowski, Iris
Agriculture causes many environmental problems in the production of food. In addition to the emissions that the agricultural sector emits in the upstream and downstream value chains, the use of plant protection products to increase yields also contributes to the decline in biodiversity. Consumer demands for more sustainable food production are increasing and stricter regulations are also being implemented politically to increase sustainability in European and German agriculture. To achieve this goal, many different assessment tools have been developed to measure and evaluate sustainability in agriculture. In addition to its role in the respective tools, digitization is also becoming increasingly important in food production. The possibilities of digital technologies in agriculture are multifaceted and can help to support farmers in managing their farms. Furthermore, digitization will also have an important impact on sustainability management.
Digitization can help to increase the output:input ratio of farm inputs. Improving the efficiency of resource use has an impact on sustainability. However, tools for assessing sustainability in agriculture cannot show whether the use of digital technologies creates synergies or trade-offs. The sustainability tools also have limitations when it comes to assessing biodiversity, as the assessment takes place retrospectively on the one hand and across farms on the other. An algorithm that supports farmers in the field-specific biodiversity assessment before the cultivation season is still missing. Whether farmers are willing to accept the use of digital technologies to support decision-making has not yet been researched. Without the willingness of farmers to invest in digital technologies, the associated efficiency gains will remain unused and thus slow down the development towards a more sustainable agriculture.
The aim of this work is to show how sustainability management in agriculture can be improved in food production with the support of digital technologies. In the study, field trials on site-specific fertilization were carried out over a period of four years on three different farms in a case study. Using the example of site-specific fertilization as a digital technology, the on-farm-research trials show which trade-offs and synergies occur between ecological and economic sustainability indicators in the digitization of agriculture in arable farming. Site-specific fertilization has led to an increase in yields, regardless of the size of the farm. This results in lower emissions per unit of product produced. In terms of economic benefits, the results show that farm size is crucial for the profitability of site-specific fertilization. The smaller the size of the farm, the higher the costs per unit associated with the technology. Whether synergies or trade-offs occur between ecological and economic sustainability indicators in site-specific fertilization has to be calculated manually so far, as the sustainability assessment tools do not provide this information.
In the second study, an algorithm was developed that assesses the biodiversity potential in an indicator-based and prospective manner. To this end, agricultural management parameters (on-crop) and landscape parameters (off-crop) were first derived from the literature and then discussed in expert interviews. In these interviews, points were awarded for the on-crop and off-crop parameters and parameters influencing biodiversity in particular were weighted twice. The algorithm developed enables the biodiversity potential to be assessed on a field-specific basis. This allows farmers to determine which biodiversity potential is achieved at the cultivation planning stage. In addition, the algorithm can show farmers scenarios on how to optimize biodiversity performance.
The third study addresses the social acceptance of digital technologies among farmers. The first and second study showed how the use of digital technologies can support farmers in their management. Therefore, the third research question investigated whether farmers use them at all. A qualitative Delphi study with experts was conducted to find out whether farmers accept and use digital technologies and how they affect the social dimension of sustainability. In most questions, the experts were unsure about farmers' acceptance of digital technologies and the general impact of digitization on farm life. The experts were concerned about data security, dependence on individual providers and the risk of smaller farmers not digitizing and thus being left behind in the digitization process because the costs of the technology are too high.
Digital technologies can support the farmer's management on the one hand and contribute to a standardized sustainability assessment by automatically evaluating existing data on the other. However, this requires better interoperability of different software programs so that all data generated on the farm can be collected and evaluated centrally. This can enable the automation of the sustainability assessment and the transparency of sustainability performance for the downstream value chain. However, dealing with trade-offs within the sustainability dimensions when using digital technologies on the one hand, and the risk that farmers will not digitize due to a lack of economic viability on the other, hinder the digitization process.
Markentransformation im Kontext der Servicetransformation
(2025) Ruthardt, Daniel; Hadwich, Karsten
In der Literatur wurden Marken im Kontext der Servicetransformation noch nicht ausreichend untersucht. Darüber hinaus existiert nur wenig Forschung zu Goods-to-Service Markenerweiterungen und die bestehende Forschung betrachtet nicht den transformativen Charakter von Marken in der Servicetransformation. Damit stellt der Wandel von Marken im Kontext der Servicetransformation ein unerforschtes Thema dar.
Die kumulative Dissertation untersucht die Markentransformation im Kontext der Servicetransformation und entwickelt damit Konzepte für diese Forschungslücke. Die Arbeit ist in 5 Kapitel unterteilt: Kapitel 1 stellt die Einleitung dar und zeigt die Relevanz des Themas auf. Kapitel 2 bis 4 sind wissenschaftliche Beiträge, die in wissenschaftlichen Zeitschriften bzw. Sammelbänden eingereicht oder publiziert sind. Kapitel 5 umfasst die Schlussbetrachtung und gibt Implikationen auf Basis der Erkenntnisse der gesamten Arbeit.
In Kapitel 1 wird zunächst die Literatur zur Kundenperspektive der Servicetransformation dargestellt, da Marken maßgeblich durch die Kundenperspektive beeinflusst werden. Anschließend wird ein grundlegendes Verständnis für Markentransformationen geschaffen sowie die Literatur zu Marken in der Servicetransformation und zu Goods-to-Service Markenerweiterungen in einem Structured Literature Review analysiert. Abschließend werden die Ziele und Forschungsfragen der Arbeit aufgezeigt und der Gang der Untersuchung beschrieben.
Kapitel 2 konzipiert das theoretische Fundament der Dissertation. Zunächst wird ein dynamisches Markenverständnis aus der Literatur hergeleitet und darauf aufbauend die Markentransformation definiert. Dieses Konzept bildet eine zentrale Prämisse für die folgenden Kapitel. Anschließend wird die Markentransformation im Kontext der Servicetransformation betrachtet. Dabei werden drei Transformationsoptionen identifiziert: Rebranding, Markenerweiterungen und die Integration einer neuen Marke in die Markenarchitektur. Zudem wird das Markendynamiknetz entwickelt. Dieses erfasst alle Akteure und deren Interaktionen im Kontext der Marke und ermöglicht die Analyse von Veränderungen der Marke im Transformationsprozess. Abschließend wird ein Managementprozess aufgestellt und ein Ausblick gegeben.
Kapitel 3 erweitert das Konzept um die Kundenperspektive durch die Integration der Customer-Dominant Logic. Hierbei steht die Frage im Zentrum, welche Relevanz die Marke für Kunden hat, wenn sie den neuen Service eines Produktanbieters bewerten. Zu diesem Zweck wird die subjektive Markenwahrnehmung des Kunden mit der objektiven Perspektive des Markendynamiknetzes verknüpft. Dies erklärt, warum Kunden einer Marke bestimmte Eigenschaften zuschreiben. Anschließend wird die Customer-perceived Servitization Capability of a Brand (CSCB) als Eigenschaft einer Marke hergeleitet, um die kundenseitige Wahrnehmung der Servicetransformation nachzuvollziehen. Mit CSCB wird untersucht, warum Kunden einer Marke die Fähigkeit zur Servicetransformation zuschreiben. Zu diesem Zweck wurden 37 Tiefeninterviews (27 mit Kunden und zehn mit Experten) durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Kunden zwischen Prozess- (Perceived Service Process Capability) und Ergebnisdimension (Perceived Service Outcome Capability) bei der Bewertung eines neuen Service einer Produktmarke unterscheiden. Zudem nutzen sie bisherige Markenerfahrungen als Servicesurrogate zur Bewertung von CSCB. Abschließend werden die Ergebnisse diskutiert und Implikationen abgeleitet.
Kapitel 4 fokussiert die strukturierte Konzeptualisierung und Operationalisierung von CSCB und der Servicesurrogate. Dazu wird die Literatur zu Perceived Capabilities, Markenerweiterungen und Servicetransformation analysiert. CSCB wird abgegrenzt und definiert. Die Zusammenhänge zwischen CSCB und den Servicesurrogaten werden literaturbasiert hergeleitet. Zur empirischen Prüfung werden Messinstrumente für CSCB und die Servicesurrogate entwickelt. Eine erste Validierung erfolgt durch einen Item Sorting Task mit Experten (n = 21). Anschließend wird die empirische Prüfung mit einer quantitativen Studie durchgeführt (n = 787). Die Ergebnisse zeigen den Einfluss der Servicesurrogate auf CSCB sowie dessen Relevanz für den Erfolg neuer Services einer Produktmarke. Schließlich werden die Ergebnisse diskutiert und Implikationen abgeleitet.
In Kapitel 5 erfolgt die Schlussbetrachtung. Die Ergebnisse der Kapitel 2 bis 4 werden holistisch betrachtet und die Forschungsfragen beantwortet. Zudem werden die Bedeutung der Studienergebnisse für die Markentransformation aufgezeigt und die Konzepte weiterentwickelt. Limitationen der Arbeit, Forschungs- und Praxisimplikationen sowie Maßnahmen für die Markentransformation im Kontext der Servicetransformation werden aufgezeigt.
Breeding for resilient cows
(2025) Keßler, Franziska; Bennewitz, Jörn
Dairy cows are an indispensable part of modern livestock farming and make a significant contribution to human nutrition with producing a high-quality protein. At the same time, they are influenced by environmental factors and must maintain their performance, stay healthy, and remain fertile under given environmental conditions. In recent decades, we have faced an increasing number of new or suddenly emerging environmental stressors: extreme weather events, heatwaves, invasive species, and constantly changing requirements for housing conditions are just a few examples. This demands a high level of robustness and resilience from our dairy cows. While comprehensive research has been conducted on adaptation to changing environmental conditions, there is still a lack of knowledge about coping with short-term disturbances. Resilience is the ability of an individual to respond to these disturbances, recover from them, and return to its previous physiological equilibrium while maintaining the same level of performance. This study examines the concept of resilience in German dairy cattle breeds, analyzes genetic parameters, and discusses possibilities for future breeding strategies.
The first chapter describes interactions between organisms and the environment, as well as statistical approaches to assessing the influence of environmental gradients on livestock. The concepts of resilience and robustness were distinguished, and methods for measuring and phenotyping resilience were explored. A promising approach is the analysis of variance and autocorrelation of daily milk yields during lactation. Under the assumption that resilient animals maintain a stable performance level along a natural lactation curve, low variance and an autocorrelation close to zero indicate high resilience.
The genetic parameters of these resilience indicator traits were studied in the second chapter for the three most important German dairy breeds: German Holstein, German Fleckvieh, and German Brown Swiss. Within each breed and across breeds, low to moderate heritabilities were observed, along with desirable phenotypic and genetic correlations with performance traits. A comparison between breeds revealed only minimal differences, with no clear trend across all resilience indicator traits studied.
Next, correlations between resilience indicator traits and functional as well as health traits were analyzed. While hardly any significant correlations were found for autocorrelation, the variance of daily milk yield correlated in a desirable direction with these traits. Resilient animals appear to be healthier and more long-lived. Chapter three also discusses the design of a selection index for resilience. This requires economic weighting factors, which cannot yet be determined. Therefore, optimizing the selection index resilience by maximizing breeding response in the selection index health was proposed. It was shown that breeding for resilience would lead to genetic progress in overall health. In the German Holstein breed, which was exclusively considered in this context, a selection index consisting of two different variance-based resilience indicator traits was recommended. The adaptation of the methodology to optimize a selection index to the German Fleckvieh and German Brown Swiss breeds was subsequently addressed in the general discussion and considered feasible.
The fourth chapter analyzes the genetic architecture of resilience using genome-wide association studies within the three dairy breeds. The results indicated that the resilience indicator traits are polygenic traits. SNPs that significantly influence resilience are located near to QTLs known to affect performance, fertility, or health. Additionally, population structure was examined using linkage disequilibrium analysis.
The final general discussion applied the methods from chapter three to the German Fleckvieh and German Brown Swiss breeds. Significant negative, undesirable correlations between autocorrelation and functional and health traits were found in German Fleckvieh. In contrast, variance-based resilience indicator traits correlated positively with most known traits, which is desirable. A selection index resilience was proposed for both breeds, consisting of two to three individual indicator traits, similar to the German Holstein breed. To better understand resilience, differences in breeding values were translated into milk loss per lactation, the number of disturbances an individual suffered from, and the impact on test-day results for milk ingredients. Finally, an outlook was provided on potential future research directions for resilience in livestock.
Leveraging regionally sourced natural fibers for coreless filament winding in sustainable construction
(2026) Rossa, Alina J.; Bozó, Daniel Christopher; Mindermann, Pascal; Gresser, Götz T.; Schuenemann, Franziska
This study investigates the potential of regionally sourced natural fibers (NF) as sustainable feedstocks for coreless filament winding (CFW), an innovative and resource-efficient composite fabrication method for construction. As the sector moves towards bio-based materials, flax has emerged as a benchmark due to its compatibility with CFW and favorable mechanical properties. However, supply chain vulnerabilities and price volatility highlight the need for regional alternatives to flax fibers. By assessing hemp, miscanthus, lavender, nettle and wheat straw cultivated in Baden-Württemberg (BW), this paper links crop sustainability and fiber suitability with the broader aim of strengthening local biomass utilization within the bioeconomy. A multi-stage evaluation framework compares environmental, economic, social, and technical indicators against flax, focusing on biomass availability, input intensity, ecosystem services, land-use competition, and fiber properties. The results identify hemp as the most promising alternative due to its high fiber output, low cultivation inputs, beneficial ecosystem services and mechanical performance. Nettle offers strong mechanical performance but faces agronomic limitations, while lavender presents niche potential under integrated production systems. Miscanthus and wheat straw, while unsuitable for direct CFW due to fiber morphology, may serve as supplementary feedstocks through modified processing. These findings underscore the role of local biomass streams in creating robust regional value chains, contributing to the resilience and sustainability of the bioeconomy. While the focus of this study is on BW, the framework can be transferred to other regions and may serve as a practical tool for policy, industry, and research seeking to advance circular approaches in bio-based construction.