@phdthesis{Schroth2016, author = {Schroth, Maximilian}, title = {Microfinance and the enhancement of economic development in less developed countries}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-94735}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {XII, 287}, year = {2016}, abstract = {It is the intention of this study to contribute to further rethinking and innovating in the Microcredit business which stands at a turning point - after around 40 years of practice it is endangered to fail as a tool for economic development and to become a doubtful finance product with a random scope instead. So far, a positive impact of Microfinance on the improvement of the lives of the poor could not be confirmed. Over-indebtment of borrowers due to the pre-dominance of consumption Microcredits has become a widespread problem. Furthermore, a rising number of abusive and commercially excessive practices have been reported. In fact, the Microfinance sector appears to suffer from a major underlying deficit: there does not exist a coherent and transparent understanding of its meaning and objectives so that Microfinance providers worldwide follow their own approaches of Microfinance which tend to differ considerably from each other. In this sense the study aims at consolidating the multi-faced and very often confusingly different Microcredit profiles that exist nowadays. Subsequently, in this study, the Microfinance spectrum will be narrowed to one clear-cut objective, in fact away from the mere monetary business transactions to poor people it has gradually been reduced to back towards a tool for economic development as originally envisaged by its pioneers. Hence, the fundamental research question of this study is whether, and under which conditions, Microfinance may attain a positive economic impact leading to an improvement of the living of the poor. The study is structured in five parts: the three main parts (II.-IV.) are surrounded by an introduction (I.) and conclusion (V.). In part II., the Microfinance sector is analysed critically aiming to identify the challenges persisting as well as their root causes. In the third part, a change to the macroeconomic perspective is undertaken in oder to learn about the potential and requirements of small-scale finance to enhance economic development, particularly within the economic context of less developed countries. By consolidating the insights gained in part IV., the elements of a new concept of Microfinance with the objecitve to achieve economic development of its borrowers are elaborated. Microfinance is a rather sensitive business the great fundamental idea of which is easily corruptible and, additionally, the recipients of which are predestined victims of abuse due to their limited knowledge in finance. It therefore needs to be practiced responsibly, but also according to clear cut definitions of its meaning and objectives all institutions active in the sector should be devoted to comply with. This is especially relevant as the demand for Microfinance services is expected to rise further within the years coming. For example, the recent refugee migration movement towards Europe entails a vast potential for Microfinance to enable these people to make a new start into economic life. This goes to show that Microfinance may no longer mainly be associated with a less developed economic context, but that it will gain importance as a financial instrument in the developed economies, too.}, language = {en} } @article{PatenaudeLautenbachPatersonetal.2019, author = {Patenaude, Genevieve and Lautenbach, Sven and Paterson, James S. and Locatelli, Tommaso and Dormann, Carsten F. and Metzger, Marc J. and Walz, Ariane}, title = {Breaking the ecosystem services glass ceiling: realising impact}, series = {Regional environmental change}, volume = {19}, journal = {Regional environmental change}, number = {8}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Heidelberg}, issn = {1436-3798}, doi = {10.1007/s10113-018-1434-3}, pages = {2261 -- 2274}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Through changes in policy and practice, the inherent intent of the ecosystem services (ES) concept is to safeguard ecosystems for human wellbeing. While impact is intrinsic to the concept, little is known about how and whether ES science leads to impact. Evidence of impact is needed. Given the lack of consensus on what constitutes impact, we differentiate between attributional impacts (transitional impacts on policy, practice, awareness or other drivers) and consequential impacts (real, on-the-ground impacts on biodiversity, ES, ecosystem functions and human wellbeing) impacts. We conduct rigorous statistical analyses on three extensive databases for evidence of attributional impact (the form most prevalently reported): the IPBES catalogue (n = 102), the Lautenbach systematic review (n = 504) and a 5-year in-depth survey of the OPERAs Exemplars (n = 13). To understand the drivers of impacts, we statistically analyse associations between study characteristics and impacts. Our findings show that there exists much confusion with regard to defining ES science impacts, and that evidence of attributional impact is scarce: only 25\% of the IPBES assessments self-reported impact (7\% with evidence); in our meta-analysis of Lautenbach's systematic review, 33\% of studies provided recommendations indicating intent of impacts. Systematic impact reporting was imposed by design on the OPERAs Exemplars: 100\% reported impacts, suggesting the importance of formal impact reporting. The generalised linear models and correlations between study characteristics and attributional impact dimensions highlight four characteristics as minimum baseline for impact: study robustness, integration of policy instruments into study design, stakeholder involvement and type of stakeholders involved. Further in depth examination of the OPERAs Exemplars showed that study characteristics associated with impact on awareness and practice differ from those associated with impact on policy: to achieve impact along specific dimensions, bespoke study designs are recommended. These results inform targeted recommendations for ES science to break its impact glass ceiling.}, language = {en} } @book{GerkenUebernickeldePaula2022, author = {Gerken, Stefanie and Uebernickel, Falk and de Paula, Danielly}, title = {Design Thinking: a Global Study on Implementation Practices in Organizations}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam}, address = {Potsdam}, isbn = {978-3-86956-525-5}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-53466}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-534668}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {230}, year = {2022}, abstract = {These days design thinking is no longer a "new approach". Among practitioners, as well as academics, interest in the topic has gathered pace over the last two decades. However, opinions are divided over the longevity of the phenomenon: whether design thinking is merely "old wine in new bottles," a passing trend, or still evolving as it is being spread to an increasing number of organizations and industries. Despite its growing relevance and the diffusion of design thinking, knowledge on the actual status quo in organizations remains scarce. With a new study, the research team of Prof. Uebernickel and Stefanie Gerken investigates temporal developments and changes in design thinking practices in organizations over the past six years comparing the results of the 2015 "Parts without a whole" study with current practices and future developments. Companies of all sizes and from different parts of the world participated in the survey. The findings from qualitative interviews with experts, i.e., people who have years of knowledge with design thinking, were cross-checked with the results from an exploratory analysis of the survey data. This analysis uncovers significant variances and similarities in how design thinking is interpreted and applied in businesses.}, language = {en} }