Digital information product development: lessons from a small-sized German enterprise

PurposeThis case study examines the new product development (NPD) process of digital information products (DIPs) and its critical success factors (CSFs) in a small-sized German enterprise.Design/methodology/approachA case study was conducted with a small firm focused on the development of DIPs; data were obtained through semi-structured interviews, direct observation and document analysis.FindingsThe firm uses an informal and cross-functional NPD process (idea generation, idea validation, product creation and product launch) in converting an idea into a sellable product. Peculiar aspects of each stage within the process as well as ten CSFs to NPD projects were verified.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations are attributed to its qualitative nature, which does not allow generalizations, though careful attention was given to validity and reliability issues through the use of data source triangulation.Practical implicationsThe paper provides a conceptual process that may benefit further initiatives for developing and launching DIPs, as well as a comprehensive list of CSFs for such projects.Originality/valueThis paper is the first one to schematize the NPD process and practices for DIPs, as well as key capabilities. It contributes to the NPD literature in discussing dynamic aspects that are typical to the firm analyzed and to others operating in a digital context. At the same time, it reinforces other traditional aspects that have become overlooked in digital business debates.

Creating a New Legal Form: The GmbH

The most common business enterprise form in Germany today is the Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (GmbH). The GmbH offers entrepreneurs the flexibility of a partnership combined with limited liability, capital lock-in, and other traits associated with corporations. Authorized in 1892, the GmbH appeared during a period of ferment in German enterprise law and was an early example of the private limited-liability company prevalent in many economies today. The new form reflected challenges created by the corporation reform of 1884, problems in German colonial companies, and the view that British company law had put German firms at a competitive disadvantage. Significant sections of the financial and legal community harbored strong reservations about this legal innovation.

Long distance test of Setrea S 531 DT

Premiere of the newest Setra double-decker bus was held one and half of the year ago during Busworld Fairs in Kortrijk in 2017. In the meantime Daimler has presented his flagship bus. Besides big interest, the possibilities of evaluation of the construction’s advantages was limited. This time, raising up to necessities, German enterprise held long distance test since 11 March to 16, on 2000 km long Berlin-Tallinn route. Long transit, with different standard of roads and changing weather conditions, allowed to objectively judge all functions of tested vehicle, both on driver and passenger site. What is more, visiting European capitals’ centers, driving journalists had chance to assess maneuverability of such a big vehicle, during passing narrow streets of historical parts of cities, achieving hotels for testers located there. Bus was tested with full capacity, to adjust fuel consumption to real results, during casual exploitation. In this article has been presented outcomes of the tests.

50 Years of Africa Spectrum

This article offers a portrait of the journal Africa Spectrum (known through 2008 as Afrika Spectrum), which just celebrated its 50th birthday. The essay outlines both the political and institutional context of its founding and traces its major transformations in format and content. Africa Spectrum's metamorphosis also reflects significant changes and trends in African studies in Germany and beyond. One of the journal's main features has been its strong interdisciplinary character and its geographically wide coverage. Over the last decade, Africa Spectrum has successfully trans formed itself from a mainly German enterprise into a highly visible international journal.

Addressing Sustainability in IT-Governance Frameworks

In this paper, the authors analyze approaches for addressing sustainability in established IT-Governance frameworks. Such frameworks are considered to be a powerful tool for ensuring compliance and proper IT operation in modern organizations. The authors assume that – in the context of the seismic changes in IT provisioning and usage that current trends such as Cloud Computing and Hybrid Computing are causing – there are potentials in them to improve sustainability of organizations' operations at both IT and business level too. The analysis is conducted in a holistic way, taking into account organizational and process aspects, sustainability of resource usage, IT-related aspects, as well as incorporating the view of the overall IT-Governance. The presented case study within a mid-sized German enterprise provides a corroboration of the proposed approach by measures for both its feasibility and effectiveness.

Aussenwirtschaftsrecht and corporate investments in Germany – new hurdles for foreign investors

The newAussenwirtschaftsrechtgenerates new insecurity with regards to M&A transactions: On the one hand every industry may be affected by a prohibition, whereas certain sectors (telecommunications, energy incl. oil or natural gas, universal postal services, railway nets, banks, pharmaceutical industry or chemicals industry) are presumably of special importance. On the other hand, vendors should preventively ask any potential buyers from abroad but also German based prospects (given the fact that external investors could be one of their main shareholders) for a written declaration that they comply with the new law or that they have received anUnbedenklichkeitsbescheinigungfrom the BMWi. Additionally, investors from outside the EU or EFTA seeking to purchase of at least 25 percent of a German enterprise should consider anUnbedenklichkeitsbescheinigungat an early stage, ideally in combination with passing on the complete transaction files to the BMWi. Only in this way is a high level of legal and transaction safety possibly achieved. Conversely, investors prepared to risk of prohibtion and considering the intended purchase as unproblematic should desist from an announcement to the BMWi but bear in mind that theBaFinor theBundeskartellamtcould inform the BMWi, thereby triggering an assessment.Due to the new law, the BMWi will get an improved overview of planned or ongoing M&A transactions in Germany, given that many investors or vendors will apply for anUnbedenklichkeitsbescheinigungas a precaution. But the German state gains this increased level of regulation only through significant administrative efforts.