The influence of new technologies on controlling has been pronounced since the emergence of controlling as a function in corporate practice and scientific discipline. While initially Holerith machines strongly influenced the field of activity and job description of controlling, today it is rather developments such as big data, predictive analytics or real-time data processing.

Against this background, the Chair focuses on the impact of new technologies on controlling and corporate management. Currently, for example, we are researching the extent to which the quantification of society in the form of public rankings or ratings with the help of social media and apps leads to a broader acceptance of performance measurement. Another research project deals, among other things, with the question of what role controlling (and specifically key performance indicators) plays in the management of employees when their collaboration is completely digital via network platforms.

Due to increasingly rapid technological developments in recent years, controlling is faced with the challenge of having to adapt its areas of responsibility and working methods accordingly, quickly and in some cases extensively. While there have been technological influences in the past decades (e.g. the introduction of enterprise resource planning systems), the frequency and disruptive power of new technologies has increased significantly in the last five years. As a consequence, the ability to adapt to new framework conditions is becoming increasingly important for controlling and thus a corresponding change management competence.

For this reason, the chair's second research focus is specifically concerned with the organisational processes of change in controlling. For example, it is currently investigating the extent to which already established tools play a role in the introduction of new controlling tools and, if so, which ones. Another project is investigating the extent to which emotions that arise during a change process influence organisational change as such.

In academic and practical discourse, the role of the controller has evolved from "bean counter" to "business partner". This (alleged) development was and is accompanied by completely new demands on the competence profile of the controller.

Accordingly, the aim of the chair is to examine the development of the controller's role in more detail (also taking into account the first two research foci). In particular, the proactive shaping of the role by the controllers themselves is the focus of current research projects.

External Accounting (BM-PRF-1601; BP-WRF-1601; BE4-1; P77-1; FBM1-2).

Through their participation in social events, companies bear a responsibility towards various stakeholders such as employees, owners, the state, suppliers or society in general. In order to inform these stakeholders adequately about the (asset, financial and earnings) situation of the company, companies are obliged to publish their annual financial statements.

After an introduction to financial accounting, the seminar "external accounting" systematically explains the structure of external accounting and, after successful completion of the seminar, enables participants to understand, prepare and independently interpret annual financial statements. This also enables students to assess their future business decisions with a view to their impact on the net assets, financial position and results of operations, as well as to critically reflect on the company.

Internal Accounting (BM-PRF-1602; BP-WRF-1602; BE4-3; P77-3).

In order to survive on the market in the long term, companies must use their scarce resources efficiently. Therefore, it is elementary for entrepreneurs to know where which costs are incurred for what and how these can be controlled. This knowledge is at the same time the basis for calculating the prices for the products or services that the company offers.

The seminar "internal accounting" systematically introduces participants to the basics of cost accounting. They learn about cost types, cost centers and cost unit accounting (including rigid and flexible standard costing) on the basis of both full and partial costs. The seminar program is completed by activity-based costing and a discussion of the relevance of different costs in various decision-making situations.

Financial Management: A Behavioral & Performativity Perspective (BM-WWM-1601)

(Language: English)

Typically, founders or owners of a firm have strategic goals in mind which they want to achieve with their organization. To achieve these goals and implement their strategy, it is necessary to make sure that employees (and managers) behave in way that is congruent with the organizational objectives. Based on financial and non-financial information, management accounting and control is the process by which managers assure that resources are obtained and used effectively and efficiently in the accomplishment of the organization´s objectives by influencing employees’ behavior.
The course “Introduction to Management Accounting & Control” gives students an introduction to the principles of management accounting & control and the most relevant control tools used in corporate reality. After discussing the general understanding of management accounting & control, the course gives insights into specific control aspects like financial and non-financial key performance indicators, value-based management, incentive systems or behavioral accounting.

Structured Problem Solving (M18-2/ FBM)
(Language: English)

Faster and more disruptive technological and economic developments lead to a changing world today which requires actors more than ever to be able to adjust to these changes. As a consequence, students need to complement their scientific knowledge by competencies that facilitate lifelong learning and enable to structure the required changes in a way they can deal with them.

Against this background, the course “structured problem solving” introduces participants to tools and techniques how to identify, structure, and solve complex problems as well as how to successfully communicate their solutions to a specific audience. Therefore, the course is based on two short introductory lectures followed by an intensive case study where students have to apply and deepen their acquired problem solving and communication skills.

Management Control Systems (M18-1/ FBM)
(Language: English)

To implement organization’s strategy, top managers can use management control systems (MCS). Whether single management controls or entire MCS are necessary depends on many different organizational (e.g., size or level of decentralization) and environmental (e.g., volatility of markets, complexity of the supply chain) aspects. To prepare students to successfully design, introduce, maintain, or change MCS, the course gives a comprehensive overview about the concept of MCS, different controls (e.g., actions or result controls), MCS in different industries as well as specific topics such as ethics and management control.

The course is based on an inductive case teaching method, i.e. students prepare cases that combine various topics covered of the course and discursively create a solution to the case study in classroom. This approach offers students the chance to benefit from peer-learning and the (typically) diverse backgrounds of all participants.

Accounting and Controlling    

Through their participation in social events, companies bear a responsibility towards various stakeholders such as employees, owners, the state, suppliers or society in general. In order to inform these stakeholders adequately about the (asset, financial and earnings) situation of the company and to ensure its long-term existence, the company has the instruments of management accounting and controlling at its disposal.

In the first part of the seminar, students learn the basics of financial accounting as well as accounting according to the German Commercial Code (HGB). This externally oriented variant of accounting is supplemented in the second part of the seminar by cost accounting and controlling. In this way, students gain an insight into the essential tasks of cost accounting (price calculation, profitability analysis) and the financial and non-financial management instruments of controlling that build on this.

Participants

• Alexander Keller
• Christoph Krieger
• Moritz Baum
• Johannes Borgmann
• Sibylla Lange
• Winston Leinwand

Seminars 2022

28.04. Comedy workshop with Renate Coch
Even though it is just a widespread cliché that controllers:inside don't have a sense of humor, we preferred to play it safe this talent program. For this reason, we welcomed Ms. Renate Coch, cabaret artist and graduate psychologist, for a comedy workshop on April 28, 2022. The "expert for funny mass therapies from the stage" showed our talents how they can awaken their creative vein and provide good humor even in serious situations. However, our talents themselves provided the biggest laughs when they performed their own comedy show. We also invited last year's participants to this fun and educational day to further promote the networking idea of the talent program.

20.10. Rhetoric workshop with Britta Lennardt
On 20.10.2022 we welcomed Britta Lennardt, coach, actress and director, to the workshop "naturally present". After a short theoretical introduction and historical classification of rhetoric, our talents had the opportunity to test their effect on others in many practical exercises. They quickly noticed how great the influence of one's own attitude and inner posture is on body language and thus on communication.

Teilnehmer*innen

• Ricarda Becker
• Max Grünwald
• Ole Kistenmacher 
• Jannis Rusch
• Carl Zolk

Seminars and events 2021

June 15 online seminar on "Etiquette in the digital space".
During the seminar with Fabian Schuster from "A question of style" on June 11 and June 15, 2021, our talents received answers to questions such as "What is the optimal arrival time before a job interview?" or "How do I behave if I have to leave a meeting early?". Through this intensive coaching, the talents will certainly be able to avoid one or the other faux pas at work.

28.11. Hybrid conflict management seminar with Prof. Dr. Arist von Schlippe
During a seminar on conflict management with Prof. Arist von Schlippe on October 28, 2021, our talents learned ways to avoid conflicts and also to be able to solve them. Probably the most sympathetic strategy within a conflict is to make yourself unpredictable for your counterpart. Thus, a small nice gesture can not only cause confusion, but also lay the foundation for reconciliation. Nevertheless, we hope that the talents will have few opportunities to try out this strategy in practice.

08.12. Hybrid seminar on Mindfulness in the specific context of study with Kai Splittgerber.
"There's more right with you than wrong with you" - Jon Kabat-Zinn. Even though we can all agree with this statement, we often find it difficult to be aware of exactly that and to focus on what is important. Therefore, on December 8, 2021, our talents learned a lot about resilience and awareness aspects in everyday university life in a seminar with Kai Splittgerber from Concadora. The numerous simple exercises are intended to help the talents to become more aware and thus reduce their stress emfpinden.

15.10. Reunion of the Talent Program
Since the founding of the Talent Program in 2015, five cohorts of particularly promising students have now received funding in a wide variety of and sometimes curious-sounding subject areas. To celebrate this occasion in a fitting manner and to promote networking among our talents, the chair organized a meeting with all former and current participants. These six generations of talents met here at their current or former universities on October 15, 2021. Some of the alumni traveled long distances from other European countries to attend the reunion celebration.

Participants (since 01.05.2019)

•         Natalie Kosobudzki
•         Emilia Schaefer
•         Johanna Stibi
•         Luis Warkentin
•         Leon Bartling

Excursion 2020

January 21, 2020
Memory world record holder Franz-Josef Schumeckers held a comprehensive memory and creativity training with the talents. In the process, they learned various effective methods that can be used playfully in learning as well as in daily life.
 

Excursion 2019

November 26, 2019
How can innovative ideas be reconciled with rigid corporate structures? The talents explored this question on a field trip to Berlin. Dr. Christian Langer and Gleb Tritus from the Lufthansa Innovation Hub and Onno Szillis, the Head of DB mindbox, had the answers.

June 4, 2019
Voice training with Reinhard Pede, certified trainer in journalistic education and professional speaker in radio and television as well as for leaders in politics and business.

May 06 - 07, 2019

As part of the 2019 talent program, the talents were given an insight into the fascinating world of car production. Through a factory tour at Porsche in Stuttgart, they experienced how ultra-modern sports cars are still manufactured almost exclusively by hand. On the second day, the talents went on a journey through time of automobile development in the Mercedes-Benz Museum, starting in 1886 up to the present day.

Participants

• Christina Then-Bergh
• Erik Junkereit
• Leon Tobias Dudlik
• Maximilian Lemke
• Tim Heitjohann

Seminars and excursions 2018

July 17, 2018
This year, students were allowed to prove themselves in a presentation training of "improvisionaries". In particular, they learned how to improvise in unexpected situations and still act confidently.

October 22, 2018
The Product and Operations Planning Department of Düsseldorf Airport gave the students a look behind the scenes and into the heart of the matter: the Airport Control Center (i.e. the central information processing center), where all operationally relevant information comes together, is evaluated and converted into recommendations for action for airport control.

Participants

• Carla Dethleffsen, Management (B.Sc.)
• Julian Nagel, Management (B.Sc.)
• Hans Panning, Management (B.Sc.)
• Sophie Stahr, Business Economics (B.A.)
• Dilara Wiemann, Management (B.Sc.)

Seminars and excursions 2017

July 10 and 12, 2017
Britta Kristin Beyer, Managing Director Britta Beyer Coaching, gives a course on "The power of the right body language". During the two workshop days, students will learn how to use body language for a confident appearance, good time management and optimal potential.

July 17, 2017
Talent program participants visit MeisterSinger's corporate headquarters. Manfred Brassler (Founder and Managing Director) shares his ideas behind the foundation with the Talent Program. Stefan Loges (Head of Marketing + PR) gives interesting insights into MeisterSinger's marketing and communication strategy.

October 24, 2017
Borussia Mönchengladbach invites to the BORUSSIA-PARK. Managing Director Stephan Schippers gives interesting insights into the company and guides the participants of the talent program through the stadium.

Participants

• Alexander Fervers, Management (M.A.)
• Nikolaus Munzig, Business Economics (B.A.)
• Maren Raß, Business Economics (B.A.)
• Hendrik Stoffels, Business Economics (B.A.)
• Felix Stremmer, Business Economics (B.A.)
• Maximilian Thomas, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (B.A.)

Seminars and field trips in 2016

6 to 7 June 2016:
Language training with Nathalie Claude, Managing Director of Klanggewinn.

13 June 2016:
The Talent Programme visits Ubisoft and the Design Studio Ubisoft Blue Byte. Mr. Karsten Lehmann (Public Relations) and Mr. Timo Kornetzki (Project Portfolio Management) provide interesting insights into corporate structures and project management.

4 July 2016:
Students visit Sünner Brewery and Distillery, Cologne, and gain fascinating insights into the family enterprise.

13 July, 2016
In a discussion session, students learn to understand and analyze a scientific paper.

Participants

• Isabel Gadea, Business Economics (B.A.)
• Claudio Gentile, Business Economics (B.A.)
• Louis Jarvers, Philosophie, Politik und Ökonomik (B.A.)
• Richard Knudsen, Business Economics (B.A.)
• Christian Scherpel, Business Economics (B.A.)

Seminars and field trips in 2015

23 June 2015:

Peter Stonn, Managing Director of Improved Reading, gives a speed reading course for the students to increase their reading speed and simultaneously improve text comprehension.

30 June 2015:

Talent Programme participants attend a moderated discussion on the “Agenda 2020” topic of Deutsche Bank. The event takes place outdoor on campus.

13 July 2015:

Students learn to understand and analyze scientific papers during a discussion.

20 October 2015:

The Talent Programm participants visit the VAPIANO Franchising head office. Florian Schneider provides interesting insights into corporate structures, the selection of franchisees and differences between various markets.

27 October 2015:

Students have the unique opportunity to personally speak with Willibert Krüger, founder and managing partner of food manufacturer Krüger. Plant manager Dr. Frank Rabenschlag complements the field trip with a guided tour.

12 January 2016:

Jürgen Dawo, Managing Director of Town & Country Haus Lizenzgeber, gives a lecture on franchising within the Talent Programme context.