Webster Vienna Private University is delivering new opportunities through
innovation excellence based on its Strategic Plan. We are committed to high-quality,
globally significant academic research combining theory and practice, an international
perspective and a strong integration with teaching.
Research at Webster Vienna
Prof. Dr. Maria Madlberger and Mr. Mykhailo Yesaulov Present Research at ICEIS 2025 on the Impact of Data Analytics on the Service Sector
Prof. Dr. Maria Madlberger, Full Professor of Marketing and Information Systems, and Mr. Mykhailo Yesaulov, undergraduate Business Administration student, presented their joint research at the 27thInternational Conference on Enterprise Information Systems (ICEIS 2025). Their paper, Business Impacts of Data Analytics in the Service Sector – A Systematic Literature Review, examines the effects of advanced data analytics techniques across service industries. The study systematically reviews 70 peer-reviewed empirical articles published between 2014 and 2024, using a structured methodology to assesshow technologies such as big data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) influence both customer-facing and internal organizational outcomes.
Key findings reveal that data analytics – particularly big data and AI – most commonly enhance customer responsiveness, service offerings, and operational efficiency. Internally, analytics have been shown to support improved decision-making and managerial functions, though their documented impact on long-term strategic goals (such as competitiveness and innovation) remains limited. The effects also vary depending on the technique used, with big data and AI contributing differently to customer-facing and internal organizational processes. This highlights the need to align analytic approaches with the specific goals and context of the service sector.
The study also emphasizes the role of human interaction with analytics-based systems, noting its influence not only on customer experiences and behavior, but also decision makers and other agents in service organizations. Finally, the review outlines a future research agenda, emphasizing the need for greater scholarly attention to underrepresented service industries – such as real estate and telecommunications – and underscores the importance of the human-technology interface in data-driven service environments.
Faculty — Business and Management
Faculty and Staff
Active in 2020-2021
Franco Algieri has analyzed the conflict-ridden EU-China relationship in his latest contribution to the Yearbook on European Integration. In another article for Risk Monitor 2025 of the Austrian Defense Ministry, he discusses the issue of neutrality in the EU and the need for member states to adapt to a changing security and defense political environment.
Franco Algieri: Die Europäische Union und China (The European Union and China), in: Werner Weidenfeld/Wolfgang Wessels (Hrsg): Jahrbuch der Europäischen Union 2023. Baden-Baden: Nomos 2023, 349-354.
Franco Algieri: Neutralität in der EU (Neutrality in the EU), in: Bundesministerium für Landesverteidigung: Risikobild 2025. Vienna: Austrian Defence Ministry 2025.
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Faculty — International Relations
Faculty and Staff
Active in 2020-2021
Dr. Elina Brutschin
Methods of Political Inquiry
Advanced Research Methods
elinabrutschin60@webster.edu
Methods of Political Inquiry
Advanced Research Methods
elinabrutschin60@webster.edu
Dr. Sandra Goldstein
Middle East Area Studies
Middle East Area Studies
Prof. Iver B. Neumann, PhD
Globalization
War and Diplomacy
Globalization
War and Diplomacy
Mag. Dr Dieter Reinisch MRes
The Age of Total War: Europe 1890-1945
Contemporary Europe: 1945-Present
dieterreinisch07@webster.edu
The Age of Total War: Europe 1890-1945
Contemporary Europe: 1945-Present
dieterreinisch07@webster.edu
Dr. Astrid Reisinger Coracini
International Law
International Law
Memetic Election Cycles in US Presidential Campaigns
This presentation provides critical insight around the concept of memetic election cycles, examining how memes have become a central tool in U.S. political campaigns since at least the 2008 Obama campaign. Through a review of key literature on political communication, participatory culture, and digital marketing, the study analyzes the evolution of memes as viral political content, but also as a viable means to mobilize the masses behind increasingly polarized political parties and campaigns.
It highlights how campaigns such as those of Obama, Trump, Biden, and Harris leveraged memes not only for voter engagement but also as branding tools that shaped public perception. Using examples from recent election cycles, including the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential elections, the article discusses the role of memes as grassroots digital marketing and viral political advertising. Additionally, the research explores the potential influence of memes on voting behavior and the risks of disinformation. The findings suggest that memes serve as a hybrid form of digital folklore and marketing, influencing both electoral discourse and voter behavior.
To be presented at the 12th European Conference on Social Media in Porto, Portugal on Thursday May 22, 2025.
Faculty — Strategic Communication
Faculty and Staff
Active in 2020–2021
Investigating the Effects of Self-Compassion Training on Adolescent Well-Being
With rising rates of anxiety and mood disorders among teenagers, early intervention programs promoting psychological resilience have become increasingly necessary. Anna Pohl, recent graduate of Webster Vienna Private University’s Master of Arts in Psychology with an Emphasis in Counselling program, has recently concluded her master’s thesis investigating this issue. Pohl’s study examined the impact of a four-week mindful self-compassion training program on anxiety, self-compassion, and resilience among 20 early adolescents at an international school in Vienna, Austria. Using a mixed-methods design, the training was delivered in 35-minute sessions during school hours, with the intervention group receiving 12 sessions of Mindful Self-Compassion training, while the control group participated in Healthy Lifestyle Mentoring classes.
Pohl’s study aimed to replicate previous research suggesting that self-compassion negatively correlates with anxiety and positively correlates with resilience. Results showed a significant negative correlation between self-compassion and anxiety at baseline, but no significant link between self-compassion and resilience. Post-intervention analysis found an increase only in the common-humanity subscale of self-compassion, with no significant changes in other measures or between-group differences. Neither gender nor age influenced outcomes. However, changes in self-compassion predicted changes in resilience, though not in anxiety.
A thematic analysis highlighted the potential of mindful self-compassion training and suggested promising trends aligned with the hypotheses. Pohl’s research highlights the importance of further exploring the long-term effects of self-compassion interventions in school settings, with larger sample sizes and extended program durations.
Faculty — Psychology
Faculty and Staff
Active in 2020-2021
Dr. Romualdo Fernandes Ramos
Social Psychology & Occupational Health
Social Psychology & Occupational Health
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