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.
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

Professor Dr. Maria Madlberger presents research conducted with Webster Vienna graduate Ruslan Tagiev, MBA, Msc.

Dr. Maria Madlberger will present a study that she has done together with the Webster Vienna MBA and MSc. Marketing graduate Ruslan Tagiev at an international scholarly conference. 

Mr. Tagiev and Dr. Madlberger empirically investigated the role of intrinsic and extrinsic cues by an experimental design involving the average user rating as well as product samples in the context of a printed textbook. Intrinsic cues are inherent properties of a product, such as the content, chapters, or writing style of a book. Extrinsic cues are related to the product, but not inherent to it. Examples are a book author’s reputation or evaluations of the product by customers. Previous research in offline contexts has shown significant impacts of intrinsic and extrinsic cues on product quality perception. The study investigates whether this also applies in electronic commerce with typical online offered types of cues. 

The study uses the availability of a textbook’s sample pages and average user rating as stimuli representing intrinsic and extrinsic cues and investigated how they are influencing perceived product quality. Findings indicate that the extrinsic cue (average user rating) affects perceived product quality. On the other hand, the intrinsic cue (product sample) does not show an impact on perceived product quality. Dr. Madlberger will present the study at the International Conference on Web Information Systems and Technologies (WEBIST) in November 2023 in Rome.

Faculty — Business and Management

Faculty and Staff

Active in 2020-2021

Dr. Florin Abazi
Computer Science
abaziflo@webster.edu
Dr. Mehdi Ali
Economics
mehdiali29@webster.edu
Dr. Maximilian Benner, M.Sc.
Economics
maximilianbenner@webster.edu
Mr. Alfred Dolecek, MSc.
Accounting and Marketing
alfreddolecek24@webster.edu
Univ.-Doz. Dr. Claus Ebster
Marketing & Management
clausebster36@webster.edu
Mag. Alexandra Federer, MBA
Marketing
alexandrafederer@webster.edu
Mr. Massimiliano Falcinelli, MS
Computer Science
mfalcinelli49@webster.edu
Dr. Paul Fischer, LLM
Business Law
paulfischer44@webster.edu
Dr. Andrea Gaal
Management
andreagaal70@webster.edu
Dr. Hossein Hassani
Statistics
hosseinhassani57@webster.edu
Ms. Casandra Hutchinson, MSc
Math & Statistics
chutchinson61@webster.edu
Prof. Mag. Dr. Dr. Petra Inwinkl
Management
petrainwinkl@webster.edu
Mr. Michael Kapfer, MBA
Marketing & Public Relations
michaelkapfer77@webster.edu
Dr. Christian Kreuzer
Finance
ckreuzer26@webster.edu
Dr. Christopher Kronenberg
Management & Entrepreneurship
ckronenberg96@webster.edu
Mr. Charles La Fond, MBA
Management
charleslafond29@webster.edu
Dr. Xavier Matteucci
Marketing
xmatteucci75@webster.edu
Mr. Alan Noble, MA
Management
alannoble03@webster.edu
Dr. Heinz Palasser, MBA, MSc
Accounting
heinzpalasser17@webster.edu
Mag. Svetla Pehlivanova-Porenta
Management
svetlap16@webster.edu
Dr. Hanno Poeschl, MSc, MBA
Finance & Management
hannopoeschl35@webster.edu
Dr. Rudolf Rössel, MBA
Computer Science
rudolfroessel99@webster.edu
Dr. Roman G. Seligo
Sales Management
romanseligo46@webster.edu
Mag. Robert Senz
Finance
robertsenz64@webster.edu
Dr. A. Nicholas Simon
Business Law
nicholassimon91@webster.edu
Dr. Christian Steineder
Mathematics
csteineder10@webster.edu
Mr. Miguel Suarez Vasquez, PhD, MSc, MBA
Business & Accounting
miguelsuarez21@webster.edu
Dr. Owat Sunanta
Math & Statistics
owatsunanta43@webster.edu
Mr. William Tippin, DM, CMC
Management [Fall 2020 Visiting Sverdrup Fellow]
wmtippin@webster.edu
Mr. Emil Tsenov, MA
Marketing
emiltsenov73@webster.edu
Dipl.Kfm. Norbert Wetzel, MBA
Finance & Human Resources Management
norbertwetzel59@webster.edu
Mag. Christian Wozabal, MBA
Accounting
cwozabal74@webster.edu

Professor Bátora published a new article in the journal European Security
 
In a new article published by a leading peer reviewed journal - European Security - professor Bátora from WVPU’s IR Department analyzes interstitial emergence of national defense entrepreneurial firms (NDEFs). Due to their close connection with their home state authorities, NDEFs are typologically different from private military- and security companies. As professor Bátora shows in a case study of Sweden’s Vesper Group, NDEFs operate in interstitial spaces on the fringes of the state becoming – in effect – its private arm in the delivery of defense services. Thereby, the state is being re-configured as a defense actor.

The article develops an analytical framework anchored in the multiple-networks approach in organization theory associated with the work of John F. Padgett and Walter W. Powell. Through a focus on change as minor (or major) shifts in recurring patterns of rules and practices, the approach enables us to speak to an issue often discussed by IR-scholars (and, more specifically, international political sociology scholars) in recent years: namely, what happens when resources and practices from multiple institutionalized domains overlap or re-combine in the delivery of international security policy solutions. The current approach moves beyond the state of the art in the debate in that it analyzes micro-level shifts in patterns of rules and practices and thereby speaks to how change in interstitial spaces actually occurs. 

Coining a new term and conceptualizing a new organizational form – the NDEF - the article is also a contribution to the scholarly debate on the functions and role of private military- and security companies in security policy in the EU and beyond. In light of the growing importance of private armies in global security policy, the article also has the potential to enrich the policy debates in this field.

Faculty — International Relations

Faculty and Staff

Active in 2020-2021

Aner Barzilay, PhD
Topics in Modern European History
anerbarzilay@webster.edu
Dr. Elina Brutschin
Methods of Political Inquiry
Advanced Research Methods
elinabrutschin60@webster.edu
Dr. J. Werner Druml
International Affair
johannesdruml66@webster.edu
Univ.-Ass. Mag. Dr. Marcel Fink
Comparative Politics
marcelfink07@webster.edu
Dr. Eric Frey
International Political Economy
efrey@webster.edu
Mag. Gerlad Garber
Introduction to Political Argumentation and Debate
geraldgarber07@webster.edu
Dr. Sandra Goldstein
Middle East Area Studies
MMag. Dr. iur. Ralph Janik, LL.M.
International Law
ralphjanik18@webster.edu
Dr. Monika Mokre
Politics of Development
Refugee and Migration Movements
monikamokre25@webster.edu
Prof. Iver B. Neumann, PhD
Globalization
War and Diplomacy
Mag. Dr Dieter Reinisch MRes
The Age of Total War: Europe 1890-1945
Contemporary Europe: 1945-Present
dieterreinisch07@webster.edu
Dr. Astrid Reisinger Coracini
International Law

Recently, Prof. Dr. Bradley Wiggins collaborated with colleagues at the Vienna University of Economics (WU) and Lund University in Sweden to publish an article examining two case studies from the perspective of current and past research on memes and related forms of messaging. The article, The Meme’s-Eye View of Strategic Communication: A Case Study of Social Movements from a Memetic Perspective, has been accepted and will be published by the International Journal of Strategic Communication

The article argues that a memetic approach, or meme’s-eye view, could help bring together the strategic management view and the communication-constitutes-organization (CCO) perspective. To illustrate our argumentation, we analyze two cases: 1) the Montagsdemos in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) with its core meme Wir sind das Volk! (“We are the people!”); and, 2) the so-called Satanic Panic and the QAnon movement and its meme save the children. We will show that while the memes largely remain the same, they reproduce themselves within different environments, adapted by groups of likeminded individuals yet differing in terms of the ideology practiced by different groups over time. Memes possess that power, because they are linked to memory traces of said likeminded individuals and groups.

Authors: 

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jens Seiffert, Prof. Dr. Bradley Wiggins, Prof. Dr. Howard Nothhaft

 


In October 2023, Associate Prof. Dr. Bradley Wiggins is scheduled to present a paper at the annual meeting of the American Folklore Society. The panel he will be part of is titled "When Things Are Very, Very Bad, We Laugh": Folklore from the War in Ukraine. This panel brings together several scholars, including a representative from Ukraine, and it will be chaired by a colleague from Penn State University.

Here is more information about it: Make memes, not war: A comparative study of user discourses in response to @Ukraine’s dark-humour meme on Twitter Author: 

Abstract

This study investigates user reception of a dark-humor meme tweeted by @Ukraine on 7 December 2021. A critical discourse analysis reveals that responses to the ‘headaches meme’ emphasize an appreciation of the meme’s humor and/or its contextual embedding. The analysis considers user reactions in two socio-political contexts – before and after the invasion on 24 February 2022 – using two equal samples (n=300) of quote tweets. Findings reveal a decrease in humor reactions after the invasion. The sub corpora demonstrate politically polarized sentiments. Outcomes include: factors affecting dark humor reception, a media logic defined by notions of hyperreality and mediatization.

Faculty — Strategic Communication

Faculty and Staff

Active in 2020–2021

Phil Moran, PhD
Media Production
philipmoran96@webster.edu
Rafal Morusiewicz, PhD
Film studies
rmorusiewicz30@webster.edu
Seth Weiner, BFA, M.Arch
Digital production tools
sethweiner14@webster.edu
 

Cracking the Code of Human Behavior: An Expedition with Dr. Mehu and Dr. Lindova

Embark on a captivating journey with Dr. Marc Mehu, an Associate Professor of Psychology at Webster Vienna's Psychology Department, and Dr. Jitka Lindova from Charles University Prague, as they present a series of engaging workshops in the Czech Republic!

These workshops recently unfolded at the Summer Institute of the International Society for Human Ethology, hosted by the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. The focus of these workshops was on the meticulous observation of human behavior, delving into the intricate tapestry of social interactions. Expanding their scope, the workshops also delved into video-based conversation analysis from an ethological perspective, employing the versatile linguistic annotation software, ELAN. Attendees were guided through the art of decoding both verbal and nonverbal behaviors, ranging from facial expressions, head movements, hand gestures, to body postures. In-depth discussions explored the interplay between behavior and internal states, encompassing personality traits, motivations, attitudes, and emotions, thereby enriching the comprehension of how behavioral cues serve as indicators of these internal states.

Through their transformative discourse, Dr. Mehu and Dr. Lindova illuminate the path to understanding human behavior, fostering an enriched appreciation for the dynamics of social interactions. Their contributions extend a novel vantage point to emerging scholars, unveiling the intricate relationship between spoken and unspoken behaviors and embodying Webster Vienna's steadfast commitment to academic progress.


Unveiling Monogamy: Peering into the Tapestry of Long-Term Relationship Contentment – Camila González

We take great pleasure in showcasing the remarkable research undertaken by one of our exceptional graduate students, Camila Zamora González, from the Master of Arts in Psychology program with an emphasis on Counseling Psychology.

In a thought-provoking exploration, Camila delved into the intricate interplay between the duration of relationships and the perceived contentment within enduring heterosexual unions. Her study, which garnered insights from 155 participants spanning Europe, Latin America, and the United States, aimed to illuminate how the passage of time influences both relationship satisfaction and the concept of monogamy.

Guided by meticulous statistical analysis, the findings unveiled that the length of a relationship did not exert a significant influence on the satisfaction derived from it. However, it was intriguing to note that participants' satisfaction ratings seemed to diminish with advancing age. As relationships evolved over time, participants exhibited more affirmative perceptions of monogamy at a societal level. Furthermore, a positive correlation emerged between higher relationship quality and satisfaction and more favorable perspectives regarding romantic and sexual exclusivity. A notable gender distinction emerged, with men reporting less optimistic views on romantic and sexual exclusivity in comparison to women. Lastly, the study underscored that couples with children appeared to experience comparatively lower relationship satisfaction and quality compared to those without.

Camila's insightful inquiry adds depth to the ongoing discourse surrounding monogamy, proffering invaluable insights into the factors that mold the dynamics of enduring relationships. Her study casts a luminous spotlight on the intricate facets of human connections, thereby enriching our comprehension of the multifaceted influences shaping contemporary cultural frameworks.

Faculty — Psychology

Faculty and Staff

Active in 2020-2021

Aisha Bajwa, PharmD
Pharmacology, Psychoanalysis
aishabajwa@webster.edu
Dr. Christine Butterfield
Psychiatry & Psychotherapy
christineb41@webster.edu
Dr. Helga Felsberger
Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis
hfelsberger82@webster.edu
Dr. Kathleen Hodkinson
Clinical Psychology
khodkinson04@webster.edu
Dr. Jessica Howells
Clinical Psychology
jessicahowells@webster.edu
Dr. Maria Lolich
Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Science
marialolich@webster.edu
Dr. Isabella Sarto-Jackson
Biological Psychology
Isartojackson@webster.edu
Dr. Gregory Bartel
Business, Marketing, Cognitive Science
gregorybartel@webster.edu
Dr. Dezsoe Birkas-Kovats
Psychiatry & Psychotherapy
dezsoebirkas81@webster.edu
Dr. Ricardo Draghi-Lorenz
Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
rdraghilorenz@webster.edu
Dr. Romualdo Fernandes Ramos
Social Psychology & Occupational Health
Heather Moon-Vogels, MA
Counseling Psychology
hmoonvogels@webster.edu
Mag. Cornelia Kastner
Clinical Psychology, Organizational Psychology
corneliakastner@webster.edu
Mag. Krista Rothschild
Clinical & Health Psychology
krothschild44@webster.edu
Mag. Sandra Velásquez
Clinical & Health Psychology
sandrav03@webster.edu
Antonija Pacek, M. Phil
Psychology of Education
antonijapacek40@webster.edu

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