Global Perspectives, Meaningful Research

Our Research Critically Engages With the Forces Reshaping Contemporary Societies

Technological developments such as digitalization and artificial intelligence, alongside broader processes of systemic change and economic innovation, are examined not as isolated phenomena, but as structural drivers redefining agency, coordination, power and value creation across economic and political systems.

Our scholars investigate macro-level transformations in global governance, international institutions and political–economic systems; meso-level dynamics within organizations, markets and innovation processes; and micro-level processes of human behavior, including decision-making, emotional responses and evolving identities.

Rather than advancing normative agendas, research at WVPU focuses on explaining how change unfolds, identifying its underlying causal mechanisms and assessing its implications for individuals, organizations and societies.

Methodologically pluralistic and analytically rigorous, WVPU’s research culture supports inquiry that challenges established assumptions and advances knowledge at disciplinary and interdisciplinary frontiers.

We Explore How Change Shapes Society
 
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Recent Outputs

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SEAM as Infrastructure for Entrepreneurship Research

What do entrepreneurs do over time as they build, adapt and try to sustain a venture? Learn about a broader research agenda in entrepreneurship led by Dr. Kevin Reuther, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Read more about the SEAM Research Institute

Our faculty engage in high-quality research across disciplines including business and economics, international relations, psychology, media and communication, the social sciences, and the arts. Embedded in an international academic network and closely connected to policy, industry and global institutions based in Vienna, Webster Vienna Private University is well positioned to translate research into practice, inform public debate and contribute to evidence-based policy making.

Find Out More About Our Latest Research Projects and News

Greener Plates, Stronger Futures: Sustainability in Vienna’s Restaurant Scene

April 11, 2026

Although sustainability has become a critical concern for the global hospitality industry, limited research has focused...

MASKED: Research to Detect Parkinson’s Disease

April 11, 2026

Psychology Department head Marc Mehu kicked off global research project Motor Health and Semiotic Function in the Kinesthetic...

SEAM as Infrastructure for Entrepreneurship Research

March 24, 2026

SEAM at WVPU turns real entrepreneurial activity into data, enabling evidence-based research on how ventures evolve,...

Faculty Research: Watch and Discover Our Research

Watch our faculty discuss their research, offering global perspectives and cross-cultural insights shaped by close links to international institutions, policy and practice.

Text on screen: Eva Zedlacher, Assistant Professor of Management, Webster Vienna Private University

[Zedlacher sits in an indoor academic setting. Neutral background.

Zedlacher: Hello, my name is Eva Zedlacher. I'm Assistant Professor of Management here at Webster Vienna Private University. I do research on nonstandard work arrangements, and my current research project is called “Four Is More.” We are focusing on the effects of the four-day work week on worker job and life satisfaction.

We conducted surveys, interviews and experiments with workforce members in Lower Austria, especially from male-dominated occupations such as carpentry, construction and plumbing. We find that most workers are very satisfied with the compressed working hours. They see many benefits for both their private lives and their professional lives.

One challenge is for parents, because a compressed working week means the hours are condensed, not reduced. If you condense a work week to four days, you end up with working days of up to 10 hours per day, which limits time for caregiving.

If you have children, someone else has to take over care responsibilities. In most cases, it was the mother who put the children to bed, did grocery shopping, feeding and so on. Fathers tried to compensate with excursions on the weekend, but that does not solve the problem during the week.

To sum up, compressed working hours are great for many workers. For some, including older workers, this compression of working hours can be quite a challenge.

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Meet Our Researchers

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Discover faculty engaged in high-quality research across business, international relations, psychology, media and communication, computer science and law working within an international academic and policy-connected environment in Vienna.

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