In the second part of the interdisciplinary lecture events GBL Brown Bag Lunch in the current winter semester, a lecture by Professor Dr. Robert Nuscheler on the question of whether organ donors should be given preference in the allocation of donated organs took place on Monday, 03.02.2020.

This time the focus was on the lecture by Professor Dr. Robert Nuscheler, Chair of Public Finance, in particular Health Economics, on the topic:

"Organ donation - Should donors be preferred as recipients?”

In the context of the current political decision in favour of the consent and against the objection solution in the organ donation discussion, Professor Nuscheler presented another regulatory aspect of the distribution of donor organs, the so-called reciprocity. Such a regulation provides that persons who agree or disagree with an organ donation are given preferential consideration if they need it themselves. Since other factors are also taken into account in organ distribution, such as tissue compatibility, prospects of success and waiting time, reciprocity ultimately means that potential donors on the waiting list are (somewhat) more likely to move up the waiting list.

The lecturer argued that such a mechanism increases the incentive to be a (potential) organ donor. In this way, reciprocity contributes to reducing the shortage of donor organs. Currently, about 1000 people die every year in Germany alone because they do not receive a donor organ in time. This number could be significantly reduced by introducing reciprocity in organ distribution.  " This is even more important because the rejection of the objection solution by the German Bundestag has missed an opportunity to increase the number of available organs," said Professor Nuscheler.

Whether such a concept can actually have an impact depends on its concrete implementation. For example, the degree of preferential treatment of potential donors must be high enough. Care will also have to be taken to ensure that such a system cannot be tricked by side agreements. For example, one could agree to organ donation oneself in order to be given preferential treatment in organ allocation, but at the same time instruct relatives to object to organ donation in the event of a case. This possibility is suspected to be one reason why the introduction of reciprocity in Israel has only led to a slight increase in willingness to donate.

Due to the relevance of the entire topic on a daily basis - a few weeks earlier, the Bundestag voted against the introduction of a so-called contradiction solution, strongly covered by the media, in a decision of conscience - a lively discussion followed, which provided all those involved with further valuable food for thought. In particular, the interlocking of economic knowledge with legal and ethical requirements was discussed.

In the first part of the interdisciplinary lecture events GBL Brown Bag Lunch in the current winter semester, a lecture by Prof. Dr. Matthias Rossi on the problem of the balance between market economy control and state intervention in the distribution of housing took place on Monday, 21.10.2019.

This time the focus was on the lecture by Professor Dr. Matthias Rossi, Chair of Constitutional and Administrative Law, European Law and Legislation, on the topic

"Prohibitions of misappropriation to secure housing"

In light of the very tense situation, especially in the metropolitan housing market, Professor Rossi first recapitulated various economic, political and legal instruments for regulating the housing market. In Germany, he said, the market had for the most part only been cautiously influenced by the private law regime, but a mix of planning, regulatory and incentive instruments had also always been implemented.

Professor Rossi then concentrated on a partial aspect of housing regulation, on public law prohibitions of misuse. By making the use of housing for purposes other than residential purposes subject to public law approval, the Berlin law on the misappropriation of housing, for example, aims to counteract the danger of the population being undersupplied with sufficiently affordable housing. In his lecture, Professor Rossi used four selected examples to demonstrate that the specific form of the law is subject to considerable regulatory and constitutional concerns.

Due to the relevance of the entire topic on a daily basis - it was known that the Berlin Senate would be launching a so-called rent cap the following day - a lively discussion followed, which provided further valuable food for thought for all those involved. In particular, the interlocking of economic knowledge with legal requirements was discussed.

In the second part of the interdisciplinary lecture events GBL Brown Bag Lunch in the current summer semester, a lecture by Prof. Dr. Robert Ullmann on the interplay between tax benefits and the entry and/or duration of a marriage took place on Monday, 8.7.2019.

„Will You Marry Me...in December?

Tax-Induced Wedding Date Shifting and Mismatching in Long-Term Relationships“

Professor Ullmann first briefly described the financial advantages of German tax law linked to marriage. Then, under the impression of statistical data documenting an unusually high marriage rate in December for the winter months, he raised the question of whether it could possibly be concluded from this that tax benefits could be an incentive or even guide the decision to enter into marriage. In Germany, the tax advantage is effective for the entire assessment year, even though the marriage was entered into just before its expiry. In addition, it was examined whether - assuming that such motivated marriage decisions were made - the month of the marriage could also provide information on the duration and intensity of the marriages entered into.

In the special situation of viewing such highly personal life decisions in a highly objective manner from a financial incentive perspective, a lively discussion followed, which provided all those involved with further valuable food for thought.

In particular, the effects and the achieved or missed steering effects of the benefit were addressed and it was asked whether there was not potential for improvement according to current law and what an incentive-led change in the law could look like.

The capabilities of AI are developing rapidly. AI is already composing music, writing scientific texts, writing program code and constructing components of complex machines. Within the interdisciplinary cooperation series "GBL Brown Bag Lunch" Prof. Dr. Lena Maute presented the

„Artificial intelligence as creator and inventor - protectability and classification

autonomously created "intellectual property"

and answered the question of who should be entitled to "intellectual property" created by AI.

For the second time in the winter semester 2018/2019, professors and young academics from the Faculty of Law and Economics met on Monday, 7.1.2019, as part of the GBL Brown Bag Lunch event series, this time for a lecture by Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Michael Kubiciel on the law of association sanctions.

This time the focus was on a lecture by Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Michael Kubiciel, Chair for German, European and International Criminal and Criminal Procedure Law, Medical and Commercial Criminal Law, on the topic

"Basic outlines of a modern law on sanctions for associations - The 'Cologne Draft“.

Professor Kubiciel presented the draft of a law on sanctions for associations, which he had drafted together with colleagues. He explained in particular the weaknesses of the current legal situation, the methodology used in the draft, as well as the main regulatory concepts and differences to classical criminal law for individuals. This was followed by a discussion which provided valuable food for thought for all participants.

On Monday, 5 November 2018, professors and junior researchers from both faculties met again as part of the cooperation series GBL Brown Bag Lunch between the law and economics faculties to discuss a current topic of interdisciplinary research. This time the focus was on a lecture by Professor Dr. Susanne Warning, Chair of Global Business and Human Resource Management, on the topic

"Protection against dismissal and business start-ups”

in which Professor Warning presented research results from a joint project with David Feess, doctoral student at the same department, on the question of how the country-specific intensity of employment protection as a legal framework affects the number of business start-ups with growth intentions. In this context, the importance of a network for the respective founder was highlighted. This was followed by a discussion which provided valuable ideas for all participants.

On Monday, 2 July 2018, professors and young academics from both faculties met again as part of the cooperation series GBL Brown Bag Lunch between the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Economics to discuss a current topic of interdisciplinary research.This time the focus was on a lecture by Professor Dr. Marco Wilkens, Chair of Finance and Banking, on the topic

"Climate Change and Financial Economics -

Managing Financial Market Risks on the path to a Green Economy"

in which Professor Wilkens presented research findings on whether and how the adaptability of companies can be quantified in the course of the transition of the economy from fossil to renewable energy sources. This was followed by a discussion that provided valuable input for all participants.

On Monday, 23.04.2018, professors and junior researchers from both faculties met once again to discuss current topics of interdisciplinary research as part of the cooperation series "GBL Brown Bag Lunch" between the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Economics.

This time the focus was on a lecture by Professor Dr. Thomas M.J. Möllers, Chair of Civil Law, Business Law, European Law, Private International Law and Comparative Law, on the topic

"Wild West on German stock exchanges - Market manipulation through short sell attacks

and misleading financial analyses"

in which Professor Möllers on the one hand presented the economic effects of short selling, critically questioned the protection mechanisms of the existing law against misleading financial analyses and at the same time made suggestions for improvement under the existing law. An article by Professor Möllers on the subject of short sell attacks and misleading financial analyses will also be published shortly in the Neue Zeitschrift für Gesellschaftsrecht (NZG).

This time the focus was on a lecture by Professor Dr. Michael Kort, Chair of Civil Law, Commercial Law, Intellectual Property and Labour Law, on the topic

"New employee data protection and industry 4.0"

Professor Kort addressed in particular the most recent case law and the innovations resulting from the basic data protection regulation of the European Union, which is to be applied from 25.5.2018. The lecture formed the basis for an enriching discussion between legal and economic experts, in which synergy effects of both disciplines were also brought to bear.

On Monday, 6.11.2017, the third event of the cooperation series "GBL Brown Bag Lunch" took place. For the third time, professors of the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Economics as well as young academics from both faculties met to discuss current topics of interdisciplinary research.

This time, the focus was on a lecture by Professor Dr. Erik E. Lehmann, Chair of Corporate Management & Organization, on the topic

"The Light and Dark Side of Human Capital Theory",

in which Professor Lehmann explained in particular its significance, history and effects. This formed the basis for an enriching discussion between legal and economic experts, in which synergy effects of both scientific fields were also brought to bear.

On Monday, 3.7.2017, the second event of the cooperation series "GBL Brown Bag Lunch" took place. For the second and last time this semester, professors of the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Economics as well as young academics from both faculties met to discuss current topics of interdisciplinary research.

This semester concluded with a lecture by Professor Martina Benecke, Chair of Civil Law, Commercial, Labour and Economic Law, entitled

"Work 4.0 - Employees and Works Councils in the Digital World of Work".

This formed the basis for an enriching discussion between lawyers and economists, in which the synergy effects of both academic fields were also brought to bear.

On Monday, 15.5.2017, the first event of the cooperation series "GBL Brown Bag Lunch" took place. Twice a semester, members and interested parties meet for a business law topic, organised by professors of the Faculty of Law and Economics and their staff. The aim of the event is to present current topics of interdisciplinary research for discussion.

The event kicked off with a lecture by Professor Robert Ullmann, Chair of Business Taxation, entitled

"For Here or to Go? How VAT Induces Shifting Toward Preferentially Taxed Take Away Sales".

Or: What is the strategic behaviour of restaurants if consumption "to go" is taxed at 7% but the tax on consumption within the restaurant increases from 16% to 19%?

The Competence Center Global Business Management (GBM) and the CisAlpino Institute for Comparative Studies in Europe (CCSE)  held a conference on Higher Education in modern ecosystems and related topics such as Higher Education policies, academic entrepreneurship, university performance, and the knowledge spillover theory, focusing on respective economic, technological, and societal impacts. The conference took place at the University of Augsburg, Germany from March 12 - 14, 2018 and was hosted by Erik E. Lehmann and Sarah Stockinger (University of Augsburg, Germany) and Michele Meoli and Stefano Paleari (University of Bergamo, Italy).

The Competence Center Global Business Management (GBM) and the CisAlpino Institute for Comparative Studies in Europe (CCSE) held a conference on entrepreneurial ecosystems and related topics such as university-industry collaborations, clusters, and the knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship, focusing on respective economic, technological, and societal impacts. The conference took place at the University of Augsburg, Germany from March 15 - 17, 2017 and was hosted by Erik E. Lehmann and Matthias Menter (University of Augsburg, Germany) and James A. Cunningham (Northumbria University, UK).

Migration and Integration, Forecasting of Complex Data Sets, Data Science and Statistic. The conference took place at the University of Augsburg, September 13-16, 2016.

The VfS Annual Conference 2016: "Demographic Change" took place in Augsburg, September 4 - 7, 2016.

“Global Management of Creativity in the Digital Age”

 

In the past, for a firm global management meant optimizing the production and commercialization activities in an international business context. With the rise of the creative economy and the emergence of a digital age characterized by complex product-service systems, this global game has changed. Nowadays firms have to manage creative activities around the world.

All activities of the value chain are improved by creativity: Companies need to be creative when they innovate, when they produce, or when they advertise and provide service. Therefore global management of creativity refers to both, the activities a company has to perform and to the building of an efficient networks around the world.

Beyond this, global management also has a broader meaning, for example in the innovation context. Here, with more efficient markets for technology and increasingly digital products, firms face questions on how to organize. This concerns the possibility of open innovation, implying an increase of alliances and acquisitions that refers back to network building and knowledge management. It also relates to the issue of ambidexterity. Here again, the question is about global management in the sense of balancing the explorative and exploitative activities (innovation and other) of firms, and management that has to be creative also in terms of embracing new possibilities arising from megatrends such as digitalization.

Therefore global management of creativity is a multi-level concept, and therefore simultaneously a requirement for international innovation management, for creatively coordinating activities and orchestrating assets towards a global optimum, and for organizing geographically globalized value chains and production networks. Leading companies are those which are able to mobilize creativity distributed across and beyond the firm and activities in different geographic places. As an example, Sony Home Entertainment now has a coordinating research unit in London researching cultural, social and other trends to guide development of new global products that interlinks with production units all over the world.

The aforementioned developments and examples raise a number of questions of high managerial and future relevance:

What are the implications of a globalized creative economy for managers? How do these differ from management in a knowledge economy, innovation-oriented economies or traditional mass production management in multinational enterprises? Is there a growing need to focus on creativity and does it differ from international innovation management? How can companies adapt to digital creativity (e.g. lot size 1 product and labor markets) and leverage their resources in the best way possible? What are the wider implications of this for international innovation and strategic management?

The workshop brings together contributions by scholars in the economics and management of innovation and creativity. It comprises empirical and theoretical analyses highlighting different aspects and findings (based on case studies and large-scale quantitative analyses). These should be of value for academics and managers in the fields of innovation management, international management and management of creativity, since creative management today takes place in an increasingly globalized world. It is intended to document the outcomes of the workshop in a dedicated book for an audience of both, informed scholars and interested managers. Possible topics to be addressed at the workshop include:
 

• International and global management of creativity and related innovation processes
• Transformation of creative ideas to successful exploitation and global diffusion
• Role of organizations and institutions in the global management of creativity
• The creative economy in an international business context
• Frameworks for analyzing creativity in organizations in an international context
• Creativity as a fuzzy front end in a globalized world
• Creativity in open innovation and crowdsouring
• The impact of internationalized R&D structures on creativity
• Managing creativity in public research labs across national boarders
• Reverse and frugal innovation: the new international creativity management source
• Fab labs as creativity bubbles to scout
• Creativity management and sustainability in the globalized village
• Applications in the context of smart cities, the entertainment industry and video game production
   

The V. Workshop Bank and Financial Markets took place in Augsurg, 12.-13. November 2015.

The III. Workshop „Bank and Financial markets“ took place at the University of Augsburg, 28.-29. November 2013.

The international PhD seminar in Banking took place at the University of Augsburg, June 28-29, 2013.

The Workshop „Bank and Financial markets“ took place at the University of Augsburg, 10.-11. November 2011.

The Technology Transfer Society (T2S) was held its 2011 annual meeting and conference the first time outside the U.S. at the University of Augsburg, Germany, on September 21-23, 2011.

The theme of the conference was “Technology Transfer in a Global Economy”. Particular areas of interest include:

• University-Industry Technology Transfer
• Academic Entrepreneurship
• Global Innovation Systems
• Inter-Cultural Collaborations
• Resource-based Technology Transfer
• Corporate Entrepreneurship
• Technology Transfer in a Global Value Chain
• Intellectual Property and Law

The Workshop on Corporate Governance and Academic Entrepreneurship took place in Augsburg, July 19-20, 2011.