Example research projects
Analyzing and Improving the Market Success of Digital Offerings
Management challenge:
- The company has developed software and digital services to complement traditional hardware but faces market introduction issues.
- Digital offerings are vital for future success; problems need through analysis, and solutions must be determined.
Key questions covered by this project:
- What are the main sales problems (skills, motivation, organizational framework)?
- How can these problems be overcome (recruitment, education, leadership, incentives, organizational structure)?
- Do regional differences (Germany, China, USA) need to be considered?
Corporate Governance in Times of Deglobalization
After decades of growth, global trade has slowed due to political, social, and technological changes, prompting companies to reassess organizational structures. Key questions include:
- Which decisions require revising organizational structures?
- What practical approaches exist for corporate reorganization?
- What are the benefits and implications of a 2nd or 3rd headquarters on HR policy and leadership skills?
- How can modern technology address the challenges of deglobalization in industrial companies?
The BTM Center also offers flexible, proprietary and confidential research and development, carried out by world-class, independent experts, who will be closely available for our partners throughout their contracts. We can help you to solve your problems and build on opportunities. Contact us to learn about how we can help you reach your goals.
Publications from the BTM center and its network
Academic articles (published)
What Does it Take to Successfully Implement a Hybrid Offering Strategy?
A Contingency Perspective.
Journal of Service Management Research 4(2-3): 100-120.
Dannenbaum, J., Edinger-Schons, L. M., Rese, M., Plötner, O., and Wieseke, J. (2020).
Mastering the Digital Transformation of Sales
California Management Review, 62 (4), 57-85.
Guenzi, P. and Habel, J. (2020).
Industrial Buying during the Coronavirus Pandemic
A cross-cultural study.
Industrial Marketing Management, 88 (July), 195-205.
Habel, J., Jarotschkin, V., Schmitz, B., Eggert, A., and Plötner, O. (2020).
Understanding the Impact of Relationship Disruptions
Journal of Marketing, 84 (1), 66-87.
Schmitz, C., Friess, M., Alavi, S., and Habel, J. (2020).
Price Negotiating for Services
Elucidating the Ambivalent Effects on Customers’ Negotiation Aspirations.
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48 (2), 165-185.
Alavi, S., Habel, J., Schwenke, M., and Schmitz, C. (2020).
When Do Customers Perceive Customer Centricity?
The role of a firm’s and salespeople’s customer orientation.
Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 40 (1), 25-42.
Habel, J., Kassemeier, R., Alavi, S., Haaf, P., Schmitz, C., and Wieseke, J. (2020).
What Does Adaptive Selling Mean to Salespeople?
An exploratory analysis of practitioners’ responses to generic adaptive selling scales.
Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 39 (3), 254-263.
Alavi, S., Habel, J., and Linsenmayer, K. (2019).
Winner of the 2020 Marvin Jolson Award for the best contribution to selling and sales management practice, Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management.
Sales Profession and Professionals in the Age of Digitization and Artificial Intelligence Technologies
Concepts, priorities, and questions.
Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 39 (1), 2-22.
Singh, J., Flaherty, K., Sohi, R., Deeter-Schmelz, D., Habel, J., Le Meunier-FitzHugh, K., Malshe, A., Mullins, R., and Onyemah, V. (2019).
Winner of a 2020 James M. Comer Honorable Mention Award for the best contribution to selling and sales management theory, Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management.
When Do Family Firms Consider Issuing External Equity?
Understanding the contingent role of families’ need for control.
Journal of Family Business Management, 9 (3), 271-296.
Kupp, M., Schmitz, B., and Habel, J. (2019).
Exerting Pressure or Leveraging Power?
The Extended Chain of CSR Enforcement in B2B Supply Chains.
Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 36 (2), 331-347.
Müller, U., Habel, J., and Stierl, M. (2017).
The Development of Consulting in Goods-based Companies
ESCRA
Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing 21 (3): 189–194.
Plötner, O. (2006).
From Relationships to Partnerships: New Forms of Cooperation between Buyer and Seller
Industrial Marketing Management 35 (1): 4–9.
Plötner, O., and Ehret, M. (2006).
NEGBI: Introducing New Systems in the Telecom Market
Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing 19 (5): 344–350.
Plötner, Olaf (2004).
Books
Solid growth. Strategies of industrial champions in global markets
Olaf Plötner, Bianca Schmitz, Johannes Habel (2023)
Counter Strategies im globalen Wettbewerb
Berlin: Springer Gabler.
Plötner, O. (2012).
Counter Strategies in Global Markets
Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Plötner, O. (2011).
应用成本效益分析-理论、方法 和习题 [Counter Strategies in Global Markets]
Shanghai: Shanghai University of Finance and Economics Press.
Plötner, O., Sieben, B. Kummer, T.-F., Wang, X., and Shi, W. (2011).
Kosten- und Erlösrechnung
2 ed. Berlin: Springer.
Plötner, O., Sieben, B., and Kummer, T.-F. (2010).
Bringing Technology to Market: Trends, Cases, Solutions
Weinheim: Wiley-VCH.
Plötner, O. and Spekman, R. (Eds.) (2007).
Das Vertrauen des Kunden: Relevanz, Aufbau und Steuerung auf industriellen Märkten
Wiesbaden: Gabler.
Plötner, O. (Ed.) (1995).
Book Chapters
Bringing Industrial Software to Market
Jarotschkin, V., J. Habel, A. Eggert, B. Schmitz, and O. Plötner (2023). Bringing industrial software to market: Managerial challenges and an agenda for future research. In Serving the customer, ed. T. Aichner, 175–211. Wiesbaden: Springer.
Managerial articles
The Current Rrontier in Industrial Manufacturing: Bringing Software Systems to Market
The European Business Review, January-February, 26-29.
Schmitz, B., Ploetner, O., Jarotschkin, V., and Habel, J. (2020).
Six Ways AI is Taking Over Sales
Hidden Champions: Champions of the Digital Transformation?
HCI Report.
Freimark, A. J., Habel, J., Hülsbömer, S., Schmitz, B., and Teichmann, M. (2018).
The Big Misunderstandings with Digital Talent
Global Network Perspectives, 08/07/2018.
Digitale Transformation durch digitale Talente – das große Missverständnis
We Can't Always Be "Smart"
ESMT Update, December, 9.
Habel, J. (2017).
From Products to Solutions: Mastering Sales Force Incentives
The European Business Review, September-October, 33-35.
Habel, J. and Ploetner, O. (2017).
Fehler im System [Error in the system]
Differentiating Market Offerings Using Complexity and Co-Creation
Implications for customer decision-making uncertainty.
European Business Review 25 (1): 65–85.
Plötner, O., Lakotta, J., and Jacob, F. (2013).
A Framework for Monitoring Relational Quality in B2B Technology Partnerships
Business Management Review 1 (1): 34–43.
Bidault, F., Lüth, M., and Plötner, O. (2011).
High-tech for Low-frills Markets
New challenges for German high tech companies.
Innovative Marketing 6 (2): 77–81.
Plötner, O. and Kupp, M. (2010).
Teaching case studies
The Future of Basler AG
ZachSoft: Improving Decision Making through Sales Analytics
Andreas Keller in China
ESMT’s Pitch to EAD Systems
Müller, U. and Habel, J. (2015).
Heraeus: Mid-size Company Striving for Global Market Leadership
Plötner, O. and Gögdün, B. (2016).
Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd (ZPMC)
Plötner, O., Utzig, P., Wang, X., and Zhang, Q. (2014).
China's Largest Investment in Germany: The Strategic Partnership between Weichai and KION
ESMT Case Study. This case was withdrawn and is no longer available!
Plötner, O., and Pandit, S. (2014).
Siemens CerberusEco in China: Introducing Low-frills Products in a High-quality Company
Kupp, M., Plötner, O., Liesener, C. (2011).
Infoterra GmbH
Darden School of Business Case Study.
Spekman, R., Plötner, O., and Gögdün, B. (2011).
Voith Paper: Transforming Sales Costs into Consulting Revenue
ESMT Case Study.
Plötner, O. (2009).
Non-peer reviewed journal articles
Differentiating Market Offerings Using Complexity and Co-creation
Implications for customer decision-making uncertainty.
ESCP Europe Working Paper No. 53.
Plötner, O., Lakotta, J., and Jacob, F. (2010).
A Framework for Monitoring Relational Quality in B2B Technology Partnerships
Competence Commercialization von Industrieunternehmen
Phänomen, Einordnung und Forschungsfragen.
ESCP Working Paper, ESCP–EAP Nr. 17.
Plötner, O., Jacob, F., and Zedler, C. (2006).
Other
The Essence of Business Strategy
ESMT publication.
Plötner, O., Habel, J., and Schmitz, B. (2020).
Advanced Premium Products
ESMT publication.
Plötner, O., Habel, J., and Schmitz, B. (2020).
No-frills Products
ESMT publication.
Plötner, O., Habel, J., and Schmitz, B. (2020).
Complex service solutions
ESMT publication.
Plötner, O., Habel, J., and Schmitz, B. (2020).
The Bigger Picture
ESMT publication.
Plötner, O., Habel, J., and Schmitz, B. (2020).
Digitalisierung ist Schmerzpunkt der deutschen Wirtschaft
Schmitz, B. (2020).
The Essence of Strategy
Cost traps in business models 4.0.
Plötner, Olaf (2016).