Research Projects

Sustainability of Global Banking
Extending on a large-scale DFG-NWO-financed GEOBANK project (see below) this major research project is focusing on the condition for a sustainable global banking and financial system. Project collaborators are Joscha Beckmann (University Duisburg-Essen) and Stefanie Kleimeier (Maastricht University).

Financial Integration in Southern Africa
This project explores the meaningfulness and effectiveness of strategies of countries belonging to the Southern African Development Community to integrate the financial markets and eventually create a single currency in this area. It is a joint research project with Meshach Aziakpono (University of Stellenbosch Business School) and Stefanie Kleimeier (Maastricht University).

New Challenges for International Graduate Business Education
In this project we explore the challenges of a modern business education that aims at preparing students for an increasingly global labor market. We focus on the importance of cross-cultural team capability and explore research- and project-based learning approaches to achieve this objective by aiming at educating “global citizens”. This is a joint project with Sylvia Heuchemer (Cologne University of Applied Sciences).

The Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus

With the Institute of Global Business and Society I participates in a major interdisciplinary research project funded by the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The project is expected to have a positive and sustainable impact on collaborative research strategies in applied sciences and research-based learning in Master programs. A reliable supply of water, energy and food is one of the most important and closely inter-connected challenges faced by the global society. An interdisciplinary approach to analyze this “NEXUS” receives therefore highest priority in current sustainability research. To address these issue, a collaborative research structure has been established at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences. This joint research project bundles the research of 11 professors from different faculties and institutes in this area and the Institute of Global Business and Society will provide input on eco-innovations as the analytical framework of the project.  The researchers will work jointly on the inter-linkages between water, energy and food. Next to publishing state-of-the-art research and contributing to technology development and implementation, the NEXUS group aims at initiating new cooperation projects with partners from industry, academia and civil society developing teaching materials, and organizing dialogue events.

Determinants and dynamics of the geography of global banking: The role of economic, cultural and political factors (GEOBANK project, financed by DFG and NWO)
Cross-border banking has increased dramatically, yet the determinants and dynamics of bilateral cross-border activities are not fully understood. Recent research shows that geographical distance matters even for “weightless” banking products and is thus producing an economic geography. However, distance is only an imperfect proxy for all informational, transactional, political, regulatory and cultural frictions, which act as barriers to integration. This project aims at an in-depth analysis of the determinants and dynamics of cross-border banking. Overall, the project will provide a deeper understanding of the driving forces of globalization in banking and will thus be of significant guidance to policy makers concerned with financial market integration, currency unions and financial market stability. This is joint work with Sylvia Heuchemer (Cologne University of Applied Sciences) and Stefanie Kleimeier (Maastricht University).

Cultural Differences, Trust and Economic Integration
The project explores the impact of societal factors on international trade in goods and assets. The thrust of the project is that non-economic factors such as cultural background and legal heritage play an important role in restricting or promoting cross-border activities. On a practical level this means that business partner may be chosen not only for economic but also for cultural proximity reason, thus militating against economic rational reasoning. This is joint work with Sylvia Heuchemer (Cologne University of Applied Sciences) and Stefanie Kleimeier (Maastricht University).

European Banking Market Integration
This is an already long-running project with Stefanie Kleimeier (Maastricht University) on the (non-) emergence of a single European banking market in the presence of the single currency.