📌 Key facts
- What: We are offering a Master's thesis within the funded research project DATA-KMU, a collaboration between the TUM Chair for Strategy and Organization and IPRI gGmbH (University of Ulm). You will conduct independent empirical research on employer attractiveness factors for blue-collar workers in manufacturing SMEs — contributing directly to a project that shapes how thousands of SMEs attract and retain skilled labor.
- Scope: 6 months (full-time Master's thesis)
- When: Start asap or by arrangement. Applications are open!
- How to apply: Send your CV, transcript of records, and a short motivation statement (details below).
Please note: There is a German language requirement for this thesis, as you will need to conduct interviews and/or focus groups with SME representatives and blue-collar workers in German.
- 📌 Key facts
- 💡 Background
- 🦾Who We Are
- 🎯 Possible thesis topics (examples — we are open to your ideas)
- 🎓 Profile
- 💡What we offer
- 📝 How to Apply
💡 Background
Germany's manufacturing sector faces a severe skilled-labor shortage - 600,000 positions in production remain unfilled, costing the economy an estimated EUR 50–65 billion annually in lost production capacity. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are disproportionately affected: 93% of blue-collar positions are difficult or impossible to fill, and in micro-enterprises, 57% of vocational training slots go unfilled. Yet almost all existing research on employer attractiveness focuses on knowledge workers - whose needs, work environments, and motivations differ fundamentally from those of blue-collar workers on shop floors, assembly lines, and in workshops.
The DATA-KMU research project, jointly conducted by the TUM Chair for Strategy and Organization (Prof. Dr. Isabell Welpe) and IPRI gGmbH (Prof. Dr. Mischa Seiter), aims to close this gap. The project identifies what actually makes manufacturing SMEs attractive to blue-collar workers - both for recruitment and long-term retention - and translates these findings into a freely accessible, web-based IT tool (the "Arbeitgeberattraktivitäts-Kompass"). This tool will enable SMEs to benchmark their employer attractiveness, identify weaknesses, and implement tailored, evidence-based measures.
Your Master's thesis will be embedded directly in this project. You will work on a clearly defined, empirical research question and produce findings that feed into the project's scientific output and practical recommendations.
🦾Who We Are
The Chair for Strategy and Organization is focused on research with impact. This means we do not want to repeat old ideas and base our research solely on the research people did 10 years ago. Instead, we currently research topics that will shape the future. Topics such as Agile Organisations and Digital Disruption, Blockchain Technology, Creativity and Innovation, Digital Transformation and Business Model Innovation, Diversity, Education: Education Technology and Performance Management, HRTech, Leadership, and Teams.. We are always early in noticing trends, technologies, strategies, and organisations that shape the future, which has its ups and downs.
🎯 Possible thesis topics (examples — we are open to your ideas)
- What do blue-collar workers actually want? Identifying and prioritizing employer attractiveness factors for blue-collar workers in manufacturing SMEs using Adaptive Conjoint Analysis
- The digital employer brand gap: How do manufacturing SMEs present themselves online — and how does it compare to what blue-collar workers value? (Web scraping & content analysis of job postings and career websites)
- Retention beyond the paycheck: Which non-monetary factors drive long-term commitment among blue-collar workers in SMEs? (Qualitative interview study)
- Generational divide on the shop floor: How do employer attractiveness preferences differ between Gen Z apprentices and experienced blue-collar workers?
- Learning from employee voice: What do Kununu and Glassdoor reviews reveal about employer attractiveness in manufacturing SMEs? (Text mining & sentiment analysis)
We are happy to discuss and shape the exact topic together with you based on your interests and methodological strengths.
🎓 Profile
- Native or fluent German speaker (empirical work will involve German-speaking participants)
- Enrolled in a Master's program in management, psychology, industrial engineering, social sciences, information systems, or a related field
- Strong interest in employer branding, skilled labor markets, HR strategy, and/or the manufacturing sector
- Methodological interest and aptitude — experience with qualitative methods (interviews, coding), quantitative methods (surveys, conjoint analysis), or computational methods (web scraping, text mining) is a strong plus
- Structured, independent, and reliable working style
- Willingness to engage deeply with a topic that has real-world relevance for millions of workers and thousands of SMEs
💡What we offer
- A clearly defined, empirically rich thesis topic embedded in a funded research project with direct industry relevance
- Access to an established network of 22 industry partners (manufacturing SMEs, IHK, HWK, consulting firms) for data collection
- Close supervision by an experienced research team at one of Europe's leading technical universities
- The opportunity to contribute to scientific publications based on your thesis findings
- Flexible working arrangements and a collaborative, supportive team environment
📝 How to Apply
If you are interested, please send a mail to Philipp Schaffer (philipp.schaffer@tum.de) with the subject line "DATA-KMU Masterarbeit | Application [Your Name]" together with:
- Your CV
- Current transcript of records / grade report
- Preferred starting date