HWR Berlin Research Profile

HWR Berlin has developed a research profile to ensure that its diverse range of research activities are more visible and can all be viewed in one place.

In its research projects, HWR Berlin seeks concrete, practical solutions to current challenges. Research is conducted in five departments, in one central institutes, as well as in seven institutes and six affiliated institutes in the fields of business and economics, social sciences, administrative science, engineering and law, as well as in security management and computer science.

A multidisciplinary approach ensures that different disciplines cooperate in developing joint research specialisations.

HWR Berlin’s research profile has the following specialisations:

At the heart of this research specialisation in social, business and economic lie: issues of structural change in modern societies in the wake of globalisation and financialisaton, gender and sustainability research as well as questions of the development of political alternatives from national and international perspectives.

The key terms for research in this specialisation are: economic, sociological and legal gender studies; financial markets; structural change in labour markets and in the employment system; national and international economic policy; globalisation; democratisation in Central and Eastern Europe; company co-determination; quality of vocational training; strengthening of civil society; sustainable management; migration; diversity and integration; the development of public budgets.

Scientific research focused on developments and change processes in different areas of companies and public administration are at the centre of this research area, which is shaped by business and administrative science. These developments may be triggered by, for example, changes in the business environment (demography, climate change), as well as by technical and organisational changes in market conditions.

The key terms researched as part of this specialisation include:
social media and operations; e-government; business process management; telecommunications and media policy; web portals for innovation processes; retention and recruitment of employees; e-learning in operations; occupational health and safety; entrepreneurship and start-up support; sustainability in operations and administration; diversity in SMEs; innovation promotion in SMEs; multinational company strategies; culture and management; marketing and branding.

Social aspects of civil security, from the perspective of crisis management and violence prevention, additionally political developments such as extremism and xenophobia are analysed from social science and legal perspectives in this interdisciplinary research specialisation. A cross-disciplinary approach characterises this specialisation.

The key terms researched as part of this specialisation include:
urban security; social aspects of civil security; political extremism; habitual offenders; operational security; criminal case analysis and offender profiles; juvenile violence, juvenile crime and punishment; crime prevention; violent crime and homicides; xenophobia and ethnic conflicts; fundamental rights.

This research specialisation examines the interactions that exist between law, business and society. Institutions relating to civil and procedural law, as well as national and international legislation, are examined with regard to their effects on the positions of various stakeholders (consumers, administration, the judiciary, lenders, investors, the state). Topics for examination include, for example, the consequences that the introduction of an electronic land register has had on registration processes and on the drafting of contracts. Voluntary jurisdiction is examined as a mediator for and as a controller of companies and society. The areas of law covered range from real estate, commercial and corporate law, family and inheritance law as well as labour and copyright law through to enforcement law and insolvency law.