10 Fakultät Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://elib.uni-stuttgart.de/handle/11682/11
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Item Open Access We are all pattern makers! : how a flat ontology connects organizational routines and grand challenges(2024) Sele, Kathrin; Mahringer, Christian A; Danner-Schröder, Anja; Grisold, Thomas; Renzl, BirgitAdopting a flat ontology, we discuss how phenomena of societal concern are connected to organizational routines. We conceptualize grand challenges as large patterns of actions to overcome the micro-macro divide prevalent in existing research. We introduce spatial, temporal, and agentic relations as three interrelated aspects of scale that are of particular interest and demonstrate how social phenomena may be approached through these relations. Focusing on the situated enactment of routines allows us to identify weakening and strengthening between actors and their actions as important processes that reflect the continuous patterning of grand challenges. We contribute to the literature by highlighting the consequentiality of mundane actions and by questioning the dominant approach to change in research on grand challenges. Our insights offer several practical implications for intervening on grand challenges.Item Open Access Editorial - professional and vocational identity development(2024) Wuttke, Eveline; Heinrichs, Karin; Hillen, Stefanie A.; Kögler, KristinaItem Open Access BeeLife : a mobile application to foster environmental awareness in classroom settings(2024) Stock, Adrian; Stock, Oliver; Mönch, Julia; Suren, Markus; Koch, Nadine Nicole; Rey, Günter Daniel; Wirzberger, MariaIntroduction: Significant threats to our environment tremendously affect biodiversity and related gains. Particularly wild bees actively contribute by pollinating plants and trees. Their increasing extinction comes with devastating consequences for nutrition and stability of our ecosystem. However, most people lack awareness about those species and their living conditions, preventing them to take on responsibility. Methods: We introduce an intervention consisting of a mobile app and related project workshops that foster responsibility already at an early stage in life. Drawing on principles from multimedia learning and child-centered design, six gamified levels and accompanying nature-based activities sensitize for the importance of wild bees and their role for a stable and diverse ecosystem. A pilot evaluation across three schools, involving 44 children aged between 9 and 12, included a pre-, post-, and delayed post-test to inspect app usability and learning gains. Results: Most children perceived the app as intuitive, engaging, and visually appealing, and sustainably benefited from our intervention in terms of retention performance. Teacher interviews following the intervention support the fit with the envisioned target group and the classroom setting. Discussion: Taken together, the obtained evidence emphasizes the benefits of our intervention, even though our sample size was limited due to dropouts. Future extensions might include adaptive instructional design elements to increase observable learning gains.Item Open Access How training quality, trainer competence, and satisfaction with training affect vocational identification of apprentices in vocational education programs(2024) Wuttke, Eveline; Heinrichs, Karin; Koegler, Kristina; Just, AndreasVocational identification means being identified with an organization and with one’s career. Both are key objectives of vocational education and training (VET) programs and advantageous for employees and employers. For employees, vocational identification is often associated with positive work-related emotions and job satisfaction; for employers, workers’ identification with the organization and the career enhances their performance and reduces turnover. Thus, investment in employees’ professional development that has the potential to support vocational identification is advantageous for all involved. In light of current demographic changes and a decreasing demand for full-time work, which are leading to a shortage of skilled workers and lower enrolment in apprenticeship programs, it is essential to bind young talents to companies at an early stage and avoid resignations during or after training. Findings from various empirical studies confirm that those who identify with their chosen career and the organization for which they work are more satisfied, think less about quitting, and perform better. Little empirical research has been conducted on how apprentices in VET programs identify with their career or organization or the extent to which such identification enhances their job satisfaction. In this study, we therefore investigate factors that influence apprentices’ identification with their career and organization, in particular, the effects of training quality and trainer competence. Our results indicate that apprentices identify strongly with their career and with the organization where they are doing their training and are mostly satisfied with the quality of their training. Structural equation modeling reveals the relevance of career choice, training quality, and job satisfaction for identification with an organization and (less) with a career. The learning and working conditions in the organization, and more specifically, the variety of tasks offered to the apprentices and the trainer’s pedagogical aptitude explain satisfaction with the training and career identification; the trainer’s presence and the apprentices’ satisfaction with training explain, to some degree, variance in organizational identification.Item Open Access Reference measures of lower-limb joint range of motion, muscle strength, and selective voluntary motor control of typically developing children aged 5-17 years(2024) Scherff, Emily; Schnell, Sabrina Elisabeth; Siebert, Tobias; D’Souza, SoniaBackground: Joint range of motion based on the neutral null method, muscle strength based on manual muscle testing, and selective voluntary motor control based on selective control assessment of the lower extremity are standard parameters of a pediatric three-dimensional clinical gait analysis. Lower-limb reference data of children are necessary to identify and quantify abnormalities, but these are limited and when present restricted to specific joints or muscles. Methods: This is the first study that encompasses the aforementioned parameters from a single group of 34 typically developing children aged 5–17 years. Left and right values were averaged for each participant, and then the mean and standard deviation calculated for the entire sample. The data set was tested for statistical significance ( p < 0.05). Results: Joint angle reference values are mostly consistent with previously published standards, although there is a large variability in the existing literature. All muscle strength distributions, except for M. quadriceps femoris, differ significantly from the maximum value of 5. The mean number of repetitions of heel-rise test is 12 ± 5. Selective voluntary motor control shows that all distributions, except for M. quadriceps femoris, differ significantly from the maximum value of 2. Conclusion: Since typically developing children do not match expectations and reference values from the available literature and clinical use, this study emphasizes the importance of normative data. Excessively high expectations lead to typically developing children being falsely underestimated and affected children being rated too low. This is of great relevance for therapists and clinicians. Level of evidence: 3.Item Open Access CIEMER in action : from development to application of a co-creative, interdisciplinary exergame design process in XR(2024) Retz, Celina; Klotzbier, Thomas J.; Ghellal, Sabiha; Schott, NadjaIntroduction: Motor-cognitive learning is crucial for achieving and maintaining wellbeing. Exergames can effectively facilitate this type of learning due to their inherent qualities of exertion and game-related disciplines. These qualities can create effectiveness, enjoyment, and meaning in the lives of individuals. To address these aspects equally, the design process for exergame interventions needs to be interdisciplinary from the beginning. Objective: This paper aims to (1) enhance an exergame design process model for interdisciplinary co-creation (CIEM) by an Extended Reflection part (CIEMER). Furthermore, it aims to (2) show a formal process for making the abstract model applicable. In doing so, (3) this paper will also derive methods for conducting the process in an academic seminar. Methods: The study employed the CIEMER to conduct a 2-month academic seminar with 20 students. The seminar consisted of a 3-day intensive workshop, a 6-week work phase, and a 1-week testing phase, creating four Extended Reality prototypes. We used a mixed methods approach to evaluate the model, including feedback interviews with external experts, internal surveys, and written reflections from student designers. Results: Four motor-cognitive learning prototypes in Extended Reality were created using the CIEMER. External expert evaluations highlighted the prototypes’ alignment with effective, enjoyable, and meaningful objectives and potential efficacy while noting shortcomings in discipline-specific theoretical application. Internal feedback from students, collected via surveys and reflections, consistently showed positive outcomes in interdisciplinary collaboration and learning, underscoring the importance of an integrated approach in achieving project goals. Conclusion: The formal process within CIEMER effectively yielded four promising prototypes, demonstrating its sufficiency. Students positively acknowledged the benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration, finding it supportive and competence-enhancing. Additionally, the Extended Reflections enabled rapid and targeted iterations, streamlining the reflection of the current state and Creation process.Item Open Access Digital interactive experience- and game-based fall interventions for community-dwelling healthy older adults : a cross-disciplinary systematic review(2025) Ciemer, Celina; Kröper, Lisa; Klotzbier, Thomas J.; Ghellal, Sabiha; Schott, NadjaIntroduction: Falls pose significant health risks to older adults, impacting their quality of life. Preventive strategies are crucial, as research shows that fall prevention interventions can effectively reduce fall risks. However, these interventions often suffer from low adherence and uptake. Digital, interactive interventions, incorporating experience-, and game-related aspects, offer a promising solution, making this topic inherently cross-disciplinary. Objective: This review aims to assess the current landscape of digital interactive experience and game-based fall interventions for community-dwelling, healthy older adults. It focuses on integrating Human Movement Science and User Experience & Game Design perspectives, emphasizing the cross-disciplinary nature of this research.
Methods: We employed a cross-disciplinary literature search framework, searching the databases ACM-DL, IEEE-Xplore, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The review focused on healthy community-dwelling older adults (50+), including those at risk of falling. Excluded were studies involving chronic diseases, non-age-related impairments, other age groups, or individuals receiving care. Only digital, interactive fall prevention interventions without commercial software were considered. Studies published between 2000–2024 were included. A qualitative thematic synthesis was conducted, focusing on four categories: Objectives (O), Design and Development (D), Types of Intervention (T), and Evaluation Methods (E).
Results: The search yielded 2,747 results, with 59 articles included in the final synthesis. Objectives were mainly driven by a combination of HMS and UXG rather than a single aspect. In Design and Development it was observed that concept-based design was scarce, with most being procedure-based. Descriptions of interventions frequently lacked specificity, particularly in-depth experience-related terminology and exercise descriptions. Evaluation methods were found to be more frequently informed by both HMS and UXG, although only four studies used a mixed-method approach to explore their interplay. Among included articles, most aspects incorporated both HMS and UXG across all four categories: O( n = 37), D( n = 37), T( n = 54), and E( n = 21).
Conclusion: The review underscores the importance of digital interactive experience- and game-based fall prevention interventions. It highlights the need for enhanced cross-disciplinary collaboration between HMS and UXG to address gaps, such as the lack of a shared thesaurus and standardized guidelines, which are vital for improving transparency, reproducibility, and the refinement of these interventions.Item Open Access The size of the functional base of support decreases with age(2025) Sloot, Lizeth H.; Gerhardy, Thomas; Mombaur, Katja; Millard, MatthewFalls occur more often as we age. To identify people at risk of falling, balance analysis requires an accurate base-of-support model. We previously developed a functional base-of-support (fBOS) model for standing young adults and showed that its area is smaller than the footprint area. Our fBOS model is a polygon that contains centre-of-pressure trajectories recorded as standing participants move their bodies in the largest possible loop while keeping their feet flat on the ground. Here we assess how the size of the fBOS area changes with age by comparing 38 younger (YA), 14 middle-aged (MA), and 34 older adults (OA). The fBOS area is smaller in older adults: OA area is 58% of the YA area (p<0.001), and 59% of the MA area (p=0.001), with no difference between YA and MA. The reduction in fBOS area among the OA is primarily caused by a reduction in the length of the fBOS. In addition, among older adults smaller fBOS areas correlated with a lower score on the Short Physical Performance Battery (τ=0.28, p=0.04), a reduced walking speed (τ=0.25, p=0.04), and a higher frailty level (p=0.09). So that others can extend our work, we have made our fBOS models available online.Item Open Access A polygon model of the functional base-of-support improves the accuracy of balance analysis(2025) Millard, Matthew; Sloot, Lizeth H.Mathematical balance models have the potential to identify people at risk of falling before an injury occurs. However, most balance models depend on a model of the base-of-support (BOS) of the feet to calculate how well someone is balancing. Here we evaluate the functional base-of-support (fBOS): the convex polygon on the bottom of the foot that can support a large fraction of the body's weight. First, we develop a geometric model of the fBOS by measuring the center-of-pressure (COP) and kinematic data of the feet of 27 younger adults instructed to move their body mass in large loops without taking a step. We extract a planar convex polygon that contains the COP data. Finally, we compare the area of this fBOS model to a marker-based BOS model before evaluating if the fBOS differs across four everyday conditions: footwear, stance-width, foot dominance, and during single and double stance. We found that the fBOS is much smaller (23% the size) than a marker-based BOS model. Our analysis suggests that using the fBOS, rather than a marker-based BOS, can improve the accuracy of the margin-of-stability by 20% of foot width and 16% of the length. In addition, we found that the fBOS area does not differ across footwear (p=0.88), stance-width (p=0.88), and foot dominance (p=0.68), but during single stance the fBOS is 17% (p=0.0003) larger than during double stance. So that others can use and extend our work, we have made the models, example data and code publicly available.Item Open Access Efficacy of personalized feedback in encouraging sustainable washing behavior : evidence from a pilot study in Germany(2025) Höpfl, Laura; Đula, Ivan; Kiss, Francisco; Walter, Rebecca; Wirzberger, MariaIntroduction: Reducing household energy consumption through behavioral changes is a key strategy in addressing the emissions driving the climate crisis. Behavioral changes in affluent households toward more sustainable practices can have a significant positive impact. Prior research highlighted the role of individual values and motivational factors in shaping sustainable clusters. A more personalized approach toward encouraging the resulting clusters of people to adopt more sustainable strategies seems promising. Such an approach could incorporate aligned feedback, which has been proven to be a powerful mechanism throughout learning processes.
Method: Over 9 weeks, a pilot study with 50 participants investigated the impact of different types of feedback on washing behavior. The within-subjects design included (1) a baseline condition, (2) feedback on energy consumption (kWh), and (3) feedback on monetary costs per cycle (EUR). Data collection encompassed pre- and post-condition surveys, a final comprehensive survey, and a diary-formatted table. The primary objective was to evaluate the potential for individualization. Asynchronous structured interviews were conducted at the end to explore participants' perceptions and washing behaviors.
Results: While we found effects for the feedback manipulation, we found no differences between user clusters in individual washing behaviors. Furthermore, participants qualitatively reported habitual changes, feeling more knowledgeable about the monetary impacts of specific washing programs and temperatures, and wished for a more accessible preset time function. Most participants expressed willingness to switch to a dynamic energy price if it translated to significant cost savings.
Discussion: Our findings may support the notion that individualized behavior change strategies are promising. In general, these strategies should be easily applicable, cost-effective, and promote habits to be exerted regularly. Arising methodological limitations suggest further research in this domain. From an applied perspective, our research provides valuable insights for designing products, services, and regulations by governments and companies, empowering them to develop more effective strategies for reducing energy consumption.