IU Docs Repositorium

IU Docs

Repositorium

Researchers from IU publish their research results in numerous formats. Through this repository, we aim to make as many publications as possible available via Open Access. Gain insights into the dynamic and diverse research being conducted at IU!

Recent Submissions

The Patagonia Vest as a symbol of status and group affiliation: A discussion of brand image, fashion communication and social identity
(IU International University of Applied Sciences, 2026-07-21) Schott, Franziska; Meißner, David; Schubart, Constantin
The Patagonia vest has increasingly moved beyond its original function as outdoor apparel and has become a visible symbol in business contexts, particularly in finance, consulting, and technology-related environments. This discussion paper examines whether the symbolic meaning of the Patagonia vest still aligns with Patagonia’s sustainability-oriented brand image or whether it is increasingly shaped by external social and professional influences. Drawing on concepts of fashion communication, social identity, brand image, and brand authenticity, the paper combines theoretical perspectives with findings from a quantitative online survey. The results indicate that the vest is perceived less as an expression of environmental consciousness and more as a marker of status, professional belonging, self-confidence, and success orientation. While Patagonia’s brand identity is strongly rooted in environmental responsibility, outdoor authenticity, and sustainable consumption, the vest’s meaning in business contexts appears to be shaped primarily by group affiliation and status symbolism. The findings suggest that symbolic meanings of branded garments can shift when products are adopted by specific professional groups and become embedded in social codes that differ from the original brand identity.
AI as a Study Partner in Mathematics Education: Evidence from a Multi-Program University Survey
(IU International University of Applied Sciences, 2026-07-21) Altin, Mehmet Evrim; Jäger, Kirsten; Jütte, Silke; Schneider, Florian
The rapid diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is fundamentally reshaping learning practices in higher education, particularly in mathematics and statistics courses. This study investigates how undergraduate students across multiple programs at IU International University engage with AI-based mathematics tools, which applications they prefer, and how they evaluate their performance. Drawing on survey data from 174 students enrolled in mathematics lectures during the spring term of 2025, we analyze awareness, usage intensity, and perceived usability, understandability, correctness, and value for money of leading AI tools. The results reveal a highly concentrated market structure: ChatGPT, Photomath, and Gemini dominate student awareness and usage. While ChatGPT is perceived as the most user-friendly and offers strong value for money, Photomath receives the highest ratings for correctness of results. Gemini, in contrast, is evaluated more cautiously across dimensions. Differences in awareness between math- intensive and non-math-intensive programs are small and statistically insignificant, suggesting that AI adoption in mathematics is broadly distributed across disciplines. The findings indicate that students integrate AI tools primarily as complementary learning aids rather than replacements for traditional materials. Overall, the study provides an empirical baseline for understanding how AI functions as a study partner in mathematics education and highlights the growing importance of evaluating not only usage frequency but also perceived reliability and pedagogical value.
Zwischen Inszenierung und Echtheit: Digitale Markenwahrnehmung von OKTAGON MMA Deutschland in der Social-Media-Kommunikation
(IU Internationale Hochschule, 2026-07-21) Perst, Florian; Schubart, Constantin; Welsch, Valeria
Social media has fundamentally changed how brands communicate and are perceived by consumers, increasing the importance of authenticity and credibility in brand communication. This study examines how social media campaigns by OKTAGON MMA Germany are associated with perceived authenticity, credibility, and brand perception, and whether differences exist between MMA fans and individuals with a general interest in sports. A quantitative online survey with 181 participants was conducted and analyzed using statistical methods. The results show that perceived authenticity has a strong positive association with both credibility and overall brand perception. Contrary to common assumptions, perceived advertising does not negatively affect authenticity or credibility but shows a weak positive relationship with brand evaluation. Furthermore, no significant differences between the analyzed content formats were found regarding perceived authenticity. The group comparison reveals that MMA fans evaluate the content significantly more positively across all examined dimensions than individuals with a general interest in sports. The findings contribute to a better understanding of authenticity, credibility, and brand perception in the context of professional sports social media communication and highlight the importance of integrating commercial elements in a credible and context-appropriate way. For practitioners, the results emphasize the need to balance strategic communication with perceived authenticity in order to strengthen brand perception in digital sports environments.
Generative KI im Kundenservice der Fondsdienstleistungsbranche: Analyse der Servicequalität und Nutzungsbereitschaft
(IU Internationale Hochschule, 2026-07-21) Schubart, Constantin; Adorno, Giuseppe
Evolving customer expectations and increasing pressure for efficiency are accelerating the integration of generative artificial intelligence into customer services. This paper examines the perception and acceptance of AI-supported communication within the particularly trust-sensitive asset management industry. Based on an online survey incorporating a vignette experiment, the study analyzes perceived service quality, trust, and inteded use in this context. The findings indicate that AI-generated responses are perceived as equivalent in quality or slightly better than human-generated responses in certain dimensions. At the same time a preference for human operated channels seems to persist. The sample reveals different user segments ranging from digitally inclined and independent decision-makers to more traditionally oriented clients. These groups require differentiated implementation strategies. Accordingly, the primary challenge for financial service providers lies less in the technological capabilities of generative systems than in overcoming a trust- and context-dependent acceptance gap. A sustainable deployment of AI in customer service therefore does not call for a one-size-fits-all solution. This study recommends aligning the implementation with an analysis of the company’s own customer structure and their individual needs, and gradually adapting the business process landscape to the new technology.
Zur Logik der Macht: Ein Plädoyer für eine Erweiterung des Kulturbegriffs im sozioökonomischen Kontext
(IU Internationale Hochschule, 2026-06-30) Wagner, Martin
The problem addressed in this discussion paper can be outlined in terms of the following contradictions: no rule can be justified without a breach of that rule; no legal binding force without privilege; no formal organizational structure without an informal one; no power without force. Every structure-stabilizing element derives its justifiability only through reference to its structure-destabilizing counterparts, as expressed in the principle of negative affirmation: Any system can be reduced to absurdity by taking its values and rules literally. In an economic context, this principle is known as “working to rule.” This raises the question: How can social systems be described, structured, and manifested without the very means of system description, structuring, and manifestation simultaneously having a destabilizing—indeed, system destroying—effect? Using the example of the conceptual pairing of “power” and “violence,” this problem is examined in order to derive categories for an expanded concept of culture; possibilities for appropriately addressing the problem are then discussed using the example of the socioeconomic context. Die Problemstellung dieses vorliegenden Discussion Papers lässt sich in folgenden Widersprüchen skizzieren: keine Regel lässt sich ohne Regelbruch begründen, keine Rechtsverbindlichkeit ohne Privileg, keine formale ohne informale Organisationsstruktur, keine Macht ohne Gewalt. Jedes strukturstabilisierende Element erhält erst durch Verweis auf strukturdestabilisierende Gegenstücke seine Begründbarkeit, ausgedrückt im Prinzip der negativen Affirmation: Jedes System lässt sich durch Wörtlichnehmen seiner Werte und Regeln ad absurdum führen. Im wirtschaftlichen Kontext ist dieses Prinzip als ‚Dienst nach Vorschrift‘ bekannt. Hieraus ergibt sich die Frage: Wie lassen sich soziale Systeme beschreiben, strukturieren und manifestieren, ohne dass sich die Mittel der Systembeschreibung, -strukturierung und -manifestation gleichzeitig destabilisierend, ja systemzerstörend auswirken? Am Beispiel der Begriffspaarung Macht und Gewalt wird diese Problemstellung erörtert, um Kategorien für einen erweiterten Kulturbegriff abzuleiten und am Beispiel des sozioökonomischen Kontextes Möglichkeiten eines geeigneten Umgangs mit der Problemstellung diskutiert.