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Exploring cultural fitness

As part of the “Culture in process management” research project at the Institute of Information Systems, a culture workshop attended by global players such as Lufthansa Technik and ThyssenKrupp Presta was held at the University of Liechtenstein from 31 January to 1 February 2013.


As part of the “Culture in process management” research project at the Institute of Information Systems, a culture workshop attended by global players such as Lufthansa Technik and ThyssenKrupp Presta was held at the University of Liechtenstein from 31 January to 1 February 2013.

The project was launched in July 2012 and is managed by two staff members from the Institute of Information Systems, with the aim of investigating organizations’ and companies’ cultural fitness in relation to business process management.



A total of 12 representatives from eight internationally operating companies – Hilti AG, Ivoclar Vivadent, ThyssenKrupp Presta and Oerlikon Balzers from Liechtenstein, as well as Landesbank Berlin, Lufthansa Technik, TEL Mechatronics and SAP – took part in the two-day workshop on the campus in Vaduz. They were joined by eight researchers from four different universities across the globe: Queensland University of Technology, the University of Ljubljana, KU Leuven and the University of Liechtenstein. 

Exploring cultural fitness 
“The aim of the workshop was to find out how a corporate culture that supports companies’ process management can be created,” explained workshop leader Dr. Theresa Schmiedel. In autumn 2012, the academic researcher at the Hilti Chair of Business Process Management was awarded a doctoral degree for her thesis on culture and business process management. She was the first doctoral student to graduate from the young University of Liechtenstein. 


Exchange between researchers and experts from the field at the University of Liechtenstein.

Practice-oriented exchange and international networking
In her introductory speech, Theresa Schmiedel outlined the role that corporate culture can play in companies’ business process approaches in practice. The participants were then divided into small groups to develop their own ideas about what forms a culture that supports business processes might take and the challenges that might arise. In the subsequent discussion, the concepts and ideas were presented and examined. 



“This workshop provides researchers and experts in the field with a unique opportunity to exchange ideas on the topic of culture and business process management,” stated Professor Jan vom Brocke, who holds the Hilti Chair of Business Process Management.


Professor Jan vom Brocke (right), who holds the Hilti Chair of Business Process Management, talking to Brina Hribar from the University of Ljubljana and Roman Rauper  from TEL Mechatronics.