This study reports experimental results from variations of the standard dictator game that capture different variants of unilaterally risky allocation decisions where only the dictator’s payoff is subject to risk. Thereby, it addresses the question of whether decisions under existential threat, modeled as a risk to the dictator’s payoff, encourage or discourage generosity in individual decision making. It aims at bridging the gap between experimental economics and psychological research on the behavioral impact of mortality salience. Results show that giving in unilterally risky dictator games increases with the risk imposed on the dictator’s payoff. Risk aversion falls short of explaining the increase in generosity. Instead, the observed behavior is most likely motivated by a preference for efficient capital employment. Moreover, dictator games prove to be an apt model for decisions under existential threat.

Franchisees play an important role when inter-organizational change, initiated by franchisors, is to be implemented. The objective of this thesis is to gain insights into franchisees’ sensemaking activities. Drawing on sensemaking theories and franchising literature, a case study on franchisees in the automotive industry reveals how social processes of interaction, within and across their organizational boundaries, influence their interpretations of change initiatives. It contributes to the sensemaking literature through expanding research to inter-organizational change. It also contributes to the franchising literature through analyzing the franchisees’ role during franchisor-initiated change from a sensemaking perspective.

The issue of avoiding information about the consequences of one’s own actions is discussed intensively. Acting that way, makes it harder to be judged for one’s decisions. My bachelor thesis deals with strategic ignorance and self-serving behaviour. This paper aims to explore if people really avoid information to a high degree and whether there are certain situations or circumstances which influence these behaviour patterns. Four different experimental studies were used and compared to a large amount of literature. It is found that intransparency in situations allows for a moral “wiggle room” which makes people’s actions more egoistic. Also, people like to be seen as altruistic. By analyzing the Bayesian signaling model which introduces an agent caring about his self-image, his economic advantages and who has the opportunity to find out about social benefits and the cost of acting social, the findings show that willful ignorance can be an excuse for selfish behaviour and helps maintain the idea that they act up to their ideals. Looking at situations where people have to bring an effort, ignorance shows better outcomes because people work harder when they don’t know about the negative consequences.

Thirdly, what factors in the organizational context influence divestment? I find from previous research that negative firm performance and path dependence of preceding divestments increase general propensity to divest, whereas units that are perceived to be essential to organizational image and identity are more reluctantly exited.

Fourthly, which external stakeholders are important influencing factors in divestment? I indicate from previous research that the media, political entities, and blockholders may pressure decision-makers significantly and sway divestment decisions.

Innerhalb der Organisationstheorie ist ein Theoriepluralismus zu konstatieren, der sich in einer Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Erklärungsansätze und Konzeptualisierungen des Verhaltens betriebswirtschaftlich organisierter Unternehmen äussert. Dreh- und Angelpunkt für die Beantwortung der Frage, wie dieser Theoriepluralismus zu bewerten ist, bildet der Begriff der Inkommensurabilität.
Die vorliegende Untersuchung nimmt sich dieser Thematik an. In einem ersten Schritt wird der Begriff der Inkommensurabilität analysiert. Zielpunkt dieser
Begriffsklärung ist ein metatheoretischer Bezugsrahmen, der mit einer begriffstheoretischen und einer epistemologischen Bedingung ein Kriterienpaket bereithält, welches die Grundlagen der Inkommensurabilität sicht- und handhabbar macht. Anhand dieses Bezugsrahmens werden in einem zweiten Schritt exemplarisch Implikationen der Inkommensurabilitätsthematik für die evolutionäre Organisationstheorie dargelegt. Die Implikationen werden in Form von acht inter- und intratheoretischen Befunden erläutert.

Diese Argumentationslinie ermöglicht abschliessend eine reflektierte Einschätzung des Theoriepluralismus und die Exponierung einer neuen  Forschungsstrategie für die Grundlagendebatte in der Organisationstheorie.