Digital Transformation and Circular Economy
The group Digital Transformation and Circular Economy mainly uses experimental methods to investigate topics of sustainability and digitalization. Our goal is to learn more about individual decision behavior and essential elements that could lead to an economy which is more sustainable and digital in the future.
Jun-.Prof. Dr. Dr. Daniel Hermann
Our group has a broad field of research questions, considering topics of general economics, environmental economics, psychology and agricultural economics. Based on surveys, experiments and field data, we investigate various topics in these fields: first, we analyze economic preferences (e.g., risk attitude, loss aversion, time and social preferences) and the methodological approaches to elicit them. Second, we are interested in individual decision behavior: when, why and how do farmers/entrepreneurs invest? What drives the adoption of new (digital) technologies? Third, the group is interested in all kind of attempts to run a more sustainable economy. Here topics of water preservation, soil organic carbon, circular economy, the degradation of land and a loss of biodiversity are analyzed.
Climate Change and risk management in Agribusiness
This project aims to investigate how the effects of changing climate conditions are considered for agricultural production decisions. Due to climate change production has to adopt in the near future to maintain a productive agricultural sector.
Biodiversity and Sustainability
For greater biodiversity and sustainability, (agricultural) production systems have to change. We investigated different approaches for a more sustainable agribusiness and investigate the adoption of these technologies on farms.
Digitalization and Circular Economy
Digital technologies gaining importance in agriculture. On the one hand these new technologies and their application has to be evaluated. On the other hand, digital technologies might improve the circularity of our economy. Both of these paths are focused in this project.
Our goal and ambition in teaching is to equip students with skills that will facilitate their path to personal success in their career. We want to promote the intrinsic motivation of students. Therefore, the connection of teaching to our current research is particularly important.
Winter term
- BAS-110 Extended Methods of Empirical Research (Master; WT 22-23)
- AGR-046 Business Planning and Organization (Bachelor)
- ABS-331 Research Seminar in Agribusiness (Master)
Summer term
- AGR-047 Economics III (Bachelor)
- AGR-074 Digital Transformation in Agribusiness (Bachelor)
- MAC-120 Behavioral Economics in Agri-Food markets (Master)
- ABS-331 Research Seminar in Agribusiness (Master)
Potential thesis topics
- Digital technologies in Agriculture (D. Hermann)
- Wastewater reuse for food ingredients (V. Berghoff)
- Time preferences in agriculture (V. Berghoff)
- Information provision to reduce pesticide use on the farm level (Hermann/Möhring: Link)
- Transparency and traceability along global agricultural supply chains (V. Berghoff)
- Circular economy in the fashion industry: Challenges and opportunities (V. Berghoff)
- Leaving no one behind: Contesting the Sustainable Development Goals in relation to global trade in agricultural commodities (V. Berghoff)
- Traceability from fibre to fashion: DNA tagging of cotton (V. Berghoff)
- RFID tagging of agricultural commodities: Challenges and opportunities (V. Berghoff)
- AI Applications in Waste Management: Exploring the Role of AI in Waste Identification, Sorting, and Recycling (H. de Boer)
- Financing the Circular Economy in Developing Countries: Analyzing Financial Challenges and Solutions for Implementing Circular Economy Models in Developing Countries (H. de Boer)
- Nudging and pro-environmental behavior (Yuxin Zhu)
- Norms and human behavior (Yuxin Zhu)
- Environmental policy assessment and its impact (Yuxin Zhu)
Jun-.Prof. Dr. Dr. Daniel Hermann
Franziska von Spreckelsen
Hermann, D. & Brenig, M. (2022). Dishonest online: A distinction between observable and unobservable lying. Journal of Economic Psychology 90: 102489.
Bruns, S., Hermann, D. & Mußhoff, O. (2022). Investigating inconsistencies in complex lotteries: The role of cognitive skills of low-numeracy subjects. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics 97: 101840.
Wegmann, J., Hermann, D. & Mußhoff, O. (2022). Assessing risk attitudes and time preferences on the rural-urban interface of Bengaluru, India. Agricultural Finance Review 82(5): 828-846.
Parlasca, M.C., Hermann, D. & Mußhoff, O. (2020). Can mobile phones build social trust? Insights from rural Kenya. Journal of Rural Studies 79: 345-360 [Open Access].
Hermann, D., Mußhoff, O. & Rau, H. (2019). The Disposition Effect when deciding on behalf of others. Journal of Economic Psychology 74: 102192.
Hermann, D. & Mußhoff, O. (2019). I might be a liar, but not a thief: An experimental distinction between moral costs of lying and stealing. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 163: 135-139.
Rommel, J., Hermann, D., Müller, M. & Mußhoff, O. (2019). Contextual framing and monetary incentives in field experiments on risk preferences: Evidence from German
farmers. Journal of Agricultural Economics 70(2): 408-425.
Hermann, D. & Mußhoff, O. (2019). Displaying expected values in risk elicitation tasks: The effect of information in experimental risk research. Journal of Risk Research 22(2):
232-242.
Vollmer, E., Hermann, D. & Mußhoff, O. (2019). The disposition effect in farmers’ selling behavior - an experimental investigation. Agricultural Economics 50(2): 177-189.
Sauter, P., Hermann, D. & Mußhoff, O. (2018). Are foresters really risk averse? A multi-method analysis and cross-occupational comparison. Forest Policy and Economics 95
37-45.
Bauermeister, G., Hermann, D. & Mußhoff, O. (2018). Consistency of determined risk attitudes and probability weights across different elicitation methods. Theory and
Decision 84(4): 627-644.
Diekmann, J., Hermann, D. & Mußhoff, O. (2017). Wie hoch ist der Preis des Verzichts auf Kükentötungen? Bewertung des Zweinutzungshuhn- und Bruderhahnkonzepts als wirtschaftliche Alternative zu Mast- und Legehybriden. Berichte über Landwirtschaft
95(1): 1-22.
Hermann, D. (2017). Determinants of financial loss aversion: The influence of prenatal androgen exposure (2D:4D). Personality and Individual Differences 117: 273-279.
Hermann, D., Sauthoff, S. & Mußhoff, O. (2017). Ex-ante evaluation of policy measures to enhance carbon sequestration in agricultural soils. Ecological Economics 140: 241-250.
Rommel, J., Hermann, D., Müller, M. & Mußhoff, O. (2017). Comprehension in risk elicitation tasks: The effect of contextual framing and incentives. Applied Economics
Letters 24(9): 627-634.
Vollmer, E., Hermann, D. & Mußhoff, O. (2017). An experimental approach to investment decisions of conventional and organic hog farmers. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics 65(2): 293-315.
Vollmer, E., Hermann, D. & Mußhoff, O. (2017). Is the risk attitude measured with the Holtand Laury task reflected in farmers’ production risk? European Review of Agricultural
Economics 44(3): 399-424.
Hermann, D. & Mußhoff, O. (2016). Measuring time preference – Comparing methods and evaluating the magnitude effect. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics 65: 16-26.
Hermann, D. & Mußhoff, O. (2016). Anchoring effects in experimental discount rate elicitation. Applied Economics Letters 23(14): 1022-1025.
Hermann, D., Agethen, K. & Mußhoff, O. (2016). Investment behavior and status quo bias of organic and conventional hog farmers: An experimental approach. Renewable
Agriculture and Food Systems 31(4): 318-329.
Hermann, D., Rüther, D. & Mußhoff, O. (2015). Die Zeitpräferenz von Landwirten – Ein experimenteller Methodenvergleich. Swiss Journal of Business Research and Practice/Die Unternehmung 69(4): 396-417.
Holst, G.S., Hermann, D. & Mußhoff, O. (2015). Anchoring effects in an experimental auction - Are farmers anchored? Journal of Economic Psychology 48: 106-117.
Hermann, D., Agethen, K. & Mußhoff, O. (2014). Ein experimenteller Vergleich des Investitionsverhaltens ökologisch und konventionell wirtschaftender Schweinehalter in Deutschland. German Journal of Agricultural Economics 64(1): 1-15.