I am a Professor of Management and Vice President of Teaching and Faculty at Macromedia University of Applied Sciences. Additionally, I serve as an adviser on industry and technology policy, particularly digitalization, at the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labour, and Tourism Baden-Württemberg.
Innovation is central to my work, both in practice and theory, particularly at the intersection of technology and organizations. My focus is on artificial intelligence and immersive technologies such as augmented and virtual reality. Macromedia was recognized as the most innovative private university in Germany in 2024, an achievement I was fortunate to lead by driving the conceptualization and implementation of new technologies. This work has also been covered in prominent media outlets, including Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) and Die Welt.
My research on digital innovations has been featured in journals like Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Journal of Media Business Studies, and Journal of Media Innovations. I have also presented at leading conferences in information systems (AMCIS, ECIS, HICSS, ICIS, PACIS) and media management (EMMA, IMMAA, WMEMC). In addition, I was speaker at events with a focus on innovation and education, for example the University:Future Festival and Forum Hochschulräte.
Previously, I earned my PhD at the Institute for Information Systems and New Media at Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich. I also initiated the AI activities at the Bavarian State Ministry for Digital Affairs. My professional experience spans more than a decade in technology policy, augmented reality development, e-commerce, and consulting, including founding startups that received six-digit funding. I also coach organizations in agile innovation management, working with several DAX-listed companies.
Digital innovations have already changed whole industries and challenge established ways of doing business in many others. How digital innovations affect organizations and the individuals within them is an exciting area of research that I cover from a practical and a theoretical perspective.
Abstract: The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) presents universities with the dual challenge of regulating its use while equipping students with essential AI skills. This paper examines the unique role of universities as safe environments for experimentation and learning amidst this technological evolution. Focusing on Macromedia University of Applied Sciences, which proactively encouraged AI use in education starting in the winter semester of 2022/23, the study analyzes the impact of AI tools on student performance, perceptions, and academic integrity. Utilizing data from over 10,000 project papers and final theses, along with survey responses from students and faculty, the findings reveal varied engagement levels with AI among students. Despite the promotion of AI, a significant proportion of students remained hesitant or unaware of its potential, leading to an overall limited impact on academic performance. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on balancing innovation and educational integrity in the context of AI in higher education.
Abstract: Users’ perceptions of a material artefact hold important implications of how they make sense of a digital innovation, expressed in their technological frames about the innovation. Yet, research on sensemaking offers little insights on the role of the material artefact for shaping users’ technological frames. This paper proposes a 2x2 experiment to investigate how newness as a crucial aspect of the material artefact influences users’ frames. Based on theories of resonance, we assume that this effect is mediated by cognitive and emotional resonance. We manipulate the technical and design newness of smart speakers to investigate our research model. Our findings contribute to research on technology sensemaking by illuminating the role of the newness of the material artefact. For developers, our results indicate how users’ understanding can be shaped by embodying familiar and non-familiar cues in digital innovations.
Schmid, S. A., Rauschnabel, P. A., & Mütterlein, J. (2023). A Bibliometric Analysis of Avatar Research in XR. International XR-Metaverse Conference, Las Vegas, NV, USA, June 2023. | Download full paper
Mütterlein, J., Kunz, R. E., & Baier, D. (2019). Effects of Lead-Usership on the Acceptance of Media Innovations: A Mobile Augmented Reality Case. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, (145), pp. 113-124. | Download full paper
Mütterlein, J. (2018). The Three Pillars of Virtual Reality? Investigating the Roles of Immersion, Presence, and Interactivity. Proceedings of the 51st HICSS, pp. 1407-1415. | Download full paper
Research and teaching at Macromedia; developing and implementing an award-winning concept for using digital technologies in didactics and organizational structures
Coordinating Invest BW, the largest innovation funding program in the history of Baden-Württemberg; handling technology transfer management and digital hubs
Concepts for and evaluation of projects with focus on artificial intelligence; coach for agile methods at the Open Digital Transformation Hub (with Clariant, Infineon Technologies, Linde & Munich Re)
Managing director, Center for Internet Research and Media Integration, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (July 2016 - December 2019)
Research assistant, Institute for Information Systems and New Media, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (July 2016 - December 2019)
Research assistant, Junior Professorship for Media Management, University of Bayreuth (September 2013 - June 2016)
Co-Founder and CEO, White Pony, Munich (January 2013 - December 2019)
Online marketer, Häfele GmbH & Co KG, Nagold (October 2009 - September 2011)
Topic: Hedonic Consumption of Virtual Reality
Specialization in experiments as well as qualitative and quantitative methods
Specialization in media management and media informatics
Specialization in management and finance
To get in touch, please write me an email (joschka [at] muetterlein.com) or contact me via the social media channels below. I look forward to hearing from you.