Summer semester 2018
In the summer semester 2018, the Chair of Business Administration, especially Sustainability Management, conducted two service learning projects with the project partners Christliche Verein Junger Menschen (CVJM Pfalz e.V.) and Arbeits- und Sozialpädagogisches Zentrum Kaiserslautern (ASZ).
CVJM Pfalz e. V.
In the service learning project with the CVJM Pfalz e.V., the student team supported the association with ongoing management issues.
Problem
Voluntary commitment in the Pfalz region is declining. There is a lack of project-independent donations, which are needed, for example, for the salaries of paid employees. In addition, the number of people who carry out a voluntary social year and the number of federal volunteers is declining continuously.
In the course of the project, 3 concrete goals were defined:
- Development of new measures for recruiting volunteers
- Revision of grant applications for new donations
- Improvement of the approach to contacting potential cooperation partners
Method
In order to identify the target groups of the CVJM Pfalz, the student team applied the customer model according to Helmig, Michalski and Thaler (2009) to the customers of the CVJM Pfalz. The customer stereotypes were then developed and addressed using various methods.
In order to increase the number of volunteers, a cooperation was initiated with Dr. Isabel Neto Carvahlho, the study manager of the Department of Social Sciences, TUK. The CVJM Pfalz now has the opportunity at the beginning of each semester to give a short lecture at the introductory event of the teaching students. The apprenticeship students have to complete a 15-day extracurricular internship as part of their bachelor studies, which is now also possible at CVJM Pfalz.
In order to reconstruct the funding applications, the applications already submitted were analysed with regard to their similarities. During the analysis it was found that many sponsors require the same or similar application contents. In consultation with the association management, the student team then drew up descriptions that could be used in future applications, as well as a short question section for the most frequently asked questions with standardised answers. The goals of sustainable development were optionally incorporated into the application material.
In order to make it easier to contact potential cooperation partners, the student team created a cover letter template based on the homepage. The template consists of a short description of the CVJM Pfalz and leaves enough space for an individual cooperation request.
Arbeits- und Sozialpädagogisches Zentrum Kaiserslautern (ASZ)
Problem
In 2018 the ASZ opened a conference and leisure centre, the "Galappmühle". Due to the lack of time resources, it was not possible for the ASZ to answer the associated management questions.
The following objectives were defined in the course of the project:
- Increasing the level of awareness of the conference and leisure centre
- Securing future customer acquisition
- To make the "Galappmühle" economically viable in the long term
Method
First the market and the external impact of the Galappmühle were analysed. The student team identified the most important customer groups.
Building on this, the students carried out a positioning analysis. The analysis showed that the Galappmühle can fill positioning gaps in the market, especially through the expansion of sustainability aspects, the creation of recreation areas and the expansion of equipment.
Next, the students created a network diagram and compared the Galappmühle with concrete competitors in the Kaiserslautern area. A clear competitive situation emerged, but the students also recognised the potential for a unique position.
In order to address the target groups of the Galappmühle, the team identified the possible relevant channels and marketing instruments.
In addition, the team gave recommendations for the further procedure and the further development as well as for the external effect and the customer acquisition.