Maximilian Bauer, M.Sc.

Short Biography

Maximilian is a Doctoral Candidate (Ph.D.) at the Chair of Innovation and Creativity, and the MBA Program Manager, at WFI - Ingolstadt School of Management at the Catholic University of Eichstätt Ingolstadt (KU). He has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a major in International Management, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration with a major in Market-oriented Management from WFI. He studied abroad at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Cali, Colombia, during his Bachelor’s, and was part of the MBA Program at the University of California at Davis, USA, during his Master’s degree.

His research focuses primarily on Marketing, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, with a strong emphasis on bridging academic insights with managerial implications.
Throughout his academic journey, he has explored Open and Responsible Innovation, decolonizing entrepreneurship models, and consumer vulnerability, applying qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method approaches.

His industry experience spans strategic marketing, consulting, and recruitment as a working student and intern, equipping him with a solid understanding of business dynamics. He enjoys performing as a DJ of EDM and Deep House, is an avid sports fan, and loves to travel.

LinkedIn Profile

Manuscripts Under Review

Shashi Matta, Maximilian Bauer, Anna Reith, Tomoko Kawakami, Linda Hamdi-Kidar, and Rajeev Gopalakrishnan, ”Title withheld for blind review process," invited for 2nd round review at the Journal of Product Innovation Management.

Maximilian Bauer and Shashi Matta, ”Title withheld for blind review process," invited for 2nd round review at the Journal of Business Research.

Other Publications

“The Financial Return on Creativity – The Case for Advertising,” Maximilian Bauer, Scott Koslow, Shashi Matta, and David W. Stewart, 2024, MASB White Paper 13. (Authors listed in alphabetical order.) - Free Download

Selected Research in Progress

Maximilian Bauer and Shashi Matta, ”Open Innovation in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises."

Shashi Matta, Maximilian Bauer, George Joseph, Rajeev Gopalakrishnan, and Somesh Kumar Sinha, “Innovation Pathways to Mitigate Vulnerability.”

Shashi Matta, Maximilian Bauer, and Rajeev Gopalakrishnan, “Entrepreneurship Growth Models.”

Shashi Matta, Anna Reith, and Maximilian Bauer, “ESG Reporting and Innovation”

Research Interests

• Innovation In Firms - Open and Co-Created Innovation, Responsible and Sustainable Innovation, New Product Development
• Entrepreneurship - Growth Strategies, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Business Models

Research Methods

• Quantitative - Survey Research, Experimental Research
• Qualitative - Grounded Theory, Theories-in-Use

Teaching Experience

• Innovation & Creativity in Individuals, Teams, and Organizations (Graduate Level)
• Innovating for Sustainability (Undergraduate Level)
• Consumer Psychology (Undergraduate Level)

Conference Presentations

“Innovation in Service Ecosystems to Reduce Marketplace Vulnerability,” with Shashi Matta, George Joseph, Rajeev Gopalakrishnan, and Somesh Sinha. 32^nd IPDMC: Innovation and Product Development Management Conference, Porto, Portugal, June 2025. (Accepted for Presentation)

“Sustainability Transparency and its Effect on Firm Innovation,” with Shashi Matta and Anna Reith. 32^nd IPDMC: Innovation and Product Development Management Conference, Porto, Portugal, June 2025. (Accepted for Presentation)

“Bridging the Gaps in Theory and Practice of Responsible Innovation Management in Firms: Evidence from Germany, India, and Japan,” with Shashi Matta, Anna Reith, Tomoko Kawakami, Linda Hamdi-Kidar, and Rajeev Gopalakrishnan. 3^rd Annual Responsible Innovation & Entrepreneurship Conference, San Francisco, CA, USA, March 2025.

“Investigating Responsible Innovation Management in For-Profit Firms: Evidence from a Multi-Country Study,” Special Session, Deepa Chandrasekharan, Minu Kumar, Shashi Matta. AMA Winter Academic Conference, Phoenix, AR, USA, February 2025.

"Corporate Responsible Innovation and its Performance: Managerial and Cross-Cultural Perspectives,” with Shashi Matta, Anna Reith, Tomoko Kawakami, Linda Hamdi-Kidar, and Rajeev Gopalakrishnan. 31^st IPDMC: Innovation and Product Development Management Conference, Dublin, Ireland, June 2024.

“Responsible Innovation in Service Firms: A Cross-Cultural Investigation of Stakeholder Engagement in the Innovation Process,” with Shashi Matta, Anna Reith, Tomoko Kawakami, Linda Hamdi-Kidar, and Rajeev Gopalakrishnan. 13^th SERVSIG Conference, Bordeaux, France, June 2024.

“Open Innovation Activity and Innovation Performance in SMEs: A Conceptual Framework and Empirical Investigation,” with Shashi Matta. AMA Winter Academic Conference, St. Pete Beach, FL, USA, February 2024.

“Privacy Literacy and Consumers’ Use of Digital Services: Evidence from Six Countries,” with Shashi Matta, Gonzalo Luna Cortes, and Shanshan Lou. Frontiers in Service Conference & Doctoral Consortium, AMA, Maastricht, Netherlands, June 2023.

"Competitive Strategies for Open Innovation in Small and Medium-Sized Companies," with Shashi Matta, 30^th IPDMC: Innovation and Product Development Management Conference & 2023 IPDMC Doctoral Workshop, Lecco, Italy, June 2023.

“Privacy Literacy and its Effect on Marketplace Behavior: Scale Development, Evidence, and Comparison Across Six Countries,” with Shashi Matta, Gonzalo Luna Cortes, and Shanshan Lou. AMA Winter Academic Conference, Nashville, TN, USA, February 2023.

“Open Innovation Activity and Innovation Performance in SMEs: A Conceptual Framework and Empirical Investigation,” with Shashi Matta, 6^th IMM Summit, Bamberg, Germany, January 2023.

Workshops and Invited Presentations

Featured Speaker, “Future Work Skills,” Labor Market Call, Public Employment Agency Bavaria (Agentur für Arbeit Bayern), September 2023.

Workshop on “Happiness based on Science,” Phytobiotics Futterzusatzstoffe GmbH, September 2023.

Host and Moderator for Panel Discussion on, "Mittelstand und Start-Ups: Die Zukunft des Fortschritts / How can SMEs and Start-ups successfully colaborate?," at the Long Night of Business and Science, WFI - Ingolstadt School of Management, Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, May 2023.

Workshop on “The Science of Happiness Series - The Twin Concepts of Eudamonia and Ikigai: How to be Happy and Fulfilled in our Personal and Professional Lives,” Graduate School of Management, University of California at Davis, February 2023.

Featured Speaker, “Future Work Skills, Personal-Anforderungen der Zukunft,” Economic and Employment Development Region Ingolstadt (Wirtschafts- und Beschäftigungsförderung - WiBef10), December 2022.

Co-Presenter, “Future Forward: The Most Crucial Skills for the Future of Work,” Allianz Consulting, December 2022.

Workshop on “Collaborative Leadership, Shared Vision, and Innovative Problem-Solving,” Graduate School of Management, University of California at Davis, September 2022.

Workshop on Future Planning, CARIAD, A Volkswagen Company, September 2022.

Workshop on “Conquering Fear,” WFI - Ingolstadt School of Management, Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, July 2022.