is driven by a commitment to advancing understanding of the forces that shape economic
and socio-political change across interconnected levels of analysis.
Global Perspectives, Meaningful Research
Anchored in this multi-level perspective, WVPU’s research engages critically with
the forces reshaping contemporary societies.
Technological developments such as digitalization and artificial intelligence, alongside
broader processes of systemic change and economic innovation, are examined not as
isolated phenomena, but as structural drivers redefining agency, coordination, power
and value creation across economic and political systems.
Our scholars investigate macro-level transformations in global governance, international
institutions and political–economic systems; meso-level dynamics within organizations,
markets and innovation processes; and micro-level processes of human behavior, including
decision-making, emotional responses and evolving identities.
Rather than advancing normative agendas, research at WVPU focuses on explaining how
change unfolds, identifying its underlying causal mechanisms and assessing its implications
for individuals, organizations and societies.
Methodologically pluralistic and analytically rigorous, WVPU’s research culture supports
inquiry that challenges established assumptions and advances knowledge at disciplinary
and interdisciplinary frontiers.
We explore how change shapes society.
Recent Outputs
The Empirical Edge: WVPU’s New Research Seminar Series
Webster Vienna Private University has launched a new research seminar series designed
to showcase and discuss empirical scholarship at our university.
Our faculty engage in high-quality research across disciplines including business
and economics, international relations, psychology, media and communication, the social
sciences, and the arts. Embedded in an international academic network and closely
connected to policy, industry and global institutions based in Vienna, Webster Vienna
Private University is well positioned to translate research into practice, inform
public debate and contribute to evidence-based policy making.
Find Out More About Our Latest Research Projects and News
Watch our faculty discuss their research, offering global perspectives and cross-cultural
insights shaped by close links to international institutions, policy and practice.
Transcript
Text on screen: Eva Zedlacher, Assistant Professor of Management, Webster Vienna Private University
[Zedlacher sits in an indoor academic setting. Neutral background.
Zedlacher: Hello, my name is Eva Zedlacher. I'm Assistant Professor of Management here at Webster
Vienna Private University. I do research on nonstandard work arrangements, and my
current research project is called “Four Is More.” We are focusing on the effects
of the four-day work week on worker job and life satisfaction.
We conducted surveys, interviews and experiments with workforce members in Lower Austria,
especially from male-dominated occupations such as carpentry, construction and plumbing.
We find that most workers are very satisfied with the compressed working hours. They
see many benefits for both their private lives and their professional lives.
One challenge is for parents, because a compressed working week means the hours are
condensed, not reduced. If you condense a work week to four days, you end up with
working days of up to 10 hours per day, which limits time for caregiving.
If you have children, someone else has to take over care responsibilities. In most
cases, it was the mother who put the children to bed, did grocery shopping, feeding
and so on. Fathers tried to compensate with excursions on the weekend, but that does
not solve the problem during the week.
To sum up, compressed working hours are great for many workers. For some, including
older workers, this compression of working hours can be quite a challenge.
Meet Our Researchers
Discover faculty engaged in high-quality research across business, international relations,
psychology, media and communication, computer science and law working within an international
academic and policy-connected environment in Vienna.
