Research project in collaboration with Norgren GmbH in Alpen, a company belonging to IMI Precision Engineering
Kleve/Kamp-Lintfort, 1 February 2016: Following an enquiry from IMI Precision Engineering to the programme director, Prof. Dr Nicki Marquardt, Professor of Industrial and Organisational Psychology at Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences, a partnership was established between the university and the regionally based, international company Norgren GmbH, based in Alpen. Norgren GmbH is a subsidiary of IMI Precision Engineering, a leading international manufacturer and systems provider in the field of pneumatic drive and control technology.
As part of this research project, three students from the Faculty of Communication and Environment – Vera Hillen, Annika Mader and Lina Riedel – analysed the company’s day-to-day communication. The aim of the project was to find out how employees perceive the organisation of meetings and the flow of information within the company.
To this end, the students independently developed methods which they applied during behavioural observations, interviews and staff surveys. In particular, they examined general communication, meetings, documentation and shift handover procedures. Following the analysis of the data collected, the findings were presented to senior management, the works council and the workforce, and recommendations for action were put forward.
This project gave the students the opportunity to apply both their theoretical knowledge and their methodological, analytical and social skills in a practical setting, which proved to be an extremely valuable experience for them. The project supervisor from Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr Nicki Marquardt, praised the highly independent and methodologically excellent organisational diagnosis: “The students have demonstrated a very good understanding of how to apply the specialist knowledge of organisational psychology acquired during their studies to a concrete, practical problem. I am certain that this learning experience will be of enormous benefit to them in their future careers.”
