Impact

VALPOP: Valuing Public Goods in a Populist World

The International Management group at the University of Innsbruck leads the EU HORIZON project VALPOP. 

Governed by the rule of law, democratic states and institutions ensure fair and equal access to public goods. However, populism has gained momentum globally, challenging democracy and the rule of law. Driven by an in-group and out-group rhetoric, populists gain and maintain power by targeting institutions and interfering in creating and allocating public goods, in favour of particular groups. This creates countervailing pressures between the rule of law and populism, affecting the distribution of public goods.

VALPOP aims to study how the creation and distribution of public goods are impacted by rule-of-law governance structures, populism, and societal networks of actors such as politicians, media organisations, and companies. Our analysis takes a network perspective, considering these actors’ interactions, collaborations, and potential collusions, to get a multi-dimensional view of how public goods are valued.

The knowledge findings will not only help raise awareness of the role of societal networks and populism but also suggest measures that can strengthen the control mechanisms and civic engagement to safeguard the democratic governance of public goods.

Corporate Partners

Doppelmayr

The International Management group cooperates with Doppelmayr/Garaventa. Doppelmayr Group is the global quality, technology, and market leader in ropeway engineering. It operates production plants as well as sales and service centers in 50 countries worldwide. To date, the company has built more than 15,100 installations for customers in 96 nations. As a corporate partner, Doppelmayr conducts in-class projects with students. Students analyze a business case and pitch project finance proposals to potential investors. Thereby, Doppelmayr gives students the opportunity to gain insights in its international business development activities.

 

 

Horváth

The consulting firm Horváth collaborates with the International Management group as a corporate partner. Horváth provides management consulting services and carries out projects for international customers—particularly in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The firm supports companies in developing and advancing business models, adapting organizational structures, and to align processes and systems with strategy. As part of this collaboration, the International Management group will organize guest lectures and extracurricular events for students, such as workshops and skill seminars, in cooperation with Horváth.