Dr. Jochen Fähndrich receives the Controlling Dissertation Award 2025
In the picture (from left): ICV Chairman Matthias von Daacke, Chairman of the Péter Horváth Foundation Prof. Dr. Reinhold Mayer, Award winner Dr. Jochen Fähndrich and ICV Board Member Pia Burkarth.
Wörthsee/Stuttgart/Linz/Berlin, October 18, 2025: Dr. Jochen Fähndrich was awarded the ICV – Péter Horváth Controlling Dissertation Award for his work “The impact of digitalization on management control of small and medium-sized enterprises” on 18 October in Berlin. The award ceremony took place as part of the North-East Conference of the International Association of Controllers. We spoke to the Award winner in the run-up to the event.
Dear Dr. Fähndrich, first of all, congratulations on the Award! Can you tell us something in summary about the topic and objective of your work?
Dr Fähndrich: My thesis deals with the digitalization of controlling in SMEs. The aim of the thesis was to show how SMEs are implementing digital change in controlling, what differences there are compared to larger companies and what specific approaches SMEs are pursuing.
How did you proceed?
Dr. Fähndrich: I first carried out a systematic literature analysis. This involved recording the current state of research and current research focuses on the digitalization of controlling. Subsequently, expert interviews were conducted with managers from SMEs in order to gain practical insights into the implementation of the digitalization of controlling. This involved investigating how the tasks of controlling are changing, which digital tools are being used and what organizational requirements are being placed on management. Finally, a quantitative survey was conducted to empirically identify factors influencing the success of digitalization in controlling.
What are your key findings?
Dr Fähndrich: “The results show that skills are the decisive success factor for successful digitalization in controlling. However, medium-sized companies face considerable challenges: On the one hand, there is often a lack of financial and organizational resources, and on the other, there is a lack of strategic support from management. These deficits mean that the digital transformation process in controlling in SMEs is slower and more fragmented than in large companies.
How relevant is your work in practice?
Dr Fähndrich: The results of this work offer recommendations for SMEs that want to further develop their controlling in the course of digitalization. They show that the development of digital skills in controlling and management is the central prerequisite for a successful transformation. In practice, this means that companies should invest specifically in further training and qualification measures in order to strengthen the digital skills of their controllers. It is also clear that active support from management is crucial in order to strategically anchor digitalization initiatives and provide the necessary resources – both financial and organizational.
What was your motivation for taking part in the tender?
Dr. Fähndrich: I wrote my dissertation while working at Horváth & Partner. However, before I started, I had great respect for the high demands of being a management consultant and a doctoral candidate at the same time. I had a brief conversation with Péter Horváth at Horváth’s Stuttgart office – and told him about my concerns. He asked me about my motivation and why I was still hesitating, to which I replied that I was worried about failure. Péter said in his own way that I should “just get started” and then everything else would fall into place. And that gave me the final boost of motivation for my work. I wasn’t able to thank Péter personally for his motivation and kind words, but for me, applying for the award closed a small circle.
Can you tell us anything else about Jochen Fähndrich as a person?
Dr. Fähndrich: About me professionally: I studied industrial engineering at the Technical University of Munich and at UCL London (Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees). After my studies, I worked at Horváth & Partner in Munich as a management consultant in the field of finance. From 2020 to 2023 I did my doctorate part-time with Prof. Pedell at the Chair of Controlling at the University of Stuttgart. I then moved to Linz in Austria (for personal reasons), where I have been working as Finance Manager at Höglinger Denzel (car dealership) for a good year now.
About me privately: I am married, have 2 sons (aged 4 and 2), enjoy playing tennis in summer and skiing in winter.
How and where did you find out that you had won the award?
Dr. Fähndrich: I found out about the Award while I was on vacation with my family. When we went to our room together after a day at the beach, I checked my e-mails and read the notification. We then celebrated with a large portion of ice cream.
