DITTERT Marius, DBA

Marius Dittert began his career in energy trading and portfolio management for major energy suppliers. For many years, he held senior positions in B2B sales and is now the managing director of a regional energy supplier within the E.ON Group.

He defended his DBA dissertation on “Erfolgsfaktoren einer leistungsfähigen Kooperation zwischen Dienstleistungsunternehmen aus der Energie- und Wohnungswirtschaft” (in English: “Success factors for effective cooperation between service companies in the energy and housing industries”) in March 2025.

His supervisor is Prof. Ulrike Mayrhofer from IAE Nice – Université Côte d’Azur, France.

Prof Mayrhofer Ulrike

Success factors for effective co-operation between service providers in the energy and housing industries

In an era where the traditional boundaries between industries are increasingly blurring, and technological advancements alongside growing sustainability expectations compel businesses to explore innovative forms of collaboration, this dissertation examines the key factors that drive successful partnerships between service companies in the energy and housing sectors. Given that these two industries, historically operating separately, now face shared challenges, this study aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics and potentials of such cross-industry collaborations. The research seeks to provide both theoretically grounded and practically relevant insights that can serve as a guide for future strategic partnerships within the service sector.
Despite a broad body of literature on strategic alliances and collaborations, this dissertation identifies a notable research gap: there is a lack of specific knowledge regarding the unique dynamics, challenges, and key success factors that make collaborations between service companies in the energy and housing sectors successful. This gap is particularly striking because, although these industries have interacted intensively for decades, the complex interrelationships that characterise these cross-industry partnerships have been insufficiently addressed in academic research.
The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies to gain a thorough understanding of the topic. Initially, a qualitative study was conducted, involving ten semi-structured interviews with executives from both sectors – five from the energy industry and five from the housing sector. These executives represented a range of companies in terms of size and management levels. The interviews, lasting between 48 and 62 minutes, were systematically coded and analysed to gain deeper insights into the success factors of collaborations.
Building on the qualitative findings, a quantitative survey was developed, focused on six central hypotheses. These hypotheses, derived from the interviews and existing literature, were tested using a questionnaire distributed to a broad range of companies and contacts in both sectors. A total of 69 fully completed questionnaires were statistically analysed, confirming the empirical validity of the qualitative results.
This approach enables a profound understanding of the complexities and specific challenges of cross-industry partnerships. The analysis identifies essential success factors that form the foundation for efficient, sustainable, and mutually beneficial collaborations. Based on these findings, the dissertation provides practical recommendations for managing such partnerships. The proposed strategies and measures are designed to help companies address the complexity and multifaceted challenges of these relationships. The identification of specific success factors such as trust, commitment, process excellence, and financial value, as well as examining their impact on partnership performance, allows companies to refine their approaches to initiating and managing cross-industry collaborations. A particularly valuable insight is that the success of collaborations in the service sector relies heavily on trust, commitment, and process excellence, while immediate financial benefit plays a secondary role. Thus, the study offers new insights and a solid foundation for designing effective cooperative relationships that build on key success factors, thereby creating sustainable value for all stakeholders.
By developing a detailed theoretical framework based on a careful analysis of existing literature and empirical data from interviews and surveys, this dissertation makes a substantial contribution to academic collaboration research. It enhances academic understanding of the mechanisms and conditions influencing the success of collaborations in the service sector while also providing practical recommendations for managing such partnerships. This study addresses a significant gap in collaboration research and enriches this field with valuable, practice-oriented insights and recommendations. By focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities of cooperation between the energy and housing industries, it significantly contributes to harnessing the potential of synergistic partnerships in these service sectors. With its extensive analyses and well-founded proposals, this study serves as an indispensable resource for academics, industry experts, and decision-makers striving to foster effective and sustainable cooperative relationships.