Goltermann Foundation
The aim of the Goltermann Foundation, which was founded at the University of Applied Sciences Mainz by Prof. Dr. Stefan Schick and Prof. Dr. Hans-Christoph Reiss, is to promote research and teaching in economics. The focus is on interdisciplinary projects that deal with employee participation in businesses.
Board of Directors:
- Benefactor Frank Goltermann
- Prof. Dr. Hans-Christoph Reiss
- Prof. Dr. Stefan Schick
- Prof. Dr. Bernd-Dieter Wieth
The benefactor, Frank Goltermann (80), who was an associate in the medium-sized world market leader for telecommunications and semiconductor technology Wandel und Goltermann GmbH & Co. (WaGo) in Eningen, was convinced that employees should also think and act like entrepreneurs. Goltermann believed that “the participation of employees in the success and failure of a company’’ makes a contribution to ensuring their “identification with the company”.
The foundation aims to stimulate research projects. Concretely, these are interrelated bachelor’s and master’s theses which explore various forms of employee participation in businesses. Focus and goal is a form of employee involvement in the company which transcends the usual forms of participation, such as employee shareholding. It is conceivable that employees own up to one hundred percent of company assets and possess corresponding rights of codetermination.
A model of employee participation developed by Prof. Schick himself is to be examined by students in praxis with regard to its suitability and feasibility. The foundation and the University of Applied Sciences plan to publish the results of this research project jointly at a later date.
The intention of the FH, as expressed by Prof. Reiss, member of the Board of Directors, is that promising companies and especially start-up businesses profit from the expert findings. The final report can be obtained from consulting services for founding companies.
The chief executive of the Chamber of Trade (HWK) Rheinhessen, Günther Tartter, gave to understand that his institution could also distribute the report. “We must see that we continue to educate our businessmen, so that they have a chance on the market,” he said. The project “Employees as Entrepreneurs” is fundamentally important for commercial enterprises in Rhineland-Palatinate. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry also believes this. The Goltermann Foundation is located in the rooms of the ifams institute of the Faculty Economics of the University of Applied Sciences Mainz. Prof. Reiss is responsible for the operation of the foundation.
