Thomas Afflerbach is Visiting Professor of Business Administration, especially Service Management, at the Berlin School of Economics and Law, University of Applied Sciences. He earned a Master degree in Business Studies and a PhD in Social Sciences at the University of Konstanz. He obtained diverse work experience at an international train manufacturer.. Since a couple of years he consults teams and teaches innovation methods, for instance as a Design Thinking Coach at the Hasso-Plattner-Institute Academy at the University of Potsdam. His current research and teaching focuses on user-centered Innovation Management (Service Design and Design Thinking), Human Resource Management and Organization Studies, Digitalization of Service Companies, Marketing, New Ways of Working e.g. Virtual Teams and Trust in Organizations.

• Introduction.- Theory: Challenges for Cooperation.- Theory: Solutions to Foster Cooperation.- Method.- Findings: Expression of Contextual Challenges.- Findings: Practices to Foster Cooperation.- Discussion.- Conclusion.

Thomas Afflerbach is Visiting Professor of Business Administration, especially Service Management, at the Berlin School of Economics and Law, University of Applied Sciences. He earned a Master degree in Business Studies and a PhD in Social Sciences at the University of Konstanz. He obtained diverse work experience at an international train manufacturer.. Since a couple of years he consults teams and teaches innovation methods, for instance as a Design Thinking Coach at the Hasso-Plattner-Institute Academy at the University of Potsdam. His current research and teaching focuses on user-centered Innovation Management (Service Design and Design Thinking), Human Resource Management and Organization Studies, Digitalization of Service Companies, Marketing, New Ways of Working e.g. Virtual Teams and Trust in Organizations.

• Introduction.- Theory: Challenges for Cooperation.- Theory: Solutions to Foster Cooperation.- Method.- Findings: Expression of Contextual Challenges.- Findings: Practices to Foster Cooperation.- Discussion.- Conclusion.

Thomas Afflerbach is Visiting Professor of Business Administration, especially Service Management, at the Berlin School of Economics and Law, University of Applied Sciences. He earned a Master degree in Business Studies and a PhD in Social Sciences at the University of Konstanz. He obtained diverse work experience at an international train manufacturer.. Since a couple of years he consults teams and teaches innovation methods, for instance as a Design Thinking Coach at the Hasso-Plattner-Institute Academy at the University of Potsdam. His current research and teaching focuses on user-centered Innovation Management (Service Design and Design Thinking), Human Resource Management and Organization Studies, Digitalization of Service Companies, Marketing, New Ways of Working e.g. Virtual Teams and Trust in Organizations.

• Introduction.- Theory: Challenges for Cooperation.- Theory: Solutions to Foster Cooperation.- Method.- Findings: Expression of Contextual Challenges.- Findings: Practices to Foster Cooperation.- Discussion.- Conclusion.