Bodo Abel

Bodo Abel
Bodo Abel
Born	January 18, 1948 (age 78); Germany
Occupation(s)	Academic, Professor of Business Administration
Years active	1968–present
Known for	International Marketing, Media Management, Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Bodo Abel, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 1 December 2025

Bodo Abel (born January 18, 1948) is a German academic affiliated with the University of Hamburg, where he specializes in Business Administration with an emphasis on International Marketing. Up until 2013, he was the head of the international master's program 'MiBA – Master of International Business Administration,' jointly offered by the University of Hamburg and St. Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance (FINEC) in Russia. His areas of specialization encompass International Marketing, Media Management, Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Business Administration methodologies.

Life and career

From 1968 to 1973, Bodo Abel pursued studies in Business Administration at the University of Mannheim, influenced notably by marketing scholar Hans Raffée and philosopher Hans Albert, a proponent of critical rationalism. His doctoral thesis explored the "Foundations of Explaining Human Behavior." After working as an assistant professor under Raffée, Abel transitioned to a leadership position at the publishing firm Gruner+Jahr AG & Co. in 1982. He returned to academia in 1994 as a marketing professor at Hamburg's University of Applied Sciences and, a year later, joined Hamburg University for Economy and Politics (HWP), now incorporated into the University of Hamburg. In 1998, he established the international master's program 'MiBA – Master of International Business Administration,' assuming leadership from 2005 onward. This program also operates as a double degree in collaboration with St. Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance (FINEC) in Russia.

Scientific contributions

Throughout his professorial career, Bodo Abel delivered lectures internationally on various subjects including:

Media Marketing at institutions such as the University of Hanover, University of Hamburg, and St. Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance (FINEC) in Russia,
International Marketing courses at the University of Hamburg, FINEC, East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai, and Nanjing University in China,
International Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility at both the University of Hamburg and FINEC,
International Case Study Seminars involving real-time international management cases with student participation from Hamburg, FINEC, and East China University of Science and Technology.

His scholarly works began with a focus on scientific methodology within business administration before expanding into marketing, ethics, and brand management topics. Abel highlighted that marketing management should address not only commercial success but also social and community-oriented goals, including socio-marketing and city-branding initiatives.

Books

Grundlagen der Erklärung in der Betriebswirtschaftslehre. Überlegungen zu einer Kontroverse zwischen Konstruktivisten und Kritischen Rationalisten,, Dissertation, Mannheim 1981
Wissenschaftstheoretische Grundfragen der Wirtschaftswissenschaften,, Vahlen Publishing House, 1979; edited alongside Prof. Dr. Hans Raffée (also released in Japanese by Zeimu-Keiri-Kyokai Publishing House, Tokyo 1982)
Grundlagen der Erklärung menschlichen Handelns,, J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck) Verlag, 1983 (part of "Die Einheit der Gesellschaftswissenschaften")
Management mit Vision und Verantwortung. Eine Herausforderung an Wissenschaft und Praxis,, (co-editor with Klaus-Peter Wiedmann and Wolfgang Fritz), Gabler-Verlag, 2004

Articles

Advocacy for an Enlightenment- and Design-Oriented Marketing Science,, in: Fischer-Winkelmann/W. F./Rock, R. (Eds.), Marketing and Society, Gabler-Verlag, 1977
Business Administration and Practical Reason,, in: Steinmann, H. (Ed.), Business Administration as a Normative Action Science, Gabler-Verlag, 1978
Conceptualizing Economic Sciences through Theoretical Models,, in: Raffée/Abel (Eds.), Fundamental Epistemological Issues in Economics, Verlag Vahlen, 1979
Critical Rationalism and the Principle of Value-Freedom,, ibid., 1979
Roles and Current Trends in the Philosophy of Science within Economics, (co-authored with Hans Raffée), ibid., 1979
Power-Theoretical Frameworks and Individualism as Foundations for Corporate Conflict Research,, in: Dlugos, G. (Ed.), Corporate Conflict Research, C. E. Poeschel Verlag, 1979
Socio-Marketing, (with Hans Raffée and Peter Wiedmann), in: Irle, M. (Ed.), Handbook of Psychology Vol. 12: Methods and Applications in Market Psychology, Verlag Hogrefe, 1983
An Independent Cultural Studies Perspective in Business Administration: Is It Necessary?, in: Fischer-Winkelmann (Ed.), Paradigm Shift in Business Administration?, Verlag René F. Wilfer, 1983
Functions of Philosophy of Science within Economics,, in: Hummel, T. R. (Ed.), The Study of Economics, Campus Verlag, 1984
Socially Engaged Individuals – Core Target Group for Socially Oriented Marketing,, in: Meffert/Wagner (Eds.), Value Change and Consumer Behavior, Scientific Society for Marketing and Corporate Management e.V., Münster 1984
Constructivism,, in: Dichtl/Issing (Eds.), Vahlen’s Comprehensive Economic Encyclopedia Vol. 1, Verlag C.H. Beck/Vahlen, 1987
Cultural Studies,, ibid.
Transsubjectivity Principle,, ibid.
Is Management Science a Cultural Science?, in: Kojima/Schanze (Eds.) Economics and Critical Rationalism. Scientific Exchange Germany-Japan, Tokyo 1987 (in Japanese)
Marketing Ethics – Starting Points, Obstacles and Consequences,, Die Betriebswirtschaft DBW, 48(1988)
Ethics, Market and Media,, in: Silberer/Specht/Engelhardt (Eds.), Marketing Interfaces, C.E. Poeschel Verlag, 1989
Dialogue and Ethics – A Non-Dialogical Approach to Ethical Evaluation of Dialogue,, in: Hansen (Ed.), Marketing in Societal Dialogue, Campus Verlag, 1996
Fundamental Challenges in E-Branding,, in: Riekhof (Ed.), E-Branding Strategies in Practice, Gabler Verlag, 2001
Management SMI meschdurinkom, politikoj i svobodojpechati, Region 4/2001 St. Petersburg
Media Management: Market, Politics and Press Freedom,, in: Bagiev (Ed.) Russia-European Union Relations in the Era of Globalization
Cosmopolitanism – The Next “Big Idea”? On Ulrich Beck’s Book “Power and Counterpower in the Global Age”, Personalführung January 2003
Key Challenges of Globalization for Research and Higher Education in International Business Administration,, AFBE Conference Report Shanghai May 2004
Ethical-Normative Analyses within Economics – Feasible and Advisable, in: Wiedmann/Fritz/Abel (Eds.) Management with Vision and Responsibility. Gabler Verlag 2004
Core Challenges of Globalization to Research and Education of International Management at Universities,, Bagiev (Ed.) European Education Vol.1 St. Petersburg 2006
Corporate Social Responsibility in Journalism and Media Management – An Overview,, CIS-Paper Workshop Corporate Social Responsibility Media Companies June 2007
International University Cooperation along the Hamburg – St. Petersburg – Shanghai Partnership – Why International Study Programs?, ChinaContact October 2007
Diversity and Competition as Foundations for the Competitiveness of Our Universities,, Anniversary Publication International Higher Education Academy of Science Moscow 2007
St. Petersburg – City Brand Strategy,, Bagiev/Meffert (Eds.) Relationship Marketing St. Petersburg 2009

Awards and Affiliations

2005 Honorary Doctorate, St. Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance (FINEC)
2001 Inducted as a member, International Higher Education Academy of Sciences (IHEAS), Russia
2003 Appointed Vice-President, German branch of the International Higher Education Academy of Sciences (IHEAS)

External links