Thomas Rose interviewed by student from Heidelberg
In order to write a bachelor dissertation, students need to engage with the relevant literature, develop a strong research question and decide how to collect their data. Afterwards, they have to present their results in the context of existing academic research on the subject. Selina Bitz, a 21-yr old graduate of the iba University of Cooperative Education in Heidelberg, did all of the above and more – because she also took up the challenge of interviewing DEBATIN’s CEO Thomas Rose.
Selina completed her work placement at Gold Key Services GmbH in Heidelberg. Specialising in the transport of human and animal samples for medical and veterinary purposes, the company numbers amongst DEBATIN’s partners. Selina’s bachelor dissertation bears the lengthy title “Ecologically Sustainable Measures and How They Give Medium-Sized Logistics Companies a Competitive Edge — A Critical Analysis of the Challenges and Opportunities, using Gold Key Services GmbH as an Example”. “To write my dissertation, I needed to find a company that really cares about sustainability,” Selina tells us. While researching via the internet, she stumbled across DEBATIN — and was hooked from the moment she read the company’s first Sustainability Report . By the time she finished reading the second report, her mind was made up. This was the company to contact!
The role of logistics companies as one of Germany’s largest industry sectors
As the third-largest sector in Germany, the logistics industry will play a major role in helping the country meet its target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045 – a conviction Selina Bitz reinforces right at the beginning of her bachelor dissertation. “But it’s important to note that reductions must align not only with corporate economic goals, but also with ecological goals,” she writes.
She also notes that promoting cooperation along the supply chain and recognising the importance of ecological sustainability are key aspects in the logistics industry. “In my dissertation, I analysed measures that promote ecological sustainability to see whether they make a logistics company more or less competitive. Based on the results, I also derived recommendations for action that logistics companies in the SME category can take to introduce ecologically sustainable measures,” Selina explains. But why choose Thomas Rose for her in-depth interview? The answer to this question can also be found in her dissertation – “Because the judgement and background information I gain from such an interview partner is very valuable.”
Internal communication as a key challenge
Click here to go directly to Selina Bitz's LinkedIn profile
Amongst the background information Thomas Rose was able to share with Selina was the importance of internal communication when it comes to establishing a sustainability mindset in a company setting. “DEBATIN’s situation in 2017 serves as an example of how the workforce’s perception can lead to new challenges. We analysed all of the company’s Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions per annum and purchased carbon credits to offset our emissions. This initiative led to many internal discussions. The employees didn’t know enough about the ecological sustainability of various processes. As a result, we had to go into the subject in more depth in order to establish stable and constructive communication. Problems arise in companies when senior management fails to keep all employees fully informed and involved.”
Sustainability has to be practised from top to bottom and from bottom to top
“Integrating our team into the measures we take towards making our company more sustainable has definitely been worthwhile. However, it will always be an ongoing task,” Thomas Rose explains. “Sustainability has to be practised from top to bottom. Only then is it authentic, and only then can it unfold its full impact.” Rose goes on to list the many advantages from which the company now benefits – including a clear competitive edge when recruiting new talent.
Inspired by Thomas Rose, one of the conclusions Selina Bitz draws in her dissertation is that:
”Companies like (…) Debatin (…) show that even SMEs with limited (financial) resources can do business in an ecologically sustainable manner if they give sufficient weight to the subject.” She also writes, “Companies and individuals can all play a role, however small. If we analyse our actions on a daily basis, we can trigger positive change.”
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Contact:
Anton Debatin GmbH
Personalabteilung
Frau Anja Westendorf
Vichystraße 6
D-76646 Bruchsal
Phone +49 7251 8009 161
personalbuero@debatin.de
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