Two books. Three decades. And a rather sobering sales record.

What my diploma thesis and my dissertation taught me about knowledge transfer, accessibility and academic writing — and why this is relevant for every leader.

It was 1996. I was young, idealistic, and convinced that the world was just waiting to read my diploma thesis in business psychology. The topic: computer-aided psychological diagnostics. Back then, that was still half-baked—AI was a nerd's dream, and anyone who talked about "digital diagnostics" in corporate circles was met with either enthusiasm or the look you'd give someone who discusses quantum physics at a family dinner.

Today, almost 30 years later, computer-aided diagnostics are as commonplace as making coffee in the morning. The prediction has proven true. The work itself? Less so.

My diploma thesis was sold twice in a full 30 years.

I repeat: TWICE. In three decades. I hope my mother wasn't one of the buyers.

My doctoral thesis, on the other hand—submitted in 2019, not even ten years old—has now been viewed around 1,000 times. Freely accessible online, in English, it covers a topic that still fascinates me: how to modernize companies more effectively. Or, in my own words: how to identify sacred cows and replace them with something better.

What explains the difference? Four suspects.

I asked myself this question honestly—without sugarcoating it. Here are the four factors I identified:

1. A doctorate beats a diploma — the status signal counts.

Academic hierarchies are real. A doctorate signals in-depth research, and that influences who even notices the work. Unfair? Perhaps. True? Definitely. In a world where attention is scarcer than time, status signals act as door openers.

2. Free always beats money.

My diploma thesis was published by a publishing house. Anyone who wants to read it has to pay. My dissertation is freely available online—one click, and it's yours. The internet has fundamentally changed our expectations of accessibility. Those who hide knowledge behind a paywall now pay a high price in the form of irrelevance. This applies to academic work just as much as to corporate communications.

3. English beats German — within range.

The diploma thesis is in German. The dissertation is in English. That explains part of the difference—English is the lingua franca of science and the internet. Those who publish in English potentially speak to millions. Those who write in German speak to the German-speaking world (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). Both have their place—but the reach is simply different.

4. Qualitative beats quantitative — in terms of readability.

That's my prime suspect. My thesis is written in quantitative research: regression analyses, factor loadings, significance levels. Beautifully precise. And completely unreadable for anyone who doesn't dream in matrices.

My doctoral thesis, on the other hand, is qualitative research. I interviewed experienced change agents from all over the world—not buzzword bingo champions, but people with real scars and real successes. I collected their stories, distilled their frustrations, and documented their strategies. The result is something anyone can read: CEOs, office workers, and curious couch potatoes.

Qualitative research tells stories. Quantitative research calculates. Both are valuable — but only one reaches a wide audience.

The real lesson: It's not just about the topic.

To be honest, I don't think the primary difference lies in the topics. Both are—in my completely subjective opinion—highly interesting. On the one hand, how to diagnose people using computers. On the other hand, how to get companies back on track more effectively.

The difference lies in the way I wrote it. And for whom.

The thesis was written for the examiners. Methodologically sound, academically rigorous, statistically watertight. It served its purpose—I got my diploma. But it was never truly written for people.

The dissertation was written—at least in my intention—for practitioners. For the people who sit in companies every day and ask themselves: "Why do so many change initiatives fail? And what can we do better?" Whether I completely succeeded in that is another question. But the direction was different.

Complexity impresses reviewers. Clarity reaches people. And reach only occurs when people actually read—and don't just nod and scroll on.

What this has to do with change management.

I'm not telling this story to complain about the meager sales figures for my thesis. Two buyers are at least two more than zero.

I tell this story because I observe the same dynamic in companies every day.

Organizations produce strategy papers that no one reads. They send out change communications that disappear into inboxes. They create PowerPoint decks with 87 slides full of buzzwords—for board reviewers, not for the people who are actually supposed to implement the change.

The result is well known: engagement rates around 30 percent, failure rates for transformation projects exceeding 70 percent, and employees who nod in agreement and then continue exactly as before.

The question I ask my clients is: Do you write for experts — or for people?

Knowledge that is inaccessible changes nothing. Communication that no one understands achieves nothing. And strategies that lie dormant in drawers are, at best, an expensive waste of paper.

One last question — for you.

In your opinion, what is the most important factor that explains the difference? Status signal, accessibility, language, or readability?

And even more interesting: Have you ever produced something yourself — a strategy, a concept, a presentation — that deserved more attention, but disappeared into the swamp of complexity?

Dr. Stephan Meyer | Doctor Change

Expert in Business Transformation & Change Management | Keynote Speaker

30+ years of experience | Sacred Cow Framework | office@stephanmeyer.com

www.stephanmeyer.com | jo.my/redner