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Recent Submissions

  • Publication
    Groeien als ondernemer - 36 inzichten voor blijvende impact
    (Acco Uitgeverij, 2024) Dillen, Yannick
    Ondernemers staan voor vele uitdagingen. Het bedrijf laten groeien kan vaak enkel als de persoon achter de onderneming ook groeit. Met dit boek tracht Yannick Dillen, professor bij Vlerick Business School, om (toekomstige) bedrijfsleiders, bestuurders en managers een aantal cruciale inzichten te geven om van hen betere ondernemers te maken. Hierdoor zal ook hun bedrijf groter kunnen worden en meer impact creëren. In ’Groeien als ondernemer’ bundelt de auteur 36 laagdrempelige maar inspirerende take aways die hij de voorbije jaren neerschreef op basis van gesprekken met ondernemers in België en Nederland. Een praktische gids met gegarandeerde return on investment.
  • Publication
    Central bank digital currencies
    (De Gruyter, 2024) Ballis, Antonis; Verousis, Thanos; Strong, Carolyn; Martin, Brett; Chrysochou, Polymeros
    The advent of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) represents a transformative milestone in modern banking, capturing the attention of policymakers, financial institutions, and academics alike. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the expanding body of literature on CBDCs. It delves into the critical aspects that define their significance and potential challenges within the banking sector. The primary objective of this chapter is to dissect the foundational elements crucial for the success of CBDC initiatives. It also aims to uncover how CBDCs have the potential to reshape the dynamics of monetary policy transmission and influence the stability of the banking sector, necessitating a delicate balance. Moreover, as the narrative progresses, the focus shifts to the potential of CBDCs to enhance financial inclusion and their role in optimising payment systems. CBDCs are examined for their capacity to ignite financial innovation through integration with the existing infrastructure and the creation of novel financial products. Lastly, this chapter sheds light on the intricate legal and regulatory framework surrounding CBDCs. This framework encompasses both national and international coordination, cybersecurity concerns, and data privacy. Additionally, it discusses the imperative need for the transformation of commercial banking models driven by CBDCs, which, in turn, requires the adaptation of business strategies to remain competitive.
  • Publication
    Digital resilience factors for mobile payment services
    (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2024) Alhassan, M.D.; Butler, Martin; Musabe, Richard; Petterson, John Sören
    Imaging and assessing mobile technology for development (M4D) means understanding the use of appropriate technologies and services, and how they directly or indirectly address socio-economic challenges. This book adopts various perspectives to identify the obstacles to affordable digital technologies in order to enable, enhance, and effect development.The book plays on the tension between success reports and optimistic projections, on one hand, and empirical evidence of technological belly splash, on the other hand. The areas covered include infusion of service education in computing education, the Rwandan establishment of African Centres of Excellence to promote the development of appropriate technology, the metaverse's realisation in a mobile network-enabled "metaversity", and difficulties detected when evaluating digitisation of distance learning, students' security awareness, dissemination of agricultural information, and mobile payment. The decolonisation of community-based media and attempts to step outside the mobile network and Internet are also covered.
  • Publication
    Liefdesbrieven aan ondernemers
    (Lannoo, 2024) Crijns, Hans
    Een meeslepend eerbetoon aan het ondernemerschap In Liefdesbrieven aan ondernemers schrijft Hans Crijns een boeiend en meeslepend eerbetoon aan het ondernemerschap. Het boek geeft een verfrissende variatie op het managementboekthema: Hans Crijns hangt elke brief op aan één concreet aspect of concrete gebeurtenis. Door de anekdotische en vaak humoristische vertelstijl gidst hij de lezer moeiteloos langs vele interessante aspecten van het ondernemerschap.
  • Publication
    Decision-driven analytics: Leveraging human intelligence to unlock the power of data
    (Wharton School Press, 2024) De Langhe, Bart; Puntoni, Stefano; Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
    Companies have more data at their fingertips than ever before. Yet, studies show that many executives and organizations fail to extract real value from it. Challenging the conventional wisdom of data-driven decision-making, marketing professors and behavioral scientists Bart De Langhe and Stefano Puntoni argue that many analytics efforts flounder because data analyses are disconnected from the decisions to be made. In their important book, they offer a new approach they call decision-driven analytics. Counterintuitively, they argue that the key to making good decisions with data is to start by putting data in the background. Drawing from their own research and teaching, as well as real-world business cases, De Langhe and Puntoni offer four pillars of decision-driven analytics and guide you around common mistakes that have held back many organizations from using data for impact. In Decision-Driven Analytics, you will learn how to: + Avoid common pitfalls in data-driven decision-making; + Close the gap between managers and decision-making on one side, and data scientists and data analytics on the other; + Enhance the impact of data analytics on business outcomes; + Think without data to make better decisions; + Prepare for artificial intelligence's impact on data analytics; and + Evaluate the costs and benefits of decision-driven analytics. A must-read for anyone who wants to harness the power of data for competitive advantage, Decision-Driven Analytics will equip you with the skills and tools you need to more effectively use data for business outcomes and to make better decisions in today's complex and data-rich world.
  • Publication
    Mergers and acquisitions by venture capital-backed companies
    (Palgrave Macmillan Cham, 2024) Meuleman, Miguel; Luypaert, Mathieu; Muller, Sarah; Ghent University; Cumming, Douglas; Hammer, Benjamin
    Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) by venture capital-backed companies have witnessed a surge in popularity in recent years. This article aimed to comprehensively examine this subject from the buyer perspective. Firstly, we demonstrate that venture capitalists assume multiple roles in M&A deals, including traditional screening, monitoring, advising, and coaching. Secondly, drawing from signaling, agency, resource-based, and organizational learning theories, one might anticipate a higher propensity for VC-backed companies to engage in acquisitions. However, the existing literature presents conflicting findings regarding the likelihood of VC-backed takeovers. Likewise, the assessment of short-term and long-term performance outcomes, typically measured through stock returns, yields inconclusive results.
  • Publication
    Interactions within Online Review Sites: Motives, Effects, and Management
    (Fördergesellschaft Marketing, 2013) Munzel, Andreas
  • Publication
    Creating meta-narratives: How analogies and metaphors support business model innovation
    (Emerald Publishing Limited, 2020) Podoynitsyna, Ksenia; Snihur, Yuliya; Thomas, Llewellyn D. W.; Grégoire, Denis A.; Sund, Kristian J.; Galavan, Robert J.; Bogers, Marcel
    We investigate how Salesforce’s key people used analogies and metaphors during the deployment of their (then) radical business model innovation. Our analysis shows how Salesforce’s entrepreneurial team skillfully used a mix of analogies and metaphors to communicate its innovations and differentiate the company from its competitors. We also show how business model innovators can weave together analogies and metaphors to create distinct meta-narratives that elicited strong emotions and helped construct a memorable organizational identity that galvanized stakeholders around the firm’s ecosystem appeal. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for business model and cognition research.
  • Publication
    Strategy in the Era of Digital Disruption
    (Classroom Companion: Business. Springer, Cham, 2023) Podoynitsyna, Ksenia; Vaznytė-Hünermund, Eglė; van den Born, A.; Jheronimus Academy of Data Science (JADS), ’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands; Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands; Sandoz, Copenhagen, Denmark; Liebregts, W.; van den Heuvel, WJ.
    Although digital disruption has become a buzzword, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of what digital disruption actually is and what strategies can be employed to make it happen. Therefore, this chapter starts off by explaining the notion of digital disruption and consecutively illustrating its pervasiveness using a number of detailed examples. It then offers a sneak peek of the processes happening behind the scenes of digital disruption. Specifically, it explains business model innovations, innovation ecosystems, and platforms and network effects as the core strategic concepts that are of paramount importance for understanding the digitalization dynamics. The chapter ends with the state-of-the-art insights towards future challenges and avenues for further research.
  • Publication
    The Illusion of control: Project data, computer algorithms and human intuition for project management and control
    (Springer Cham, 2023) Vanhoucke, Mario; Ghent University (Belgium); UCL School of Management at University College London (UK)
    This book comprehensively assesses the growing importance of project data for project scheduling, risk analysis and control. It discusses the relevance of project data for both researchers and professionals, and illustrates why the collection, processing and use of such data is not as straightforward as most people think. The theme of this book is known in the literature as data-driven project management and includes the discussion of using computer algorithms, human intuition, and project data for managing projects under risk. The book reviews the basic components of data-driven project management by summarizing the current state-of-the-art methodologies, including the latest computer and machine learning algorithms and statistical methodologies, for project risk and control. It highlights the importance of artificial project data for academics, and describes the specific requirements such data must meet. In turn, the book discusses a wide variety of statistical methods available to generate these artificial data and shows how they have helped researchers to develop algorithms and tools to improve decision-making in project management. Moreover, it examines the relevance of project data from a professional standpoint and describes how professionals should collect empirical project data for better decision-making. Finally, the book introduces a new approach to data collection, generation, and analysis for creating project databases, making it relevant for academic researchers and professional project managers alike.
  • Publication
    Cultivating digital transformation at Arcadis. A Global Expedition into the Digital Universe
    (Springer, 2021) Danneels, Lieselot; Viaene, Stijn; Van den Bergh, Joachim; Moore, Carolyn; Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Arcadis, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Urbach, Nils; Röglinger, Maximilian; Kautz, Karlheinz; Alinda Alias, Rose; Saunders, Carol; Wiener, Martin
    Presents an extensive collection of real-world cases on digitalization Includes cases from world's leading organizations in various sectors Shares essential practical insights into digital transformation and the management of digital disruption
  • Publication
    Platform work inside organisations: An exploration of tensions in intra-organisational labour platforms
    (Edward Elgar, 2024) Rogiers, Philip; Meijerink, J.; Viaene, Stijn; University of Twente; Bondarouk, Tanya; Meijerink, Jeroen
    This comprehensive Research Handbook examines the fundamental influence of emerging disruptive technologies, such as artificial intelligence, online platforms, the internet of things, and social robots, on Human Resource Management (HRM). Bringing together an array of interdisciplinary experts, this erudite Research Handbook analyses the HRM challenges posed by disruptive technologies and develops practical propositions to counteract them. It discusses the navigation of ethical dilemmas, human rights and digital governance in HRM, consumer value in the digital economy, and technology-driven changes in HRM practice. Featuring case studies on talent management in multinational enterprises, the engagement of digital generations with contemporary technologies, and the introduction of cobots in the manufacturing industry, contributors expertly explore current discussions and future directions for scholarly research. Promoting a better understanding of critical perspectives on HRM and disruptive technologies, this Handbook will be a vital resource for students, scholars and researchers in business analytics, information systems, knowledge management, organisational innovation, technology, and ICT. It will also provide valuable guidance on the effects of emerging technologies for HR and leadership practitioners.
  • Publication
    Venture capital investors and performance aspirations
    (Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2023) Collewaert, Veroniek; Neckebrouck, Jeroen; Vanacker, Tom; IESE Business School, Madrid, Spain; Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
    While since long venture capital investors have been considered rational and unbiased investors, more recently scholars have challenged this view and shown that venture capitalists’ – like many other investors’ – actual behavior does not always align with assumptions of rationality. One particularly interesting stream of research has adopted the Behavioral Theory of the Firm to study venture capitalists’ strategic decision making. This chapter will review this nascent, yet promising, line of research.
  • Publication
    Family firms and private equity
    (Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2023) Neckebrouck, Jeroen; Manigart, Sophie
    This chapter delves into the intriguing relationship between family firms (FFs) and private equity (PE), shedding light on the opportunities and challenges inherent in this phenomenon. FFs, which are characterized by significant family ownership and control, have captured the attention of PE investors worldwide. On the one hand, PE investors represent an interesting partner for FFs as the former may help to resolve conflicts, address liquidity needs, facilitate succession, drive growth, and adapt to changing industries. PE becomes an essential option for FFs when other financing avenues are limited, and minority investments hold particular allure as they allow the family to maintain control while benefiting from external resources. On the other hand, PE investors recognize the growth potential and promising financial returns associated with FFs. However, negotiations can be intricate since FFs often also consider noneconomic factors. Information asymmetries and trust issues can hinder the process, underscoring the importance of building rapport and aligning strategic and financial objectives. Evidence shows that FFs are more inclined to grant control and voting rights to PE investors when trust is high and when the investor’s nonfinancial resources are required. Although research is relatively limited, positive effects of PE investments on FF performance have been observed, particularly when FFs were underperforming prior to the investment. Acquiring minority stakes in FFs has been found to stimulate growth and profitability, particularly when integrating the existing management team. In conclusion, the partnership between family firms (FFs) and private equity (PE) investors holds strong potential for value creation and mutual benefit. With the provision of financial resources and expertise from PE investors, FFs gain the means to overcome growth challenges and navigate generational transitions. Building trust, aligning strategic objectives, and integrating management teams, however, are crucial for success. When addressing these challenges, FFs and PE investors may unlock significant potential for value creation.
  • Publication
    Strategy in Turbulent Times. How to Design a Strategy That Is Robust and Future-Proof
    (LannooCampus, 2024) Verweire, Kurt
    Companies face increasingly turbulent times. Economic and political uncertainty, sustainability developments, and competitors with new business models are just some issues that stretch companies' resilience and adaptability. Strategy in Turbulent Times presents a way of analyzing and fighting turbulent environments. Using four animal metaphors, the Camel, Salmon, Chameleon and Octopus, it shows you how to develop new strategies and how to implement them. It is up to you to discover which animal represents the appropriate turbulence strategy for your organization.
  • Publication
    From absorptive capacity in international business to strategic flexibility of multinational corporations
    (2023) Peeters, Carine
    Both the absorptive capacity (AC) and international business (IB) literatures are interested in knowledge processes and learning in organizations. Although originating from different streams of research, AC and IB were thus meant to meet and reinforce each other. Fundamentally, the role of AC in IB is to condition the performance outcome of firms’ internationalization efforts. Firms benefit from their IB activities conditional on being able to absorb new knowledge and learn. In other words, multinational corporations (MNCs) need to have the necessary AC to overcome their liabilities of foreignness and outsidership. Short of AC, the costs and challenges of entering foreign markets and operating across countries are likely to outweigh potential performance gains. Moreover, AC plays a role in the technological upgrade and economic development of nations, as it helps firms in emerging economies to benefit from spillovers of foreign direct investments by MNCs from more economically advanced economies. And national governments can play an important role to facilitate this effect by developing appropriate economic and innovation policies that support knowledge creation and learning. Firms can also proactively develop AC. For instance, MNCs can nurture a broad knowledge base that can be leveraged in different contexts and opt for a decentralized structure with mechanisms that help subsidiaries access the knowledge base of the parent organization. They can also practice specific routines to identify and access relevant knowledge from their external environment, transfer that knowledge in their organization, and assimilate it in their own knowledge creation processes. Moreover, MNCs can adopt human resources management practices that help raise the capacity and motivation of their employees to acquire and exploit new knowledge. Ultimately, the most important contribution of AC in IB might be to help MNCs develop the strategic flexibility that enables them to thrive in dynamic environments. High-AC MNCs may indeed be in a better position than other firms to (a) build diverse options to prepare for uncertain evolutions in the market, (b) access flexible resources to allocate to new courses of actions, and (c) redeploy resources across options over time. Unpacking the exact mechanisms as well as boundary conditions for the role of AC in building strategic flexibility offers ample opportunities for future research on a highly relevant topic for MNCs.
  • Publication
    Digital at heart- How to lead the human centric digital transformation
    (LannooCampus, 2024) Viaene, Stijn; Decroix, Ignace; Vanderheyden, Karlien
    The much-needed digital transformation organisations and companies must make creates tension and uncertainty for many. After all, more than finding and applying the latest technologies, it is essential to streamline internal processes and adapt the organization to new ways of working. Success largely depends on the willingness of all employees to participate in this process and, therefore to what extent organizations succeed in transforming the mindset and culture within the company. This book will teach you how to place people first in a digital transformation process. It allows you to look at the relationship between people and technology in a new way and helps get all employees on board confidently.
  • Publication
    Competitive digital innovation - Transforming products, processes and business models to win in the digital economy
    (Palgrave Macmillan Cham, 2023) Basu, Amit; Muylle, Steve; Edwin L. Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, USA
    Innovative digital technologies are forcing companies to rethink how they compete. The focus of digital innovation in business has shifted from internal transformation within firms to their market interface and ecosystems. While opportunities for innovation in internal operations are well established, it’s less clear how to leverage technology at the market interface. This often has strategic implications, and the goal of this book is help you connect digital innovation to business strategy. By understanding how to leverage digital technologies, you can redefine your market-facing business processes, your products, services and even your business models and stay competitive in today’s hybrid markets. This book provides a coherent and comprehensive approach to not just survive but rather thrive in the 21st Century global marketplace. With global, real-world examples and original frameworks, this is an ideal book for executives and anyone who wants to understand digital strategy. Highly practical but infused with rigorous research, it shows you how your business can use digital technologies to compete in today’s hybrid markets.
  • Publication
    Contracting in private equity-backed buyouts
    (Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2023) Wynant, Luc; Manigart, Sophie; Van Olmen & Wynant, Brussels, Belgium; Cumming, Douglas; Hammer, Benjamin
    Private equity (PE)-backed buyouts are transactions in which a business or business units are acquired from its current shareholders by a PE investor together with the management team (Gilligan and Wright 2014; Renneboog and Vansteenkiste 2017), and in which the PE investor typically becomes the majority shareholder. PE investors are professional investors who invest in private companies with the aim to create value in the medium term, through enhancing governance, providing strategic advice and access to networks (Manigart et al. 2022). As they rely on the management team to execute the value creation process, agency problems may arise between PE investors as principals and the management as agents (Jensen 1989). To mitigate potential agency problems, elaborate contracts are negotiated between PE investors and management, but also between the buyers and the sellers....
  • Publication
    Corporate Finance
    (Larcier Intersentia, 2023) Deloof, Marc; Manigart, Sophie; Ooghe, Hubert; Van Hulle, Cynthia
    This textbook discusses the sources of funding and capital structure of corporations (excluding financial institutions). After an introduction on the objectives and functions of corporate finance, the following topics are covered: investment analysis and minimum investment return requirement, capital structure and dividend policy, long- and medium-term financing, working capital valuation, international financial policy, and other specific financial topics. - The authors link theoretical insight to practical cases. - Written for financial professionals and (post)university students.