Meryaam El Kaddouri

• Friday 12 December 2025 at 10:00 AM
• Supervisors: Marc Deloof, Isabel Suárez-González & Carmen González-Zapatero Redondo
  
• The defence will take place at the University of Salamanca
  
• There will also be the possibility to attend the defence online
• Contact Meryaam (Meryaam.ElKaddouri@student.uantwerpen.be) to receive the streaming link before Wednesday 10 December 2025
  
  

Family Firm Resilience: Ex ante and Ex post perspectives

Organizations today confront an unprecedented range of disruptive events and crises, characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, known as the VUCA environment. In parallel, the concept of organizational resilience has garnered increasing scholarly attention, underscoring its critical role in enabling firms to navigate and adapt to such turbulent conditions. Despite the theoretical advancements, empirical studies have predominantly operationalized resilience as an outcome, rather than as an ongoing process or capability. This highlights the need for further empirical investigation into resilience as a dynamic process and as a set of organizational capabilities. Given its multidimensional and complex nature, organizational resilience should be examined through broader lenses and diverse perspectives. This thesis aims to investigate the development of resilience processes in SMEs, particularly family-owned SMEs. It examines the relationship between ex ante and ex post resilience, exploring how familial characteristics affect this process in both family and non-family SMEs within the Spanish manufacturing and services sectors during the disruptions from 2019 to 2023. Three empirical studies were conducted. The first study examines the relationship between the ex ante resilience process encompassing capabilities utilized before (i.e., anticipation) and during a crisis (i.e., absorption, renewal, and learning) and their impact on ex post resilience. The second essay examines the resilience capabilities cultivated by family and non-family SMEs during crises and analyzes the influence of socioemotional wealth and slack resources on this process. The third study focuses on companies' value chains and presents the resilience process applicable at the supply chain level, grounded in two dimensions (i.e., risk management formalization and resilience practices implementation), and contrasts the resilience processes of family and non-family SMEs. These studies lay a foundation for further exploration of resilience, particularly within the context of family firms, to enhance this domain and help managers understand how this meta-capability can be cultivated and sustained for SMEs.

Rosa Paulina Lopez Perez

• Tuesday 20 January 2026  at 2:30 PM 
• Supervisors: Stefanie Weil  & Markus Kittler 
• The defence will take place at the Promotion Room, Cloister of the Grauwzusters,
  University of Antwerp, Stadscampus,
  Lange Sint-Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerp
• Please contact Rosa Paulina  (rosa.lopezperez@student.uantwerpen.be) to inform her whether you wish to attend the PhD defence before Thursday 15 January 2026

Unpacking Intuitive Hits and Misses: Bridging Theory, Methodology and Practice in Top Managerial Contexts

Decision-making is a fundamental responsibility of top managers, shaping the strategic direction and long-term success of organizations. These decisions, often made under uncertainty and time pressure, rely on both intuitive and analytical processes. While intuition is widely used in managerial contexts and often leads to successful outcomes, it can also result in flawed judgments. Most research has disproportionately focused on successful intuitive decisions, thus overlooking the risks and learning opportunities from intuitive misses. This thesis addresses this theoretical gap by systematically investigating both successful (hits) and unsuccessful (misses) intuitive decisions, their antecedents, and consequences, aiming to provide a balanced understanding of the factors contributing to intuitive decision outcomes and subsequent managerial responses. It employs experimental vignettes to simulate real-time decision-making, reducing biases inherent in retrospective self-reports. Findings reveal that different factors such as gender and age, significantly influence intuitive decision-making behaviors, and a conceptual model was developed to explain how managers respond to intuitive failures by adjusting their confidence or conserving cognitive resources.

Bianca Sălăgean

• Friday 6 February 2026 at 4:30 PM 
• Supervisors: Edwin van Hassel  & Lisa-Maria Putz-Egger 
• The defence will take place at the Promotion Room, Cloister of the Grauwzusters,
  University of Antwerp, Stadscampus,
  Lange Sint-Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerp
• Please contact Bianca  (bianca.salagean@student.uantwerpen.be) to inform her whether you wish to attend the PhD defence before Tuesday 3 February 2026

Economic evaluation of removing nautical bottlenecks on inland waterways

The thesis entitled "Economic evaluation of removing nautical bottlenecks on inland waterways" develops a comprehensive cost–benefit analysis (CBA) framework to evaluate the socio-economic impacts of rehabilitating nautical bottlenecks on inland waterways, with a particular focus on the Danube. The study addresses the lack of standardized evaluation tools capable of capturing the cumulative and interdependent effects of infrastructure improvements along river corridors. Drawing on a modular, model-based approach, the research identifies and operationalizes key performance indicators (KPIs) such as transport costs, duration, fuel consumption, and vessel draft. The model quantifies the economic and social benefits of removing bottlenecks under different navigational scenarios and incorporates a greedy algorithm to prioritize investment projects according to their aggregated benefits.
Results from the case study on the Middle and Lower Danube show that isolated rehabilitation measures generate only limited benefits, while coordinated interventions across neighboring bottlenecks lead to disproportionately high socio-economic gains. These findings highlight the importance of integrated, corridor-wide planning strategies in enhancing the competitiveness and sustainability of inland waterway transport. The developed framework provides a transparent and transferable basis for policy-making and investment appraisal in the inland navigation sector, advancing both scientific methodology and practical decision-making in sustainable transport infrastructure.

Rafael Arévalo Ascanio

• Wednesday 3 December 2025 at 4:30 PM 
• Supervisors: Roel Gevaers, Wouter Dewulf,  & Annelies De Meyer

Integrating supply chain network design with strategic first- and last-mile modelling

Supply Chain Network Design (SCND) shapes how goods move from production to consumption through strategic, tactical, and operational decisions. Traditionally, these levels follow a top-down process, from designing networks to planning routes. However, new trends and challenges in supply chain operations have blurred these boundaries, linking long-term design with short-term operations. This growing interdependence makes integrating network design and vehicle routing, known as the Location-Routing Problem (LRP), a key challenge, especially as traditional models fail to capture their differing time horizons.
This dissertation introduces the Continuous Multi-scale Approach (CMA) to bridge this gap by modelling operational first- and last-mile stages from a strategic perspective. The CMA identifies spatial supply–demand patterns through homogeneous districting and estimates route lengths using continuous approximations (CA).
The integration of supply chain network design with strategic first- and last-mile modelling through the CMA is demonstrated in a last-mile case study of rural parcel deliveries. In this case, the integrated modelling enables the evaluation of collaborative initiatives for network design, in which parcel carriers cooperate to distribute parcels from shared regional distribution centres. Collaborative network design demonstrates sustainability benefits by reducing operating costs, pollutant emissions, and external transport costs. Similarly, other case studies in pharmaceutical and post-consumer textile logistics explore additional applications of strategic modelling using the CMA. In these cases, through sustainability assessments of different operating strategies, the CMA proves to be a valuable methodology for analytically addressing robust first- and last-mile problems. The results of these strategic assessments have implications for both tactical and strategic planning within supply chains.

Ewald Van den Auwelant

• Wednesday 3 December 2025 at 4:30 PM 
• Supervisors: Steven Van Passel & Philippe Nimmegeers

Towards actionable Life Cycle Assessment of wood systems for the Circular Bioeconomy: Biogenic Carbon Accounting, Afforestation, and Tropical Hardwood Alternatives

The accelerating urgency of global environmental challenges has intensified the need for sustainable economic models such as the circular bioeconomy. The sustainable use of renewable forest resources such as wood plays a central role in this transition. Yet rising global demand, particularly in construction, intensifies pressure on forest ecosystems, especially in the tropics, where biodiversity and climate regulation are most at risk. These tensions highlight the need for robust and credible assessment tools capable of guiding decisions toward more sustainable forestry and wood use.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is widely recognized as the leading method for evaluating environmental impacts across product life cycles. However, in the woodworking sector, LCAs often vary in methodological choices, data quality, and treatment of biogenic carbon. These differences can obscure results and limit their usefulness for policy and practice.
The dissertation asks how LCA can be improved and applied to better reflect carbon dynamics and deliver actionable guidance for forest management and circular wood utilisation. To answer this, the research combines four interconnected studies: a systematic review of current methodological practices; a spatially informed analysis of afforestation in Pakistan; a comparative investigation of temporal methods for biogenic carbon accounting; and an exploration of circular strategies to reduce the environmental burden of tropical hardwood use.
Together, these studies propose a more coherent, spatially and temporally sensitive LCA framework that strengthens the credibility of assessments and supports more sustainable choices in forestry, design, and material procurement. The findings strengthen the methodological and practical foundations of LCA, enhancing its capacity to guide sustainable practices within the circular bioeconomy.

Xibei Jia

• Tuesday 2 December 2025 at 4:30 PM 
• Supervisors: Sven Buyle, Rosario Macario & Sascha Albers

Airports in the Era of Sustainable Development: Five Studies on Global Practices, Evaluation Methods, and Strategic Frameworks

This thesis explores a central paradox in aviation’s sustainable development: airports account for less than 2% of direct sectoral emissions, yet their roles in infrastructure, energy, and stakeholder coordination make them pivotal but underutilized actors in the sector’s transition. Academic and policy discourse is constrained by three gaps: a diagnostic gap where global airport sustainability practices remain unmapped, a methodological gap marked by inconsistent evaluation tools, and a governance gap where airports’ evolving roles are poorly defined. This research addresses these gaps through a staged, diagnostic-to-prescriptive inquiry.
The first stage establishes a global baseline by analyzing the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) disclosures of the 150 busiest airports. Results indicate an overall SDG alignment rate of 42%, with 23% forming a leading cohort demonstrating strong alignment through measurable initiatives and monitoring frameworks. Ordinal logistic regression shows that European airports and those with higher passenger volumes are significantly more likely to achieve strong alignment, highlighting the influence of regulatory and operational scale factors. This stage confirms the absence of a consistent, sector-wide framework for sustainability assessment. To address this, the thesis conducts a dual review of sustainability evaluation frameworks: a systematic intra-sectoral review of airport-specific methods and a cross-sectoral meta-review across industries. Three methodological pillars emerge to guide subsequent analysis: enhancing existing evaluation methods, integrating systems-based approaches, and embedding participatory tools to strengthen stakeholder engagement.
Building on the first pillar, the Airport Sustainability Evaluation Index (ASEI) is developed and tested under alternative normalization, weighting, and aggregation schemes. Application to Schiphol Airport (2012–2021) demonstrates that methodological design, especially weighting, decisively shapes results and reflects temporal shifts influenced by strategic planning such as the 2013 Master Plan and external shocks like COVID-19. The second pillar applies systems thinking to map SDG interlinkages in airport strategies. A three-phase approach involving co-occurrence analysis, hierarchical clustering, and network analysis reveals dominance of SDGs 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), emphasizing growth and urban integration. Yet SDG 8 remains structurally isolated, underscoring the growth–sustainability paradox. SDGs 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and 4 (Quality Education) act as bridges linking environmental and social domains. The third pillar examines governance through a multi-stakeholder analysis. Airports act mainly as enablers in infrastructure and energy provision but face ambiguity in leadership roles, leading to misaligned costs and benefits, asymmetry in regulatory obligations, and conflicting planning horizons. A site-level delivery compact is proposed to consolidate fragmented initiatives into shared responsibilities supported by mandates, financing, and standardized monitoring.
Overall, the findings demonstrate how airports, despite limited direct emissions, can play a transformative role in aligning operations, governance, and strategy to advance aviation’s sustainable development.

Eva Geluk

• Thursday 20 November 2025 at 4:00 PM 
• Supervisors: Bart Cambré & Anja Van den Broeck

Intervening for return to work after burnout. The design, development and evaluation of a co-crafting based intervention

Burnout has become a leading cause of long-term sick leave in Belgium and Europe, yet interventions that aim to support employees’ return to work (RTW), and employers, remain of limited effectiveness. Despite extensive knowledge on the causes and prevention of burnout, interventions facilitating RTW have shown limited success, largely because theoretical models are insufficiently integrated with workplace realities.
This dissertation explores how theory-informed and participatory approaches can improve RTW after burnout. Using a design-thinking methodology structured by the Double Diamond framework and complemented by process tracing, three empirical studies were conducted.
The first explored the lived experiences of employees, supervisors, HR professionals, and colleagues, identifying four interrelated domains that shape the RTW process: RTW procedures (role clarity, communication, autonomy), RTW work design (job adjustments, balance of demands and resources), RTW actor capability (knowledge and competence of workplace stakeholders), and RTW climate (stigma, trust, and psychological safety).
The second study applied participatory co-creation to develop a multi-stakeholder RTW intervention, introducing a neutral facilitator role, a phased RTW process, and a Job Demands–Resources-based toolbox.
The third study evaluated this intervention in practice, showing that psychological safety provided the necessary context for constructive dialogue, co-crafting enabled the identification and joint agreement on work accommodations, and that colleagues played a vital yet often overlooked supportive role.
The dissertation contributes conceptually by redefining RTW as a relational coordination process linking individual and organizational dimensions, and by introducing co-crafting as a novel framework for identifying and coming to agreement on workplace accommodations. Methodologically, it demonstrates how participatory design can bridge theory and practice. Practically, it offers an evidence-based model for fostering successful return to work after burnout.

Ines Chiadmi 

• Wednesday 19 November 2025 at 4:00 PM 
• Supervisors: Steven Van Passel & Stephan Marette

Regulating nitrogen pollution in agriculture: Modeling policy effects and farmer preferences for economic instruments 

Nitrogen-enriched fertilizers were instrumental in driving the agricultural revolution that enabled food production to keep pace with the exponential growth of the global population in the latter half of the twentieth century. However, the widespread use of nitrogen inputs has come at a significant environmental and public health cost, primarily due to nitrogen surpluses accumulating in soil and water bodies. As such, nitrogen pollution represents a critical challenge of the agriculture-environment nexus, manifesting both as inefficiencies at farm-level input use and as societal externalities. This “double penalty” underscores the need for effective and socially acceptable regulatory frameworks. Addressing this issue requires a nuanced understanding of both policy instruments and individual decision-making.
This thesis investigates how economic policy instruments can address the regulation of nitrogen pollution from agricultural sources both from the perspective of sector-wide impacts at the EU level and of farmer decision-making within the Flemish context. The research begins by analyzing the unexpected and potentially undesired effects of nitrogen input taxation, which may compromise policy effectiveness. Spatial heterogeneity further complicates nitrogen pollution control as regions differ in their environmental vulnerability, and different regulatory approaches are of use. Through the lens of farmers’ preferences, the thesis investigates the role of information policies in the improvement of water and soil quality in Flanders through agricultural extension and advisory services. Employing a similar methodology, the study also examines the design of a voluntary, result-based agri-environmental scheme under the Flemish Manure Policy. This includes an analysis of the trade-offs farmers are willing to make between flexibility in farming calendars and a monetary incentive linked to nitrate residue monitoring results.

Rezvan Velayatishokouhi

• Wednesday 19 November 2025 at 9:00 AM 
• Supervisors: Wim Vanhaverbeke, Mehdi Bagherzadeh & Andrei Gurca

Crowdsourcing Effectiveness: A Microfoundations Perspective

This dissertation comprises three interrelated studies that collectively advance a contingency logic of crowdsourcing effectiveness. It challenges the prevailing assumption that crowdsourcing constitutes a universally suitable mechanism for solution search, positing instead that its success is contingent upon the alignment between problem characteristics, solver heterogeneity, and contextual conditions.
Study 1 is a meta-synthesis of 21 qualitative case studies. It develops a typological contingency perspective by introducing the construct of targeting level- spanning open, guided, and focused recruitment—and demonstrates that crowdsourcing efficiency depends not on historical proxies such as the number participants or submissions but on the alignment between a problem’s attributes and the targeting level employed, a relationship that is influenced by the organizational and institutional trade-offs. Study 2 investigates individual contingency through survey data from 260 STEM experts, revealing two solver archetypes: elite (senior) and non-elite (junior) experts. These groups differ markedly in their motivations and search preferences. While more appropriate to address highly technical problems, elite experts are often systematically excluded due to the limitations of the prevalent crowdsourcing approach, i.e., fishing, that contradict with their search behaviors and motivations to participate, thus explaining the frequently meagre results of typical crowdsourcing to address highly technical problems. Study 3 examines contextual contingency in large-scale crises. The findings from the survey and complementary interviews indicate that despite imposing higher cognitive costs of search, fishing better satisfies solver’s need for proactiveness and emotional engagement, which leads to sustaining prosocial participation in the context of large-scale crises.
Collectively, the studies encourage researchers and practitioners to move beyond tautological assumptions about crowdsourcing and reconsider governance as a strategic decision grounded in typological, individual and situational nuances of their solution search efforts.

Dimitrios Georgoudakis

• Monday 13 October 2025 at 4:30 pm
• Supervisors: Christa Sys & Edwin van Hassel

Navigating the Green Transition: Shipowners’ Investment Strategies and Market Interdependencies in Container Liner Shipping amid Decarbonization Pressures

The container liner shipping industry plays an important role in global trade but faces growing pressure to reduce GHG emissions under IMO and EU decarbonization measures. Therefore, shipowners and investors, as the main stakeholders, must make informed decisions in an environment characterised by volatile freight markets, long asset lifetimes, and regulatory and technological uncertainty. Historically, investment decisions were influenced by freight rates, second-hand vessel prices, and market sentiment, with China, the Republic of Korea, and Japan leading the global container shipbuilding production. Nevertheless, over the last decade, vessel specifications, operational efficiency, and compliance with IMO and EU regulations have shifted the investment strategies toward more energy-efficient vessels.

This dissertation explores how shipowners can adapt their investment strategies under decarbonization pressures in the three main markets they operate: the time-charter market, the second-hand sales and purchase (S&P) market, and the newbuilding market. Using econometric methods, the study examines the price premiums for energy-efficient vessels in the time-charter market, the profitability of trading rules in the S&P market, and price premiums for alternative-fuel containerships in the newbuilding market.

Empirical results show that the time-charter market increasingly internalises environmental performance, rewarding more energy-efficient containerships with premium rates in their time-charter contracts. In the S&P market, time-charter rates strongly impact second-hand prices and act as signals for investment timing. In the newbuilding market, LNG, hybrid, and methanol vessels require substantial cost premiums, with China offering substantially lower prices compared to the Republic of Korea and Japan.

This dissertation contributes to the literature by examining the premium for energy-efficient vessels in the time-charter market, evaluating the trading strategies in the second-hand market, and estimating the cost premiums for alternative-fuel vessels in the newbuilding market. By integrating these findings, the dissertation provides an understanding of the interdependencies between those markets and provides a framework for analysing how regulatory, technological developments influence investment behaviour in container liner shipping, with important implications for shipowners, policymakers, and the wider industry.

Yannick Jansen 

• Wednesday 2 October 2025 at 4:00 PM 
• Supervisors: Jan Bouckaert & Luca Paolo Merlino
  

Influence in Social Networks

This dissertation studies how social influence in networks shapes, and is shaped by, the spread of information, opinion dynamics, and the provision of public goods. I develop theoretical models linking the behavior and incentives of individuals to network structures and aggregate outcomes. The first chapter studies the role of social media influencers in the diffusion of misinformation, showing that verification efforts by influencers and followers are strategic substitutes, which produces non-monotonic effects of influencer size and partisanship on information quality. The second chapter introduces endogenously stubborn agents in a social learning framework, deriving conditions under which individuals stop updating their opinions, characterizing long-run opinions, and proposing a centrality measure capturing how private information propagates through the network. The third chapter analyzes a networked public good game with positive and negative spillovers, showing that equilibrium contributions depend on sign-alternating Bonacich centrality in sparse networks, oscillate between full provision and freeriding in dense networks, and form regular patterns in endogenous networks. Together, the chapters clarify how influence emerges in networks and illuminate mechanisms behind misinformation, echo chambers, and socially valuable or harmful behaviors.

Sam Vermeulen

• Wednesday 24 September 2025 at 4:00 PM
• Supervisors: Steven Van Passel & Jan Cools

Down to the Last Drop: Economic Insights into Drought Mitigation in Agriculture

Anthropogenic climate change is intensifying the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, with drought posing a particularly complex challenge. Agriculture, which depends heavily on water and soil resources, is one of the most vulnerable sectors and faces mounting risks of yield losses and economic damages. Yet drought risk management has long been dominated by reactive approaches, often resulting in untimely interventions and substantial costs. Proactive strategies, by contrast, hold the potential to reduce risks, limit damages, and generate co-benefits. However, their implementation remains limited, partly due to gaps in knowledge on their economic performance and on the factors influencing farmers’ adoption decisions.
This dissertation investigates how the uptake of proactive drought risk reduction in agriculture can be strengthened through improved economic assessments, evaluations of cost-effectiveness, and insights into farmers’ willingness to adopt drought risk reduction measures. The focus lies on the Flanders region, Belgium, where extreme weather events have become increasingly frequent in recent years. The research develops a framework to enhance the reliability of economic evaluations and demonstrates the value of refining market-based methods to capture both direct and distributive effects of drought. It further compares reactive and proactive adaptation measures at a regional scale, showing that proactive strategies can outperform reactive responses in terms of cost-effectiveness, although results vary across local contexts and none of the investigated measures fully safeguard environmental flows during drought. Finally, the analysis of farmers’ decision-making highlights that adoption could be driven less by financial incentives than by improvements in soil quality and reduced vulnerability to extreme weather.
Together, the findings underscore the importance of combining robust economic evidence with a farmer-centred perspective. By offering a framework for reliable assessments, demonstrating the relative benefits of proactive measures, and identifying possible drivers of adoption, this dissertation advances knowledge on drought risk management in agriculture. It calls for regionally tailored and participatory approaches that align agronomic, economic, and ecological goals to strengthen resilience against future drought.

Roosmarij Clercx

• Tuesday 23 September 2025 at 4:00 PM
• Supervisors: Ans De Vos & Sofie Jacobs
  

 Careers in action: examining processes underlying contemporary work-to-work transitions 

A career, consisting of evolving work experiences, covers a large part of an individual’s life. Decisions that people make about their careers are therefore an important topic. This doctoral dissertation focuses on work-to-work transitions, which are changes that people consider after starting their first job and before retiring. Typical for these transitions in the contemporary work environment is that they take place beyond the boundaries of a single organization. Moreover, employees are expected to take control of their own careers. While this gives some individuals the opportunity to build a career in line with their own values, it can be a hindrance for others. An observation in the Belgian labor market is that many people still have stable careers. Yet, research shows that individuals often fail to realize a desired change in their careers. This indicates that underlying this apparent stability, there are many activities and processes taking place. The overarching goal of this doctoral dissertation is therefore to study the processes underlying work-to-work transitions. Drawing on three empirical studies, insight is gained into the psychological processes underlying these transitions and the complex interplay between multiple factors that hinder implementing a transition. The research contributes to the career literature in three major ways. First, it exposes the complexity of this phenomenon by deviating from the dominant assumption that all intentions are translated into actual behavior. Second, it contributes by questioning the strong emphasis on the individual’s responsibility for their own career by showing challenges related to implementing a desire for change. A third contribution relates to how career transitions are studied. Contrary to dominant cross-sectional research designs, this dissertation adopted retrospective and prospective qualitative research designs to unravel the evolving experiences of employees over time, thereby revealing the cyclical and non-rational nature of the processes. These contributions form an important starting point for future research to gain a better understanding of the core of a career, namely the evolving work experiences over time.

Emma Ceulemans

• Tuesday 2 September 2025 at 4:30 pm
• Supervisors: Edwin van Hassel & Ivan Cardenas​

From air transport to inland freight: a multi-network analysis across modes and properties

Transportation plays a dual role in society, generating substantial socio-economic benefits while also imposing significant societal costs. This duality underscores the growing need to establish sustainable transport systems that balance economic, social, and environmental goals. In response, this dissertation analyses various physical and organisational transport networks across multiple properties to advance understanding of these properties and their influence on sustainability outcomes. In doing so, it seeks to support more informed policy-making. The analysis is structured around two pillars: air transport and inland freight transport.

First, the dissertation examines the European air transport network. Using flight schedule data, it quantifies the network property of connectivity and incorporates these measures into regression models to assess the impact of air connectivity on regional economic development across Europe. Second, the focus shifts to inland freight transport. Drawing on micro-level truck data, the research provides a detailed analysis of truck movement patterns. These insights feed into an assessment of the modal shift potential from road to inland waterways, using a generalised cost framework. In addition, an integrative literature review examines how the network of stakeholders in inland freight transport must evolve to support synchromodal transport, an innovative concept that promotes flexible, efficient, and sustainable use of multiple transport modes. Collectively, these studies offer a multifaceted view on properties shaping the environmental footprint of inland freight transport.

The findings from these two pillars reveal several key insights. The relationship between air transport connectivity and regional economic development is complex, partly due to potential reverse causality. Nonetheless, direct connectivity seems to play a significant role in regional economic development in Europe. In the context of inland freight transport, road transport reveals distinct movement patterns characterised by uneven spatial and temporal distributions of traffic and activity. These imbalances lead to concentrated impacts in specific locations. The modal shift analysis identifies geographic hotspots with strong potential for shifting from road to inland waterways, suggesting where targeted interventions could be most effective. Finally, enabling synchromodal transport requires substantial shifts in stakeholder relations, which may introduce risks such as opportunistic behaviour, underscoring the need for robust governance and coordination mechanisms.

In conclusion, this dissertation demonstrates the analytical value of network-based perspectives across both physical and organisational networks and the importance of granular data in enhancing our understanding of today’s pressing transport challenges. Its findings offer valuable guidance for bridging the gap between sustainability ambitions and the regulatory and governance frameworks needed to realise them.

Liselot Bourgeois

• Thursday 21 August 2025 at 4:00 pm
• Supervisors: Steven Van Passel, Fleur Marchand & Jef Van Meensel

New business models in the agri-food system: from theory to practice  

Agricultural businesses operate in a rapidly changing environment, challenging the conventional way of production. The concept of a business model (BM) is frequently mentioned in both scientific literature and practice as a way to address these challenges and to seize opportunities arising from a changing environment. However, for various reasons, it is unclear how useful the concept, along with the many tools and theoretical frameworks, is for this transition in agriculture. The overall aim of this PhD is to establish a connection between academic theory on business models and agricultural practice, examining how theoretical insights can facilitate the implementation of business model changes within the agricultural sector. The concept’s usability was qualitatively investigated through interviews and field observations, following two parallel paths: one explored existing literature on business models to identify methods addressing key challenges, while the other investigated the practical information needs in agriculture using the VerdienWijzer, a prototype of a decision support tool on business models developed during the PhD.
The doctoral research shows that BM change in agriculture is shaped by the interaction of three types of influencing factors (drivers, facilitating/hindering factors, and factors that affect the coherence within the business model or between the business model and its environment) interacting at four different levels (the farmer, the farm, the industry, and the macro-environment). The role or type of influence of each factor is determined by the characteristics of the situation for a change. The Holistic Analysis of Business Model Change (H-ABC) framework, developed during this doctoral research, enables the identification of those three types of influencing factors and allows a comprehensive study of a change of a business model.
Farmers today, often unconsciously, consider both internal and external factors when analysing business model changes. The H-ABC framework makes it possible to clarify, visualise, and include these factors in the analysis. However, farmers currently lack the capacity to absorb and effectively use information about business models. This research identifies five information needs, ranging from the need for inspiration about possible changes to the need for guidance in implementing the change. Finally, implications of this research are given for various stakeholders in the agri-food system regarding the use of the business model concept in their practice.

Dirk Steuperaert

• Tuesday 1 July 2025 at 4:30 pm
• Supervisors: Steven De Haes,  Geert Poels & Jan Devos

A Critical Look at an IT Governance Framework: The COBIT Case

The starting point of our research was the contradictory observation that in today’s society—highly dependent on Information and Technology (IT)—small and large IT-related problems continue to occur, despite the existence of numerous IT good practices. This led us to suspect that the so-called ‘good practices’ are either not genuinely good, or they are not being properly practised.
We selected one such good practices framework – COBIT (Control Objectives for Information & Related Technology) —and took a critical view at its intrinsic quality.
The first problem we faced was that COBIT is barely researchable in its current form, i.e. various publications totalling over a thousand pages, without a clear and accessible model. We therefore first distilled the key concepts from the COBIT publications and describe the relationships between those concepts in a concise conceptual model. We developed this model for both COBIT 5 and COBIT 2019 (the current version). This conceptual model made COBIT researchable, and it enabled us to construct a well-structured research agenda, which should facilitate and encourage further academic study.
In a next step we compared the COBIT conceptual model with a selection of other widely used Information Systems theories, in order to identify potential improvements to COBIT. This comparison with seven other theories yielded a significant number of suggestions for improving COBIT, all of which were incorporated into the research agenda and in a proposed conceptual model for a potential future COBIT version.
Subsequently, we investigated a (small) selection of topics from the research agenda. This produced mixed results. A prioritization mechanism from COBIT 5 proved inadequate; a new concept—design factors—from COBIT 2019 was found to be sound. But the most significant finding was that the performance measurement system in COBIT was inconsistent with its own design principles. According to COBIT, an IT Governance System consists of a holistic set of interrelated components, including processes, structures, information, procedures, and more. However, the performance measurement system only evaluated the performance of processes, ignoring the other components of the governance system.
In the most substantial part of our research, we addressed this gap by designing a maturity model for organisational structures, a reference model for information quality, and a maturity model for information quality. These models were developed using the Design Science methodology, involving iterative refinement through expert panels. Additionally, we created a prototype tool to support the practical application of the artefacts we developed.

Konstantina Vasilakou

• Monday 30 June 2025 at 4:00 pm
• Supervisors: Steven Van Passel, Philippe Nimmegeers & Pieter Billen​

Spatiotemporal environmental techno-economic assessments and optimizations of advanced liquid transport biofuel production

The transition to a low-carbon economy has highlighted the need for sustainable energy sources, especially in the transport sector, which remains one of the most challenging to decarbonize. Advanced biofuels have emerged as a promising alternative, particularly in hard-to-abate transport modes such as aviation and heavy-duty vehicles, where electrification remains technologically challenging. However, high production costs, feedstock availability constraints, environmental uncertainties, and the inconsistent and volatile policy environment pose major barriers to their large-scale commercial adoption. Addressing these challenges requires comprehensive assessments of the economic and environmental performance of advanced biofuels technologies to guide decision-making in the energy transition of the transport sector.
Through the integration of geospatial and temporal dimensions within assessment and optimization approaches, this dissertation advances state-of-the-art methodologies for evaluating the economic and environmental performance of advanced biofuels production. The findings highlight the need for robust assessments that provide a more holistic perspective on advanced biofuel deployment, which can be a valuable decision-support tool for policymakers, industry stakeholders and researchers. As the world shifts rapidly towards a more sustainable energy future, this research aims to contribute to more informed strategies that effectively support this transition.

Daniel Schubert

• Tuesday 17 June 2025 at 4:30 pm
• Supervisors: Christa Sys & Rosario Macario
  
  

Customized airline offer management: solving the assortment problem through multi-dimensional segmentation

This dissertation develops a novel solution for customized airline offer management with the aim to combine viability, usability, and feasibility. The solution is tested on real data from a major network airline. It expands the existing academic literature and practical applications as it suggests a cost-effective and understandable way for airlines to significantly improve the prediction accuracy of customer choice models without the need for complex models, using existing data and simple forecasts. The research shows that high-dimensional and data-driven segmentation, potentially aided by machine learning to solve data sparsity, can be combined with the traceability of discrete choice models.

This implies airlines do not need complex machine learning models to improve the prediction accuracy of which specific product a specific customer will likely purchase. However, airlines should use information they already have in a customer search. Because the data is already available, this is a cost-effective way for airlines to significantly improve the prediction accuracy of their customer choice models with 99.9% confidence. The proposed offer management system is data-driven, can respond to searches in real-time, and is designed in modules for gradual embedding into existing processes, workflows, and system. Also, it is built in a way that it both works with existing revenue/offer management systems as well as innovations like continuous pricing and new distribution capabilities that are strategic priorities for airlines.

Noemi Van Meir

• Monday 16 June 2025 at 4:30 pm
• Supervisors: Edwin van Hassel & Thierry Vanelslander

Ports at the crossroads of the energy transition: navigating shifts in energy flows - Scenarios and strategic implications

The global transition toward a low-carbon energy system represents a critical challenge for the 21st century, driven by the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and comply with increasingly stringent climate policies. Despite significant advancements in renewable energy deployment, fossil fuels continue to dominate global energy consumption, illustrating the urgent need for accelerating sustainable energy sources. This dissertation explores the strategic role of European liquid bulk ports in the energy transition, especially for importing, storing and handling hydrogen and ammonia. The research investigates how differing European energy transition scenarios influence storage investment needs and the alignment of port objectives with a long-term hydrogen economy. Using a scenario-based methodology, it quantifies required storage capacity, investment needs and spatial demands across major European ports, and examines how hydrogen adoption aligns with port objectives. Based on literature reviews, scenario modeling, cost calculations and expert interviews, the study finds differences in infrastructure needs depending on the energy scenario. Moreover, the research reveals strong stakeholder consensus on the critical importance of hydrogen adoption for achieving environmental stewardship and economic competitiveness objectives in port governance. This alignment suggests that ports are well-positioned to lead infrastructure investments through collaboration that underpin Europe’s hydrogen ambitions while also facing challenges such as regulations and integrating emerging technologies. Ultimately, this dissertation provides actionable recommendations for policymakers and port authorities to accelerate infrastructure development supporting a resilient, sustainable, competitive energy future. Future research should address geopolitical factors, environmental impacts of ammonia logistics and the scalability of renewable energy carrier infrastructure to investigate hydrogen-powered maritime hubs.

Maira Finizola e Silva

• Wednesday 4 June 2025 at 4:00 pm
• Supervisors: Steven Van Passel &  Jan Cools 

Assessing the Willingness of Kenyan Farmers and Consumers to Transition Towards Sustainable Food Systems 

In the face of escalating challenges related to climate change, food security, and environmental sustainability, fostering resilient and sustainable food systems is critical, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. This dissertation examines the perspectives and preferences of Kenyan food value chain actors – focusing primarily on farmers and consumers – toward sustainable food systems. First, a systematic literature review highlights the diverse and context-specific factors influencing Sub-Saharan African farmers' adoption of climate-smart agriculture, identifying key barriers (e.g., reliance on off-farm income) and drivers (e.g., education level, training, access to credit, and others). Subsequently, using Q-methodology, four distinct stakeholder perspectives on sustainable food value chains in Kenya are identified, reflecting differing priorities across economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Building on these insights, two Choice Experiments were conducted to quantify the preferences of Kenyan farmers and consumers regarding sustainability-related attributes in the food system. The results reveal overlapping priorities between farmers and consumers, particularly concerning the reduction of pesticide use and the improvement of farmers’ working conditions. By connecting the supply and demand sides of the value chain, this research provides practical recommendations for designing policies and interventions that promote sustainable agricultural practices and resilient food systems in Kenya. Overall, the findings underscore the necessity of context-specific, inclusive strategies that align the motivations of key value chain actors to drive systemic change.

Yorgo Bejjani

• Monday 2 June 2025 at 4:00 pm
• Supervisor: Wim Vanhaverbeke

Expanding Organizational Capabilities for Data-Driven Innovations in B2B Industries

This thesis explores how B2B organizations can develop the organizational capabilities required to enable and sustain data-driven innovation (DDI). Moving beyond a technology-centric view, the research highlights the strategic importance of decision-making capabilities, Agile methodologies, and inter-organizational data exchange in complex B2B environments. Through three empirical studies—including a systematic review, a longitudinal case study, and a multi-actor ecosystem analysis—the thesis offers new insights into how B2B firms can align internal structures and external relationships to transform data into scalable innovations. It provides a multi-level, practice-oriented perspective on the capability building necessary for navigating data-intensive innovation landscapes.

Joaquim Soares

• Friday 16 May 2025 at 3:00 pm 
• Supervisors: Nathalie Vallet, Wouter Van Bockhaven & Geert Letens
  

Design, implementation and use of effective performance measurement systems for defense and security organizations

Defence organizations face increasing challenges in adapting to the Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA) environment. Currently, hybrid threats demand the integration of civilian and military resources and efforts to enhance resilience, requiring collaboration across diverse stakeholders. Despite this need to engage with - and demonstrate performance towards - a wide array of stakeholders, existing performance management (PM) systems within defence fail to align with strategic objectives and address stakeholder complexity effectively. Notably, frameworks like the Balanced Scorecard prioritize internal efficiency, thereby neglecting the multidimensional nature of defence activities and the need for multi-stakeholder integration. Given the performance and stakeholder-related gaps, the critical question addressed within this manuscript is: How can defence organisations demonstrate performance towards the complex set of stakeholders within an increasingly demanding environment?

Gül Gündüz Mengübaş

• Tuesday 13 May 2025 at 4:00 pm
• Supervisor: Kenneth Sörensen

Metaheuristics for Assembly Line Feeding Optimization and Tow Train Routing in the Automotive Industry

The automotive industry, a cornerstone of modern economies, is under increasing pressure to improve production efficiency amidst rising system complexity, sustainability requirements, and the demands of just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing. This dissertation addresses critical optimization problems in this context, focusing on tow train-based assembly line feeding and routing — a key internal logistics function where smart planning can significantly reduce costs and ensure timely, disruption-free operations.
The first part of the dissertation tackles the Assembly Line Feeding Problem (ALFP), where tow trains deliver parts to workstations under strict timing and load constraints. To address this inherently complex and computationally challenging problem, a Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS) algorithm is proposed within the framework of the Split Delivery Vehicle Routing Problem (SDVRP).This method reduces total travel distance and the number of required vehicles while managing trade-offs between cycle times, split deliveries, and transport volume in a multi-objective context.
The second part investigates conflict-free tow train routing in grid-based production environments. In JIT systems, route conflicts lead to delays and safety issues. A novel approach is introduced that models the layout as a grid of “pixels” to detect potential collisions. Paths are computed using the A-star (A*) algorithm, and optimized through a Simulated Annealing (SA) heuristic. A dedicated Conflict Detection Algorithm (CDA) resolves potential collisions using preemptive avoidance strategies, ensuring safe and uninterrupted flow.
The third contribution addresses tow train routing in narrow-aisle environments, where vehicles cannot reverse and risk blocking each other. A pixel-based grid is again employed for spatial modeling, and shortest paths are calculated using Dijkstra’s algorithm. The routing problem is formulated as a Generalized Vehicle Routing Problem (GVRP), and solved using an SA-based heuristic enhanced with problem-specific neighborhood operators. A blocking detection and avoidance algorithm ensures that deadlocks are avoided, maintaining the system’s throughput.
Together, these contributions combine advanced metaheuristic techniques, conflict resolution mechanisms, and routing optimization models. The findings offer scalable and practically implementable strategies to address real-world challenges in modern automotive production environments and contribute to the evolving field of smart manufacturing logistics

Jef Van Cappellen 

• Tuesday 25 March 2025 at 5:00 pm
• Supervisors: Jan Annaert, Marc De Ceuster & Andrew Lepone

Empirical Market Microstructure Essays in Over-the-Counter Markets 

The findings presented in this dissertation significantly enhance our understanding of OTC sovereign bond markets, addressing a crucial gap in academic research due to the scarcity of high-quality publicly available data. Through pioneering trade-level datasets on the UK sovereign bond market, this research offers comprehensive summary statistics that shed light on the overall market and individual participant behaviour. It further delves into the roles of prevalent OTC market frictions—inventory, search, and bargaining—which are instrumental in the liquidity deterioration experienced in the UK sovereign bond market during the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis clarifies how these frictions impact market resilience and identifies potential vulnerabilities. Further, the dissertation evaluates the effects of post-trade transparency on market quality, systematically exploring how transparency influences transaction costs and contributes to pricing efficiency in sovereign bond markets. These insights have academic and policy implications, offering empirical evidence that can inform future regulatory frameworks and market operations to foster more efficient and resilient financial markets

David Stuer

• Monday 24 March 2025 - 4:00 PM
• Supervisor: Ans De Vos

As above, so below? A multilevel approach to the Job-Demands Resources Model

The dissertation extends the Job Demands-Resources (JDR) model in two key directions: the intra-individual level (how job demands and resources fluctuate over time) and the supra-individual level (how they are distributed within teams).
At the intra-individual level, a dynamic systems perspective is introduced, differentiating between trait and state job demands and resources and incorporating patterns of change over time, such as variability and attractor strength. At the team level, the research explores disparities in job demands and resources, analyzing how unequal distributions influence employee outcomes.
Conceptually, the dissertation advances the JDR model by integrating emergent properties across different levels of measurement and incorporating configural constructs, drawing on diversity research to examine how disparities in job characteristics shape workplace experiences. Methodologically, the research applies multilevel modeling to simultaneously assess job demands and resources across different levels (intra-individual, individual, and team level). It introduces novel measures for emergent concepts and investigates interactions, ensuring a systemic and integrated approach to understanding job demands, resources, and their organizational impact.
By combining conceptual advancements with rigorous methodological approaches, this dissertation provides a deeper and more dynamic perspective on job demands and resources.

Jehangir Khan

• Wednesday 19 March 2025 - 2:00 pm 
• Supervisors: Roel Gevaers & Alessio Ishizaka​

Risk assessment of supply chain management during COVID19 pandemic and inventory classification using MCDM tools

This dissertation focuses on the risk assessment of supply chain management during the COVID-19 pandemic and inventory classification using Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) tools. It comprises three research articles. In the first article, we introduce a novel MCDM approach called Fuzzy VIKORSort. This method is utilized to classify various economic sectors into predefined groups (High, Moderate, Low) based on the disruptions in the global and regional supply chains due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We validate our methodology using the case of Pakistan. In the second article, we propose an enhanced visualization method based on MCDM called VIKOR-GAIA. To implement this visualization approach, we use a case study of supply chain disruptions in perishable food items. Additionally, we conduct a comparative analysis with an existing visualization based on the MCDM approach to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method. In the third article, a new method called VIKOR Fuzzy Sort is proposed to address the Multi-Criteria Inventory Classification (MCIC) problem. This methodology facilitates the classification of different inventory items based on their inherent characteristics' resemblance to neighboring classes during the sorting process. The proposed methodologies in this dissertation will assist policymakers and practitioners in addressing various complex decision problems. Additionally, they will make a meaningful contribution to scholarly work.

Babette Jansen

• Friday 14 February 2025 at 4:00 pm
• Supervisors: Sunčica Vujić & Roland Winkler

Macroeconomic Policy, Household Heterogeneity, and the Labor Market

This dissertation contributes to the understanding of fiscal and monetary policy aimed at stimulating economic activity during recessions and maintaining price stability.  With the resurgence of fiscal policy as a crucial stabilization tool post-Great Recession and the recent shift to higher interest rates following an extended period of historically low rates, a deep understanding of fiscal and monetary policy is vital. Empirical research of labor markets and the development of theoretical macroeconomic models that analyze fiscal and monetary policy contribute to this understanding. The results reveal significant changes in labor market conditions, with increased employer market power and heterogeneous labor supply elasticities, and underscore the need to consider these factors in policy decisions. Additionally, a novel fiscal policy transmission channel can be observed through countercyclical monopsony power. Finally, the analysis of New Keynesian models discovers new insights into the Taylor principle and determinacy issues depending on household heterogeneity and households’ labor supply preferences. Overall, this thesis underscores the necessity of current empirical analysis of the labor market and updated models for macroeconomic policy analysis.

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Mehran Farzadmehr

• Monday 10 February 2025 at 4:30 pm
• Supervisors: Thierry Vanelslander & Valentin Carlan
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AI-powered solutions assessment in port and maritime sector

The digitalization of port and maritime, particularly through the adoption of AI-powered solutions, is a major trend these days. However, this research identifies gaps in the literature, including the lack of a consistent approach to distinguishing AI initiatives and quantifying their costs and benefits. To address these gaps, this PhD thesis employs a mixed-method approach, combining both desk and empirical research. This study develops two assessment models: an AI typology to differentiate AI solutions and a cost-benefit framework to conduct economic analyses of AI solutions. Furthermore, the research identifies a typology of 30 AI initiatives and ranks them based on deployment complexity, considering their application domains. Secondly, three detailed economic analyses are conducted at two implementation levels: micro and macro. The first analysis explores the use of AI to predict truck ETAs for a trucking company. The findings indicate that the truck ETA prediction project offers comparable profitability under two conditions: trucking companies with legacy systems but with potential for revenue growth through AI adoption or trucking companies without the chance for revenue growth but can avoid technical integration costs. However, the project becomes highly cost-effective when revenue increases, and technical integration is not required. The second analysis assesses the benefits of AI-assisted data entry for logistics companies when processing transport orders. The economic analysis reveals that modifying IT system architecture to incorporate AI-assisted data entry is not cost-effective for companies with low transaction volumes. However, horizontal collaboration can reduce organizational integration costs, typically 1% to 7% of total solution implementation costs. The third analysis evaluates an AI-powered solution to optimize the scheduling of tugboats and dock pilots within the lock. It highlights the trade-offs between incorporating fairness in task allocation and achieving cost savings through AI-driven optimization. Including fairness as a goal reduces cost savings, reflecting the social integration costs, which account for 31% and 23% of cost savings for tugboat and pilotage companies, respectively. Additionally, a gain-sharing scenario minimizes benefit losses among port stakeholders, reducing overall losses by 3.5% to promote vertical collaboration. Overall, this dissertation offers valuable insights into AI assessment in the port and maritime sectors, contributing to scholars and industry.

Katrien Storms

• Friday 7 February 2025 at 4:30 pm
• Supervisors: Thierry Vanelslander & Edwin Van Hassel
  
  

Unravelling D&D within the maritime ecosystem and its influence on IWT in port-hinterland supply chains

The use of intermodal inland waterway transport (IWT) is a key European strategy to move towards climate-neutral transport. However, challenges such as COVID-19, extreme Rhine water levels, and geopolitical disruptions complicate the shift from road to IWT. These disruptions often result in additional costs, known as demurrage and detention (D&D).

This dissertation researches the impact of D&D practices on IWT within Europe’s port-hinterland supply chain. Using a SARIMAX modeling, it forecasts IWT container volumes on the Rhine and highlights the potential impact of disruptions on IWT recovery. Findings from surveys, discussions, and legal analyses reveal inefficiencies in D&D practices and propose solutions such as extended free time for IWT, digitalization, and improved negotiation strategies. Cost analyses show that D&D fees can exceed the shipping lines’ opportunity costs as time passes, suggesting their role as a revenue stream. Nevertheless, shippers can leverage D&D into their storage strategies to optimize costs. Furthermore, D&D and terminal dwell times significantly influence IWT's modal share. Consequently, addressing D&D is important in making a shift towards more sustainable and efficient hinterland transport.

Elke Godden

• Tuesday 21 January  2025 at 5.00 pm
• Supervisors: Nathalie Dens & Lukar Thornton 

How the Nutri-Score affects consumers and manufacturers: A focus on consumers’ choices and manufacturers’ reformulation efforts

Imagine you are standing in the supermarket. As you gaze at the rack of breakfast cereals, you might feel overwhelmed by the numerous alternatives presented to you. How do you choose what to buy? The Nutri-Score was developed to simplify this decision by aiding consumers to compare products’ healthiness. As previous research demonstrates its understandability, attention-grabbing properties, and mostly positive effects on purchase intention and choice, the European Union has considered adopting it as the official European label as part of their Farm-To-Fork strategy.
Nevertheless, not all countries are unequivocally in favour of this label; the same holds true for companies, and even experts and researchers, who cite mixed findings and several evidence gaps. This has complicated the decision of the European Commission and led to postponing their harmonized labelling efforts.
Against this backdrop, this dissertation focusses on strengthening the available evidence by addressing five key gaps. It explores the Nutri-Score’s effect outside of controlled environments, its impact on multi-attribute product choices, the heterogeneity in consumers’ preferences for the label, its implementation in online supermarkets, and the efforts undertaken by food manufacturers to engage in Nutri-Score-driven product reformulations.
Employing a range of methodologies - including a naturalistic field experiment, discrete choice modelling, a randomized controlled trial, and retrospective observational study – this work provides fresh insights into the Nutri-Score’s effectiveness. By extending our knowledge and insights on the multifaceted puzzle that surrounds the Nutri-Score, this thesis contributes to a robust evidence base that will eventually enable the European Commission to make well-informed and evidence-driven decisions on harmonized labelling efforts.

Hendrik Leder

• Monday 20 January 2025 at 9:30 am
• Supervisors: Sascha Albers & Markus Reihlen

Navigating Endgames: Conceptualization, Strategies and Successful Turnarounds 

The pace of technological change and digital transformation is accelerating, leading to the emergence of new industries as others decline. Responding to this phenomenon, this PhD thesis explores the challenges of industry decline, endgames and organizational turnarounds. I draw on a rich theoretical foundation and empirical evidence to identify the strategies firms can follow to navigate these challenges.

This PhD thesis is structured around three studies researching the social construction of endgames, how strategy is adapted within an endgame and how firms can achieve successful turnarounds. In the first study, I use a fictional institutionalist perspective to show how endgames are socially constructed, shedding light on the dynamic interplay of industry actors’ fictional expectations and the subsequent strategies they chose as an endgame diffuses through an industry. The second study investigates the patterns of strategic change in endgames and introduces a dialectical model that conceptualize the dynamics of organizational responses to industry decline. The last study focuses on organizational turnarounds as organizations initiate turnaround efforts to recover from prolonged decline in an endgame. This study uses a qualitative meta-analysis of turnaround cases to identify the underlying mechanisms and temporal sequences of successful recovery efforts. The four distinct process archetypes that this study identifies contributes both theoretical insights for researchers and practical insights for managers navigating turnaround scenarios. Together, these three studies provide a detailed understanding of endgames, from how endgames are conceptualized to which organizational strategies firms follow in endgames to the archetypes of organizational turnarounds that firms use to recover from prolonged decline during an endgame.

Overall, this thesis contributes theoretically and practically to the fields of strategic management and organizational studies. I provide a nuanced understanding of how organizations can navigate the tumultuous waters of decline, adapt to changing industry landscapes and orchestrate successful turnarounds in the face of adversity.