EURAM Research Grant Awardees 2024

A different shade of resources: Understanding the impact of co-working spaces on neurodivergent and neurotypical employees
Hirra Butt, Department of Management, School of Business, Monash University, Sunway Campus Selangor, Malaysia; Regine Bendl, Vienna University of Economics and Business; Simon Heß, Department of Economics, University of Vienna

Abstract:

Workplaces are increasingly recruiting neurodiverse employees to reap the benefits of having a diverse workforce. Yet, there is a lack of consensus on the conceptualization and understanding of inclusion, leading to challenges in the sustainable employment of a diverse workforce. This research aims to contribute to Diversity Management literature by investigating the differential effects of workplace adjustments, such as open office designs, on workplace outcomes of employees in the neurodiversity spectrum and their neurotypical counterparts. The theoretical framework integrates the Job Demand-Resource Model and Sustainable Employment framework, emphasizing the significance of aligning workplace resources with employees' values and abilities to achieve positive workplace outcomes. We aim to use a mixed-methods approach, including quasi-experimental tools and survey data from medium-to-large companies in Austria and Malaysia. Through rigorous analysis, this study aims to inform academic discourse and organizational interventions to optimize workplace adjustments for diverse employees and foster inclusive work environments.

In-action Team Reflection in extreme contexts - Effects on team performance and speaking up in teams
Linda Baulecke, University of Zurich

Abstract:

Medical response teams often work under high pressure and in time-critical situations. Effective communication within these multidisciplinary teams is essential for successful collaboration and poses a significant challenge. Therefore, many teams already employ practical interventions such as team reflections in the form of debriefings to promote communication within the teams and knowledge exchange among team members. A particular form of team reflection is "in-action" team reflection, which is characterized by being conducted during an event. By briefly pausing during an event, teams can exchange information, collectively adapt their knowledge and assumptions, and evaluate alternative approaches. Although initial studies confirm the effectiveness of this reflection method, there is scarce further research on it. The presented research project aims to investigate "in-action" team reflection in a "command-and-control" simulation in a laboratory experiment, thus not only demonstrating causal effects but also shedding light on the underlying mechanisms of these effects through "speaking up." The observed effects will subsequently be tested for their generalizability in the field with medical emergency teams. Ultimately, the goal is to derive evidence-based practical interventions for teams in extreme contexts from the insights gained and to apply them in the practical field.

Man! I Feel Like a Woman: Navigating Gender Biases and Network Brokerage in the Workplace
Gabriela Contreras, Radboud University; Paula M Infantes, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; Katarzyna Burzynska, Radboud University

Abstract:

The existing literature commonly assumes that women are constrained in their ability to benefit from their social networks. Consequently, their career opportunities tend to be limited, further perpetuating gender inequality in the workplace. Despite this consensus about the structural origins of gender inequality in social networks, there is a notable research gap regarding the micro-mechanisms contributing to women’s constraints in activating social networks. Our project aims at addressing this gap. Specifically, we investigate how women’s perceptions of gender bias in the workplace may impact their network cognition and affect the extent to which they can reap career-related benefits from their brokerage positions. To achieve our objectives, we propose a mixed-method approach involving two distinct studies. Study 1 involves the collection of survey data encompassing network brokerage, career outcomes, and women’s gender bias perceptions. Study 2 employs a series of vignette experiments designed to tease out causal mechanisms, investigating whether gender bias conditions impact network brokerage activation. Given the rise of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in organizations, our study can inform on the intricacies that dysfunctional workplace behavior can have in professional environments. Within Europe, this is particularly important as gender policies strive to increase women’s representation in leadership positions.

Diversity in Entrepreneurship Beyond Gender: An Intersectional Perspective on Vulnerable Actors in the Startup Ecosystem
Julia De Groote, WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management; Pisitta Vongswasdi, WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management

Abstract:

This research proposal delves into the prevailing male heroic narrative that typifies the startup founder archetype, probing the implications for those who diverge from this stereotype, including the ecosystem's less visible contributors. Employing an intersectionality lens—which to date has predominantly scrutinized female founders—our study responds to calls for research aimed at fostering a more inclusive startup ecosystem. We aim to broaden the discourse by examining not only the founders but also the 'joiners' of startups, whose stories and challenges are often overshadowed by their more visible counterparts. This approach allows us to contribute to the literature on vulnerable groups within work environments, enriching the intersection of intersectionality research, identity work, and the visibility of minority groups. By focusing on both the high-profile nature of founders and the nuanced visibility of startup joiners, we seek to uncover how narratives and visibility dynamics impact the inclusivity of the startup ecosystem. Utilizing a grounded theory methodology and drawing on interview data, our research is positioned to offer novel insights into the complex interplay of identity, visibility, and inclusivity within the entrepreneurial landscape.

Legitimizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Human Resource Management (HRM) tools through Responsible AI: Insights from a longitudinal Analysis of AI for HRM vendors
Aizhan Tursunbayeva, Parthenope University of Naples; Raluca Bunduchi, The University of Edinburgh

Abstract:

The spread of Artificial intelligence (AI) applications for Human Resource Management (HRM) has sparked mounting concerns about the robustness and validity of AI models, and their potential deployment to facilitate the exploitation and discrimination of workers. These concerns underscore the need for AI vendors to follow Responsible AI (RAI) principles in developing their products. However, the sheer volume, diversity, and novelty of such RAI principles create significant challenges for vendors seeking to implement them. For instance, it is unclear whether these principles are concurrently achievable, as they may reflect conflicting industry norms and cultural values. Similarly, the trade-offs vendors face between embedding such RAI principles, while satisfying their clients’ requirements for improved efficiency and/or effectiveness are still uncertain. To investigate how AI vendors implement RAI principles in their HRM products, we draw from the legitimacy theory and examine three research questions: 1. How do vendors operationalize RAI principles? 2. How do they balance RAI principles with the other demands of their clients?  and 3. How such balance may evolve over time? To answer these questions, we employ netnography covering over 200 AI for HRM vendors, develop novel legitimacy and RAI dictionaries, and validate them with HR professionals and practitioners.
Withstanding void-beneficiaries: How intermediaries navigate resistance to institutional work
Mohammad Zainuddin, Australian National University; Israr Qureshi, Australian National University; Babita Bhatt, Australian National University

Abstract:

Voids often remain entrenched, even in the presence of more efficient alternatives, raising questions about the underlying dynamics at play. This paper illuminates a crucial, yet frequently overlooked, aspect of these voids: the presence of beneficiaries with vested interests in their perpetuation. Consequently, any void-filling (institutional) works inevitably encounter resistance from actors within the ecosystem intent on maintaining the status quo and blocking institutional betterment to protect own interests. Based on the conceptualization of voids as contested spaces, the present study explores how intermediaries in marginalized settings navigate resistance to void-filling interventions. Using an in-depth qualitative study in a refugee camp and analyzing the work of a prominent social intermediary, this study thus develops a deeper understanding of the contested nature of voids and identifies mechanisms intermediaries employ to withstand pressures from void-beneficiaries. The study also calls attention to the power dynamics inherent in institutional work, particularly in the context of poverty, inequality and marginality, and offers valuable insights for practitioners working in similar challenging environments.

EURAM Research Grant Awardees 2023

In Pursuit of Big Science: How Collaboration in Creating Scientific Instruments Shapes Science
Ekky Tammarar Alfian, Technical University of Denmark

Abstract:

Big Science is an endeavor that entails a grand scientific objective. Despite the importance of collaboration in the success of Big Science, knowledge on how the collaboration process in creating scientific instruments for a Big Science endeavor shapes the scientific outcome of the collaboration, remains limited. To address the limitation, this research aims to study the collaborative development of scientific instruments at the European Spallation Source (ESS) that is currently under construction. ESS is one of the largest public investments in science with 17 partner countries across Europe participating in its development. This research utilizes an inductive approach in conducting a comparative case study between 4 different collaborative consortiums across Europe in developing scientific instruments for ESS. The main contribution of this research is twofold: (1) Elucidating how collaborative efforts in developing scientific instruments is shaped by various organizational and managerial factors; (2) Explaining how a collaboration in developing scientific instruments shapes science. Findings obtained from this research can be used to better design and manage a multi-country and multi-disciplinary scientific collaboration as well as to assess the effects of such Big Science collaboration on science.

Female Leadership and ESG initiatives as Drivers of Firm Performance in EU Countries

Paolo Saona & Laura Muro, Saint Louis University

Abstract:

Our research ambitions explore the moderating effect of female leadership in senior corporate positions on ESG (environmental, social and governance) initiatives, and how it impacts on the financial performance of companies from twenty-three European countries. Our investigation is relevant to the field of business and management as it aims to shed light on the consequences of the implementation of the UN 2030 agenda on the financial performance of European corporations. Gender diversity and sustainable investments are at the top of the agendas of the European Union regulators, and consequently, legislation has been developed on this respect, and it is transforming business as usual for responsible and sustainable businesses practices. We consider of high interest for the European management community to explore this relationship. We will contribute with an empirical approach to demonstrate to what extent female leadership and ESG are value-creating initiatives for firms. Our results will open avenues for policy makers in the process of developing new regulations and guidelines to encourage companies in the process of implementing ethical and sustainable business practices, ensuring gender equality and female empowerment. Our findings will benefit corporations and investors willing to create impact.

Stigma as a Driver of Support: The Success of Polarizing Crowdfunding Campaigns
Ludovica Castiglia, IESE Business School

Abstract:

How and when do entrepreneurial ventures operating in highly contested and stigmatized domains manage to survive and even thrive? Studies suggest that stigmatized organizations are penalized: they have lower chances of survival and perform worse than non-stigmatized organizations. I argue that stigma may benefit a new venture and that this positive effect is contingent on the extent to which tolerant audiences, those that are not part of the critical mass of stigmatizers, mobilize to support the new venture. Specifically, I propose that the consequences of stigma may be positive (1) when the venture is the target of a particularly severe stigmatization process, i.e., when a greater number of stakeholders are involved in its stigmatization, and (2) when the stigma is polarizing, i.e., when the specific elements of the organization that are stigmatized are associated with values and beliefs that are central to but conflicting for different political ideologies. Under these conditions, tolerant audiences will more likely mobilize in support of the new venture because perceiving central values to their identity under threat, overall increasing its chances of survival. I test my theory using data from 339,275 projects launched on the largest reward-based crowdfunding platform (2009-2020) and find support for these predictions and underlying mechanism.

Peer Coaching Groups: Antecedents and Outcomes
Roman Terekhin, Case Western Reserve University

Abstract:

Peer coaching groups (PCG) are widely used for employee development and support by business communities, Fortune 500 companies, and prominent business schools. PCGs successfully complement professional coaching as an affordable and scalable solution by fostering lateral (peer) connections and knowledge exchange within an organization. However, PCG approaches and methods vary widely across organizations. Furthermore, existing research on PCGs within organizations is scarce, leaving practitioners without sufficient guidance on implementing PCGs appropriately to benefit both the individuals and their organizations. To address this gap, this quantitative study draws from prior qualitative research on PCGs (Terekhin, 2022) to examine how group characteristics and relationships impact workplace peer coaching groups’ outcomes for individuals and organizations. The study employs a survey-based approach and includes several global corporations from different industries. The results will benefit both the organizations that implement PCGs and the groups’ participants, helping them to better understand the factors that influence the effectiveness of PCG and maximize its outcomes.

Enhancing Sustainability Investments in Supply Chain Negotiations

Ece Tuncel, Webster University

Abstract:

Sustainability investments require near-term costs, but the benefits may not accrue until sometime in the future.  Decision makers are often concerned with present costs rather than delayed benefits, making sustainability investments difficult.  This project focuses on supplier-retailer negotiations as an important context in which investment decisions are made.  The goal is to look at the negotiation strategies retailers could use to “nudge” their suppliers into making sustainability investments that have long-term benefits for society and the environment. The project proposes a series of controlled experiments that will test the effectiveness of different negotiation strategies in this context. The findings from the project will provide decision makers on the retailer side with concrete advice on how they could approach their negotiations to engender greater receptivity and increased sustainability investments.  The findings from this project have broader implications for enhancing socially responsible behavior in organizations by providing decision makers with concrete steps for how to nudge their collaborators to be more thoughtful about the future implications of their actions.  

Crisis and Microbusiness Survival: Lessons Learned from COVID-19
Tribikram Budhathoki & Muhibul Haq, University of Huddersfield

Abstract:

The adverse effects of crises on organisational performance are well documented. Yet management researchers and policymakers have frequently overlooked the impact of crises on the survival of regional microbusinesses despite the significance of these businesses as engines for economic growth. Drawing on social embeddedness theory, we aim to explore “What lessons are learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and what do these lessons mean for microbusinesses for future pandemic preparedness?’. To explore these research questions, we employ semi-structured interviews to collect qualitative data on microbusinesses located in Northern England. The findings of our study will contribute to the existing literature on crisis management in microbusinesses and provide practical recommendations for future pandemic preparedness. Our research will be especially valuable for policymakers and practitioners, as it will help inform decision-making processes that can aid in the survival of microbusinesses during times of crisis.

Runner Up

Cross-Cultural Comparison of a Sustainable Approach to Innovation Management
Marion Neukam & Sophie Bollinger, Université de Strasbourg

The potential harm to human systems from climate change and weather disasters is increasingly global (IPCC 2022). Resulting global challenges require effort from focused collaboration across both governmental and nongovernmental actors (George et al., 2016). Societies are therefore currently experiencing a paradigm shift where innovation is required to respond to increasing societal challenges (Elkington, 2020; Wilenius, 2014). Private sector firms offer a wide range of solutions to build resilience, but market mechanisms do not automatically channel private innovations into public risk management (Gerber 2020). Many firms often lack incentives to consequently apply that knowledge for the common good (Aguado & Retolaza, 2020; Henderson, 2020); also because the measurability of these investments remains open, making it difficult to make decisions in favor of this type of activity (Turker, 2009). Henderson and Van den Steen (2015) thus conclude that there is a trade-off between such actions in favor of society and firm performance, which questions their profitability. As a result, innovation remains limited to demand-oriented goals within the scope of the firm (George et al., 2016).

This limitation relies to some extent on the quality and scope of manager-employee interactions already during innovation processes. Therefore, we require a close look at how managers and employees interact to integrate ideas and values that not only serve the firm, but also society, such as a sustainability perspective to technology (Neukam & Bollinger 2022). From this perspective, this requires that not only the exchanges of ideas, but also of values between employees and managers become part of a firm’s innovation process.

Whether the trade-off between a firm’s corporate social responsibility and its financial performance exists or not is an empirical question. Hence, scholars increasingly argue that firms should reposition themselves within society and take their responsibility with regard to global challenges (Hamel & Zanini, 2020; Henderson, 2020; WEF, 2020). To avoid negative impacts in form of this trade-off, Bollinger and Neukam (2021) argued that the next generation of firms need to find a coherent equilibrium between (a) their economic performance, (b) their commitment to society as well as (c) their innovative capacity to respond to future challenges.

Such a sustainable approach to business is a specific section of a more general values-based innovation management within firms (Breuer & Lüdeke-Freund, 2017). Therefore, the interplay between organizational and individual values play a central role in its accomplishment. But as soon as values obtain the position of an integrative element of a firm’s innovation management, we expect cultural variations about the perception of those values and refer here to leading research in intercultural management (such as the following iconic works: Hofstede, 2001; Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner, 1998).

In the following, we’ll enter in more details into current literature about this link between economic performance and innovation capacity in order to foster sustainable solutions to society and point to potential cultural variations that will lead us to formulate our research question.

EURAM Research Grant Awardees 2022

Better together or better apart: The use of artificial intelligence, human intelligence and human-in-the-loop systems in HR screening, Ksenia Keplinger and Marina Chugunova, Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition

Organizational practices to successfully integrate international migrants,
Nicole Franziska Richter, University of Southern and Sven Hauff, Helmut Schmidt University

The Impact of Internal Change Agents in Public Sector Digital Transformation (INSTIGATOR),
Jessica Breaugh, Hertie School and Caroline Fischer, University of Potsdam 

Understanding the non-academic impacts of academic research in their national and international contexts,
Bill Lee, University of Sheffield, Gianpaolo Abatecola, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Matteo Cristofaro, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Huiping Xian, University of Leicester, Davide Secchi, University of Southern Denmark, Florence Allard-Poesi, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Marek Szarucki, Cracow University of Economics, Oskar Kosch, Cracow University of Economics, Michael Schlaile, University of Hohenheim, Bernd Ebersberger, University of Hohenheim 

Runner Up
Context matters: an international comparative study to understand EDI interventions in MNCs,
Andri Georgiadou, University of Nottingham and Sabine Bacouel Jentjens, ISC Paris, School of Management

Partnering for health: setting the ground for service ecosystems,
Elena Casprini, University of Siena and Rocco Palumbo, Senior Researcher, University Rome Tor Vergata

EURAM Research Grant Awardees 2021

Human-led vs. hybrid human-led/chatbot-supported coaching for organizations: A quasi-experimental field study on distance coaching as an emerging HRD practice
Silja Kotte, HMKW University of Applied Sciences for Media, Communication and Management, Germany & Gil Bozer, Sapir Academic College, Israel

How to Enhance the Experience of Neurodivergent Employees: The Ability-Motivation-Opportunity Perspective Joanna Szulc & Frances-Louise McGregor, University of Huddersfield, UK

Reconceptualizing competitive dynamics as language game Khoa Nguyen, Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics, Finland

Plurality in Auditing: A Cross-Cultural Study on Auditor Whistleblowing in Europe Sebastian Oelrich and Anne Chwolka, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany
The theorization and organization of festivals as innovative spaces for sustainability transition Leonore van den Ende, VU University Amsterdam, Netherlands
Runner Up
Comparison of e-mentoring with traditional mentoring used at universities on the example of selected European universities Malgorzata Baran, Collegium Civitas, Poland

EURAM Research Grant Awardees 2020

The Role of firm's stakeholder engagement on open innovation
Licia Cerini, Bocconi University

Understanding Conflict in Large Research Consortia: Nature, Implications and Management – A Study of the European Project ‘Galileo’
Isabel Estrada Vaquero, University of Groningen; Anne-Sophie Fernandez, University of Montpellier; Audrey Rouyre, University of Montpellier

The digital side of universities: an international comparative analysis of performance measurement systems
Sara Giovanna Mauro, Institute of Management, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna; Lino Cinquini, Institute of Management, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna; Hanne Nørreklit, School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University

Co-production of public services: an impact evaluation model
Milena Vainieri, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Denita Cepiku, University of Rome Tor Vergata; Marta Marsilio,  Università  delgi Studi di Milano, Maria Francesca Sicilia, Università degli Studi di Bergamo

#BoycottUber? Precarity and agency: Giving voice to migrant ride-share drivers in London
Joana Vassilopoulou, Brunel University 

EURAM Research Grant Awardees 2019