How do you break bad behaviour in business? What triggers employees to submit the most ideas? Is time really worth money? Is less really more when it comes to your brand portfolio? Here’s our round-up of the latest management research that businesses can use straight away from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM).

RSM’s researchers talk to RSM’s multimedia research platform RSM Discovery about their latest findings and how these affect business.

How can you get your employees to submit the most ideas?

Generating ideas is essential for companies to improve processes and create efficiencies. And there are direct links between the type of leadership and the number of successful ideas generated. New research by RSM’s Assistant Professor Dirk Deichmann reveals that leaders who use rewards to motivate employees get the most ideas. Watch Deichmann explain how this works.

Do green and eco-labels really make this world a better place?

Labels such as Fairtrade, Green Seal and UTZ claim that a product was produced in a socially and environmentally sustainable way. However, new research by RSM’s Associate Professor Frank Wijen reveals that putting such labels on products – and trying to adhere to the principles and practices underlying standards to pursue sustainability – can deliver unintended negative consequences. Find out more.

How can a business school empower women in business?

RSM researches gender equality, and offers education and mentoring programmes, events and coaching for individuals and organisations at our recently-launched Erasmus Centre for Women and Organisations. Academic Director of the Centre, Professor Dianne Bevelander, explains on RSM Discovery how a business school can help women to tackle gender issues at work.

Who really benefits from relationship lending?

Bankers and hairdressers have a lot in common. With both, you – the customer – build up a close, long-term intimate relationship with repeated contact. In this relationship, the client – or the firm – has little to no secrets. In banking, as a result of such a bond, firms can get more credit or can get credit cheaper – and banks get more profound insight into the company. We call this intimate connection ‘relationship lending’, and almost all SMEs use this. But who really benefits from this the most? The bank or the firm? Find out more.

Is time worth money?

It’s possible to have conflicting goals such as wanting to be sustainable, but taking the car to work to get there more quickly and be more productive – this is how pursuing one goal can interfere with others. New research by Ioannis Evangelidis from RSM’s Department of Marketing Management, and co-authors Jordan Etkin (Duke University) and Jennifer Aaker (Stanford University), shows interfering goals make customers feel time-constraint. Therefore, they appreciate time-saving products and services more – and are more willing to spend money to save time.

Is less more for your brand portfolio?

The world’s largest consumer products companies such as Unilever and Procter & Gamble have recently announced shedding up to hundreds of brands, keeping only the strongest alive to make more profit. But when it comes to brand portfolio, is less really more? While most companies are convinced these big clean-ups result into increased firm value, new research by Dr Yvonne van Everdingen, Professor Gerrit van Bruggen and PhD candidate Baris Depecik from RSM reveals that in almost all cases the opposite is true. Watch their video here.

How to break bad behaviour?

Behaving morally requires the ability to act on long-term goals and commitments, and to overcome the lure of short-lived joys. How are we able to do that? New research by RSM’s PhD candidate Gijs van Houwelingen reveals that focusing on the bigger picture instead of small details can help.

 

See more of RSM’s research and join the discussion at RSM Discovery. www.rsm.nl/discovery.

More information

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) is one of Europe’s top-ranked business schools. RSM provides ground-breaking research and education furthering excellence in all aspects of management and is based in the international port city of Rotterdam – a vital nexus of business, logistics and trade. RSM’s primary focus is on developing business leaders with international careers who can become a force for positive change by carrying their innovative mindset into a sustainable future. Our first-class range of bachelor, master, MBA, PhD and executive programmes encourage them to become critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinkers and doers. www.rsm.nl

 

For more information about RSM or on this release, please contact Olivia Manders, Media Officer on +31 10 408 2028 or by email at manders@rsm.nl.

Type
Accounting and control , Alumni , Bachelor / Bedrijfskunde , Bachelor / IBA , Business-Society Management , Corporate Communication Centre , Companies , Doctoral Programme , Executive education , Faculty & Research , Finance , Homepage , International , Newsroom , Marketing Management , Master , MBA , Organisation and personnel management , Strategic management and entrepreneurship , Sustainability , Technology and operations management