Research can only make an impact if it reaches the right people who can then use it in practice. The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)’s pilot fund supports scientists who are committed to science communication. RSM is well-known globally for its cutting-edge academic research.
Sustainable finance in practice
Prof. Dirk Schoenmaker, Prof. Mathijs van Dijk and Dr Steve Kennedy were recognised for their work on sustainable finance. Around 15,000 managers and students have already enrolled in their free, nine-week MOOC on sustainable finance, to explore sustainable banking and asset management, effective engagement, sustainable scenario analysis and long-term value creation.
They have also published blogs and opinion pieces in the media and on RSM’s research channel, for example: The year of corporate acting – does business need a new approach to palm oil? (Kennedy, Whiteman, Williams), The Netherlands should stimulate European support via emergency fund rather than Eurobonds (Schoenmaker), Stock market liquidity is key factor in firms’ decision to raise new capital (Van Dijk, Hanselaar), and Why have stock markets suddenly crashed? (Van Dijk).
Prof. Schoenmaker also starred in an open lecture A social licence to operate for business and finance. These initiatives make sustainable finance available to as many people as possible in an understandable and actionable way.
Creating engagement
Prof. Stefano Puntoni, Dr Jason Roos, Dr Anne Klesse and Dr Bram Van den Bergh were awarded for sharing their work on marketing management. The marketing group at RSM actively engages with non-academic stakeholders, for example by being active on social media (e.g., on LinkedIn) or giving public lectures (e.g., at University of The Netherland).
“We must engage with different stakeholders and reach out beyond the ivory tower of academia to create impact,” says Professor Stefano Puntoni, adding that there’s more to research than only publishing papers. “If we communicate our findings broadly, then they can be used in society, for example by helping managers improve their practices or by showing policy makers how to design rules and incentives.”
Both sets of researchers received € 10.000 from KNAW to further their efforts to make science accessible to a broader community. “This grant will help us ensure that the insights we generate reach the people who can benefit from them,” said Prof. Puntoni.
RSM Discovery
Business leaders have access fresh management research by RSM’s academics via the RSM Discovery platform and magazine. On this platform, RSM faculty members communicate business implications of academic management research. It combines challenging articles with videos and interviews.
