Dr Emilio Marti

Profile
Emilio Marti is an assistant professor in the Business-Society Management Department at the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM).
Emilio’s research focuses on how pressure from shareholders makes companies more or less sustainable. For example, with Tanja Ohlson, he currently conducts an ethnography at a London-based shareholder engagement fund to explore the conditions under which shareholder engagement can make companies more sustainable. Emilio also explores, with Mark DesJardine, the potentially problematic interplay between pressure from activist hedge funds and the CSR activities of companies.
Emilio joined RSM in 2018 after post-doctoral positions at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and the Cass Business School, City, University of London. He completed his PhD at the University of Zurich in 2015. His work has been published in the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, and the Journal of Management Studies.
Professional experience
Assistant Professor
Erasmus University Rotterdam
RSM - Rotterdam School of Management
Department of Business-Society Management
Publications
Scholarly Publications (6)
- M.R. DesJardine, E.S. Marti & R. Durand (2020). Why Activist Hedge Funds Target Socially Responsible Firms: The Reaction Costs of Signaling Corporate Social Responsibility. Academy of Management Journal, forthcomin. doi: 10.5465/amj.2019.0238
- E.S. Marti & J. Gond (2019). How do theories become self-fulfilling? Clarifying the process of Barnesian performativity. Academy of Management Review, 44 (3), 686-694. doi: 10.5465/amr.2019.0024
- E.S. Marti & J. Gond (2018). When do theories become self-fulfilling? Exploring the boundary conditions of performativity. Academy of Management Review, 43 (3), 487-508. doi: 10.5465/amr.2016.0071
- A. Schneider, C. Wickert & E.S. Marti (2017). Reducing complexity by creating complexity: A systems theory perspective on how organisations respond to their environments. Journal of Management Studies, 54 (2), 182-208. doi: 10.1111/joms.12206
- E.S. Marti & A. Scherer (2016). Financial regulation and social welfare: The critical contribution of management theory. Academy of Management Review, 41 (2), 298-323. doi: 10.5465/amr.2013.0469
- E.S. Marti (2015). 2015 Best Dissertation Award of the Society for Business Ethics. Wetenschappelijk.
Media
Media items
- Erasmus University Rotterdam: “Care about corporate sustainability? Protect Dutch companies from activist hedge funds!”
Article about the research of Dr. Emilio Marti, Assistant professor RSM, Erasmus University, Roy Heesakkers, PhD student, Erasmus School of Law and Prof. Maarten Verbrugh, Professor Erasmus School of Law. Their research shows…
Duurzaam-ondernemen.nl Friday, 30 October 2020 - Why companies with good CSR become targets of hedge fund activists
According to new research, asset owners looking to prioritise sustainability should ensure their investments are not supporting asset management firms that undermine CSRActivist hedge funds are becoming increasingly…
The European Friday, 9 October 2020 - Activist Hedge Funds Undermining Corporate Social Responsibility, Research Finds
New research that Emilio Marti of RSM has contributed to finds that activist hedge funds are almost twice as likely to target socially responsible companies as others.
fanews.co.za Thursday, 2 July 2020 - Hedgefonds komt eerder aan boord bij duurzaam bedrijf
Research conducted by Emilio Marti of RSM has been mentioned in the FD.
Het Financieele Dagblad Wednesday, 1 July 2020 - The Places Your Research Will Go: Paths for Impact
An article featuring Emilio Marti of RSM, discussing how research can have real-world impact. It includes examples of award-winning research projects and an expert analysis of lessons learned.
NBS Tuesday, 18 February 2020 - Houd rekening met zichzelf inlossende theorieën, waarschuwt bekroond artikel
An article about Emilio Marti of RSM about his research into to under what circumstances an academic theory is perceived as 'truth'.
Holland Management Review Sunday, 30 September 2018 - Exploring the boundary conditions of performativity
An article in which Emilio Marti, Assistant Professor at the Department of Business-Society Management at RSM, describes the conditions under which scientific theories become self-fulfilling.
Management Site Tuesday, 14 August 2018
Discovery items
Investors looking to prioritise sustainability would do well to ensure their investments are not supporting activist hedge funds.
Sometimes scientific theories become self-fulfilling. When that happens companies better pay attention. Read the award winning paper.
Course
Research Methodology
- Study year: 2020/2021, 2019/2020, 2018/2019
- Code: BMRM3GBS
- ECTS: 4 Level: Master
Why Activist Hedge Funds Target Socially Responsible Firms

Investors looking to prioritise sustainability would do well to ensure their investments are not supporting activist hedge funds.
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Netherlands