Vlerick researchers Sara De Hauw, Ann-Sophie De Pauw and Kristof Geskens have been granted an ICM scholarship for their upcoming PhD research. Every year the Intercollegiate Center for Management Science awards doctoral fellowships in Management Science. The awards are granted annually for a period of three years. It involves a stay of one year at a foreign university.

Sara De Hauw: ‘Work-life balance from a person-environment fit perspective: a study on individual and contextual antecedents and career outcomes’

Sara De Hauw: “Due to globalization, technological innovations (e.g. Blackberry) and new family structures (e.g. single parent families), boundaries between work and personal life are fading. As a result, we see that many employees struggle these days to gain a balance between their work and personal life. This is a question that fascinates me and, therefore, it forms the core of my PhD research. During my PhD, I will investigate the impact of the employee, the work context and the home context on work-life balance, how a match or mismatch between these elements can affect work-life balance and how work-life balance influences an employee’s career. 

“Thanks to the ICM scholarship, I can immerse myself in a topic that intrigues me, I can spend a year abroad to work with experts and peers at foreign universities, I can broaden my international network, I can further develop my professional and personal skills, and so much more. So it goes without saying that I am more than happy to get this great opportunity.”

Ann-Sophie De Pauw: ‘Relational orientation in negotiations: A study of the effects on negotiation process and outcomes in dyadic negotiations’

Ann-Sophie De Pauw: “The focus of my PhD research lies on relational orientation in negotiations. I will study to what extent the individual relational orientation of negotiators impacts both the negotiation process, and more specifically the strategies, tactics and behaviour that are displayed, as well as the negotiation outcome. The field of negotiation has been dominated by a focus on economic capital, which can be criticized for offering an a-relational view of an inherently relational situation. With my research I want to create increasing attention for relationship building in negotiations and the effects it exerts.

“Evidently I am very pleased with this ICM scholarship, as it broadens the horizons of my PhD journey. This three year scholarship allows me to focus on academic research and offers me the chance to study in the US for one year. I can collaborate with international professors and researchers, develop expertise, and extend my research network.  I am looking forward to this enriching experience and will make the most of the opportunities that it brings.”

Kristof Geskens: ‘Goal-Based Assortments to Overcome Negative Overchoice Effects’

Kristof Geskens: “Traditionally our assumption is that offering more choice to consumers is always better. Although some choice is indeed good, more and more choice can eventually lead to too much choice, or “overchoice”. Today’s marketplace has become so cluttered that consumers often experience choice stress. My PhD research will look at ways to overcome the negative effects of having too much choice. More specifically the focus is on how to organise the brand’s assortment in function of the goals of consumers to thus mitigate those effects.

“This three year ICM-fellowship gives me the time and freedom to dig deep into this fascinating phenomenon of “overchoice”. Through sound academic research I want to find ways in which marketing managers can effectively reduce choice stress. The ICM-fellowship also offers the opportunity to spend a year at a university abroad. This will allow me to get a fresh perspective on my research and expand my horizons. I am looking forward to start this long, hard, and demanding journey, but I am sure it will be worth it.”