SOM research programmes SOM is the coordinating research institute and the graduate
students at the faculty. To get an idea of what these programmes
Research projects range from case studies in companies to
school of the Faculty of Economics & Business at the University of
entail, here’s a brief overview of the contents of three of these
surveys among large groups of companies and from working
Groningen.
programmes:
with companies to develop applied tools to developing and
SOM’s mission is to be a full range research school combining
The institute for Innovation & Organization
scientific work in OPERA ranges from highly practical, real-life
Economics and Business and to meet the needs of the academic
To compete, organizations need to be innovative which has
oriented to more abstract, analytical problems.
community and students as well as society by conducting and
rapidly become a joint effort requiring new organizational
Many researchers have intimate contacts with several companies
stimulating excellent fundamental and applied research related
practices, besides those related to hierarchy and command-and-
ranging from hospitals to large process industries. Additionally,
to the firm in its economic environment, and to recruit and
control. New organizational practices –formal and informal–
contacts exists through the Lean Operations Research Centre
train talented students both at the Research Master and the
include relational contracting, networked organizations, team
(LO-RC).
PhD level and to provide them with high-level programmes,
formation, and incentive and reporting structures that account
excellent supervision and a stimulating, international research
for joint innovative efforts. This holds true for both firm-internal
The HRM&OB research institute
environment.
organizational practices as well as organizational practices
Our research focuses on the human side of organizations: How
to accommodate and stimulate cooperation between firms.
can the motivation of and cooperation between employees of
The aim of SOM’s PhD programme is to produce highly qualified
However organized, firms need resources and capabilities as well,
organizations be optimized to facilitate individual and team
researchers. The graduates will each work on an individual
including strategic capabilities, information sharing routines
effectiveness, positive attitudes, and well-being. The research
project, leading to a doctoral dissertation. During the initial
and systems, and procedures to govern a firm and ensure proper
program comprises four interconnected research themes
period, students are offered courses in various fields and on
control over sensitive knowledge and resources. Obviously,
focused on teams, diversity, innovation, and leadership.
research methods. The courses of the PhD programme are
the need to develop and leverage appropriate resources and
taught in English. During the remaining period, PhD candidates
capabilities in newly emerging organizational practices to
Examples of research questions that we are trying to answer
will work on their thesis. Over the entire four-year period, work
be innovative as an organization poses substantial strategic
include “How does the composition of groups affect their
on the dissertation is carried out under supervision of SOM
challenges.
functioning and effectiveness”, “How should employees be
solving highly complex mathematical models. In other words, the
rewarded to maximize their effort and simultaneously stimulate
fellows. The projects are carries out under close supervision and the PhD candidates are encouraged to present their papers at
Opera
their creativity?”, “How and when does the arrival of newcomers
international conferences.
The research institute focuses on the main processes of
in organizations affect interpersonal relations, innovation, and
organisations: all processes that relate to processing materials,
performance?”, “Is there a difference between male and female
SOM’s research institute is organized in the following
providing services and delivering of products and services. More
leadership and which leadership styles are most effective?”,
programmes:
specifically, the main aim is to provide insight into, develop tools
and “Why are some supervisors or subordinates more likely to
•
and decision aids for making decisions relating to production,
behave unethically than others, and what can be done about it?”
Human Resource Management & Organisational Behaviour
•
HRM&OB
organizations.
Researchers of the HRM&OB research institute conduct
IEB&M
The decision making deals with modelling, analysis, design/
research in a wide variety of settings, including manufacturing,
IEEF
improvement, development and planning & control at several
healthcare, financial, educational, and service industry settings.
International Economics, Business & Management
services and logistic operations within profit as well as non profit
•
Economics, Econometrics and Finance
•
Marketing
levels in the organisation. Examples are the planning in hospitals
They have expertise in using a variety of research methods
•
Operations Management &
around a MRI-scanner, planning the transport of sugar beets
including surveys, interviews, and observations. A variety
OPERA
from farm to sugar refinery, making a schedule for the staff of
of research approaches is used, including longitudinal and
I&O
a large restaurant, developing tools to plan large events like
multilevel data collections, field and lab experiments, case
PinkPop, or cooperation between supplier and buyer in a supply
studies, and simulation studies.
Operations Research •
Innovation & Organization
The SOM programmes offer great opportunities to excellent
chain.
Centers of Expertise Apart from the SOM programmes, there are also various centrers
Corporate Governance Insights Centre
COELO
of expertise at the faculty of economics and business. The centres
The University of Groningen’s Corporate Governance Insights
The Centre for Research on Local Government Economics
of expertise cover the following areas:
Centre (CGIC) brings researchers together with a background
(COELO) is an independent research institute, affiliated to the
CIBIF
in disciplines such as economics, management, and accounting.
Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Groningen,
ICT Platform
These researchers share an interest in governance research,
the Netherlands. COELO carries out scientific research on
LO-RC
broadly defined, and its application. The center is currently being
local government economics, and conducts contract research,
CGIC
developed and institutionalized. Regular updates of this website
for example for government ministries, local governments or
will reflect the progress.
international organisations. The main areas of expertise are
•
Banking, Insurance, Finance
•
Business and Information Systems
•
Lean Operations
•
Corporate Governance
•
Input Output Studies
•
Local Government Economics
•
Economic Growth and Development
•
Human Resource Management and
EUNIOS COELO GGDC
fiscal federalism, decentralized taxation, water management Corporate governance is a fast-growing field of research. Over
financing, fiscal equalization, capital structure of public bodies,
5,500 academic articles and 300 books were written on the
and local poverty relief. The aim of COELO is to increase
Organizational Behaviour
HRMOB
topic, 80 percent of which appeared after 2000. The participants
knowledge about local government economics by conducting
•
Health Care Management
RHO
in CGIC have all been involved in governance debates in their
sound scientific research, and to make this knowledge accessible
•
Customer Insights
CIC
respective disciplines and have conducted multidisciplinary
to non-scientists.
•
ICT applications in remote care
I2Care
research together. More information on the researchers making up CGIC is available under researchers , whereas selected
Please find four examples of centres of expertise below.
publications are offered under publications
Expertise Center Human Resource Management & Organizational Behavior
Various applied research projects for the Dutch government
At the core of any organization are its employees. Employees’
performed by CGIC. The group has significant expertise about
personalities, attitudes, motivation and behavior for a large part
compliance with corporate governance codes, executive
determine organizational effectiveness. The Expertise Center
compensation, board selfevaluation and worker codetermination,
for Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior
amongst other topics, particularly in The Netherlands. To assist
conducts research for and with companies to gain insight into
in data collection, CGIC regularly includes students in their
exactly how employees affect the organization and vice versa.
research projects. For more information on applied research
Over the course of decades we’ve build up extensive knowledge
projects please contact Dr. Dirk Akkermans.
and corporate sector have been completed and are still being
in areas such as creativity and innovation, diversity, ethical mission is to share our expertise with a broader audience of
The Groningen Growth and Development Centre (GGDC)
corporate professionals so that practical HR issues can be
The Groningen Growth and Development Centre was founded
tackled based on rigorous scientific knowledge. We achieve
in 1992 within the Economics Department of the University of
our mission by stimulating knowledge exchange between HR
Groningen by a group of researchers working on comparative
professionals, researchers, and students. For instance, we invite
analysis of levels of economic performance and differences
senior HR professionals to give guest lectures during courses.
in growth rates. The activities of the Centre are primarily in
They give great insight into what problems they face on a day-
the field of research. This research is largely based on a range
to-day basis and how research can help them solve these issues.
of comprehensive databases on indicators of growth and
Another way we communicate with the corporate world and the
development that the Centre compiles and maintains on a regular
general public is through our website at www.hrmexpertise.nl.
basis. The participants of the Centre publish papers, articles and
On a weekly basis we publish posts on HR-related news, research
books often linked to these databases. It also organises seminars
backgrounds, and book reviews. Finally, we regularly organize
and conferences, and it submits and supports (joint) proposals
research meetings in which speakers from The Netherlands and
to finance research in this field. Its current director is Marcel
abroad to talk about their latest work. Students are welcome to
Timmer. The website can be found at www.ggdc.net.
behavior, leadership, and teamwork. The expertise center’s
join in. Be sure to check our website for upcoming meetings or subscribe to our Twitter feed at twitter.com/hrmexpertise!
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Introduction Paper 2010