My main field of expertise is the geography of innovation and knowledge creation. I address question such as, why are some regions/places better at innovation and knowledge creation than others? And why is geographical proximity still relevant for innovation and knowledge creation in today’s global economy? Furthermore, I study the organization of innovation and knowledge creation. What are organizational characteristics that encourage innovation and knowledge creation and how do they do so? An important part of my work focusses on the development of QCA (Qualitative Comparative Analysis). QCA, as a comparative case-study method, fundamentally challenges the variable-based narrative of causality that dominates mainstream social science and offers a compelling alternative. My work on QCA focuses on explaining how QCA (and case-based methods generally) understand causality and how this empirical research using QCA. My work for ERAC aims to strengthen the research skills of this informs firm, allowing it to play a leading role in evidence-based consultancy for regional economic development. I also do actual consultancy, particularly concerning regional innovation policy.

My research (methodologically, conceptually, empirically and in the context of application) is strongly influence by critical realist philosophy of science and the notion of complex causality. I reject the idea that one can learn something about social reality by decomposing it into variables. Instead, I look at social entities (e.g. firms, regions, networks) holistically as social institutions; i.e. as assemblages of individuals, social structures, social institutions, resources, technologies, norms, values, practices, etc. This as a whole gives social entities causal power to do some things rather than others. Looking at social entities and causality in this way allows me to go beyond seeing causality in a stylized was as an independent variable ‘doing something’ do a dependent variable. Instead, this approach allows me to  develop actual causal mechanisms.

Biography

Working languages
Dutch, English, German

 Affiliation
1994 – 2011
Consultant ERAC (European Regional Affairs Consultants)
1996 – 2001
PhD student Tilburg University, School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
2001 – present
Assistant professor Tilburg University, School of Social and Behavioural Sciences

2018 – present
Senior Consultant ERAC (European Regional Affairs Consultants) 

Academic leadership

Chair of the Board of Examinations of the Tilburg School of Social Sciences and Behavioural Sciences (2004 – December 2014: member, 01.01.2015 – 30.11.2017: vice chair, 01.12.2017 – present: chair).

Member of the BKO-Committee (2015-present): the committee to assess education proficiency portfolios of experienced and junior teachers.

Education coordinator for the Bachelor programme of Organizations Studies (2018-present).

Director of Education for the Bachelor programme Organization Studies, and as such Member of the Board of the Department of Organization Studies (2008-2011).

In the spring of 2009 I have followed a three-day course on “Effective leadership and supervision” in academia.

Teaching
I have obtained the Dutch University Teaching Qualification (UTQ) (June 2015) and the senior-UTQ (May 2018). 

To further my teaching qualifications, I have followed several workshop:

19 April 2018: workshop on quality of team assignments

20 November 2017: workshop on specification tables for exams.

25 October 2017: workshop on rubrics for exams.

25 November 2011: A one-day workshop on “understanding student learning” and “activating small groups”.

Winter 2010: A course of three half-days on “Education and the Art of the Theatre”, to further presentation skills.

PhD supervision

Jos van den Broek (11.10.2018): Agency and institutions in the construction of cross-border innovation spaces, Nijmegen University.

Aradom Gebrekidan (28.11.2016): Spatial proximity, social capital and social status, Tilburg University.

Roland Levering (07.01.2015): organizational culture and networks, Tilburg University.

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Rik Ligthart (11.04.2014): Time after time: collaboration practices in and across temporary organizations, Tilburg University.

Joris Knoben (14.09.2007): Firm mobility and organizational networks, Tilburg University