AMS Blog

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5 key questions to build KPIs for innovation reporting

This second article in our series of three on corporate innovation focuses on the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) innovation leaders use to report and communicate their progress. These metrics assess the success and effectiveness of innovation

Bye-Bye generational differences

Belgian economic journal De Tijd approached various opinion leaders to share their perspectives on what we urgently need to get rid of. What are they happily throwing in the trash? Among those opinion makers was our associate dean research and

Be cautious with the term 'Work Happiness': Managing expectations

The Belgian economic journal, De Tijd, recently sought the perspectives of several opinion leaders on what needs to change in order to create a better world. Among these thought leaders was Professor Peggy De Prins, professor and expert in Human

Fifth AMS Dean's Club focused on lifelong learning

Is lifelong learning already embedded in your organization and culture? The Dean's Club brings together business and education leaders twice a year to discuss socially relevant topics. The fifth Dean's Club focused on lifelong learning.

10 Sustainable Transformation Trends - literature

The Sustainable Transformation Lab delved into the intersection between business, society and the environment and shone a spotlight on 10 of the most significant sustainable transformation trends for business.

Corporate venturing: challenges in measuring return on innovation

With the increase of technological, business and societal disruptions, innovation climbs even higher on corporate to-do lists. With it comes the increasing importance of corporate venturing, which provides as many opportunities as it does challenges.

How Digital Security leaders can influence Environmental and Sustainability Goals (ESG)?

“How on earth does cybersecurity relate to the subject of sustainability?” was what some students at the Antwerp Management School must have thought when the AMS guest lecture of Ad Krikke started. Sustainability still triggers most people's thoughts

How to appraise Artificial Intelligence (AI) and why context is key.

The year 2022 marked a significant milestone in Artificial Intelligence (AI). ChatGPT released an AI hurricane on the world, accelerating the AI arms race between technology giants like Microsoft and Google. Next to the enormous potential AI can

Navigating the River-lution: harmonize social, ecological, and economic interests

During the summer months, the tranquil canals and rivers of the North Sea Region come alive with kayakers and canoers, offering a peaceful escape from our fast-paced digital lives. However, beneath the surface of these serene landscapes lies a growing

The economic cost of climate change in 4 numbers

The Earth's climate is rapidly changing, and its consequences are becoming increasingly visible across the globe. As extreme weather events intensify and temperatures continue to rise, the economic toll of climate change becomes a pressing concern for

ESG as a crucial factor for attracting the next generation of workers

Are you curious about what can make your company irresistible to the next generation of employees? Well, look no further than ESG! What is ESG, you ask? It stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance factors, and it has become a game-changer in

"Once you understand what drives people, you can coach them much more effectively.”

“Opening minds to impact the world”: Jef Van Damme, Alderman in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, fully embraces the baseline of Antwerp Management School. Looking for a solid theoretical framework to generate even more social impact himself, he ended up in the

It’s never too late to get a PhD

Srinivasan Ananthraman has 15 years of practical experience in the field of patents. He was eager to use this experience for research in patent economics and come up with breakthrough solutions for innovators, academics and policymakers. There was one

The impact of climate change on employees in 4 numbers

Climate change is a pressing global issue that affects many aspects of our daily lives, including our work environments. In the workplace, climate change creates new risks for occupational health and safety: physical health risks, mental health

What’s next for work in textile, construction, chemistry & life sciences?

AMS research helps future-proof the role of work in vital industries An aging workforce, how to build sustainable careers, and prioritizing workable work… these issues present specific challenges for the textile, construction, chemical, and life

Why emotions matter: 3 enablers for sustainability intelligence

Sustainability intelligence is becoming increasingly important in our rapidly changing world that challenges us more and more and in which sustainability as a concept is very much under pressure. How can we better pursue sustainability intelligence,

Executive MBA international study trip to Singapore

Armieyah Ayob, current EMBA student and Digital Marketing Consultant recaps the highlights of the recent study trip to Singapore she went on with her cohort. Her account tells of the vibrant cultural immersion, state-of-the-art academic experience,

A toxic culture is not just about toxic leadership

The term “toxic leadership” is all over the news these days, most recently, e.g., in the articles about Plopsaland. But what is toxic leadership? In the news, it is often associated with “transgressive behavior” or “a strict level of control”. The

International Women’s Day: breaking the status-quo in the maritime sector

Though many may still think of the maritime sector as an oil tanker rather than a speedboat, in reality the industry’s transformation is running at top speed, making full use of innovative digital technologies. And though many may still think of the

The wage gap, what exactly is it?

The wage gap, what exactly is it? The simplest explanation is that the figure (usually for a country or region) reflects the percentage of working women who, on average, earn less when compared to working men. This sounds like a simple calculation, so

A plea for the relay in leadership and careers

Jacinda Ardern's decision to quit as Prime Minister of New Zealand already triggered a wide range of reactions, ranging from "Can women really have it all?" and "The strengths and pitfalls of empathy" to "In the current system, we're losing all the

Influential trends for emerging roles in digital security - 2023 and beyond

Looking at cyberdata collected in recent times reveals intriguing insights that may affect our future view on digital security education as a prime defense mechanism for dealing with future threats. In this article, we first observe the cumulative

1 in 3 people come to work sick. What message are you giving your employees?

Don’t want your employees to come to work sick? Then check your organization’s absenteeism culture: what (implicit) message are you giving your employees about being sick and working?

Running an intellectual marathon: PhD for Executives

Hans Vanoorbeek is Managing Partner of BV Capital Partners and Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at Vlerick Business School. He was in search of a well-organized, flexible PhD program that would allow him to combine working, teaching and doing

Beginner’s guide to statistical validation

There are 7.8 million researchers(1) in the world, and it is safe to say that they all use survey as a method of data collection at least once in their career. This already amounts to an overwhelming number of surveys, but it carries even far more

4 mechanisms that play a role in absenteeism

Absenteeism is defined as a "failure to show up for scheduled work" (Johns, 1997). Whether involuntary or voluntary, legitimized or not, white or black or grey… Many researchers are not concerned with that. The line is often thin, and as a manager or

The hidden cost of saving on heating

With temperatures dipping below zero for the first time this year, some already dream of a white Christmas (could it be?). But this first burst of winter also has a less miraculous consequence. The cold temperatures go hand in hand with another rise

Preventing sick leave, burnout and psychosocial distress in the workplace: what does work?

Over the past decades, the focus on mental well-being in the workplace has been growing slowly but steadily. After the acceleration that covid brought on, and with the tight labor market in mind, more and more organizations are launching initiatives

Quiet firing. Why do we keep fooling each other?

After the recent media turmoil around the phenomenon of 'quiet quitting', something new immediately rears its head: 'quiet firing'. The first concept refers to the employee. He will do just enough at work to avoid being fired. The second, 'quiet

Supply chains are almost anorectic. Can the sector survive the next crisis?

The coronavirus crisis hits the supply chain & logistics particularly hard, and there is no argument here. It’s equally evident that returning to business as usual is not an option, as the next global crisis is already upon us. We live in

1 in 3 employees has “career regrets”

What makes employees happy on the shop floor? A question that is acutely faced by many employers against the background of the current ‘war for talent’ and the shortage of skilled employees. A study of AMS, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and House of HR

Cheers to our Mechelseplein #AMSneighborhood

In our new blog series #AMSneighborhood, we'll guide you through the streets around our school and introduce you to the hot spots of Antwerp. Our Mechelseplein hosts plenty of nice bars, so it's the place to be for after-work (or after-school) drinks.

How do Small and Medium Enterprises approach cybersecurity ?

At Antwerp Management School's Master in IT Risk & Cyber Security Management we noticed that SMEs are struggling to adequately address cybersecurity risks and are taking a slightly different approach than large(r) organizations. So we decided to

Every day is food truck day #AMSneighborhood

In our new blog series #AMSneighborhood, we'll guide you through the streets around our school and introduce you to the hot spots of Antwerp. Did you know that our Mechelseplein is one of the most popular spots for food trucks to stop by? That means

How compassionate ventures can help us prepare for the next crisis

This is the story of Fred, 50 years old, father of two, DJ and wedding entertainer. Nobody expected him to set up a project that would, in just a few days, mobilize dozens of volunteers and help hundreds of Ukrainians. And yet, that is exactly what he

Meet your baristas #AMSneighborhood

In our new blog series #AMSneighborhood, we'll guide you through the streets around our school and introduce you to the hot spots of Antwerp. The new school year has just started, summer is gone and we feel like preparing ourselves for Fall season. To

Data sharing between industry and government: the next step or a step too far?

On Thursday the 15th of September, students, alumni and industry professionals gathered to discuss one of the biggest challenges we face today: data. How to use it? How can we trust the process? And, most importantly, what role does the government

Dear employer, are you a “Quiet Dismisser”?

Doing the minimum at work: it is a trend. For employers, it is a signal that they should take a more critical look at their policy, says AMS Professor Ans De Vos. Below you will find her open letter to employers, which appeared as an opinion piece in

The future of business schools: Existential innovation or obsolescence?

The Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) are inspired by internationally accepted values such as the principles of the United Nations Global Compact. It is the ambition of Antwerp Management School (AMS) to integrate responsible

"ESG's complete nonsense? Our experts investigate"

Since 2007, banks and brokers are no longer allowed to sell a financial product without knowing someone's risk profile and having assessed his knowledge of the financial markets and his experience on the stock exchange. That guideline has been

Age diversity in the workplace: yes or no? 3 do’s and don’ts

When it comes to diversity & inclusion in the workplace, age is becoming increasingly important, especially given the ageing population in the Western world. Research has already demonstrated that organizations with widely varying age groups are

“Inclusion means challenging the status quo” – 4 takeaways from the Special Olympics Unified Leadership Training

Research has shown that diversity and inclusion in the workplace can boost innovation by as much as 20% (Bourke, 2016). Companies like Sodexo, Johnson & Johnson, L’Oréal and Microsoft are lauded for their efforts to anchor diversity and inclusion

Looking to flatshare? Our innovative students came up with the solution

Our Master in Innovation & Entrepreneurship (MIE) students work on their own start-up during eight months. In this way they immediately put theory into practice. FLATM is one of those start-ups that came to life at AMS. FLATM is a social platform

MMATM trip to Rotterdam

After a successful, thrilling, and educative excursion to Rotterdam, we decided to jot down the escapades, the highlights, and the profound knowledge that we shall keep reminiscing from the first to the last day about this trip. Overwhelmingly

MIPIM highlighted the importance of Social Value in Real Estate.

But what should the Real Estate Sector do about it? From March 15 through 18 the global real estate industry gathered in Cannes for MIPIM 2022. This year’s theme was ‘Driving Urban Change’, and, just like last year’s edition ‘New World: New Era, Time

Thriving: The Breakthrough Movement to Regenerate Nature, Society, and the Economy

The future will be better than you think – and the reason is that there is a breakthrough movement to regenerate nature, society and the economy, and it’s gathering momentum. I call it THRIVING and I tell the positive story of this bubbling revolution

Our Action Learning Projects create global impact from scratch

During the Global Leadership Skills course, all Full-time master’s students actively take part in an Action Learning Project. The purpose of this project is to enable the students to exercise their cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary leadership and

The innovation sprint for UNICEF by our students: above and beyond expectations

Clearly, the pandemic has not put a stop to the enthusiasm and creativity of our students. The young potentials of the AMS Master’s program Innovation & Entrepreneurship teamed up with strategic design students from POLI.design in Milan. Together,

Never trust and always verify - the increasing number of cyber threats & risks

The increased digitization of the world we live and work in, has given rise to an increasing number of cyber threats and IT-risks. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a huge surge in the number, the intensity, and the sophistication of the attacks.

Mentors, job switches and finding your calling: 5 great resolutions for your career

2021 was a year of upheaval, both in our private and professional lives. ‘The Great Resignation’ made us rack our brains about the future, the relevance of medical certificates was questioned, and we definitely know now that virtual coffee breaks and

Bringing a female perspective into IT - an interview with Dewi Van de Vyver

If anyone is still shrugging off the idea that we need more women in ICT, just let them have a chat with Dewi Van De Vyver. Five minutes into the conversation and they will be convinced that we are not doing nearly enough to engage women in ICT and

Seducing employees back into the office building

What happens when you bring a real estate developer, public official, academic, technology professional and well-being expert together to discuss social value in real estate? It may be surprising to know they are on the same page: creating a workspace

Tons of positive energy and a worldwide acknowledged PhD degree!

“Enjoying yourself” may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of doing a PhD, and yet, for Fabian Hänle, that is exactly the key takeaway from his Executive PhD journey at AMS. Of course it was a challenge, but above all, he

Why FUD fails and BAD prevails in Digital Security

Many cyber security specialists or security software sales representatives want to convince people to act or buy certain products by frightening them with statements like: “if you don’t do (or buy) this, you will be hacked.” Sadly, this way of

The unfulfilled promise of HR Analytics

The use of data is becoming more and more pervasive in our private lives, yet the incorporation of data in HR takes off on a very slow pace. Only one in five companies in Europe has people analytics projects. Why does it seem to take so much longer

How online business platforms could improve citizen services

In 2020, Yves Vanderbeken graduated from the Executive Master in IT Governance and Assurance (aka MITGA). His research is still a burning topic in our society: how to find and select the right citizen services from the government to help us? And how

Do our MRE students care about social value?

From the LAMMP Chair 'Social Values in Real Estate' the second-year Master in Real Estate Management (MRE) students received a guest lecture on the impact of real estate on welfare. We were curious about their experiences and views now that as

Critical friends as the key to a different social dialogue

Social dialogue has traditionally focused on socio-economic hardware topics. Thus, typical topics on the agenda are purchasing power and labor costs. This is an area where conflicting employer / employee interests are often sharply delineated. Newer

Albert from the AMS career center has an action plan to support students to find the right job

Not yet graduated and already overwhelmed with job offers? No wonder, AMS graduates are in high demand on the (inter)national labor market. But how to decide between all those job offers? Should you go for the most meaningful job, the highest-paying

How to build a sustainable career

In essence, a career is the pattern of work-related experiences a person has during his professional life. It is a complex mosaic of objective situations and events and their subjective interpretations. In short, the work we do every day and how that

Wanted: (more) flexible career paths

Because of the unpredictable and rapidly changing context, a flexible labor market is more important than ever. The coronavirus crisis, for instance, demonstrated that flexibility was much needed to keep workers employed and to keep organizations up

Partly thanks to the HRM master class, my set of responsibilities has expanded

Tom Jonkers, Manager Talent Management at Argenta and alumnus of the HRM Master Class at AMS, once and for all does away with the misconception that academic training is out of touch with reality. Argenta already had an excellent research partnership

Structural deployment of flexible talents

Organizations today need to go looking for talent in a tight labor market. In June 2021, the VDAB received a record number of job openings: 33,760, more than double the amount of job openings in June 2020 and June 2019. Job openings for experienced

The evolving role of the CISO in the public sector

Over the last seven years, our role as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) has gained significant importance within communities, because communities that want to be in line with the Baseline Information Security Government urgently need such a

Driving strategic alignment and collaborative innovation with the Smart Port Maturity Model: The Port of Moerdijk case

Industry 4.0 is advancing the adoption of radically new technologies, business models and profit pools across industries. For logistics, securing a share of these new profit pools will be crucial, as its commoditized business is under pressure from

Systems thinking in times of coronavirus: How companies and organizations can best prepare for the future

The global coronavirus threat is a convincing new argument for the use of systems thinking, since the challenges we are facing have no borders and are all interlinked, often in invisible ways. This is exactly what systems thinking wants to do: to

Toward an organization 2.0 thanks to the Master Class HRM

Lies Vermeylen is HR manager at Production Resource Group for three entities in Belgium and the Netherlands. PRG provides production services and audiovisual technologies for the events industry, an industry that has been hit particularly hard by the

6 requirements that help you to identify your dream job

Finding your dream job isn't that easy. If you think you're the only one with that problem, you better think again. Fortunately, 80,000 Hours reviewed 60 studies about job satisfaction. We discovered that there are six important requirement that

The multigenerational workplace: a golden opportunity?

Population aging is one of society’s most profound demographic changes. It also has a major impact on the workplace: the percentage of older workers is increasing and the mix of young and old is broader than ever. How can we make the most of this

From coffee machine chitchats to avatars and back again

Hybrid work is becoming the new normal. Technology has a role to play, but how well can it keep us connected in a world of physical distance?

From 19% to 99% employee engagement?

Being highly engaged in your job while enjoying it at the same time: that's employee engagement. Engaged employees are satisfied with their job and are less likely to quit. They are also more willing to go the extra mile and feel more committed to

Knowledge and talent can only thrive in a climate of openness

After the first wave of the coronavirus crisis last summer, Antwerp Management School launched a joint call with leaders from the academic and the business world. A call to form a coalition that dares to invest in knowledge and talent, as these are

Obtaining a PhD degree in less than three years? Yes we can!

Finishing an Executive PhD program in four years is feasible, but definitely challenging. No wonder, since combining a full-time job with a high-level research program is not a walk in the park. But then along comes Nermain. She not only managed to

How to reweave organizations’ social fabric?

Driven by curiosity, professors Ans De Vos and Kathleen Vangronsvelt (together with VBO / FEB & HRPro.be) organized a survey of executives and HR professionals in April 2020 about the impact of COVID-19 on people in their organizations. They

From providing care to learning how to organize and change care

Steven Pans is a medical staff member of Radiology at UZ Leuven. He specializes in musculoskeletal radiology and performs medical interventions practically on a daily basis. Although he still gets great satisfaction from his job, he is more and more

Innovations in workplace & organizational design: is the honeymoon phase abruptly coming to an end?

More and more companies are shutting down offices and allowing their employees to work from home. Hybrid work, or the combination of working from home, at the office or at a third location, is definitely on the rise. Ten years ago, hybrid work would

Strategic Approaches to Digital Platform Security Assurance

Nowadays, it is impossible to imagine a business without technology. Most industries are becoming "smarter" and more tech-driven. We live in the era of the "platform society." For example, Coursera has become the world's most prominent online

The only way forward is going circular

In 2019 over 750 global experts and decision-makers were asked to rank their biggest concerns in terms of likelihood and impact. For the first time in the annual Global Risks Report, published in January 2020, the top five global risks in terms of

Sustainable Transformation: The Journey of a Thousand Miles

Since sustainable development was first defined in “Our Common Future” (a 1987 UN report) as ‘development that meets the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs’, we have made a lot of

The future of work: the impact of digitization and automation

The World Economic Forum predicts that 85 million jobs will disappear worldwide by 2025 because of automation. On the other hand, 97 million new jobs will be created, often requiring different skills. Belgium and Luxembourg are even in the world’s Top

Which scenario to choose for 2050: weak versus strong sustainable transformation?

Given the times we live in, the choice between weak versus strong sustainable transformation is no longer a choice, really. But sustainable transformation is a complex change process, and to date, few organizations manage to achieve true sustainable

The journey of a PhD, through the eyes of one of our alumni

Chris Wuytens is Managing Director at Acerta Consult. He is also one of the very first graduates of the Executive PhD program at Antwerp Management School. He started the program in 2015 and successfully defended his doctoral thesis in the middle of

Opening up a fascinating new world, where practice meets theory

Ilse Daelman is Managing Director at our very own Antwerp Management School (AMS) and is one of the first graduates of the Executive PhD program which is offered at AMS in close partnership with the University of Antwerp (UA). She started the program

Three conditions for sustainable careers

With careers lasting longer and technological evolutions going faster than ever, the key question for all HR policy makers is how to combine employability and workability.

How hybrid will we be working tomorrow?

Working from home seems to be here to stay: a growing number of companies are closing down their offices, allowing their employees to work from home. A hybrid office environment, combining working from home and at the office, is best designed based on

Back to the 50ies!

About retro mobility, retro logistics and retro shopping... Trend watchers predict a return of the 'roaring twenties' after this Corona period. A dark period of crisis is often followed by an active period where the population takes full advantage of

10 years of Next Generation Work

Building a sustainable future of work If there is one issue that moves people, organizations and policymakers alike, it is work. Work is a crucial link connecting these three parties–they need each other to achieve sustainable careers, continuity in

How do our female Master in Finance alumni stand strong in a male dominated industry? Meet Mingxuan Du

Is Finance still a male dominated industry? According to our female alumni from different parts of the world, things are changing for the better.

Now I know what a company's numbers tell me

Christophe Piette is an expert in corporate law and thus meets up with companies almost every day. In his job, it comes in particularly handy if you are not only familiar with corporate law, but if you also know how a company works from an economic

How do our female Master in Finance alumni stand strong in a male dominated industry? Meet Dina Ayoub

Is Finance still a male dominated industry? According to our female alumni from different parts of the world, things are changing for the better. We catch up with Dina Ayoub, one year after she graduated from the Master in Finance. We talk about how

7 tips for setting up and running micro projects from an online environment

COVID-19 forces companies and organizations to implement all kinds of changes at breakneck speed. There is little or no room for 'side projects'. Focus is key! All kinds of projects are being postponed or canceled. After all, now that everyone has to

How do our female Master in Finance alumni stand strong in a male dominated industry? Meet Nicolé de Loor

Is Finance still a male dominated industry? According to our female alumni from different parts of the world, things are changing for the better. We catch up with Nicolé de Loor, one year after she graduated from the Master in Finance. We talk about

How to find the right MBA

Do you feel that you’ve reached a major crossroad in your life? Do you want change? Do you have that burning ambition to make a difference and have a tangible impact on your business and society? Then it seems you are ready to embark on a new

Planning for an MBA

What's an MBA?

The EMBA Positive Impact Project - Once in a lifetime opportunity

An Executive MBA in the city where I spent most of my youth; the city where I became an adult; the city where I was once an undergraduate student - Antwerp. It was without doubt that I would choose AMS to do my MBA. The high rankings and excellent

Get the biggest bang for your security buck

Over the last seven years, our role as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) has drastically changed. According to our Microsoft Outlook Analytics client, more than fifty percent of our mail is spam from cyber security suppliers, trying to grab

Refuel your strategy with our students’ creativity

When the going gets tough, our students get going COVID-19 has companies sprinting and running a marathon at the same time. While trying to stay on top of things here and now, companies simultaneously need to rethink their long-term strategy. A

“Change Management is like rebuilding an airplane mid-air”

Change management is hot. As long as there have been organizations, managers have had to deal with change trajectories. Even though there is a lot of scientific research and management literature is popular, these processes remain very challenging.

Developing leadership competencies through neurotraining

What happens in the brains of successful and less successful leaders? Steven Poelmans, professor of neuroscience & strategic leadership, measures their brain activity and combines the results with feedback from observers in real-life and

Is Digital Security a market for lemons?

Although information security has a long history, it wasn’t really top of mind of senior management, Board or other employees until late 2010. A “security professional” became a real job and market demand has grown ever since. Awareness about security

This is not just another hype. Innovative Labor Organization is here to stay.

Liesbet Becu is an interim manager and totally into making large organizations more agile. Opening people's eyes, questioning old certainties, getting organizations on the move. That is what motivates her. The Master Class Innovative Labor

The challenges of Young ICT Lady of the Year - Julie Scherpenseel

Julie Scherpenseel was voted Young ICT Lady of the Year 2020 at She Goes ICT. This DataNews event rewards women who have distinguished themselves in the field of ICT. Although the event is already in its 13th edition, there is still an urgent need for

Which of these 4 CISO archetypes do you deserve?

Why is it that CISOs have such a low retention in firms and leave after 1-2 years? Is this because recruiters and HR professionals find it hard to discover what is actually needed and “copy paste” function profiles with the exact same requirements,

Practice what you preach: AMS as Innovative Labor Organization

Sarah Stemgée is HR Director at Antwerp Management School. When AMS went through a transformation from a functional to an innovative labor organization, she first wanted to get a thorough understanding of what such an organization is all about. She

“The Master Class business Strategy & Leadership takes you to the next level”

Filip Roelandt is Director Business Development at the Syntra West Group. In pre-coronavirus times, his organization was strategically preparing itself for the next wave of digitization. He himself was also ready to take the next strategic step in his

Leadership from neuroscience: a real eye-opener

Inge Van Goubergen is Director Key Accounts at Randstad. Her clients come from varying industries and are looking for equally varying solutions. They all have one thing in common, though: their organizations are complex. The Master Class Business

Covid-19 – A barrier or an accelerator of digital port transformation?

The global supply chains are affected by the Covid-19 crisis, that is a fact. There was a delayed effect until the first effects of the lockdown in China was sensed in Europe, and this effect overlapped with the European lockdown. In ports, the number

Essential tips to survive the stock market storm during the coronavirus crisis

Lately, I have been getting a lot of questions from colleagues, friends, and family about the impact of COVID-19 on the financial markets. I hope to address these questions in this article.

After the rat race for the development of a Covid-19 vaccine, the logistics chain will also have to undergo an electroshock

In recent weeks and months, both positive and negative reports have appeared in the international press about the rat race for an effective Covid-19 vaccine. Almost all newspapers and magazines make a new ranking every month of which company will be

Digital risks to business, what do they cost?

Analyzing Business Information Security for a data breach use case In a digital business world that is highly distributed via an eco-system, ensuring your digital assurance becomes vital. Everything needs to continuously work and Confidentially,

Going shopping for citizen services with your government platform app?

As a student of the Executive Master in IT Governance and Assurance (aka MITGA), I graduated in June 2020 with a subject that matters to us all: how to find and select the right citizen services from the government to help us? And more importantly,

Never waste a good crisis - Leadership development in times of coronavirus

"Never waste a good crisis." Churchill's famous statement has already been used to call on the hospitality industry to reinvent itself, to boost green innovations, to urge the European institutions to review their cooperation model. And here I am,

Meyer’s Management Models - episode 13: Strategy Development Cycle

Which steps do we need to go through to develop an effective strategy? A strategy is a course of action followed by an organization to realize its purpose. In contrast to common use, strategy is not what an organization intends to do (its plan of

Why you should develop the Global Leadership Skills of the future

We have made it our trademark at AMS to develop the leaders of the future, gearing our students with all necessary skills. These efforts culminated last year in the Global Leadership Skills course, that was integrated in all our master’s programs. To

The future of work: Workplace innovation

We all know: our society is changing constantly, as is the labor market. Some jobs are being shaken by technology and automatization, labor force mobility is growing, and we will all have to work longer. That’s why both organizations and employees

The future of work: Guaranteeing the future of work by dynamic careers

The future of work: Flexible employability of talent, the weapon for the future

We all know our society is changing constantly, as is the labor market. Some jobs are being shaken by technology and automatization. Labor force mobility is growing and we will all have to work longer. That’s why both organizations and employees need

The future of work is like Star Trek

Living, learning, caring, and working during lockdown

Never before have all pieces of the puzzle fallen into place so unexpectedly and unintentionally. It must be said: the last few months have been quite intense. Numerous people were working from home, schedules were turned upside down, virtual meetings

Looking for a great way to kickstart your career? 4 reasons to study an extra master's program

For four or five years you have given it your all. You're about to graduate or you just got that hard-earned master's degree. Now what? Backpacking and traveling? Looking for a job?

Smart port disruptors: the talent paradox

As in many industries, in port logistics Covid 19 provides a burning platform that reinforces digital trends that were already smoldering. In an industry that is not particularly known for its openness to innovation and change, it’s even a welcome

"Strategy, digital transformation and leadership: all pieces now fit."

Sofie testifies about her participation in the Master Class Business Strategy: A unique combination of science, individual coaching, in-depth insights and practice Sofie Brys has been working at KBC Bank & Insurance for many years now, and she has

Thinking beyond the here and now

"Shouldn't we be wearing face masks too?" I was surprised when my girlfriend sent me this message mid-March, when COVID-19 was still an exotic disease in faraway Wuhan. "Stop the lockdown. The flagging economy will cause far more human suffering than

The journey of a PhD, through the eyes of our Academic Director

When I was in my thirties, I made one of the most important decisions of my life. At the time, I was a managing director and I liked my job, yet I felt something was missing. And I was right. Now, I am a professor and I love my job, I love writing. I

The end of cheap online orders from China

An imminent shift from intercontinental direct shipping to intracontinental distribution! For years, many shoppers have been enjoying buying very cheap goods online, mainly from Chinese online sellers. With a click on the website of the e-commerce

Meyer’s Management Models - episode 12: Rising Star Framework

Which moral dangers do I face while moving up the hierarchy? A rising star is a person of above average talent who quickly makes career steps within or across organizations, filling positions of increasingly important responsibility. With this rapid

Supply Chain trends: Sourcing strategy in the post Covid-19 supply chain

In previous years, single sourcing strategies steadily gained ground. Production was moved to low wage countries, enabled by (too) low transportation costs. Supply chain managers seized this opportunity to create more value and not in the least to

I wanted to understand what's happening and why it's happening like this.

Two years ago, Bruno Stockman of MBV Consult made the leap from full-time employment to self-employment. Thus, he has firsthand experience of making far-reaching changes. As a consultant, he now helps others with change management. He is currently

Houston, we have a problem...

The WHO (World Health Organization) Member States are calling for an independent investigation into the WHO’s manner of response to the coronavirus in China. I cannot wait to see what this research will tell us. Why was COVID-19 dismissed as a common

When “business as usual” sparks off a new (social) crisis

We are all looking forward to it: "business as usual". Our coronavirus social bubble, even the professional one, is finally about to burst again. At the same time, we are also wary of the “new normal”. What if our job is threatened or just won’t be

Supply Chain trends: from offshoring to reshoring/nearshoring

With all attention currently being directed towards the COVID-19 exit programs, and everybody living in the present, thinking and hoping about picking up ‘normal’ activities again in the near future, one would tend to forget about how life was before,

What Marc Van Ranst can teach us about leadership

Implicit Leadership Theory to the rescue. I couldn’t help laughing at the picture of Marc Van Ranst (one of the leading Belgian virologists who is advising the Belgian government during the coronavirus crisis) in a Superman suit when I was emptying my

How COVID-19 is inspiring sustainability at work

When I was researching and writing our paper for Randstad’s sustainability@work report, recently published, COVID-19 had not yet hit. And yet, the analysis of what sustainable transformation implies for employees and the workplace has proved to be

Hard with a heart

Countries with female prime ministers turn out to be successful in their battle against the coronavirus. Business magazine Forbes recently listed them. Taiwan, Iceland, Germany, Finland, Denmark, and New Zealand. In these countries, the number of

"I just feel that my HR-projects make so much more sense now"

Roel Van Heurck holds a master's degree in HRM. He had only been working for three years when he decided to join the Master Class HRM at Antwerp Management School. He didn't quite fit the profile, but as the youngest participant he was quite happy to

Four major trends opening doors to a sustainable and resilient post COVID-19 supply chain

Authors: Prof. Thierry Vanelslander and Prof. Dr. Wouter Dewulf (University of Antwerp) Prof. Tom Van Woensel and Prof. Dr. Alex Van Breedam (Antwerp Management School) Traditional supply chain strategies were already under pressure from our complex

AMS is watching you: neurotraining for better leadership

End 2019, Prof. Dr. Steven Poelmans installed the first Belgian NeuroTrainingLab™ at Antwerp Management School. In his lab, he teaches business leaders how to make better, empathic decisions, especially in times of stress. “It’s easy to be a leader in

Meyer’s Management Models - episode 11: Control Panel

How can I control what people in my organization do? To be in control is to have the ability to steer the organization in any desired direction. The controls are the specific mechanisms used to do the steering. Some controls are formally assigned to

What if your jaded cashier suddenly became a local hero?

3 lessons HR professionals can learn from COVID-19 I have been visiting my local supermarket on a very regular basis for over 20 years now. Every time my HR heart bleeds. The cashiers look jaded, there is often a lot of fuss at the checkout, and the

The cover of Vogue Italy’s April issue is white in response to the coronavirus: their next April issue should be green.

White is used as a symbol for respect, hope and light after darkness. But above all, as the magazine states, “white is not surrender, but a blank sheet waiting to be written.” This period should be used to think outside the box and find better

COVID-19 and sustainable transformation: Our top 10 selection

From reflection to sustainable action At AMS, we believe that the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing a rethink on the role of business in society, including its negative impacts and its positive potential. We will continue to work with our partners to

The story of an EMBA student & doctor in times of Corona

Gert Van Esbroeck, eMBA student in the cohort 2019 and orthopedic surgeon writes in four chapters about his experiences during Corona. About the fact of being tested positive himself, being obliged to go in quarantine at home, about following his

The valuable lesson Corona taught me about entrepreneurship

January 6th, the start of the second semester for the AMS full-time master’s students. A semester with a lot of highlights to look forward to, especially for us, students in the Master in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (probably one of the coolest

Crisis communication in times of coronavirus: “Lying is a definite no-go”

Interview by Arno Meijnen with Prof. Hugo Marynissen published in Knack on 4 April 2020 Should we wear a face mask or not? Is the government communicating honestly about the corona crisis? Professor of Crisis Communication Hugo Marynissen: “There is

If the first and second place coincide, you need to create and safeguard a third place now more than ever!

Corona is mean. It's a wicked problem.

There is now a need for trans-disciplinary collaboration, but the question is, is there a ‘want’? We need both to succeed. No doubt you will also see them, the numerous memes, photos, GIF's, or movies where the Corona virus and its effects on our

Can't construction workers help fruit growers out?

The distribution sector is worried about staff cutbacks, which could endanger supplies. Hospitals are calling for volunteers. Gardeners lie awake to the coming harvests for which they simply have no workers now that our borders are closed. The corona

Why our Master in Finance really deserves the CFA affiliation

On the 27th of March 2020, our Master in Finance became the latest program to be welcomed into the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program (UAP). Hairui Zhang, academic director of the Master in Finance, explains why this affiliation is a great

Meyer’s Management Models - episode 10: Strategic Agility Model

How can I develop strategy in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world? Developing strategy is about setting a course of action to achieve a particular purpose. It is about determining a route forward, while fully aware that the future can’t

The coronavirus crisis and climate change

The fact that we are now focusing almost all our attention to the coronavirus crisis is, of course, perfectly understandable. Nevertheless, it is wise not to lose sight of, or ignore other crises. Of these, climate change is undoubtedly the most

How my AMS family kept me sane during Corona times in China

24 young business students came to China in the beginning of January 2020 with the mission to complete their education from an academical and especially from a personal point of view. Some have Chinese roots, some know Chinese and others seek to

How leaders can help home workers to stay mentally healthy

Many of us are currently working from home in an attempt to contain the coronavirus and guarantee business continuity. At the same time, we take care of our families, get distracted by news updates, worry about the future, check our phone 100 times a

6 tips to facilitate your employees working from home during the coronavirus outbreak

The spread of the coronavirus is a major concern for many organizations. Working from home has become the new normal, but research shows that only 23 percent of the Flemish people have ever worked from home. The coronavirus study of the University of

Corona shows what true leadership is much better than I can explain it

Once upon a time there were two little fish swimming in the ocean when an older fish swam by and said hello: "Hey you guys, you okay? How's the water today?" "We’re good," the two of them answered in chorus. Just a fraction of a second later, they

Implementation of sustainability in research and partnerships

In 2018, Antwerp Management School (AMS) underwent a re-organization which opened the door to many new sustainability initiatives in a broad array of divisions. In a previous blogpost, we explained how we used this opportunity to improve our campus

Flanders: a breeding ground for entrepreneurship or fear of failure?

“Of all the Gauls, the Belgians are the bravest”, Caesar claimed, and he would have known. Then why is VLAIO, the Flemish Innovation and Entrepreneurship Agency investing in a campaign against fear of failure?

What is the ROI of a Master in Human Resources Management

Anyone who thinks that Human Resources is all about administration and staff support is hopelessly behind. HR has grown into a strategic pillar that helps both the organization and its employees to make a sustainable transformation. If you opt for a

Meyer’s Management Models - episode 9: Leadership fairness

What determines whether people feel I am treating them fairly? Fairness is the quality of behaving in a reasonable and just manner. It is about treating others the right way. But whether these others judge the behavior to be fair depends on their

Students discuss the SDGs with Queen Mathilde

Her Majesty is one of 17 SDG Advocates raising global awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the need for accelerated action. Together with The Shift, the Belgian meeting point for sustainability, she will organize 3 meetings in

Watertruck+: Toward a taxi service of barges

The European CEF project Watertruck+ has been completed. Although the project had to be adjusted en route due to its high degree of innovation, Nick Celis, manager of André Celis Group, clearly got inspired by it. André Celis Group currently has two

Watertruck+: pioneering for a modal shift toward inland navigation

The ambition of the European CEF project Watertruck+ was high: to develop inland navigation into a profitable and environmentally friendly alternative to road transport. The challenges turned out to be high too. But the project partners followed

Future Roles in Information Security

We want to feel safe in this brave (and scary) new world we’re creating of machines, robots and artificial intelligence. Technological & political trends will definitely influence our profession. This new world will call for new jobs with new

How a Master in Management at AMS & a passion for entrepreneurship lead to a fantastic sustainable product

While it’s ‘hot’ news that the film industry is encouraging celebrities to wear sustainable clothes on the red carpet, the Belgian start-up Wølven Global has been way ahead of them. One of the leaders of the wolf pack is Sander Van de Walle,

Meyer’s Management Models - episode 8: 11C Synergy model

How can I organize synergies across business units in my company? Larger companies are often divided into business units, each with a certain measure of autonomy to tailor their approach to the competitive dynamics in their specific market. At the

Multimodal, the logical choice

Multimodal, synchromodal, intermodal, what’s in a name? It’s all about using less trucks and putting more freight on barges and trains. Why? Because our roads are saturated, our planet is warming up and our lungs are suffering from polluted air. And

EMBA thesis, from paper to practice

We are a group of 3 friends: Xavier, Kristof and myself: Philippe, who met during the eMBA program. After we did our thesis about starting a children's beverage brand, we decided to really start up the idea. With our little monsters Felix, Basile,

New opportunities for sustainable campus management

For the past 60 years, Antwerp Management School (AMS) has been at the forefront of innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship and ecosystems – always in the best interest of people and society. In all these years our ambition has remained

Meyer’s Management Models - episode 7: Competition Tornado

How is competition evolving in my industry and how can I respond to it? Except in monopolies, firms must compete with rivals to win the favor of potential customers. Firms can outdo others by being cheaper, better and / or different, but none of these

Check out our successful MIE entrepreneurs

The Master in Innovation and Entrepreneurship has already brought forth many great enterprises. From medical products to coffeebars, from fashion to apps, their founders have all followed the same program. They can all be an example and an inspiration

Hooray! It’s International Volunteer Day

5 December – Hooray! It’s International Volunteer Day: a yearly celebration, mandated by the UN General Assembly, of the values, work and efforts of volunteers and organizations worldwide. On this day, the UN underlines the importance of the

Meyer’s Management Models - episode 6: Confidence quotient

What determines how much confidence people have in me? Confidence is the psychological state of feeling sure about something or someone. When people are confident, they feel certain and at ease, which allows them to move more freely and commit

How to get the digital skills you need

As promising as technology may seem for the solution of labor problems, in reality it often merely ends up creating other problems. The actual challenge has to do with humans rather than technology. No matter how well orchestrated the technological

Why radical innovation requires a hot strategy approach

Fear or excitement? Anticipation of change does “something” with humans. It evokes emotion. The implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies is expected to deliver and require change en masse. The type of change that does not only affect one part of

WHY AMS is the perfect way to bridge the gap from your legal bubble to the business world

Rutger studied a master’s in law. After graduating, he considered different options, he got in touch with Antwerp Management School and registered for the Master in Global Management. According to him students with a degree in law don’t really know

The vision of 15 sustainability experts on individual sustainability leadership

This is the second of two blogs on the joint research between Antwerp Management School (AMS) and the European Petrochemical Association (EPCA) on the nature and benefits of individual sustainability leadership, drawing on 15 expert interviews, their

5 insights on sustainability for the pet industry

According to industry trends, the pet business will continue to boom. But how important are sustainable business practices in the pet industry? In this blogpost, we will highlight the main insights from our Sustainability Review, executed by the

CISO: master the Dialogue on Cyber Security Economics

Over the last years, the role of Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) drastically changed. Over the last decade, I have seen this industry explode with fuzzy vendors in the cyber domain all delivering point solutions. Is this because industry

Meyer’s Management Models - episode 5: House of engagement

Which factors can contribute to a higher level of engagement in my organization? People are engaged if they feel connected to their organization and if they are motivated to contribute to its success. So, becoming engaged is about emotional bonding –

Shaping sustainable business through conversation

What is the purpose of a company? It is a fundamental question in the history of thinking about business. It is also a question that, against the background of the increasing attention for sustainability that we have witnessed over the years, has only

When future meets present

Last week, many world leaders traveled to New York City for the 74th United Nations General Assembly. The week started with a lot of attention for the 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg and Donald Trump as they briefly crossed paths.

Meyer’s Management Models - episode 4: Revenue model framework

What are the different ways to generate income as an organization? All organizations need money to operate and thus require ways to generate sufficient income. An organization’s revenue model is the specific manner by which it acquires funds – it

Let’s celebrate World Maritime Day

This year’s theme of World Maritime Day 2019 is ‘Empowering Women in the Maritime Community’. This provides a perfect opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of gender equality, in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals,

Innovative Labor Organization: a revolution with measurable positive results

Pieter-Jan De Man is director at STAS, a fourth-generation company specializing in moving floor trailers and tippers. The company had already undergone a first organizational change, inspired by Pieter-Jan's participation in a learning network of

Master class HRM: an investment with a sustainable return

Corinne Scoyer has been working at the Antwerp Police District for eighteen years now. She started out as a strategic analyst. Three years ago, she was appointed HRM Director. Together with her team of 56 employees, she supports the more than 3,000

Surviving the emotional rollercoaster called entrepreneurship

When you ask entrepreneurs how they experienced their entrepreneurial journey, many of them would describe it as a rollercoaster.

Master Class HRM in 3 words: frameworks, networks and open doors

Lien Demerie has been an HR Business Partner at Logi-technic for three years now. It was a newly created role with many challenges. She was all too happy to meet the challenges, however, even though she didn’t have a Human Resources Degree. The first

The building blocks of an organizational architect

Gui Boven was destined to become an engineer architect, but then, he also wanted to work with people. He eventually chose the latter, although his enthusiasm for design was never far away. Thus, for more than 25 years he contributed to ‘building’

Fixing The Economy

On January 1st, 2019, as two Executive MBA graduates from AMS inspired to make a positive impact in society, we joined forces to look for solutions to today’s unsustainable economy. Using our business and consulting skills, we decided to focus on

Characteristics, Competencies and Employee Benefits of Individual Sustainability Leaderships

Antwerp Management School (AMS) and the European Petrochemical Association (EPCA) have joined forces to conduct research on the nature and benefits of individual sustainability leadership, drawing on expert opinions, best practices and existing

Impact on society - a selection of recent AMS alumni projects

Every year students come up with products that are sometimes no more than a one-shot and sometimes develop into real success stories. Our alumni have also been busy. Here are some examples of recent projects from students, alumni and staff at Antwerp

Fast forward to 2079

The dean still has a paper version of the original mission of 60 years ago. And that mission is surprisingly contemporary, despite its dated language: ‘Cultivate participants in the art of decision-making and leading of people and organizations. An

'Sustainability is like a dorky, spotty adolescent'

'The sustainability discourse all too often still suffers from a pedantic raised finger. Instead of focusing on everything we will no longer be allowed to do, it would be better to focus on what the ideal world would look like and how we can create

Meyer’s Management Models -episode 2: 'Digital Platform Map'

What are digital platforms, and can they emerge in my industry as well? A platform is any type of system that facilitates many-to-many interactions (M2M). An example of a platform in the physical world is a marketplace, as it lets multiple sellers

Learning how to be a better leader

Becoming a better leader thanks to a brain scan? It sounds futuristic, but in professor Steven Poelmans' NeuroTrainingLab it is business as usual.

"The outcome of the in-company project confirmed our beliefs, the students exceeded our expectations""

Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) recently entered into a partnership with a jewelry trade association and wanted to be fully prepared. They needed a market research done, quickly and efficiently. Niki and Eva, preparing for their master’s degree in