Stewardship

In many economic degree programmes and companies, the 'homo economicus' paradigm still prevails. We are now seeing a search for an alternative, as this old paradigm has contributed to ecological, economic and social crises.

This PhD research by Theo de Joode aims to better align the economics programmes in higher education (HBO) with the social and ecological demands of today's and tomorrow's society on business. As part of the research, he is studying the (added) value of the concept of stewardship as an alternative to an economy where everything revolves around maximising self-interest. The dimensions of ‘time’ and ‘focus’ are central here. Focusing on stewardship, for example, might lead to a different way of involving the community in companies and to a reformulation of the concept of strategic management. And what does stewardship say about focusing on the performance of companies, departments and employees at the centre and the manageability of it? It could lead, for example, to a different understanding of the concept of control.

Researcher

Theo de Joode, lecturer-researcher in the Research group Change Management and lecturer at the Faculty Business, Finance & Marketing, Finance & Control degree programme, t.dejoode@hhs.nl.

Intended duration of the project

The PhD research project 'From money wolf to steward: an innovative basis for socially driven curriculum renewal in economics education in universities of applied sciences' started in January 2018 and is expected to run until December 2021.