This award was launched by MAB in 2023. Its purpose is to recognise high-quality theses that have practical relevance in the field. In addition to a 1,000 euro cash prize, both students’ theses were featured as articles in the MAB journal. The students drafted the articles with their thesis supervisors.

The winning theses

Van Schie’s thesis How do consumers react to LGBTQ+ activism? Evidence from mobile phone geolocation data (thesis supervisor Susanne Preuss) weighs the pros and cons of corporate activism. Mobile phone geolocation data is used explore how LGBTQ+ activism influences consumer behavior (such as store visits).

Hoenderdos’ thesis Unlocking RPA potential: understanding the use of Robotic Process Automation by finance employees (thesis supervisor Sander van Triest) analyses the factors influencing finance employees to use robotic process automation (RPA) in their work. Why do some employees see no benefits to using RPA, while others experience benefits from using it in their daily work?