Georges Romme

Romme earned a BSc degree in Economics in 1981 and a MSc degree in 1984, both from Tilburg University. He worked as an assistant professor in Strategic Management at Maastricht University from 1989 to 1992 and obtained a doctoral degree from Maastricht University in 1992.

Romme continued his academic career at Maastricht University as an associate professor in Strategy & Organization from 1992 to 2000 and a senior research fellow in the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (from 1996 to 2000). Subsequently, he was appointed as a professor of Management at Tilburg University. Since 2005, he has been a professor of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the Eindhoven University of Technology.{{cite web|url=https://www.tue.nl/en/news-and-events/news-overview/sjoerd-romme-gets-career-achievement-award-from-academy-of-management|title=Sjoerd Romme gets Career Achievement Award from Academy of Management}}

Romme served as the Dean of the Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences (IE & IS) department of Eindhoven University of Technology from 2007 to 2014. Concurrently, he was the chairman of the Supervisory Board of Research School Beta from 2007 to 2014. He also was a member of various advisory boards, such as the Scientific Advisory Board of Aalto University’s School of Science (2011-2020).{{Cite web|url=https://www.aalto.fi/en/school-of-science-governance/scientific-advisory-board|title=Scientific Advisory Board | Aalto University|date=September 18, 2018|website=www.aalto.fi}}

Romme also was a co-founder of the EIT InnoEnergy. He serves as the Ambassador for Entrepreneurship at the Eindhoven University of Technology{{Cite web|url=https://www.tue.nl/en/news-and-events/news-overview/12-07-2021-tues-driver-of-entrepreneurship|title=TU/e's driver of entrepreneurship - tue.nl/stories|website=www.tue.nl}} and is also a fellow at the Center for Design Science in Entrepreneurship at the ESCP Business School, Berlin.{{Cite web|url=https://www.center-dse.escp-business-school.de/about|title=About us | ESCP Design Science Center|website=DS:E}}

The scholarly work of Romme involves three main contributions: his work on the professionalization of the management discipline, design science methodology, and organizational hierarchy and circularity.

Romme has authored and co-authored several publications exploring the realm and purpose of business and management scholarship. In The Quest for Professionalism: The Case of Management and Entrepreneurship, which won the 2017 EURAM Best Book Award, he contended that the Quest for Professionalism is essential to mitigate the societal costs of managerial amateurism, by focusing on the development of a shared professional purpose and knowledge base, with an emphasis on the transformative role of management scholarship. Jan Spruijt wrote about this book that it "is a one-of-a-kind taking a much needed reflective approach to leadership and a critical note towards the level of professionalism that many of us are approaching the science of management and entrepreneurship with."{{Cite web|url=https://openinnovation.eu/25-09-2017/clarifying-design-in-business-sciences-a-design-thinking-taxonomy/|title=Clarifying Design in Business Sciences: a Design Thinking Taxonomy – Open Innovation|date=September 25, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.aacsb.edu/insights/articles/2023/08/the-world-needs-design-science-now-more-than-ever|title=The World Needs Design Science Now More Than Ever}}

Romme's publications on design science have focused on developing and applying a research methodology that solves the rigor-relevance gap in organization and management research, inspired by Herbert Simon's The Sciences of the Artificial. Here, Romme advocated for the adoption of the design approach as a primary research mode (alongside the social sciences and humanities as prevailing modes) in the field of management, emphasizing the role of ideal targets, design principles, and (testing) practical solutions to address the persistent gap between theory and practice.{{cite journal |last1=Romme |first1=A. Georges L. |title=Making a Difference: Organization as Design |journal=Organization Science |date=October 2003 |volume=14 |issue=5 |pages=558–573 |doi=10.1287/orsc.14.5.558.16769 }}{{psc|date=January 2025}} With Dimo Dimov, Romme explored various ways to apply design science, distinguishing between developing a "theory of" empirical phenomena and a "theory for" generating them.{{cite journal |last1=Romme |first1=A. Georges L. |last2=Dimov |first2=Dimo |title=Mixing Oil with Water: Framing and Theorizing in Management Research Informed by Design Science |journal=Designs |date=22 February 2021 |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=13 |doi=10.3390/designs5010013 |doi-access=free }}{{psc|date=January 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://policyandpoliticsblog.com/2019/11/27/design-science-in-public-policy-and-administration-research-how-to-actually-apply-it/|title=Design science in public policy and administration research: how to actually apply it?}}

In many joint publications, Romme applied design science to develop and test solutions for major problems and challenges. Examples are design principles and various best practices for creating university spin-offs;{{cite journal |last1=Van Burg |first1=Elco |last2=Romme |first2=A. Georges L. |last3=Gilsing |first3=Victor A. |last4=Reymen |first4=Isabelle M. M. J. |title=Creating University Spin-Offs: A Science-Based Design Perspective |journal=Journal of Product Innovation Management |date=March 2008 |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=114–128 |doi=10.1111/j.1540-5885.2008.00291.x |url=https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/dc2ed7af-21e3-4b57-b8ad-52b42283921e }}{{psc|date=January 2025}} a tool for mapping, analyzing and designing innovation ecosystems;{{cite journal |last1=Talmar |first1=Madis |last2=Walrave |first2=Bob |last3=Podoynitsyna |first3=Ksenia S. |last4=Holmström |first4=Jan |last5=Romme |first5=A. Georges L. |title=Mapping, analyzing and designing innovation ecosystems: The Ecosystem Pie Model |journal=Long Range Planning |date=August 2020 |volume=53 |issue=4 |pages=101850 |doi=10.1016/j.lrp.2018.09.002 }}{{psc|date=January 2025}} a tool that facilitates value crafting;{{cite journal |last1=Holloway |first1=Sjana S. |last2=van Eijnatten |first2=Frans M. |last3=Romme |first3=A.Georges.L. |last4=Demerouti |first4=Eva |title=Developing actionable knowledge on value crafting: A design science approach |journal=Journal of Business Research |date=May 2016 |volume=69 |issue=5 |pages=1639–1643 |doi=10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.10.031 |url=https://pure.tue.nl/ws/files/21072884/developing.pdf }}{{psc|date=January 2025}} a practical approach to enhance citizen participation in a local democracy;{{cite journal |last1=Romme |first1=A. Georges L. |last2=Broekgaarden |first2=Jan |last3=Huijzer |first3=Carien |last4=Reijmer |first4=Annewiek |last5=van der Eyden |first5=Rob A. I. |title=From Competition and Collusion to Consent-Based Collaboration: A Case Study of Local Democracy |journal=International Journal of Public Administration |date=17 February 2018 |volume=41 |issue=3 |pages=246–255 |doi=10.1080/01900692.2016.1263206 }}{{psc|date=January 2025}} a software tool for partner search in open innovation settings;{{cite journal |last1=Meulman |first1=Freek |last2=Reymen |first2=Isabelle M. M. J. |last3=Podoynitsyna |first3=Ksenia S. |last4=L. Romme |first4=A. Georges |title=Searching for Partners in Open Innovation Settings: How to Overcome the Constraints of Local Search |journal=California Management Review |date=February 2018 |volume=60 |issue=2 |pages=71–97 |doi=10.1177/0008125617745087 }} design principles for sustainability assessment in business model innovation;{{cite journal |last1=Bhatnagar |first1=Rishi |last2=Keskin |first2=Duygu |last3=Kirkels |first3=Arjan |last4=Romme |first4=A. Georges L. |last5=Huijben |first5=J.C.C.M. |title=Design principles for sustainability assessments in the business model innovation process |journal=Journal of Cleaner Production |date=December 2022 |volume=377 |pages=134313 |doi=10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134313 |bibcode=2022JCPro.37734313B }}{{psc|date=January 2025}} a method for controlling the work of civil servants;{{cite journal |last1=Romme |first1=A. Georges L. |last2=van de Loo |first2=Harry |last3=Dankbaar |first3=Ben |title=How to Control Civil Servants: Designing and Testing a Solution Informed by Game Theory |journal=Administrative Sciences |date=27 April 2022 |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=53 |doi=10.3390/admsci12020053 |doi-access=free |hdl=2066/251725 |hdl-access=free }}{{psc|date=January 2025}} and the blueprint of a deep-tech venture builder.{{cite journal |last1=Romme |first1=A. Georges L. |last2=Bell |first2=John |last3=Frericks |first3=Guus |title=Designing a deep-tech venture builder to address grand challenges and overcome the valley of death |journal=Journal of Organization Design |date=10 May 2023 |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=217–237 |doi=10.1007/s41469-023-00144-y |doi-access=free }}{{psc|date=January 2025}}

Romme analyzed organizational structure and hierarchy.{{cite journal |last1=Romme |first1=A. Georges L. |title=A note on the hierarchy-team debate |journal=Strategic Management Journal |date=May 1996 |volume=17 |issue=5 |pages=411–417 |doi=10.1002/(SICI)1097-0266(199605)17:5<411::AID-SMJ809>3.0.CO;2-O }}{{psc|date=January 2025}}{{cite journal |last1=Romme |first1=A. Georges L. |title=Climbing up and down the hierarchy of accountability: implications for organization design |journal=Journal of Organization Design |date=December 2019 |volume=8 |issue=1 |doi=10.1186/s41469-019-0060-y |doi-access=free |hdl=10419/217480 |hdl-access=free }}{{psc|date=January 2025}} In his early work in this area, he collaborated with Gerard Endenburg to codify Sociocracy as a novel organizational form based on the circular flow of power,{{cite journal |last1=Romme |first1=A. Georges L. |title=Domination, Self-Determination and Circular Organizing |journal=Organization Studies |date=September 1999 |volume=20 |issue=5 |pages=801–832 |doi=10.1177/0170840699205005 }}{{psc|date=January 2025}}{{cite journal |last1=Romme |first1=A. Georges L. |last2=Endenburg |first2=Gerard |title=Construction Principles and Design Rules in the Case of Circular Design |journal=Organization Science |date=April 2006 |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=287–297 |doi=10.1287/orsc.1050.0169 }}{{psc|date=January 2025}} which later also informed the development of Holacracy.{{Cite journal|url=https://hbr.org/2015/09/the-big-misconceptions-holding-holacracy-back|title=The Big Misconceptions Holding Holacracy Back|first=Georges|last=Romme|journal=Harvard Business Review |date=September 10, 2015|via=hbr.org}}{{psc|date=January 2025}} In a study coauthored with Arjen van Witteloostuijn, Romme examined the role of triple loop learning in the emerging sociocratic (or circular) organization design, finding that this design facilitates single and double loop learning and acts as an infrastructure for triple loop learning, enabling well-informed choices about shared objectives and policies.{{cite journal |last1=Romme |first1=A. Georges L. |last2=van Witteloostuijn |first2=Arjen |title=Circular organizing and triple loop learning |journal=Journal of Organizational Change Management |date=October 1999 |volume=12 |issue=5 |pages=439–454 |doi=10.1108/09534819910289110 }}{{psc|date=January 2025}} In more recent work, Romme categorized the hierarchy phenomenon into four types—that is, hierarchy based on formal authority, achieved status, self-organized responsibility, and ideology—each involving a distinct social mechanism, thereby offering a typology for understanding hierarchy in complex social systems.{{cite journal |last1=Romme |first1=A. Georges L. |title=Ladders of Authority, Status, Responsibility and Ideology: Toward a Typology of Hierarchy in Social Systems |journal=Systems |date=15 March 2021 |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=20 |doi=10.3390/systems9010020 |doi-access=free }}{{psc|date=January 2025}}

• 1996 – Wynand Wijnen Education Prize, Maastricht University{{Cite web|url=https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/about-um/recognitions|title=Recognitions - - Maastricht University|website=www.maastrichtuniversity.nl}}
• 2014 – Honorary Medal, Eindhoven University of Technology{{Cite web|url=https://research.tue.nl/en/prizes/tue-honorary-medal|title=TU/e honorary medal|website=Eindhoven University of Technology research portal}}
• 2016 – Tjalling C. Koopmans Asset Award, Tilburg University
• 2017 – Best Book Award, European Academy of Management
• 2017 – Responsible Research in Management Award, Responsible Research in Business and Management Network
• 2019 – Distinguished Scholar-Practitioner Award, Academy of Management
• 2025 - Gerard & Anton Hightech Sparkler Award{{cite web|url= https://ioplus.nl/en/posts/jam-packed-philips-museum-embraces-winners-of-the-eighth-gerard--anton-high-tech-peak-awards|title=Jam-packed Philips Museum embraces winners of the eighth Gerard & Anton High Tech Peak Awards|date=9 January 2025 }}

• {{cite book |last1=Romme |first1=Abel Georges Lodewijk |title=A Self-organization Perspective on Strategy Formation |date=1992 |publisher=Datawyse |isbn=978-90-90-04827-7 }}
• {{cite book |doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198737735.001.0001 |title=The Quest for Professionalism |date=2016 |last1=Romme |first1=Georges |isbn=978-0-19-873773-5 }}

• {{cite journal |last1=Romme |first1=A. Georges L. |title=Self-organizing processes in top management teams: A boolean comparative approach |journal=Journal of Business Research |date=September 1995 |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=11–34 |doi=10.1016/0148-2963(94)00032-A }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Romme |first1=A. Georges L. |title=A note on the hierarchy-team debate |journal=Strategic Management Journal |date=May 1996 |volume=17 |issue=5 |pages=411–417 |doi=10.1002/(SICI)1097-0266(199605)17:5<411::AID-SMJ809>3.0.CO;2-O }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Romme |first1=A. Georges L. |last2=van Witteloostuijn |first2=Arjen |title=Circular organizing and triple loop learning |journal=Journal of Organizational Change Management |date=October 1999 |volume=12 |issue=5 |pages=439–454 |doi=10.1108/09534819910289110 }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Romme |first1=A. Georges L. |title=Making a Difference: Organization as Design |journal=Organization Science |date=October 2003 |volume=14 |issue=5 |pages=558–573 |doi=10.1287/orsc.14.5.558.16769 }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Romme |first1=A. Georges L. |last2=Endenburg |first2=Gerard |title=Construction Principles and Design Rules in the Case of Circular Design |journal=Organization Science |date=April 2006 |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=287–297 |doi=10.1287/orsc.1050.0169 }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Van Burg |first1=Elco |last2=Romme |first2=A. Georges L. |last3=Gilsing |first3=Victor A. |last4=Reymen |first4=Isabelle M. M. J. |title=Creating University Spin-Offs: A Science-Based Design Perspective |journal=Journal of Product Innovation Management |date=March 2008 |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=114–128 |doi=10.1111/j.1540-5885.2008.00291.x |url=https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/dc2ed7af-21e3-4b57-b8ad-52b42283921e }}
• {{cite journal |last1=van der Borgh |first1=Michel |last2=Cloodt |first2=Myriam |last3=Romme |first3=A. Georges L. |title=Value creation by knowledge-based ecosystems: evidence from a field study |journal=R&D Management |date=March 2012 |volume=42 |issue=2 |pages=150–169 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-9310.2011.00673.x }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Dimov |first1=Dimo |last2=Maula |first2=Markku |last3=Romme |first3=A. Georges L. |title=Crafting and Assessing Design Science Research for Entrepreneurship |journal=Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice |date=September 2023 |volume=47 |issue=5 |pages=1543–1567 |doi=10.1177/10422587221128271 |url=https://pure.tue.nl/ws/files/305963724/dimov-et-al-2022-crafting-and-assessing-design-science-research-for-entrepreneurship.pdf }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Romme |first1=A. Georges L. |last2=Holmström |first2=Jan |title=From theories to tools: Calling for research on technological innovation informed by design science |journal=Technovation |date=March 2023 |volume=121 |pages=102692 |doi=10.1016/j.technovation.2023.102692 }}

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