Leenders Professor of Networks in Market and Product Innovation

Dr Roger Leenders (40) has been appointed Professor of Networks in Market and Product Innovation at the Faculty of Management and Organization. His research concentrates, inter alia, on the effect of social or other relationships within and between innovation teams and the question what these relationships can mean for the performance of teams and team members. This usually involves large-scale projects, where teams from different companies and countries work together on innovative and complex products.

 

‘For example, we are studying a worldwide project in which satellites and related measurement technologies are being developed’, explains Leenders. ‘We not only examine the technology but also the way that the people and companies together achieved the development of this product. How do they behave towards each other, how do they communicate; in other words, what does the network look like. The challenge then is to determine what is good for the network and what works less well and for which goal. That can have an effect on time: whereas you initially need a lot of creativity with an innovative product, later on in the process efficiency becomes more important.’

 

The research will eventually result in instruments that managers and project leaders, as well as individual team members, can use to shape and manage the interaction processes. ‘Making the effects measurable is one of the preconditions for creating good instruments’, according to Leenders. ‘We therefore examine how you can measure “interaction” and how matters like task allocation, problem solving, knowledge transfer and even “social talk” between and within teams can be charted and the effects of this on performance can be measured.’

 

Teaching

The professor mainly teaches modules for the Master’s programme in Business Development and the degree programme in Technology Management at the Faculty of Management and Organization as well as post-experience education. Leenders: ‘I think it’s important to show the interaction between theory and practice when teaching. Students must know about research and how it can be applied to actual practice. Using examples of research from our department, I want to show that theory and practice cannot be viewed in isolation, but that each can learn from the other.’

 

Curriculum Vitae

Roger Leenders studied Econometrics in Groningen and gained his PhD in Social Sciences in 1995. He then went to work for the Faculty of Management and Organization, first as assistant professor, then associate professor, and now as full professor.

 

For further information:

Prof. R.T.A.J. Leenders, tel. (050)363 72 96, e-mail: r.t.a.j.leenders rug.nl