RESEARCH

“All problems are behavioural problems

This digital age may either engage or disengage us

We believe an engaged person is a better person

Change behaviour and you change the world”



To understand how to design organisations, devise business models and policies, and make ecosystems work for us in the Digital Age we need to take human behaviour as the unit of analysis. Additionally we seek to understand the mechanisms at work beneath the surface of the rapid digitisation of our world. Finally coordination and governance theory will help predict the combined behaviour of hyper-connected individuals, organisa-tions and things

OUR PARADIGM   

Understanding to inspire imagination

Mechanisms of Digital Transformation

The digital revolution exponentially accelerates interaction, information and connectivity. Will these underlying mechanisms help us explain and predict the emergent property we call Digitisation of society?


  • Technology Trends  & Drivers
  • Urban Sensing & Control
  • Virtual and Real world confluence
  • Intelligence and Future skills

Behavioural Insight

Understanding of the impact of digital technology on our behaviour so that we can – either top down, horizontally, or bottom up – design and engineer “behavioural Interventions” that shape our digital society


  • Choice Architectures
  • Hot Triggers & Peer Nudging
  • Models of Digital Behaviour
  • Social Engineering
  • “InterSpace” dynamics

Coordination and Governance

The hyper-connnected world creates as many new coordination problems as it offers tools to resolve these problems. What are the new risks and uncertainties and what variety of actions do we  have to cope?


  • Coordination Theory
  • New forms of Governance
  • Eco-systemic behaviour
  • Co-creation Platforms
  • Value systems

RESEARCH TOPICS

RESEARCH PROJECTS   

MSc Projects Erasmus University

How can the forces of digitilisation affect Trust, Business Models and Behaviour in such a way that Engagement grows? A series of MSc thesis projects at the Erasmus University lays the foundation for Digital Transformation. THe research programme centers on three themes.

Digitilisation and Trust

  • AI and Blockchain
  • Algorithmic Bias & Accountability

Business Model Innovation

  • Internet of Things
  • Platform Business Models
  • Organisation Design

Behavour change, Personal Data, and Virtual assistants

  • Ethics of AI enabled virtual assistants
  • Data-interfaces in the public space
  • Persuasive design and behaviour


Download Thesis Research Factsheet

Behaviour Change & Personal Data

Who will help us manage our digital data and track its usage by others? How can we benefit from combining all our Life's data in a Personal Data Vault? When will we allow ourselves to be nudged by digital coaches for respsonsible behaviour? is the creation of 'homo data-nomicus' good or bad?

Ethics and Governance of AI

The rise of Big Data, algorithms and AI promises solutions but also pose new ethicial and governance challenges and raises questions about human dignity. What measures must organisations and governments take to cope?

(Urban) Data Platforms

Platform business models are disrupting entire industries. What are the governance mechanisms for succesful platforms? And how should incumbents respond to the platform and change their business model accordingly? Whu are urban data platforms vital infrastructure?

Trust in the Digital Age

Trust is an elusive concept, but it is the lubricant of a functioning society. How do we build and foster trust in this time of fake news, social media, and virtual connections? What is the role of blockchain technology in mediating between parties?

Smarter Cities coming of Age, How the convolution of the physical and virtual world changes our behaviour (in Dutch)


2015, Sheombar. Publication by Rijkswaterstaat (in Dutch)

PUBLICATIONS   

Governance, Trust and Smart City Business Models: the path to maturiy for Urban Data Platforms 


2020, Sheombar. van Oosterhout, Diran, Bagheri & Larsen, EU Horizon 2020 Project

Informatie in het hart van de openbare dienstverlening (in Dutch)


2014, Sheombar, Bentlage, Coppens, van Loon. IBM Thought Leadership Whitepaper



Individualisation of Pharma Marketing: implications for the sales function (in Dutch)


2000, Sheombar, B. Stam. Sales Management

Customer Relationship Management: the customer as your most important asset

(in Dutch) 


2000, Sheombar, I. Geraedts. Sales Practitioner's Guide

Understanding logistical coordination - A foundation for using EDI in dyadical VAP design


1995, Sheombar, Ph.D. dissertation. Tutein Nolthenius


Understanding logistical coordination in dyads - A prerequisite for EDI induced redesign


1993, Sheombar. Invited to submit for publication in EDI Europe, Vol. 3, No. 4/1993, pp. 347-368.


EDI-induced redesign of co-ordination in logistics


1992, Sheombar. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Vol. 22, No. 8, 1992