In the global economy, emerging economies and their businesses are becoming increasingly important. Jianhong Zhang, Senior Researcher and Associate Professor of International Economics & Business at Nyenrode Business University, researched the opportunities, challenges, and consequences of this development.

Since 2017, Nyenrode Business University professor Tineke Lambooy has been researching the globally innovative legal trend of 'Rights of Nature'. Internationally and also in the Netherlands, she is a forerunner in this field. "The purpose of granting rights to natural objects or entities such as rivers, forests, mountains and animals is to recognise their intrinsic value and give them a voice. If a natural area or river has rights, this natural entity is able to act in public debate and court. Just like us and government agencies, companies, foundations and associations. For instance, nature can stir when a decision by a public or private party threatens its survival or when there is behaviour that damages the quality of nature," Lambooy said.

Clawback clauses stipulate that an employee must repay (part of) his variable remuneration if it turns out in retrospect that it should not have been paid out. Prof Dr Michael Erkens is Professor of Corporate Reporting at Nyenrode Business University and examined what these clauses must meet to be effective. He also looked at what the consequences were of effective versus ineffective clawbacks. The outcome of the study resulted in the mandatory implementation of effective clawback clauses in the United States.

Small and medium-sized businesses, also known as SMEs, represent an important part of the economy. However, international auditing standards have not been not well tailored to this business category. Niels van Nieuw Amerongen, holder of the Kreston Netherlands SME Accountancy chair at Nyenrode Business University, analyzed with a research team stakeholder roundtable discussions focused on an international auditing standard for less complex entities. He summarized the findings in two international publications.

The world benefits from financial stability. Vivian van Breemen, PhD student at Nyenrode Business University and supervisor at the European Central Bank[1] and Dennis Vink, Professor of Finance & Investment at Nyenrode Business University, put together an international expert research team that focuses on analyzing systemic risks in the capital market. And with success: the research sheds light on numerous new risks that could pose a threat to financial stability.

In recent decades, the optimization of production processes was mainly focused on making profit. Nowadays there is also an increasing focus on environmental and societal impact. This transition calls for new leadership. To best prepare students for their future leadership roles, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management and Analytics, Taher Ahmadi, developed a Multi-Objective Line Balancing (MOLB) game. This game has led to positive reactions both nationally and internationally.

The vision on talent is changing. Nyenrode Business Universiteit has been researching talent management for years. Not only does this change education, but it also changes its policy. Now all employees are given the opportunity to develop their talents, instead of only the best ones.

Until a few years ago, corporate transparency about their activities and their impact on society and the environment was still exceptional and non-committal. However, sustainability reporting is now for many companies a mandatory part of accounting for what they do, and has become common good. René Orij, who recently was appointed as full professor at Nyenrode Business Universiteit, has conducted important research in this area.