prof.dr. (Rob) RJM van Tulder

Biography

Rob van Tulder, PhD is emeritus full Professor of International Business-Society Management at RSM Erasmus University Rotterdam.  He is co-founder of the department of Business-Society Management, one of the leading departments in the world organizing research and education on the way business can create value for society. He advises international organizations, governments, multinational enterprises and international NGOs on issues of sustainability and strategy. He has been visiting professor at a large number of universities in both the global North and South. Consultant to a variety of international organizations (like UNCTAD, the IMF, and the European Commission), numerous multinational enterprises (like Philips, Unilever, DSM, Rabobank, Safaricom, Jolibee, Heineken, Robeco), non-governmental organisations (like WWF, Oxfam, Friends of the Earth) and ministries around the world.

His academic work has appeared in journals like California Management Review, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of International Business Policy, Research Policy, Journal of Management Studies, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of World Business, World Development, Transnational Corporations, European Management Journal. For which he received many accolades, such as the membership of the Academia Europea, the Gunnar Myrdal award for heterodox economics, the Lifetime Achievement Award of CSSI. His latest books include: Principles of Sustainable Business. Frameworks for Corporate Action on the SDGs (2023, with Eveline van Mil); Getting all the motives right (2018); Skill Sheets: an integrated approach to research, study and management, (2018).

Dr. Van Tulder is founder and academic director/founder of the Partnerships Resource Centre that studies the cross-sector partnerships between firms, NGOs and government for sustainable development. In this function he has engage in ‘action research’ programmes around the world and helped implement dozens of effective partnership portfolio strategies for the provision of collective goods. Next to publishing numerous academic books and scientific articles, he has been particularly active in making  scientific knowledge practical for managers in a variety of directions,  (1) a practical scan to help managers assess the transition stage they are in (www.betterbusinessscan.org); (2) a skills formula to help managers, researchers and students to develop skills and competencies to work on complex issues (www.skillsheet.com) (3) a ‘wicked plaza’ fomula to bring societal parties together to work on wicked problems using collaborative negotiation techniques ;  (4) a portfolio approach to help companies develop effective partnership portfolios to address complex challenge (www.rsm/prc) or (5) a strategy guide on how to ‘do business in Africa’.

More information: www.principlesofsustainablebusiness.nl or www.robvantulder.nl

Email: rtulder@rsm.nl