Erik van Leeuwen obtains PhD degree

Erik van Leeuwen defended his PhD thesis on June 1st, entitled ‘Recovered-Resource Dependent Industries and the Strategic Renewal of Incumbent Firms: A Multi-Level Study of Recovered-Resource Dependence Management and Strategic Renewal in the European Paper and Board Industry’. His promotors are Prof.dr.ing. Frans van den Bosch, Professor of Management Interfaces between Organizations and Business Environment, and Prof.dr. Henk Volberda, Professor of Strategic Management and Business Policy, both at RSM Erasmus University.

Erik P. van Leeuwen (Gouda, Netherlands, January 5th, 1974) began his studies in Mechanical Engineering at the Polytechnics Department of the HTS Dordrecht and specialised in energy management. After receiving his bachelor degree in 1997, he wanted to enlarge his management knowledge by studying an MSc in Business Administration at RSM Erasmus University with a major in strategic management. He received his master’s degree in 2000 and started a management traineeship at Kappa Packaging, (Smurfit Kappa nowadays), one of Europe’s leading producers of Paper & Board Packaging.

In 2003, after his traineeship, Erik van Leeuwen accepted a job as recovered paper researcher at Kappa Paper Recycling, department of Market Intelligence, and simultaneously started his PhD research at the Department of Strategic Management and Business Environment at RSM Erasmus University. At present, he is associated with the department and involved in supervising master’s theses. Since February 2007, Erik van Leeuwen has worked as a senior business analyst at ENECO Energy, department ENECO Milieu.

After his Defense, Erik, together with his promoters van den Bosch and Volberda, visited the statue of Desiderius Erasmus in front of the Nieuwe Kerk in the centre of Rotterdam. During a short ceremony, van den Bosch gave a speech about the interpretation of scientific research according to Erasmus himself, as described in his book ‘The praise of Folly’. In this book, Erasmus points out the contradiction in the thought of when doing research acquires a large input, that it is inevitably worth it, ergo researchers should be critical in their research and never loose the benefit for the society as a goal out of sight. In order to pay a tribute to the works of Erasmus, newly doctor Erik van Leeuwen then placed flowers in front of the statue.

Abstract
Managing resource dependencies and strategic renewal is crucial for incumbent firms to survive. For firms operating in “recovered-resource dependent industries”, i.e. industries that to a large extent depend on recycled end-of-life-products for the continuation of production processes, this is even more complex. To create and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage, the return of these products has to be strategically organised and managed as well. This study seeks to extend research on resource dependence theory to the context of recovered-resource dependent industries. Based on several theoretical lenses a conceptual managerial framework is developed incorporating internal and external factors influencing strategic renewal and recovered-resource dependence management. A multi-level research design encompassing eight research settings is used to illustrate the conceptual framework. The results indicate why the European Paper and Board Industry and large incumbents belong to the best performing with regard to recycling rate. Furthermore, it is shown how management can influence a firm’s strategic renewal journey and recovered-resource dependence, using several resource dependence instruments, in order to contribute to sustainable competitive advantage.

More Information
Pictures of the Defense and Ceremony
Full text of the Dissertation