Georges Romme
Encyclopedia
A. Georges L. Romme is a Dutch
organizational theorist and professor of entrepreneurship
and innovation
at the Eindhoven University of Technology
.
from Tilburg University and in 1992 a PhD degree in business administration from Maastricht University. Since 2005 he is professor of entrepreneurship and innovation at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), and since 2007 also dean of the Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences department.
In the early 1990s, Georges Romme introduced Boolean comparative analysis
to the organization and management sciences. He also developed and pioneered the "thesis circle
", a tool for collaboratively supervising final (BSc or MSc) projects.
He was one of the original pioneers who brought design thinking
and the design science
s to organization studies. A key idea put forward by Romme (2003) and Romme & Endenburg (2006) is that design principles
are instrumental in connecting description
and explanation
(by researchers) to design
and construction
(by practitioners). As such his work established the idea that social science-based research serves to advance the body of knowledge on management
and organization
, but needs to be complemented by pragmatic
design knowledge
for practitioners (e.g. managers, consultants).
Articles, a selection
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
organizational theorist and professor of entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur, which can be defined as "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods". This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response...
and innovation
Innovation
Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, technologies, or ideas that are accepted by markets, governments, and society...
at the Eindhoven University of Technology
Eindhoven University of Technology
The ' is a university of technology located in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The motto of the university is: Mens agitat molem . The university was the second of its kind in the Netherlands, only Delft University of Technology existed previously. Until mid-1980 it was known as the...
.
Biography
Georges Romme received a MSc in economicsEconomics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
from Tilburg University and in 1992 a PhD degree in business administration from Maastricht University. Since 2005 he is professor of entrepreneurship and innovation at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), and since 2007 also dean of the Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences department.
In the early 1990s, Georges Romme introduced Boolean comparative analysis
Boolean analysis
Boolean analysis was introduced by Flament . The goal of a Boolean analysis is to detect deterministic dependencies between the items of a questionnaire or similar data-structures in observed response patterns. These deterministic dependencies have the form of logical formulas connecting the items...
to the organization and management sciences. He also developed and pioneered the "thesis circle
Thesis circle
A thesis circle involves a number of students and at least one professor, lecturer or instructor who collaborate in supervising and coaching final projects...
", a tool for collaboratively supervising final (BSc or MSc) projects.
He was one of the original pioneers who brought design thinking
Design thinking
Design Thinking refers to the methods and processes for investigating ill-defined problems, acquiring information, analyzing knowledge, and positing solutions in the design and planning fields...
and the design science
Design Science
The term design science was introduced in 1963 by R Buckminster Fuller who defined it as a systematic form of designing. Design science was taken up in Gregory’s 1966 book of the 1965 Design Methods conference where he drew the distinction between “design as a science” and the “science of design”...
s to organization studies. A key idea put forward by Romme (2003) and Romme & Endenburg (2006) is that design principles
Design principles and elements
Design elements and principles describe fundamental ideas about the practice of good visual design that are assumed to be the basis of all intentional visual design strategies. The elements form the 'vocabulary' of the design, while the principles constitute the broader structural aspects of its...
are instrumental in connecting description
Description
Description is one of four rhetorical modes , along with exposition, argumentation, and narration. Each of the rhetorical modes is present in a variety of forms and each has its own purpose and conventions....
and explanation
Explanation
An explanation is a set of statements constructed to describe a set of facts which clarifies the causes, context, and consequencesof those facts....
(by researchers) to design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
and construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
(by practitioners). As such his work established the idea that social science-based research serves to advance the body of knowledge on management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
and organization
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
, but needs to be complemented by pragmatic
Pragmatic
Pragmatic may refer to:*Of or related to pragmatism, a philosophical movement*Of or related to pragmaticism, Charles Sanders Peirce's post-1905 branch of philosophy*Of or related to pragmatics, the area of linguistics-See also:...
design knowledge
Design knowledge
There is a large body of knowledge that designers call upon and use during the design process to match the ever-increasing complexity of design problems...
for practitioners (e.g. managers, consultants).
Publications
Books, a selection- 1992. A Self-organization Perspective on Strategy Formation, doctoral dissertation, Maastricht University Press.
Articles, a selection
- Romme, A.G.L. (1995), Self-organizing processes in top management teams: a Boolean comparative approach. Journal of Business Research, vol. 34: 11-34.
- Romme, A.G.L. (1997). Work, authority, and participation: the scenario of circular organizing. Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 10: 156-166.
- Romme, A.G.L. (1999), Domination, self-determination and circular organizing. Organization Studies, vol. 20: 801-832.
- Romme, A.G.L. (2003), Organizing education by drawing on organization studies. Organization Studies, vol. 24: 697-720.
- Romme, A.G.L. (2003), Making a difference: Organization as design. Organization Science, vol. 14: 558-573.
- Romme, A.G.L. (2004), Unanimity rule and organizational decision-making: a simulation model. Organization Science, vol. 15: 704-718.
- Romme, A.G.L., & G. Endenburg (2006), Construction Principles and Design Rules in the Case of Circular Design. Organization Science, vol. 17 (2): 287-297.
- Dunbar, R.L.M., A.G.L. Romme & W.H. Starbuck (2008), Creating better understandings of organizations while building better organizations. In: D. Barry & H. Hansen (eds.), Handbook of New Approaches to Organization Studies, p. 554-571. Los Angeles: Sage, 2008.
- Jelinek, M., A.G.L. Romme & R.J. Boland (2008), Organization studies as a science for design: Creating collaborative artefacts and research, introduction to the special issue 'Organization Studies as a Science for Design', Organization Studies, vol. 29: 317-329.
- Van Burg, E., A.G.L. Romme, V.A. Gilsing & I.M.M.J. Reymen (2008), Creating university spinoffs: a science-based design perspective. Journal of Product Innovation Management, vol. 25: 114-128.