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Here, Radboud University presents theses written by students affiliated with various bachelor’s and master’s programmes at the university, as well as papers from students of the Radboud Honours Academy and publications in the Radboud journal Ex Tempore.
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Item Discovering characteristics of the paradoxical thinking capability(2025-07-04)In today’s environment, organiza?ons face recurring tensions on a daily basis. While some organiza?ons find it difficult to manage these tensions, others seem to navigate them successfully. This study aims to explore how some organiza?ons can balance these tensions, by using four key capabili?es also referred to as building blocks: technical systems, skills and knowledge, managerial systems, and norms and values. Together, they form what is called paradoxical thinking. Paradoxical thinking is the ability to accept, embrace and be energized by contradic?ng demands. This cogni?ve capability allows for “both/and” thinking instead of “either/or”. This study aims to opera?onalize the four building blocks, by empirically analyzing each of them. In this research twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted across five organiza?ons. Through this mul?ple case study, data reveals that paradoxical thinking is not a sta?c trait but a dynamic capability that follows a pa^ern of sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring. The findings show how each building block is enacted in prac?ce and highlight the central role of norms and values, which is the underlying mechanism connec?ng all building blocks. Key enablers include decision-making structures, training programs, reflec?on prac?ces, knowledge sharing and storing, and a psychological safe environment.Item Organizational capabilities for managing stakeholder tensions(2025-07-04)This master’s thesis explores how organizations enact paradoxical thinking as a dynamic capability to manage stakeholder tensions. While paradox theory emphasizes the importance of embracing contractions, little is known about how this is operationalized in practice. Using Leonard-Barton’s (1992) four building blocks: skills & knowledge, managerial systems, technical systems and norms & values, this qualitative study analyzes twelve interviews across five organizations, supported by internal documents. The findings show that paradoxical thinking is not a fixed trait but emerges from the interplay between structured learning, decision processes, collaborative tools and an open culture. Skills such as stakeholder mapping and empathy are developed through both formal training and experience. Managerial systems provide structure while enabling flexibility and cultural norms ensure psychological safety for engaging with tensions. Over time, organizations reinforce paradoxical thinking through reflection routines such as team evaluations and retrospectives. This study contributes to paradox and stakeholder theory by revealing how paradoxical thinking becomes embedded as a practical, organizational-wide capability.Item The Power of Rewards: How Motivation and Brand Awareness Shape Participation in Ideation Contests(2025-07-01)Ideation contests enable firms to gather innovative ideas from external individuals (solvers). However, the findings of earlier studies on how reward type influences participation intention and brand awareness in this relationship are inconsistent. This study employed a 2 x 2 between-subjects experimental design among 135 Dutch respondents who evaluated a cookie flavour contest with either monetary or non-monetary rewards and either a familiar or unfamiliar brand. Established scales captured brand awareness, motivation, and participation intention. A one-way ANOVA, ANCOVA and Hayes PROCESS analyses were used and revealed no direct effect of reward type on participation intention. When motivation was added, reward type indirectly predicted participation intention, indicating a full mediation effect. Brand awareness did not moderate either the direct relationship or the mediated pathway. The results suggest that rewards boost participation intention only when aligned with the solver's motivational needs. Brand awareness did not affect these relationships. Contest designers should, therefore, invest in designing contests that align with the solver's motivational needs, autonomy, competence and relatedness rather than solely relying on reward types or brand familiarity.Item How did we do? An experimental study on the role of feedback provision and framing strategy in perceived fairness and customer engagement(2025-07-07)The purpose of this research is to examine the influence of feedback provision on participants’ engagement with an organisation after being rejected in an ideation contest. Moreover, the current study investigates the moderating role of framing strategy and the mediating role of fairness perceptions in this relationship. An experimental study with a 2 (feedback provision: present vs. absent) x 2 (framing strategy: community vs. competitive) factorial design was conducted by dividing respondents into four different manipulation conditions. The results showed that the presence of feedback provision significantly increased participants’ post-contest engagement compared to the absence of feedback provision. Additionally, participants’ fairness perception fully mediated this relationship, suggesting that fair treatment during the ideation contest can foster future engagement. While framing strategy did not significantly moderate the relationship between feedback provision and customer engagement, the results showed a significant direct effect of framing strategy, with community framing leading to a higher engagement compared to competitive framing. The current study extends the existing body of literature by highlighting the importance of providing feedback to rejected participants to increase their perceived fairness of the organization, which consequently enhances their post-ideation engagement.Item From Managers to Machines: How Algorithmic Goal Setting Affects Intrinsic Motivation at Work(2025-06-27)This thesis explores the relationship between algorithmic goal-setting (AGS) and employees’ intrinsic motivation, focusing on the moderating role of transparency and the psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness as outlined in Self-Determination Theory. Algorithmic management, which uses data-driven algorithms to automate core managerial functions, is increasingly prevalent beyond gig platforms and is now being implemented across a wide range of traditional workplaces. Despite this trend, there is limited empirical research on how such systems affect employees’ motivation. While AGS promises efficiency, it may also undermine employees’ psychological needs. The degree of transparency with which AGS is implemented is often proposed as a way to counteract these risks, as it may potentially buffer the dehumanizing effects of algorithmic systems. This study therefore investigates how transparency moderates the relationship between AGS and intrinsic motivation. To empirically assess these dynamics, this study employs a quantitative 2x2 between-subjects vignette-based experimental design in which 122 participants were asked to imagine themselves as blue-collar workers in a bicycle factory. Each participant was randomly assigned to one of four scenarios that varied in goal-setting source (whether goals were set by a human manager or an algorithm) and in transparency (whether or not an explanation for the assigned goals was provided). The data were analyzed using both simple mediation and moderated mediation analyses. Results suggest that AGS is associated with lower competence and, to a lesser extent, relatedness satisfaction under transparent conditions, which in turn relate to reduced intrinsic motivation. Contrary to expectations, transparency did not buffer these associations but seemed to make them more salient. No significant associations were found for autonomy. These findings challenge the universally positive view of transparency and highlight its context-dependent role. The study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of AGS and supports human-centered implementation in line with Industry 5.0 principles.
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