As of July 1, Anke Teeuw LLM Msc will be employed by EETI as a junior researcher. She will conduct research into the concept of stewardship within the research program The Reformation of Economic Thought. In her research, special attention will be paid to the work of Bob Goudzwaard, a Dutch economist from the neo-Calvinist tradition. The meaning of this concept will be examined in the broader context of Goudzwaard's work and the sources that led him on this track. In this way, Goudzwaard's line of thought is interpreted in the light of the history of economic thought. Finally, the results of this research will be applied to contemporary discussions in the field of management and organization.
Today, social entrepreneurship is frequently discussed in economic and social discourse. This was already the case in political circles regarding the concept of stewardship. However, a clear academic reflection on the concept is still lacking. An application of stewardship to the management of companies is elaborated in the stewardship theory of management - where the steward acts in the interests of the company. This idea is compared to the agency theory – where the agent acts from his own interests (homo economicus). The perspective of stewardship within management and organization could point a clear way forward to realize the large green ambitions.
In these times of great concern about people and the planet, companies are increasingly expected to bear social responsibility. We expect that from the history of the concept of stewardship, especially in Reformed thought, a relevant and realistic perspective on the sustainable and socially responsible company will emerge.
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