Anouk Festjens, Assistant Professor at the deparment of Marketing & Supply Chain Management (MSCM)

Giving a guaranteed benefit to financially strained decision-makers improves their choices.

The counterproductive behaviours of financially constrained individuals, such as overborrowing, underinvesting, or paying high prices, are often attributed to them being mentally unable to make rational decisions. However, Anouk proposes a different explanation: These individuals engage in these behaviours because not doing so would often (especially in the lab) leave them empty-handed, with no immediate or guaranteed resources. 

Anouk aims to improve existing research methods to better understand the economic preferences of individuals, especially those facing financial constraints. She adds, "I hope that this research changes the assumption that if you are poor, you lack the mentality to make sustainable financial choices."

Click here to find out more about how she aims to achieve this.

Nico Pestel, Associate Professor at the Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA)

Changing Work Climate – The Implications of Heat for Occupational Choice

Nico aims to examine the impacts of heat waves on jobs where people are exposed to the sun. This project will add to current knowledge by exploring the economic consequences of heat exposure, beyond just its health effects. "Understanding how heat affects job choices will provide insight into how people adapt to ongoing climate change. Exposure to heat can also impact other life decisions, such as where to live, how to travel, and home infrastructure investments,"  says Nico on the importance of the topic. Nico's project also has important policy implications for addressing labour shortages in industries crucial for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.