Moritz Appels

Moritz Appels is an Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour at the Department of Organisation and Personnel Management, Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Erasmus University Rotterdam. He obtained his doctoral degree from the University of Mannheim in 2022 and is actively engaged in research and teaching.

His research focuses on how corporate actors' behavior shapes and is shaped by organizational and societal change, with particular emphasis on strategic leadership, social evaluations, and the socio-political environment. Key areas of investigation include:

• The impact of corporate and CEO activism on stakeholder behaviors
• Environmental and dispositional factors influencing top managers' engagement in organizational change
• CEO sociopolitical activism as a signal of authentic leadership
• The relationship between CEO hubris and organizational change

Dr. Appels' recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on corporate sociopolitical activism and its multifaceted impacts on organizations and society. His work bridges theoretical frameworks from organizational behavior, strategic management, and social psychology to examine how corporate leaders navigate complex socio-political landscapes.

Dr. Appels teaches several courses including High Performance Leadership, Positive Organizational Scholarship, and supervises Master's theses through the POC Master Thesis program. He also holds an additional position with RSM BV for Executive Education from February 2024 to February 2027.

His research has received media attention, including coverage in Yahoo! Finance regarding Twitter's leadership changes and in Global Islamic Finance about hubristic CEOs avoiding organizational change.