Erasmus University Thesis Repository
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Cultural Chameleons and Rootless Flowers
No full textThis thesis examines the way that migrants have created and maintained their cultural identities through formal and informal integration in Rotterdam. As a country with a long and strong history of migration, the Netherlands has seen various developments in its legislation to control and organise its migrant population. These laws have affected the way in which migrants are expected to integrate into Dutch society and in turn are able to express and define themselves, but how exactly this occurs remains unclear. Using semi-structured interviews with migrants who arrived between 1989 and 2020, this study reveals that migrants see their identities as fluid and, more often than not, split between two cultures. Social connections are crucial in their ability to become independent and self-reliant, but also to connect to the cultures they interact with. Meanwhile, integration programmes are well organized and have positive effects on the self-sufficiency of migrants, but is solely focused on assimilation rather than integration. These findings provide practical guidelines and possible outlooks for integration programmes that account for migrant experiences to
achieve more successful participation and a sense of belonging in Dutch society. The research suggest that integration programmes strengthen their networking guidance so that
migrants can develop strong social bonds together with the native population and through that explore their cultural identities to better adapt
INTERNSHIPS AS STRATEGIC ASSETS: FOSTERING ENGAGEMENT AND TRUST IN MUSEUMS - CASE STUDY OF THE PEGGY GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION
No full textThis thesis examines the design of internship programs to foster intern engagement,
establish mutual trust, and co-create institutional value within museums. It investigates how
motivated interns enhance a museum's image in the eyes of its audience. However, the concept
of trust is only researched from the intern's perspective, not the visitors.
To explore these concepts, this research uses the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (PGC)
in Venice as a case study. The PGC's example examines how structured internship programs
shape intern motivation, drawing on theories of employee engagement, value co-creation,
trust, and internal marketing. The research is grounded in a qualitative methodology, based on
in-depth semi-structured interviews that provide relevant findings to explore the research
questions from both the interns' and the museum's perspectives.
Findings show that while interns are initially highly motivated, often drawn by the
museum's prestige, this engagement is difficult to sustain without meaningful tasks,
transparent communication, and opportunities for creative contribution.
Interns reported that giving public talks and interacting with visitors were the most
fulfilling aspects of their role, enhancing both their sense of purpose and the museum's public
image. These moments of agency illustrate how interns function as brand ambassadors and
informal educators, actively participating in value co-creation.
The findings highlight the need for better alignment between internship structures and
interns' academic aspirations and skills. Autonomy, timely feedback, and a transparent system
for departmental placements emerged as critical for fostering engagement and trust. The
museum introduced structural innovations in the past year responding to most feedback.
This study contributes to museum management literature by demonstrating that well
designed internships can serve not only as educational tools but also as strategic mechanisms
for trust-building and long-term employee engagement. It concludes with recommendations for
museums to reimagine internship programs as mutually beneficial partnerships that empower
interns and enhance institutional relational value
The Power of Domesticity
No full textThis paper examines the evolution of visual representations of conflict in Dutch
newspaper media throughout the twentieth century. Drawing on visual imaginaries
by analysing changes in photographic practices, such as framing, subject
positioning, signifying elements, and the use of space, this research reveals how
visual patterns contribute to shaping shared cultural understandings of conflict and
how these have changed over time. Employing a combination of multimodal
artificial intelligence and semiotic analysis, the study conducts a quantitative visual
examination of the "Koninklijke Bibliotheek Kranten - 1 Miljoen" dataset, which
includes 1.6 million digitised images and captions from Dutch newspapers
published between 1922 and 1994. This approach enables a longitudinal
perspective on Dutch conflict reporting and its evolving visual language.
The inspiration for this thesis was provoked by observations surrounding
current conflict reporting, which often uses domestic fragments and environments
to narrate. These archetypical domestic elements, representing Russian-Ukrainian
and Israeli-Palestinian wars, are widely recognisable across Western societies. As
such, they foster empathy by mirroring the viewer's own most private spaces,
offering an emotional bridge between distant conflict and everyday life without
directly documenting human suffering. These findings sparked a wonder about how
such conventions have developed historically and how changing cultural, political,
and technological contexts have shaped the visual imaginaries of conflicts published
in Dutch newspaper media
"What we share is knowledge": A Study of Artist-Researchers Navigating Professional Uncertainty through the Lens of Meaningful Work
No full textIn the context of professional precarity and limited institutional support, early-career artist-researchers are challenged to define and sustain a meaningful professional practice. This thesis investigates how they experience and cultivate meaningfulness through their work. While artistic research is increasingly recognized as a legitimate mode of knowledge production (McNiff, 2011), the professionalization of this field often unfolds in an environment marked by economic insecurity, inconsistent recognition, and unclear career pathways. The study responds to this context by asking: How do artist-researchers experience and cultivate a sense of meaningfulness in their early career phase?
To answer this question, the research draws on eight in-depth interviews with early-career artist-researchers who studied in, or currently work in the Netherlands. A reflexive thematic analysis was used to explore their lived experiences, drawing on the framework of meaningful work as proposed by Lips-Wiersma and Wright (2012), which identifies dynamic tensions between self and other, being and doing, and reality and inspiration. This framework, originally developed in organizational studies, was adapted here to account for the existential, embodied, and relational dimensions of artistic research practice. Four thematic clusters were developed: navigating precarity through reflexivity, resisting systems of visibility and recognition, constructing resonance through artistic process, and building interdependent communities of support. These themes illuminate how meaningfulness is not only experienced, but actively constructed in relation a yet not established professional field and absent institutional support.
The findings show that meaningfulness operates not only as a subjective feeling, but as a relational and processual practice. Artist-researchers engage in a continual negotiation between artistic autonomy and social relevance, personal values and systemic pressures. While they seek to make their work accessible and impactful, they also protect its integrity by resisting instrumentalization and creating their own ecologies of support. This research contributes to the understanding of meaningful work in precarious creative fields and raises critical questions about the ethics of professionalization under neoliberal conditions. It highlights the need for alternative infrastructures that support care-based, relational, and non-transactional modes of working. Ultimately, the study positions artistic research not only as a site for meaning-making, but as a vehicle for redefining the role of art in society, proposing new avenues for how value is created and sustained beyond the arts
Invisible Control, Visible Struggles
No full textIn recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic, technological advancements and consumer habits have significantly increased the popularity of online food ordering services. The individuals who have to fulfil this growing demand are food delivery workers, referred to as partners by platforms. However, in reality, the relationship between workers and them contradicts this label, with platforms holding significant power and control over workers. The food delivery sector is mainly studied in major markets in East Asia with smaller countries remaining comparatively underexplored. Therefore, this study focuses on Lithuania and investigates food delivery platforms such as Wolt, Bolt Food and LastMile, which are all based in the country. Since these workers are not employees, they cannot be managed in traditional ways. As a result, platforms seek to control without direct intervention and rely on more sophisticated methods, such as using algorithms to monitor, evaluate and manage workers. However, the technology does not exist without human intervention. This leads the discussion to workplace surveillance. The research works to answer two main concerns: (1) How do food delivery workers in Lithuania perceive and experience workplace surveillance? and (2) What tactics do workers use to navigate or resist it? This study draws on 12 semi-structured interviews: ten with food delivery workers from Wolt, Bolt Food, and LastMile, and two with journalists who, through their investigations, offer expert insight into the online food delivery industry. The findings are analysed through the theoretical lenses of the gig economy and surveillance, with a focus on the Panopticism, and de Certeau's concept of tactics. The study reveals that most food delivery workers do not directly perceive themselves as being surveilled, their behaviours and understandings of platform logic are inherently shaped by the platforms' power. Workers tend to self-regulate and adapt their behaviour in the platform's favour, mostly without explicit recognition of such actions. That being said, they are not passive recipients of this power and look for ways to 'game' the system. Resistance is small and embedded in everyday practices. The findings highlight a gap between platforms' discourses and reality where food delivery workers operate under conditions resembling a Panopticon. This study contributes to ongoing scholarly debates on online food delivery services and offers insights from the Lithuanian context
Measuring the Impact of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) on Indonesia’s Palm Oil Sector
No full text
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Shaping Marketing Practices: A Professional Insight Approach.
No full textThis study explores the influence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on the workflow of marketing professionals. As technological advancements continue to reshape content creation and strategic planning, it is increasingly important to understand how AI is transforming the workflows, skills, and creative practices within marketing agencies. Adopting a qualitative research design, this research draws on in-depth interviews with marketing professionals to uncover practical insights and emerging trends from those who are the crossroads of technology and creativity. Thematic coding was employed to rigorously analyze the interview data, which disclosed a complex picture of AI's role in marketing in today's landscape. The findings highlight a range of positive impacts, including enhanced efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and the ability to generate and personalize content at scale. However, the study also identifies key challenges and limitations, such as the lack of originality and emotional depth in AI-generated content, as well as ethical concerns regarding misinformation, authorship and bias. More importantly, the integration of AI is shown to be catalyzing a redefinition of creativity and prompting a significant shift in the skills demanded by the industry. The study underscores the need for balanced and responsible AI adoption, urging both academics and practitioners to consider not only the benefits but also the ethical complexities associated with this technological transition. The research contributes practical and theoretical insights to the evolving discourse on AI in marketing, serving as a valuable foundation for future investigations and strategic decision-making in the creative industries. The findings of this study offer valuable practical and empirical benefits to the marketing industry by highlighting how generative AI can be strategically integrated to enhance workflows, reduce operational bottlenecks, and augment creative ideation. Practically, the insights help agencies understand where AI tools can be most effectively deployed, such as in content drafting, personalization, and data analysis, freeing up professionals to focus on high-impact strategic and creative tasks. Empirically, the research contributes grounded knowledge on how marketing professionals are adapting to AI in real-time, offering a snapshot of evolving team structures, skill demands, and creative processes. In sum, the results deliver a roadmap for agencies seeking to balance efficiency with authenticity, helping them to harness AI not as a replacement for human creativity, but as a collaborative force that supports innovation and long-term competitiveness
All eyes on her
No full textThe relationship between advertising and society is undeniably bidirectional,
since advertisements reflect prevailing societal norms and values, but can also influence
and reform the cultural and social context. In recent years, sociopolitical developments
in Greece have impacted the society and media content. In particular, during the Greek
#MeToo movement in February 2021, women, who were at the forefront, addressed
societal issues on gender-based violence and demanded change, through marching and
employing both digital and traditional media. However, Greece's slow pace on societal
and media transformations questions the true impact of the movement. Therefore, this
study aims to explore how the advertising content was impacted by the Greek #MeToo
movement, and especially to explore the representation of women in the Greek
campaigns that were later produced.
For this reason, a purposive sample of 100 video advertisements was assembled,
which included productions from March 2021 until May 2025. The exploration of the
sample was conducted through a qualitative content analysis, integrating Visual
Semiotic and Critical Discourse analysis, for the interpretation of the visual and textual
signs. These signs were then translated into patterns and themes, through the deductive
and inductive approach of thematic analysis, that allowed the connection with past
research but also the emergence of new themes.
The emerged themes promoted female empowerment and agency, along with
gender equality, through the portrayal of the multifaceted aspects of the modern
independent woman. At the same time, the thematic analysis revealed the
representation of women in stereotypical roles, as mothers and wives or in instances
where their sexuality, youth and beauty were commodified. Nevertheless, the influence
of the Greek #MeToo movement was most evident in depictions of female
victimization, where women as survivors of gender-based and sexual abuse were used
as means of educating, raising awareness and demanding change on gender
discrimination
Beyond the Plate: Investigating the Role of Instagram Marketing on Trust in Restaurants
No full textABSTRACT
In the era of digital communication, Instagram has become an emerging marketing platform for
restaurant brands looking to establish trust and engage with consumers. Given the high-
involvement nature of restaurant services, consumers increasingly rely on social media cues to form
expectations. Though prior research has explored the role of social media in enhancing brand
loyalty and consumer satisfaction, limited attention has been given to how platform-specific
functionalities impact trust especially in the restaurant industry. This study addresses the gap by
exploring how social media marketing functionalities (SMMF) on Instagram is associated with trust
in restaurant brands, with a focus on the mediating role of consumer brand engagement (CBE).
This research adopts a quantitative approach using an online survey design. A total of 316
respondents were exposed to standardized Instagram stimuli from Joe & The Juice, a globally
recognized brand with a strong digital presence. Participants assess the brand based on perceived
functionalities, engagement, and trust-related outcomes. Key variables were measured using
adapted and validated scales, and the data were analyzed through multiple linear regressions and
mediation models.
This study offers theoretical contributions by refining the application of the Honeycomb Model to
the restaurant context and by supporting the context-specific validity of the engagement
framework. Practically, it highlights the strategic value of Instagram affordances as tools for shaping
consumer perceptions and enforcing brand trust. Brands operating in the competitive restaurant
industry are encouraged to prioritize cognitive resonance and perceived authenticity in their digital
marketing efforts. The results contribute to a broader understanding of how trust is constructed in
digital service environments and highlight the evolving role of platform design in consumer-brand
relationships