Dr Alexander Vossen

Bio

I am a data-driven social scientist that uses computational linguistics to examine entrepreneurial strategy decisions. At its very core, entrepreneurship is a cross-sectional discipline, and my research perceives it at the intersection of strategy, marketing and organizational sociology literature. Most recently, I focus on how new ventures achieve optimal distinctiveness, i.e., how they handle the trade-off between simultaneously conforming to norms in order to appear legitimate and differentiating to appear novel and unique to realize competitive advantages. Before joining Tilburg University, I held positions at University of Siegen in Germany and BI Business School in Norway.  As of January 2024, I am serving as the ad interim unit lead for the Data Entrepreneurship Unit. For more information about my career and recent working papers please refer to my personal homepage. 

Expertise

My expertise entails entrepreneurial business models and competitive strategy, as well as the application of computational linguistics and quantitative methods in social sciences.  My work on these topics appears in journals such as the Journal of Business Venturing, International Journal of Innovation Management, and the Journal of Retailing. I also serve on the editorial review board of Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice.

Teaching

I teach mostly at the master and PhD level. More specifically, I am involved in the Data Science in Business and Entrepreneurship MSc and it's respective Pre-Master's program. I am also the master thesis coordinator for this program and the co-director of the JADS PhD program.

Courses

• Data-Driven Business Creation
• Statistics for Data Scientists
• Strategy and Business Models
• Master's Thesis
• Master's Thesis

Top publications

1. Psychological well-being of hybrid entrepreneurs: A replication and e…

   Stephan, M., Demir, C., Lasch, F., Vossen, A., & Werner, A. (2023). Psychological well-being of hybrid entrepreneurs: A replication and extension study using German panel data. Journal of Business Venturing Insights.

2. Categorically right? How firm-level distinctiveness affects performan…

   Janisch, J., & Vossen, A. (2022). Categorically right? How firm-level distinctiveness affects performance across product categories. Journal of Business Venturing, 106228.

3. More than words! How narrative anchoring and enrichment help to balan…

   Vossen, A., & Ihl, C. (2020). More than words! How narrative anchoring and enrichment help to balance differentiation and conformity of entrepreneurial products. Journal of Business Venturing, 106050.

4. An Upbeat Crowd: Fast In-store Music Alleviates Negative Effects of H…

   Knöferle, K., Paus, V., & Vossen, A. (2017). An Upbeat Crowd: Fast In-store Music Alleviates Negative Effects of High Social Density on Customers’ Spending. Journal of Retailing.