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Behavioural Insights
Thoughtful analysis of how psychology shapes financial behaviour, spending habits, and long term decision making, translating academic research into practical insights that help individuals make smarter, more intentional financial choices.
Biggest Misconceptions about doing a PhD
A lot of people decide that after their education they want to work in the "real world." Some of us decide that's a terrible idea and...
Merle van den Akker
Jul 4, 20199 min read
Behavioural Economics on Libra
Not too long ago Facebook released information on them creating a currency. The currency is called Libra (I’m a libra, is Mark Zuckerberg...
Merle van den Akker
Jun 27, 20196 min read
Tipping vs. Minimum Wage
Tipping, it's a phenomenon that has always baffled me. How much, when, but mainly why?! I didn't grow up in a tipping culture. Now you...
Merle van den Akker
Jun 24, 20195 min read
Who should do What?
Each country in the world is known for at least one major export product. For my own home I’m proud to say it is tulips. The Netherlands...
Merle van den Akker
Jun 21, 20196 min read
Fraud in Academia
The pressure to publish is ever increasing. The motto “publish or perish” has become uncomfortably close to the truth. It is the level...
Merle van den Akker
Jun 17, 20196 min read
Why is Academia so damn SLOW?!
When I check up on how my friends are doing -- friends from all over the world -- we talk about our social lives, our families, our...
Merle van den Akker
Jun 13, 20198 min read
Automated Decision-Making and Ethics
We are moving towards an increasingly automated society. This is a society ruled by algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI - which,...
Merle van den Akker
Jun 10, 20195 min read
Mental Accounting: One Size does not fit All
I have written multiple articles on Mental Accounting. It’s an interesting topic to me (and to many others, I mean, it did win a Nobel...
Merle van den Akker
Jun 6, 20195 min read
How to make Meetings WORK
I have recently come to realise that I have quite a few meetings in a week. Now as an academic (to be), the amount of meetings I have...
Merle van den Akker
Jun 3, 20195 min read
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