Bob Bastian - About me

I am an assistant professor at the University of Trento. My main research interests are focused on the role of cognition in economic decision-making in various uncertain and strategic decision contexts. I completed a double PhD at the University of Bergamo and the University of Pavia in 2022 with my dissertation Entrepreneurship Under Radical Uncertainty - A Cognitive Perspective on Experimenting in the Unknown. In this work, I explored the relevance of knowing what you don’t know with the help of the science of self-awareness. A key point is that metacognition plays an essential role for entrepreneurs to overcome cognitive barriers to come to logical judgments and decisions. My work has been nominated for the Kauffman Best Paper Award in Entrepreneurial Cognition at the Academy of Management Annual Conference.

What do I do?

I teach courses in strategy and entrepreneurship at the University of Trento, Italy, and iaelyon School of Management, France. In my research, I find joy in combining epistemology, behavioral science, and psychology - mostly conducted in qualitative and experimental settings. My work has been published in Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice and Journal of Business Venturing Insights. I am also a visiting research fellow at the University of Groningen and a co-proponent for the European Academy of Management standing track “Entrepreneurial Cognition and Behaviour”. 

For collaboration proposals related to research, teaching and/or consultancy, please reach out to me: bob.bastian[at]unitn.it