Publications and media presentations

Peer-reviewed article published: validation of Shakespeare Applied

June 2021

“Storytelling is the tip of the iceberg – immerse yourself in its rich under water world, and access the foundations of your story to anticipate strategic decisions!” 

Following the application of Shakespeare to the business challenges of CHEP, Mainfreight, Giarte and other companies (2019-2020), we detailed one case to elucidate our method. Our article has just been published in the International Journal of Humanities and Social Science – a validation of ‘Shakespeare Applied’.

Shakespeare applied to CHEP

September 2019

‘Under the CHEP and IFCO brands, Brambles helps move more goods to more people, in more places than any other organisation on earth.’

We applied Shakespeare to CHEP’s business challenges for sustainability – at their multi-day strategic session in London, UK.

For some reflections, see my blog on this website (or LinkedIn).

Shakespeare applied to Giarte - Outsourcing Performance

June 2019

Shakespeare applied to Giarte, Outsourcing Performance Day, Bussum ’t Spant! Honoured to be one of the keynote speakers, together with Gijs Scholten van Aschat who had Shakespeare touch us. See also my Linkedin article. Photos: Thijs Rooimans

TEDx Making decisions with Shakespeare

October 2018

TEDx talk ‘Making decisions with Shakespeare’ at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Read the story behind my TEDx talk here.

Shakespeare's learning futures

January 2019

Wonder how William Shakespeare and this historic bridge in Amsterdam are connected? Read ‘Shakespeare’s learning futures’, our newly published article in Elsevier’s refereed journal Futures.

The allegory of Shakespeare’s TheTempest mirrors the complex renovation process of Hogesluisbrug in Amsterdam and may help anticipate decisions in similar future processes. Our article explains how the application of Shakespeare’s allegory works as an interpretative scheme for learning and sustainable decisionmaking – And yes, this can work for you, too!

Photograph: A’dam Municipal Dept. Preservation & Restoration Historic Buildings & Sites (bMA). 

Atlas: The human dimension of changing space. Summary of my PhD thesis, including business cases

October 2017
Atlas, the human dimension of changing space. Includes an explanation of ‘Shakespeare’s Sustaining Allegory’ and its employment in logistics, water management and finance.

The Globe sustained: Shakespeare's allegory for sustainable development

January 2017
Peer-reviewed article ‘The Globe Sustained: Shakespeare’s allegory for sustainable development’ in Futures (watch the introductory 5-minute audioslide presentation here).

BNR Duurzaam

2 February 2015
Radio interview (in Dutch) by Mark Beekhuis on BNR Duurzaam (scroll to 51:30).

PhD thesis

30 January 2015
Dissertation ‘The little o’th’earth, Shakespeare’s Sustaining Allegory’ available through National Academic Research and Collaborations Information System, published by Utrecht University when I earned my doctorate (PhD). Research focus: role of the circle metaphor in Shakespeare’s allegories and their creative power in current sustainability debates. In line with sustainability theory Klaas van Egmond, Professor of Geosciences at Utrecht University.

de Volkskrant: Belminuut Shakespeare

24 January 2015
Belminuut in de Volkskrant.

Iris regularly gives presentations and keynotes for companies, societies and schools, e.g. Rotary Amsterdam, Connekt, Vereniging voor Onderwijs, Kunst en Wetenschap Apeldoorn, Vrije School Noord-Holland, Johan van Oldenbarnevelt Gymnasium Amersfoort.