Why do some people end up in positions of power while others do not? And do our selection systems produce the leaders that citizens actually want?
Marc's research addresses these questions by studying who aspires to positions of influence, who succeeds in attaining them, and how these individuals differ from those who do not. Combining insights from political science, psychology, and organizational studies, he investigates how personal characteristics shape leadership emergence, career advancement, and survival in competitive environments.
His current NWO Vidi project, Survivor: Uncovering the Selection Process of Political Elites in Europe, examines how personality traits influence who enters politics, who advances to higher office, who remains politically successful, and whether the politicians who emerge from these selection processes possess the qualities citizens value most. The project focuses particularly on characteristics linked to personal virtue (or a lack thereof), such as honesty-humility, narcissism, and Machiavellianism, which are among the strongest predictors of ethical and unethical behaviour.
At the heart of Marc's research lies a simple question: can we trust competitive selection processes to place the right people in positions of power? This perspective also informs his teaching in Business Ethics, where he encourages students to think critically about responsible leadership, the societal role of business, and the conditions under which individuals and organizations create value for society.
His earlier research examined the rise and decline of political parties -another form of selection and competition, albeit at the organizational level - and was supported by research fellowships from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) and the Fund for Scientific Research Wallonia (FNRS).
His work has appeared in journals such as the American Journal of Political Science, the British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, the European Journal of Political Research, and the Journal of Politics. His dissertation was nominated for the Best Dissertation Award 2014 by the Dutch and Flemish Political Science Association. He currently serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Acta Politica.
