PHD: "Entrepreneurship under radical uncertainty: A cognitive perspective on experimenting in the unknown," University of Bergamo.

Master of Science: International Business and Entrepreneurship, University of Pavia.

Bob Bastian's research focuses on entrepreneurial judgment and decision-making under uncertainty. A central theme in his work is the essential role of the science of self-awareness to make conscious judgments, but also to be capable of empathizing with others' viewpoints.

He aims to contribute to the micro-foundations of entrepreneurship theory by exploring entrepreneurial metacognition, collective cognition, and how ignorance influences (positively and negatively) entrepreneurship (and vice versa). To do this, Bob integrates insights from epistemology, behavioral science, and psychology. He often applies these perspectives through qualitative and experimental research designs. Bob is 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”.

1.Bastian, B., Hjelle, M., & Shepherd, D. (2025). Systemizing Entrepreneurial Metacognition: Thinking About the Past and Future. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 10422587251315664.

2.Acar, O. A., & Bastian, B. (2024). A toolkit to help you manage uncertainty around AI. Harvard Business Review.

3.Gabay-Mariani, L., Bastian, B., Caputo, A., & Pappas, N. (2024). Hidden stories and the dark side of entrepreneurial commitment. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 30(6), 1553-1575.

4.Bastian, B., & Zucchella, A. (2023). Nascent entrepreneurs during start-up competitions: Between beauty contests and co-created problematization. Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 20, e00391.

5.Bastian, B., & Zucchella, A. (2022). Entrepreneurial metacognition: a study on nascent entrepreneurs. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 18(4), 1775-1805.

1."Metacognition and Stakeholder Enrollment: Cognitive Frames in the Entrepreneurial Process" (2024) with Nicolai Foss has been nominated for the Kauffman Best Paper Award in Entrepreneurial Cognition at the Academy of Management Annual Conference in Chicago.

2.Winner of the Young Researcher Research Proposal (2024) "Progetto Ecosistema dell'Innovazione ECS00000043 “Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem (iNEST)” with a value of 40,000 euros.