In today’s knowledge economies, a significant part of academic research is funded by national research funding institutes. Research funding institutes commonly design national research agendas in an attempt to define the optimal course of research and implement them using funding strategies where some funding is locked behind thematic conditions. By enforcing research agendas, however, research funding institutions interfere with researchers’ academic freedom. This research studies the relationship between researchers’ freedom and research agendas through Amartya Sen’s freedom of choice concept and Patrick Suppes’ measure of freedom of choice. By focusing on the relationship between choices in research direction and thematic grants, this study examines how research agendas of the Dutch Research Council (NWO) influence the freedom of choice of researchers. This study also investigates the philosophical conceptions of academic freedom of Immanuel Kant, Wilhelm von Humboldt, and John Stuart Mill and compares them with freedom of choice to determine the compatibility of research agendas. This research applies the measure of freedom of choice on NWO’s own funded projects to determine how NWO supports researchers’ freedom of choice. The findings confirm NWO’s own documentation regarding their strategies for increasing researcher freedom. Additionally, the research highlights difficulties and potential improvements in the application of freedom of choice and its measure. Based on freedom of choice and academic freedom, this study derives and studies policy strategies for increasing researchers’ freedom and allowing for the design of research agendas with academic freedom in mind. Ultimately, this study presents a theoretical approach to policy regarding research agendas and underscores the importance of research freedom and academic freedom in NWO’s ability to create the right research environments for impactful and innovative academic research.

The increasing use of robots in the workplace presents a valuable opportunity to diversify the workforce by including underrepresented groups such as ethnic minorities and the elder population. However, high unemployment among these social groups shows that the opportunity to boost inclusivity and diversity is not grasped. Seizing this opportunity presents several challenges, especially since diversity can complicate the innovation process.

Innovation is a complex multifaceted process influenced by numerous factors, among which formal and informal institutions. Formal institutions are written rules such as laws, standards and obligations, while informal institutions are unwritten rules, such as social and cultural norms, that shape people's perceptions and behaviors. Diversity can be related to social groups holding peculiar norms/beliefs that can conflict with other social norms or regulations. The role of formal and informal institutions in diversity and inclusion initiatives has been largely overlooked in the HRI literature, but existing studies suggest that institutions play a crucial role in enabling/hampering inclusion and diversity through technology.

In this research, I make use of qualitative research and the RRI approach to analyze the complex socio-technical system in which robots are implemented and used in the real-world context of the KLM baggage handling facilities at Amsterdam Airport.
The aim of this study is to build grounded theory through the analysis of the impact that institutions have on the implementation and utilization of robotic technology in the employment of a workforce that is diverse in terms of age, ethnicity, and race.

The research question guiding the research is: “How do formal and informal institutions shape the implementation and use of robots at work aimed at including a diverse workforce?”
This research question aims at tackling two different aspects of deploying robots at work: implementation and utilization.
The focus on implementation pertains to the analysis of the process by which a diverse workforce is included or not in the deployment of robots in the workplace, and the role that institutions play in shaping this process.
The focus on utilization pertains to the analysis of the role that institutions play in shaping the ability and willingness of a diverse workforce to use robots in the workplace.

When it comes to the implementation of robots at work, results show that if there are no formal institutions in place to include a diverse workforce in the implementation process, then informal institutions, such as a willingness to use technology, play a prominent role in determining the likelihood that diverse workforce will be included in the process or not.
In the Dutch context, factors like age or ethnic diversity do not affect the positive perception of robots at work and willingness to use technology, thus these diverse identities do not influence the participation of the diverse workforce in the implementation of robots at work.

When it comes to the utilization of robots, diversity plays both a direct and indirect role.
The direct role is related to formal institutions, for instance standard requirements to operate the robot, that may exclude certain ethnic/race groups with different physical characteristics from using the robot.
An example of physical characteristics that play a role in the Dutch context are the average height and left-handedness.
The indirect effect pertains to the influence of age diversity within the workforce on the formation of informal institutions, such as social norms. Members of the age diverse workforce may hold positions of opinion leadership within the workplace, enabling them to shape the opinions of their colleagues with regard to the use of robots. This, in turn, can influence the utilization of robotic technology by the workforce as a whole.

This study has both strong practical and theoretical implications.
From a practical standpoint, this study provides valuable insights for organizations seeking to employ a diverse workforce through the use of robotics. The findings highlight the importance of carefully considering both the practical and social implications of this approach, including the need to take into account the physical requirements of a diverse workforce and the potential influence of diversity on the formation of social norms within the workplace.
From a research perspective, this study highlights the suitability of the \acs{RRI} approach as a conceptual tool for HRI research to assess the socio-technical systems in robotics is used for diversity and inclusivity purposes.

Future research could focus on analyzing the interactions between formal and informal institutions and other diverse identities, such as gender, in the context of implementing robots in the workplace. The main limitations of this study pertain to the limited number of participants and the lack of generalizability to SMME. These firms have different organizational structures and limited financial and intellectual resources, thus, when employing a diverse workforce, they may face considerably different challenges when implementing robotic technology in the workplace.

The 2006 health care reforms in the Netherlands were aimed at improving the affordability, accessibility, and quality of health care, as well as freedom in health care. However, the reality is that since the reforms (which include the privatisation of health-care insurance), costs have further increased and accessibility has decreased while freedom of choice has declined. The reforms reduced freedom, while increasing costs and reducing accessibility.
The aim of this thesis is to investigate whether these issues stem from a deeper (Utilitarian) philosophical foundation of how health care is currently funded and to propose a mode of funding founded on Aristotelian principles that would be in support of freedom without adversely affecting (or even improving) costs, accessibility and quality
The analysis of the system of Managed Care (in Chapter 2) and its implementation in The Netherlands (in Chapter 3) suggests that the rising costs of health care may be related at least in part to the utilitarian foundation of this system (with its utility-maximising consumer and its profit-maximising producer who, in an oligopoly like the health-care market, is able to generate super-normal profits), in part to the heavy administrative load associated with Managed Care, and in part due to contracting practices. All of which also restricts freedom of choice.

Aristotle's ethics, specifically his \textit{Nicomachean Ethics}, underlines the importance of freedom (of deliberation) as the quintessential requirement for eudaimonia. If this were taken as the philosophical foundation for the health care system, then patients and health care providers would be able to make informed choices that align with their personal goals and values. This freedom of deliberation stands in stark contrast with protocolisation, standardisation and homogenisation that Managed Care brings. Such a system creates a 'monoculture' in which it is difficult to find discernible differences in price and quality, making it equally difficult to identify possible trade-offs between the two and implications of such trade-offs.

In Chapter 4 I propose a mode of funding Dutch health care that safeguards freedom of deliberation in health care that would be in line with the Dutch socio-economical environment and political system. The proposed Health Care system is a universal health care system with a single-payer that covers all health care expenses; where medical decision/treatments are made autonomously by client and practitioner without meddling/pressure/ruling by other parties who are not practising health care; where the funding of health care is a matter of transparent deliberation between all parties and a part of political discourse.

By prioritising freedom of deliberation, the proposed reforms address the limitations of Managed Care's utilitarian philosophy and offers a more human-centred approach to health care. A system that is based on Aristotelian philosophy creates an environment that encourages open and honest communication between all parties involved and is expected to improve all relevant aspects of the Dutch health care system and health itself. The suggested reforms are far reaching and may seem unrealistic. Its proper functioning would indeed require substantial social reform in all spheres of social life (economic, legal-political, and cultural), though they remain entirely in-line with Dutch socio-econo-political reality.

In conclusion, this thesis argues that the Netherlands' health care reform should prioritise freedom of deliberation (the fundamental requirement for eudaimonia). As such individuals' well-being and values are prioritised, which is expected to have beneficial effects including reducing costs and improving the overall quality of care without diminishing access to it. Free deliberation and subsequent cooperation are thought to have more potential than competition.

The extensive and growing population of remote workers has left traditional leaders with many challenges managing a team remotely, and virtual leadership has been introduced as a remote management style. The increasing use of workplace surveillance technology in organisations has resulted in considerable debate over the years. This qualitative study aimed to explore virtual leadership in practice and investigate the potential of using workplace surveillance technology to support effective virtual leadership. The results of the research will provide an answer to the following question: “How can workplace surveillance technology support virtual leadership in the new normal era?”.
Existing research suggests that there is no single theory for virtual leadership and that more research should be conducted. The use of workplace surveillance technology lacks practical evidence and does not keep pace with continual change, vast technological advancements, and expectations by followers for transparency. The methodology used for this research consists of ten in-depth interviews with leaders and followers from the same organisation within three different sectors. Interviews were conducted utilising a semi-structured interview format. They produced data based on the lived experiences of virtual leadership and participants' views on workplace surveillance technology relating to whether virtual leaders could become more effective by implementing that.
The findings of this research supported that there is not a single virtual leadership style, and continual change was recognised as an ongoing theme. Acceptance of change, adaptability, and personal attention were necessary for successful virtual leaders. The participants indicated that they saw some potential in using workplace surveillance technology for virtual leaders under certain conditions. The research has found that threats to using sensitive data information should be considered before deployment. When considering the needs and threats, participants argued that this could result in more effective virtual leadership depending on how virtual leaders act upon the information being gathered. Therefore, it is recommended to consider the threat that there is not a standard design of workplace surveillance technology and the potential of this technology is context-specific. Additional research should be conducted to evaluate virtual leadership, in general, to understand motivations and barriers to widespread adoption regardless of the use of workplace surveillance technology. Further research should be conducted on the operational and practical issues surrounding workplace surveillance technology in virtual work environments.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone has encountered remote working. During this time, employees have become accustomed to remote working habits, and a shift has been made in many lives toward a more flexible work-life balance. Nowadays, with the pandemic almost behind, it gives rise to the question, how will the ideal workplace environment look like post-pandemic? By conducting a broad and extensive literature research two frameworks were constructed and proposed, being, respectively, a productivity framework, and a well-being framework. On top of that, three categories involving the responsibility of these factors were proposed, being, respectively, the neutral, positive, and happy category, linked to the responsibility of respectively, the manager, colleagues, and the employee self. These frameworks and their corresponding factors were connected by the five needs of Maslow and linked to these categories. Resulting in a combined framework that showed promising connections between the productivity and well-being factors that are in need to be verified and validated. This was followed by a survey conducted over 56 participants, including a selection of the factors mentioned in the frameworks. Resulting in many qualitative information on how to establish the ideal workplace environment. However, due to the time constraints, the results of the survey are still open to be analyzed in a quantitative manner. The research was concluded with a part that draws the ideal workplace environment, and on top of that, some advice for managers on how to create their own ideal workplace environment, and how to better support their employees with the focus on remote work. All in all, managers should have an open communication style, be respectful, listen actively to the needs, preferences, and wishes of their employees, and keep up to date with the resources they can provide to support their employees. Resulting in an increase in the mentioned factors from the frameworks, which, in turn, could fulfill the five basic needs of Maslow, and helps employees to live up to their potential. When an employee is able to achieve this, their productivity and well-being will be improved, and they will make more and cost less, for the organization. Therefore, aiming for the ideal workplace environment will benefit all.

The support for the hybrid work setting increased during the pandemic, but there are a lot of challenges to overcome. It is important to study the hybrid work setting. Based on the findings in the existing literature it is found that little research has been done on the effect of the hybrid work setting on individual employee performance. In the current research this is investigated by looking at the relationship between the balance between office and remote work and individual employee performance, as well as the influence of six employee behaviors on this relationship. In addition, the ideal balance between office and remote work in the hybrid work setting is studied. To find an answer to the objectives of the study, the following research question is studied “How is the balance between office and remote work related with individual employee performance in the manufacturing industry?”. The research question is supported by two sub questions (1) “How do employee behaviors affect the relationship between the balance of office and remote work and individual employee performance?” and (2) “What is the ideal balance between office and remote work in the hybrid work setting?”. Answers to the research questions are found by conducting a quantitative self-administered survey. The conceptual model of the survey is based on a literature review. The model consists of an independent variable – remote work percentage, mediating variables – attitudes towards remote work, work engagement, well-being, job satisfaction, communication, and trust relationship, and a dependent variable – individual employee performance. The target population of the study consists of employees, with a hybrid office job, working at companies operating in the manufacturing industry in the Netherlands. The data of the survey is analyzed with SPSS. Sub-question one is answered by looking at the findings. Based on the findings it is clear that the six employee behaviors are based on this study not significantly affecting the relationship between the balance of office and remote work and individual employee performance. For employees working for companies in the manufacturing industry in the Netherlands. Sub-question two is answered by looking at the preferred balance of the employees with regard to office and remote work. Based on the findings, the preferred balance is two days remote work in a four- or five-day work week and one day remote work in a two- or three-day work week. The main research question is answered by looking at the findings. Based on the findings it is clear that the balance between office and remote work is not affecting individual employee performance significantly direct or indirect. One possible reason for the relation not being significant is that there is still a lot unknown about the true effect of the hybrid work setting in comparison with the established work settings in the manufacturing industry. Based on the findings, companies in the manufacturing industry are recommend to start with making new work agreements based on the hybrid work setting. This, because the existing work agreements are based on office work. A good starting point for the agreements could be involving the employees in the decision-making process of the new agreements. By looking not only at their preferred balance of office and remote work, but also taking other insights of the employees with regard to hybrid work into consideration. In addition, the companies should pay attention to the role of communication in the hybrid work setting, because communication is key when employees have to work together remotely with other colleagues.

The implementation of social robots in the healthcare industry is becoming substantial as a consequence of the scarcity of healthcare professionals, rising costs of healthcare and an increase in the number of vulnerable populations. Social robots will be deployed, in increasing numbers, in assisting health care professionals during the provision of care to patients. While research in Human-Robot-Interaction (HRI) has investigated mechanisms for making decisions taken by artificial agents more ethical, there is limited work done in investigating adaptations to HRI that promotes ethical behaviour on the human-side. Moral dilemmas can appear when decisions have to be made regarding patientcare. Dealing with them can be challenging for healthcare professionals since the impact of decisions affect multiple parties and involves different considerations and value-trade-offs of the involved people. There are different approaches in which healthcare professionals can be confronted with moral dilemmas. Based on decision making principles, a robot might assist the health care professionals in ethical decision making with an appropriate reflection or confrontation of the dilemma. This thesis investigates how a social robot can confront a professional with a moral dilemma and what the associated effects are. Following the Socio-Cognitive Engineering (SCE) method, two alternative proto-patterns are created for dilemma confrontation by a robot in a resuscitation scenario: Verbal and Multi-modal confrontation. In such a scenario, the robot displays protests of distress and affect in order to help the professionals carry out systematic reflection of the moral dilemmas they experience. In an evaluation, it is tested whether these confrontation patterns are being perceived as intended, comparing the two confrontation patterns with a neutral scenario.

The purpose of this empirical study is to gain insight in how Autonomous Weapons are perceived by the general public and the military and which moral values they consider important when Autonomous Weapons are deployed in the near future. The Value-Sensitive Design method is used to structure the study. This thesis proposes a design for a Moral Machine for Autonomous Weapons as part of the technical investigation phase of the study.