Romain holds a Ph.D. in Management from HEC Paris, with research focusing on how categorization processes shape stakeholder perceptions and influence market dynamics. His work explores how diverse audiences—customers, investors, employees, and others—perceive organizations and product offerings, and how firms can strategically influence these processes to improve evaluations, foster stakeholder coordination and firm performance. Moreover, Romain’s research examines how involving distinct stakeholders directly in a firm’s core activities and governance can enhance value creation both within and beyond the firm’s boundaries. By employing a combination of theory-driven approaches, experimental methods, and large-scale empirical data, his studies provide insight into the cognitive mechanisms stakeholders use to evaluate and respond to firms, especially those challenging conventional market norms or operating at the intersection of social impact and commercial activities. His work highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement, stakeholder governance and cognitive framing in fostering market acceptance for innovative and socially impactful firms and products.