[Apologies for cross-posting]

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded 
Doctoral Training Account Studentship– September 2006 entry (extended 
deadline)

Manchester Business School has one EPSRC-funded full PhD studentship, for 
September 2006 entry, to work with Dr Nadia Papamichail on the following 
project:

Managing by process and fact: a business process modelling approach to 
project controlling

In an increasingly fluid economic environment, companies are forced to 
reassess their position in the market and identify competencies and 
strategic opportunities. In order to remain competitive, they need to 
adopt instruments to control, guide and audit their value creating 
processes. Some organisations however, have ineffective processes in place 
that are complex, poorly understood and difficult to validate. This can 
lead to project failures such as overrunning time and budget limits and 
delivering systems that are not user friendly, do not meet requirements, 
cannot integrate with other systems and are expensive to maintain. Common 
reasons for such failures include lack of clear objectives and control 
systems that identify and manage project risks.
This PhD research proposes a business process modelling approach to 
describing, explaining, predicting and changing the behaviour of 
ineffective processes in project management.  The objectives are as 
follows:

* To increase transparency in project management by producing business 
process models that illustrate critical issues and map decision points and 
activities of real-life projects 
* To explore ways of codifying rich mental models and useful insights in 
project management
* To develop a methodology for comparing business process models with the 
mental models of actors that are involved in value creating processes e.g. 
managers, customers, business partners
* To develop a set of guidelines for making project management decisions 
that maximise organisational objectives and contribute to organisational 
learning

For further information on this studentship please contact Dr Nadia 
Papamichail on 0161 275 6539 or at [log in to unmask]


How to Apply:

To be considered for this award, please submit a complete application for 
the PhD programme to reach us in the Postgraduate Research Office at 
Manchester Business School no later than 21st July 2006.  Please note: A 
Research Proposal is not required for this Scholarship competition as the 
research topic is already specified by the EPSRC Project.   

Applications must enclose the following.  If any of the * items are 
missing, your application will not be considered:

1. Application form *
2. Financial Statement form
3. IELTS or TOEFL test result slip (required only if your mother tongue is 
not English or if you do not hold a degree from a UK/US/Australian 
institution)
4. Certificates of your previous degrees *
5. Grade transcripts of your previous and current degrees * (If you 
are currently undertaking a degree programme, an up-to-date interim 
transcript will be sufficient at this stage but you must also enclose 
grade transcripts of any previous degrees as well.)
6. 2 academic references, preferably from your most recent degree *.  
Your referees must complete the Reference Form and a letter of reference.  
7. Special Needs form
8. 3 passport-sized photographs

Also note that Interviews with short-listed candidates will take place at 
Manchester Business School at the beginning of August.  

Application materials for the Programme are available to download from:
http://www.mbs.ac.uk/programmes/postgraduate-research/make-application.htm

Please send your completed application package to:
Mrs. Lynne Barlow-Cheetham
Room 3.81
Postgraduate Research Office
Manchester Business School
Booth Street West
Manchester M15 6PB
UK.