PhD Studentship
University of Exeter Business School
'Organizational Death and Loss in the Twenty-First Century'
University of Exeter Business School is seeking to appoint a suitably qualified
applicant for a doctoral studentship for three years to start in April 2010.
Despite considerable theoretical and empirical evidence that questions their
validity, psychological stage models of dying and bereavement have dominated
understandings of organizational change since the early 1980s. As discourses
of loss in Western societies move towards continuing bonds, cultures of
nostalgia and an obsession with memory and history, we can expect to see
changes in the ways that reactions to organizational closures, mergers and
acquisitions, are expressed and managed. This studentship will provide
empirical evidence to enhance our understanding of the commemorative and
memorializing practices used to remember deceased organizations in post-
industrial societies and consider the role of grief as a resource for collective
identity and memory formation. It will consider the dynamics of time and place
in remembering through exploring the role of physical remains, such as heritage
sites, monuments or disused buildings, in providing a focus for mourning.
Through analysis of how dead organizations and their members are
remembered, the studentship will enable understanding of changes and
continuities in organizational loss and change in late modern society. The
project will employ a range of qualitative methods potentially including
documentary, historical and visual analysis and life history interviews. You will
be based in the Department of Management at University of Exeter Business
School which has a vibrant postgraduate research community comprising over
120 doctoral students.
To apply, you should have a first degree, minimum 2:1 or first class honours in
a relevant discipline (e.g. Business and Management, Geography, Sociology,
History) and a Masters degree in a relevant subject. Preference will be given
to candidates who have received ESRC accredited training at Master’s level or
equivalent. However, applications are welcome and will be considered from
candidates with other Masters degrees and relevant experience. If English is
not your first language, a language test certificate is required with the
following minimum requirements: IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 230, CPE C. UK/EU or
overseas level fees will be paid, together with a three-year annual
maintenance grant (for 2009/10 this will be £13,290). Please send a copy of
your CV with the names and addresses of two academic referees to Emma
Roberts, Postgraduate Research Administrator, University of Exeter Business
School ([log in to unmask]), quoting the title of the studentship as
above. Please also enclose a brief statement outlining your academic
interests, prior research experience and reasons for wishing to undertake this
project.
For further information, or informal discussion about the position, please
contact one of the project supervisors: Dr Emma Bell ([log in to unmask], +44-
1225-384117) or Dr Adrian Bailey ([log in to unmask], +44-1392-722523).
Closing date for completed applications: Friday 29th January 2010. Interviews
will be held on Monday 15th February 2010 in Exeter.
|