KU Leuven PhD Position for Research on Emerging Market Firms in Europe, Belgium

PhD position: Research project on Emerging Market Firms in Europe

(Ref. BAP-2014-427)

Tewerkstelling : Voltijds

Duur : Bepaalde duur verlengbaar

Plaats : Antwerpen

Solliciteren tot en met : 30/09/2014


For the Department of International Business and Economics (IB&E) @ Campus Antwerp, we are looking for a PhD researcher.

PhD position: Research project on Emerging Market Firms in Europe

Working on a PhD within the research unit IB&E means that you end up in a dynamic and international environment. An environment in which you enjoy autonomy, but also the support of the supervisors involved. You will be part of a team that helps each other and where giving feedback is key. Within your PhD you will have the opportunity to attend courses and seminars and to present your research at home and abroad at international conferences. Doctoral supervision is carried out by Prof. Dr. Ernst Verwaal en Dr. Filip De Beule.
Website unit

Project

This project aims to critically explore whether emerging market firms (EMFs) are limited in their ability to compete with firms in developed markets based on advanced knowledge and high-technology ownership advantages. However, EMFs may also possess competitive advantages that enable them to compete effectively in their home markets and internationally. Owing to the unique bundling of knowledge, technology and home market institutional configurations, EMFs may yet develop organizational capabilities and establish a stock of unique firm-specific advantages, which may put them in a position in which they can substantially contribute to value creation in developed economies.
Based on in-depth case study research of firms from emerging economies with subsidiaries in Europe, the study aims to explore managerial relationships between organizational capabilities, new institutional forms, survival hazards and firm performance. From these exploratory case studies implications for emerging market firms in the European market will be tested with a survey research. Both the headquarters perspective in the emerging economy and the subsidiary perspective will be explored and how the interaction between them influences the survival and performance of the emerging market firm at the subsidiary and corporate level. The outcome of the study aims to demonstrate in a multi-level model how links between global environmental change and institutional conditions of emerging markets explain the competitive process of emerging market firms in developed economies.

Profile

• You have a masters degree in business economics or related discipline (managerial sciences, international economics). A specialization in international business is a plus.
  
• You are fluent in English.
  
• You are motivated, enthusiastic and eager to learn.
  
• You are a constructive team player.
  
• You are independent, flexible, have good organizational skills and meeting deadlines is not a problem.
  
• A thorough methodological knowledge (including quantitative and qualitative methods) is a must.
  

Offer

We offer full-time employment for a fixed period of 1 year, extendable up to 4 years provided a positive evaluation.
You can start preferably as from October,1, 2014.

Interested?

For more information please contact Mr. Filip De Beule, tel.: +32 16 37 62 08, mail: filip.debeule@kuleuven.be.
You can apply for this job no later than September 30, 2014 via the
online application tool