Mandate: Fixed term (24-month mandate; renewable once if conditions are met)
Salary: Net monthly grant around 2,000€ (including Belgian social security)
Start of mandate: October 1, 2021 (to be discussed)
Category: Scientific staff
Place of work (campus): Mons (Belgium)
Research project description
Context
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) receives significant attention in the business, policy, and research communities. Studies converge on the notion that firms should communicate about their CSR initiatives to raise awareness, convey legitimacy, and enhance brand equity. Studies have produced rich insights into CSR communication by examining annual reports and corporate websites as tools for disclosing CSR information to both internal and external audiences. CSR communication is yet at a critical crossroad. Traditional one-way CSR communication tools are increasingly being complemented by digital bidirectional channels such as social media, which blur the line between the receivers and senders of CSR information and are likely to transform CSR communication practices. While social media present unprecedented opportunities for firms to engage with stakeholders and increase awareness about their CSR initiatives, responsible firms seem to continue approaching digital media through a traditional one-way transmission mode of communication and thereby do not take advantage of the full potential of online dialogs.
Objectives
Building upon literature ranging across several disciplines (e.g., marketing, management, CSR, communication), this project uses a multistakeholder, mixed-method approach to provide responsible firms with insights on (i) when and how firms should engage in social media dialogue, and (ii) the impact of CSR social media communication on customer, observing stakeholder, and firm outcomes.
Job description
The researcher will be supervised by Professors Valérie Swaen and Simon Hazée (main supervisor). The successful candidate is expected to:
• conduct scientific research (in the aforementioned domain) with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate. To obtain the doctoral degree, the candidate must follow and pass the doctoral training provided by the Doctoral School of Management;
• present results at (international) conferences;
• publish results in outstanding scientific journals;
• participate in activities of the Louvain Research Institute in Management and Organizations (LouRIM) and the Center of Excellence on Consumers and Marketing Strategy (CCMS) research groups
Requirements
We seek highly motivated candidates with a MSc degree (obtained with honors) in applied economics, business engineering, management, psychology, sociology, or any related discipline. Specifically, we are looking for candidates who:
− have a strong affinity/interest for business issues related to social media marketing and CSR;
− show an interest in conducting fundamental and applied research;
− are familiar with social science methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative;
− have excellent scientific writing and presentation skills;
− are proficient in English and French (or prepared to acquire proficiency in French);
− with a strong sense of teamwork, initiative, and integrity.
Work environment
The successful candidate will work for UCLouvain, at the campus in Mons, in a dynamic and stimulating
environment. The candidate will be attached to the LouRIM and participate in the CCMS.
LouRIM is devoted to theoretical and applied, empirical and experimental studies of management of private
and public organizations, including but not limited to research on internal and external functional management
processes that are present in all enterprises and organizations. Since management by itself is characterized by
its multiple facets, dynamics and interdependence with resource, process and product development, the science
of management requires multiple approaches in terms of functional orientation, research methodology and
focus. This is why the Institute mobilizes around 30 faculty members and 70 researchers from the fields of
economics, information system science, operations research, psychology and sociology to address management
questions of societal and economic relevance. Besides the organization of research activities, endowed research
chairs and sponsored research, LouRIM coordinates information about the Doctoral School of Management
with around 70 active doctoral students and around 10 doctoral degrees awarded each year.
CCMS is a joint initiative of the Center for Research on Consumption and Leisure (CeRCLe, University of
Namur) and the Marketing group of the LouRIM (UCLouvain). CCMS provides a platform for furthering
research, doctoral training, and executive education in the area of consumer behavior and marketing strategy.
In 2021, 15 researchers and doctoral students, 12 faculty members as well as 7 associate members actively
participate to the activities of the center.
Application procedure
Qualified applicants should send (1) a letter of application, (2) curriculum vitae, (3) a short 2-page proposal
for a research plan relevant to the present position, as well as (4) the name, position and email address of at
least one academic referee (e.g., previous master thesis supervisor) to Prof. Dr. Simon Hazée. All application
documents must be submitted via email in the form of a single document (PDF or DOC format) entitled
“Application PhD_ CSR Social media_LAST NAME_First name”.
The application deadline is August 6, 2021. Suitable candidates will be contacted and invited for an online
job interview before August 13, 2021. For more information, and further details of the project, you may
contact Prof. Dr. Simon Hazée (simon.hazee@uclouvain.be), or Prof. Dr. Valérie Swaen
(valerie.swaen@uclouvain.be).