PhD in Management

Curriculum

Layout of the programme

Year 1 – Learning the Ropes: Fundamental courses & Familiarisation with your research topic

Fundamental coursework

The first year includes up to 6 intensive courses, providing you basic skills and knowledge that you need for a researcher career. The courses cover such fundamental theories and research methods that are relevant for you regardless of your own discipline/specialisation and regardless of your own research topic. 

Examples of these courses include: Basics of Business Research Methods (quantitative  and qualitative methods), Economics and Business Studies, Social Psychology.

The six courses are organized during six intensive seminars, each lasting from a couple of days to a week (October, December, January, February, April, May), at one of our campuses : Reims, Rouen and Paris.

Familiarisation with your own research topic

During the first year, you will also start to work with the faculty members who are assigned as your personal supervisors. This way you will start to familiarise yourself with the topic of your research project, which you will be writing your doctoral thesis on.  The precise topic(s) will be decided in collaboration with your supervisors, who represent one of NEOMA’s Areas of Excellence. Towards the end of the first year, you will start preparing (in collaboration with your supervisors) a research plan for this thesis research of yours.

Research assistance tasks

During the first year of studies, you will be conducting a limited number of research assistance tasks for that Area of Excellence of NEOMA’s which your own thesis research project and topic relates to. These research assistance tasks may not, however, directly relate to your own thesis research. At any rate, the research assistance tasks will provide you with additional training in various researcher skills, such as conducting systematic literature reviews, administering surveys or experiments, cleaning and reorganising data, and analysing and visualising data.

Year 2 – Selected individual courses and start of empirical research

Selected individual courses and learning modules

Whereas the coursework in Year 1 takes place at NEOMA, during Year 2, you may conduct a limited number (3-4) of courses or learning modules (a) either as independent learning courses, or (b) as organized by external parties (e.g., other French or international business schools or universities; doctoral education networks like EIASM.net). These studies are meant to provide you with a tailored set of specialised skills and knowledge that your own doctoral thesis research project especially calls for (e.g., special methodological skills).

Submitting/defending your own research plan

Before the beginning of the second half of Year 2, you will be required to complete, in collaboration with your supervisors, the preparation of a research plan for your own doctoral thesis research. During the first half of Year 2, you will submit it for internal review at NEOMA, and defend it in a research seminar of your own Department. The research plan shall include a general literature review about your topic, study designs and plans for the empirical studies to be conducted, and plan for the structure of the doctoral thesis (including planned outline of the contents of three articles for article-based theses).

Starting with your empirical research

In line with the aforementioned research plan, you will start gathering or compiling the first data for your thesis research. This will be done in close collaboration with your supervisors. (In the rare case that your research plan did not include empirical studies, you will be starting your non-empirical research here.) Before the beginning of Year 3, you will be required to submit your first research article to an international academic conference or peer-reviewed journal. This article can be a conceptual study or an empirical research paper that is based on your first data set.

Research assistance tasks

Like during the first year, you will be conducting a limited number of research assistance tasks for an Area of Excellence of NEOMA’s during the second year as well.

Year 3  and Year 4 – Research for and writing of the doctoral thesis

Researching and writing

The bulk of the empirical research work as well as the majority of writing work for your doctoral thesis will take place during Year 3 and Year 4. Both the conduct of research (gathering/compiling data, analysing data, modelling) and the writing work will be done with intensive support from your supervisors. At the end of Year 3, you are expected to submit another research article to an international academic conference or peer-reviewed journal.

Defending the thesis

Ultimately, when you have three research articles accepted for presentation at international academic conferences or in the review process of high-quality peer-reviewed journals, you may submit your thesis to a jury/committee at NEOMA. (If your thesis is not article-based, but instead takes the monograph/treatise format, your supervisors will determine when the thesis can be submitted to the jury). Some months later, you will defend your thesis in front of the jury/committee consisting of two external experts of your research topic (from other institutions than NEOMA) as well as two internal experts (other faculty members of NEOMA than your supervisors).

Teaching and teaching assistance tasks

During Year 3 and Year 4, most PhD candidates will be teaching a course directed at NEOMA’s MSc or BSc students, on a topic related to their expertise and research. Alternatively, you may be supporting and assisting NEOMA’s faculty members on their courses. Getting teaching experience will be highly useful for you when applying for a job after graduation.

Research assistance tasks

Like during the first and second year, you may be conducting as well a limited number of research assistance tasks for an Area of Excellence during the third and fourth year.

Scholarly visit abroad

Typically during the third year of studies, you will be making a few months’ scholarly visit to a business school abroad, as recommended by your supervisor. Financial support will be available for travel costs.

Evaluation procedures

The programme is sanctioned by several levels of validation:

• continuous assessment: evaluation of each module of the programme in the form of examinations or individual files,
• the submission of a literature review, or Paper I, and of a thesis proposal at the beginning of the second year and their presentation during a seminar organized by one of the Area of Excellence,
• the submission of a doctoral research project, or Paper II, at the beginning of the third year, and the presentation in front of a committee made up of 2 internal examiners,
• the submission of a doctoral thesis at the end of the fourth year and subsequent defense: submission of a written manuscript and oral defense before a jury made up of two internal reviewers and two external reviewers.

At the end of the training and after validation of these different levels of validation, the PhD diploma is awarded to the participants.

Highlights of the programme

All PhD students get affiliated with one Area of Excellence of NEOMA’s

‘Areas of Excellence’ are the central pillar of NEOMA’s research strategy, and all admitted PhD students, from 2021 onwards, are affiliated with one of four Areas of Excellence.

The Areas of Excellence create a unique research environment wherein NEOMA’s faculty members as well as PhD students from various disciplines and departments focus on studying certain academically and practically topical research themes and phenomena.

Many of NEOMA’s faculty members (who also supervise PhD students) have a track record of publishing in top academic journals

The list below mentions selected top-tier scientific journals, in which NEOMA’s professors (who also act as supervisors to doctoral students) have published their research in recent years. Please see here for a full list of professors by department.

Please note, though, that even if one of the mentioned professors may become your supervisor as well, your supervisors will be assigned primarily based on the research theme of the open PhD position you are applying to. See the page “Admissions” for the positions).

Accounting

• The Accounting Review (e.g., prof. B. Zhang)
• Contemporary Accounting Research (e.g., prof. JH. Hyun)

Economics

• American Economic Journal: Applied Economics (e.g., prof. E. Arisoy)
• American Economic Review (e.g., prof G. Cette)
• International Review of Law and Economics (e.g., prof. S. Attaoui, W. Cao, P. Six)
• Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control (e.g., prof. S. Attaoui, W. Cao)

Strategy & Entrepreneurship

• Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice (e.g., prof. O. Giacomin)
• Research Policy (e.g., prof. S. Lhuillery, prof. J. Jacqmin)
• Journal of World Business (e.g., prof. A. Colovic, prof HS. Du, prof B. Misganaw).
• Industrial and Corporate Change (e.g., prof. A. Colovic)

Finance

• Journal of Financial Economics (e.g., prof. E. Arisoy)
• Journal of Banking and Finance (e.g., prof. J.H. Ahn, prof. S. Lleo)
• Management Science, (e.g., prof. S. Ain Tommar, A. Aloosh)

Management, Organisational behaviour, organisation theory

• Administrative Science Quaterly (e.g., prof. N. Bourmault)
• Human Relations (e.g., prof. A. Rouquet, prof. J.B. Suquet)
• Human Resource Management (e.g., prof V. Pereira, prof. S. da Motta Veiga)
• Journal of Applied Psychology (e.g., prof. D. Choi, prof. S. da Motta Veiga)
• Journal of Management (e.g., prof. F.Fonti)
• Journal of Management Studies (e.g., prof. HS. Du, prof. N. Bourmault)
• Leadership Quarterly (e.g., prof. B. Schyns, prof D. Subramanian, prof S. Lonati)
• Organisation Studies (e.g., prof. P. Le)
• Organization Science (e.g., prof. N. Bourmault, prof. S. da Motta Veiga)
• Organization (e.g., prof S. Dubois, E. Mandalaki, prof. M. Lenglet)

Information systems, Operations Research and Supply Chain Management

• Information Systems Research (e.g., prof. R. Wong)
• Journal of Management Information Systems (e.g., prof. R. Wong)
• Decision Support Systems (e.g., prof. A. Popovic, prof. G. Gupta, prof A. Song)
• Journal of Strategic Information Systems (e.g., prof. A. Popovic)
• European Journal of Operational Research (e.g., prof. F. Ben-Abdelaziz, prof. I. Biswas, prof. A. Ishizaka, prof. A. Llamas Vilches, prof. M. Menezes, prof. P. Six, prof. M. Bagherzadeh Niri)
• International Journal of Production Economics (e.g., prof. A. Ishizaka, prof. M. Menezes, prof. L. Trinchera, prof. H. Jalali, prof. S. Gupta, prof. G. Sbrana, prof. C. Chiappetta Jabbour)
• Information and Management (e.g., prof. A. Popovic)

Marketing

• Journal of Consumer Research (e.g., prof. P. Gomez, prof. D. Vasiljevic)
• Journal of Marketing (e.g., prof. S. Borraz, prof. A. Song, prof. J. Xu, prof. Y. Kim)

Ethics and Sustainable Development Goals

•  Journal of Business Ethics (e.g., prof. A. Souchaud, prof. P. Antonetti, prof. H. Gonzáles-Gómez, prof. A. Mirowska, prof. N. Spielmann, prof. A. Song, prof. E. Mandalaki, prof. V. Pereira)
• Health Economics (e.g., prof. S. Lhuillery)
• Ecological Economics (e.g., prof. N. Befort)
• Energy Journal (e.g., prof M. Russo)

Careers

Examples of universities and business schools wherein recent PhD graduates from NEOMA have obtained jobs are the following:

Internationally:

• University of Minnesota (Minnesota, USA)
• National Economics University (Vietnam)
• University of Balamand (Lebanon)
• Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai (Thailand)
• Universidad de Los Andes (Colombia)
• Duke University (UK)
• Coventry University (UK)
• Fordham University (USA)
• NOVA IMS (Portugal)
• Lisbon School of Economics and Management (Portugal)

In France:

• Skema Business School
• Grenoble Ecole de Management
• IESEG School of Management
• EM Normandie
• Institut Mine-Télécom Business School (France)

Results indicators

2019-2020 data

Admissions

Admission types

• Admissions to funded positions of NEOMA’s Areas of Excellence:

Most of NEOMA’s new PhD students are recruited directly to one of the four Areas of Excellence. The goal is to have each new PhD student affiliated with one of the Areas, in order to closely integrate to and cooperate with research projects and faculty members working on those particular themes.

These positions, within our Areas of Excellence, are fully funded for the duration of the programme (up to 4 years). PhD students selected for these positions will receive a monthly salary, health care benefits, and support for research/study-related costs (e.g., conference travel). Further, due to your affiliation with one of the Areas of Excellence, you will benefit from supervision by and collaboration with top scholars in the Area, from the resources that the Area makes available to its members, and from joining a thriving community of researchers who are passionate about these topics.

Please see here the announcement and research themes for PhD student positions related to NEOMA four Areas of Excellence.

• Admissions to independently funded positions:

In rare cases, applicants may also be admitted to the PhD programme independently of the aforementioned salaried positions within the Areas of Excellence. If you want to apply for such an independent position, you must still provide evidence that (a) you will be a full-time student (i.e., that you will not be working elsewhere for more than 30% of your time) and that (b) you will have secured funding for the full duration of your studies (e.g., a grant from a company, foundation, government, etc). You also still need to select one of the research themes listed in the announcement for the positions within the Areas of Excellence, while also notifying on the application form, that you are applying for an independently-funded position. Please also note that in an independently-funded position, you will also be responsible for paying tuition fees, without waivers.

Admission criteria

For all types of admission, the following criteria apply.

Eligibility criteria:

• Advanced degree – e.g., Master’s degree, MSc or MBA – in business administration, management, economics, or any other relevant field for your selected research topic.* Evidence of a degree that will be completed by the start of the program (September) will also be accepted. Admission with an undergraduate degree can be considered for exceptional candidates.
• Proof of English proficiency (i.e., previous studies and degree in English language, or test certificates with a minimum score (TOEFL : 83, IELTS : 6.0 in each band, PTE : 62 or Cambridge : 175)
• Evidence of strong motivation to enrol in our PhD program and interest in a career in academia. The application form includes questions aimed at demonstrating passion for research, interest, and knowledge about the research topic you applied for, intention to study full-time for four years, and strong motivation to pursue an academic career
• Sample of academic writing (a Master’s thesis, research report, working paper, or a published article)

Ranking criteria:

• A GMAT/GRE test score (Note. You can apply even without a GMAT/GRE test score, but it is recommended to take the test. If you do not have access to the test for one reason or another, please provide evidence of high GPAs of your previous degrees)
• Short research proposal related to your selected research theme (under the Areas of Excellence)
• Two letters of recommendation
• Results of a potential interview (Short-listed candidates ranking highest with the eligibility and other ranking criteria will be invited to an interview)

* The ‘relevant other field’ can be any field relevant to the research theme of the position you are applying for. For instance, for marketing and consumer research-related themes,  Master’s degrees in psychology, sociology, social anthropology, communications, information systems, computer science, statistics, systems analysis, industrial engineering, or logistics may be relevant, while for finance-related themes, Master’s degrees in econometrics, statistics, mathematics, or behavioral economics may be relevant.