In collaboration with FlexMR, Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) is offering a fully funded PhD studentship in Marketing.
About the project
FlexMR are a highly successful UK-based research consultancy who work with a diverse range of organisations, primarily within the business-to-consumer sector. Despite the rich insights made available to their clients by FlexMR, questions remain around how the information is used in decision-making. That is, how do organisational managers develop their decision-making? In other words, how do firms build on marketing and customer insights to make decisions? And, ultimately, how can customer-centricity be effectively embedded within organisational decision-making?
The project sets out to understand how organisations can better put customers into decision-making processes and increase the Customer Salience across the organisation. The belief is that organisations that achieve higher Customer Salience will make more customer-centric decisions and improve their market orientation. The project will explore the rational and irrational, the potentially complex influences of multiple stakeholders, and drawing on theories from diverse academic fields. In addition to contributing to academic domains, clear and breakthrough recommendations for enhanced decision-making practice will be pursued.
The project will apply a mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) approach to empirically investigate organisational marketing decision-making and the associated usage of insights from marketing research. An initial, systematic review of literature will be required to fully understand the field of study, current knowledge and relevant theories. Qualitative data will be gathered through interviews with marketing decision-makers within organisations. Subsequent quantitative data collection through questionnaires will identify broader patterns and trends across organisations and will seek to develop methods to quantify Customer Salience and its effect on business performance.
Funding Information
The studentship will be for 3 years in the first instance and may be extended for a further 6 months funding to enable timely submission of the PhD thesis if all the progression criteria are met. It provides a tax-free stipend of £19,237 per annum for the duration of the studentship plus university tuition fees.
Project supervisors:
- Professor Stefanos Mouzas
- Dr Alan Gilchrist
Candidate eligibility
Candidates must be highly motivated, have an excellent first degree, and an outstanding Masters level degree performance. Qualifications should be in a related discipline to your intended PhD studies.
Eligibility for this studentship will include Home and Overseas applicants.
Given the need to work closely with FlexMR and their clients, it is important that candidates are comfortable engaging with people in diverse roles, can communicate effectively, are able to foster collaborative relationships, and can developing meaningful, actionable insights. For this purpose, successful candidates must demonstrate conceptual thinking, analytical, and communication skills as they will be required to provide regular updates to senior management of FlexMR.
English language requirements
Applicants must meet the minimum English language requirements. Further details are available here: Marketing PhD
Our PhD programme offers advanced research training courses, high-quality supervision by internationally-recognised academics, and participation in the School’s wider research community, making your PhD experience challenging and rewarding.
Important dates
Application deadline: 17 March 2025
For More Information please contact the project supervisors: Professor Stefanos Mouzas and Dr Alan Gilchrist.
Alternatively, you may contact the Doctoral Program Director (Marketing), Dr Helen Bruce or Mrs Sarah Patterson in the LUMS PhD Office.
How to apply
To apply, please visit: Applying for PhD study in LUMS
Please provide a Personal Statement outlining your background, suitability, motivation, and any previous experience relevant to the project. Please mention that you are applying for the FlexMR-funded PhD opportunity in marketing.
In addition, please submit a Research Proposal which outlines your research interests and ideas in relation to the project. This should be between 3,000 and 5,000 words in length and should include a review of relevant literature.
Applicants must also submit: a CV, Academic transcripts (bachelor's and master's), 2 academic references (names and contact data—no letters), and evidence of English language proficiency (if necessary). Applicants might also submit a sample of research work, e.g. a Master Thesis (or draft thereof).
