The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Doctoral courses in Business Administration

Compulsory and optional courses in Business Administration

Spring 2024

Compulsory courses in Business Administration

Course period: 10th January–2nd February 2024
Course director: Johan Anselmsson
Syllabus (pdf, 219 kB)

Course content
  • Problematization and research designs
  • Model building, quantification, and measuring
  • Data visualization
  • Basic statistical inference (Uni- and bi-variate analysis)
  • Introduction to multivariate statistical analysis
  • Common research methods for scientific publication 

Course period: 11th April–7th June 2024
Course director: Peter Svensson
Syllabus (pdf, 244 kB)

Course description

The course aims to provide a qualified understanding of some influential philosophy of science traditions with relevance for social science, commonly used qualitative research practices and the connection between philosophy and method. The course treats a number of sub-themes of significance in current methodological practices and debates, including 

  • post-positivist traditions
  • qualitative interviews
  • ethnography
  • discourse analysis
  • problematization

Course period: April–June 2024
Course director: Peter Svensson
Syllabus (pdf, 219 kB)

Course description

The department of Business Administration in Lund is divided into five sub-fields: Accounting & Finance, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Organization, and Strategic Management. The purpose of this course is twofold: 

  1. to provide the students with insight into key theories and questions within each sub-field, 
  2. to discuss distinctions as well as possible synergies between the sub-fields.  

Course period: 13th–17th May 2024
Course director: Roland Paulsen
Syllabus (pdf, 530 kB)

Course description

This course aims to give an advanced introduction to the theoretical frameworks, research interests, methodologies and discussions in Critical Management Studies. The course will also give examples of critical studies and explores how critical research can be produced. Much space will be given for participants to present and get feedback on their ideas and projects.    

Course content
  • Theoretical roots of CMS such as critical theory, post-structuralism, labour process theory, critical realism, post-colonialism and feminism
  • Methodological issues in doing CMS
  • Applying CMS in fields such as leadership and identity
  • CMS and philosophy
  • Performativity and non-performativity in CMS
  • Ethics, aesthetics and CMS
  • Publishing in CMS and the rise of ‘excellence’ 

Course period: 20th–24th May 2024
Course directors: Roland Paulsen & Dan Kärreman
Syllabus (pdf, 248 kB)

Course description

The course aims to develop the participants’ skills in conducting qualitative research through exploring how various ideas on reflexivity can increase the quality and creativity of investigations. In particular, the course emphasizes how the process of research can lead to new ideas and theoretical results. The course is intended for PhD students that have good knowledge of the basics of qualitative research (i.e., participated at introductory PhD courses in qualitative methodology) and junior faculty members in management and other social sciences. 

Course content
  • The art and technicalities of qualitative research
  • Differing viewpoints: Reflexivity, pluralism and conflict
  • Combining research perspectives
  • Constructing (innovative) research questions
  • Doing reflexive interviews
  • Representations in research
  • Interpretations and re-interpretations: perspective-seeing as an ideal
  • Theory development in empirical work: the mystery metaphor
  • The research process: alternative metaphors
  • Studying narratives
  • Writing
  • Workshop: Discussion of participant’s research interests and projects  

Course dates: cancelled
Course director: Ester Barinaga
Syllabus (pdf, 233 kB)

Course description

Growing inequality, apocalyptic environmental damage, and the protracted effects of a global financial crisis have resulted in a discussion on the role of our monetary system for the organization of society. At the same time, new technological and financial developments are giving rise to much experimentation on new forms of money. This interdisciplinary PhD course examines the technological developments that are facilitating monetary innovation and the role of monetary entrepreneurs in re-organising the production and circulation of money. The course provides students with conceptual tools to understand the new monetary entrepreneurial landscape and asks in particular how new forms of money can help us re-think how we conceive systemic transformation. To understand these new digital monies, the course uses theories from the subfields of organisation studies, innovation and entrepreneurship, and STS (science and technology studies).  

Autumn 2024

Compulsory courses in Business Administration

Course period: Autumn 2024
Course director: Sanne Frandsen
Course syllabus (pdf, 215 kB)

Course description

The aim of the course is to offer an overview of the different methodological choices available for researchers within the various sub-disciplines of management studies. The main ambition of the course is to prepare the participants for the work with their PhD theses as well as for the specialized courses in qualitative and quantitative methods that will appear later on the PhD programme. Another aim of the course is to offer an opportunity to reflect upon the various stages and challenges in the research process. 

Course period: Autumn 2024
Course director: Tomas Hellström
Course syllabus (pdf, 244 kB)

Course content
  • The role of Philosophy of Science in relation to the sciences
  • Approaches in the Philosophy of Science
  • Scientific explanations
  • Progress in science
  • Theory and reality
  • Values and science 

Optional courses

Course period: autumn 2024
Course director: Merle Jacob
Syllabus (pdf, 245 kB)

Course description

The course will provide PhD students with an overview of the key concepts and approaches in studying innovation management and policy. On completion of this course, students will be able to identify and define the key concepts in the field; identify and analyse key problems and critically engage with some of the most well established analytical frameworks in the field. Apart from this substantive knowledge, students will have acquired analytical skills that will allow them to formulate and evaluate problems in innovation management and policy. 

Course period: September–November 2024
Course director: Jens Rennstam
Course syllabus (pdf, 219 kB)

Course description

This course focuses on the craft of analyzing qualitative data. The aim is to assist the students in their hands-on analytical work. This is done in two steps. First we read and discuss literature on theory, theorization and qualitative data analysis at literature seminars. Then the students use this knowledge to analyze a piece of their own data, which  is presented and discussed in-depth at analytic seminars. The format of the course is small and intimate (max 8 students) and substantial time is dedicated for each student’s project. 

Course dates: Sep 5, 19, Oct 3, 24, Nov 7, 28, Dec 12, Jan 16 
Course director: Olof Hallonsten
Course syllabus (pdf, 194 kB)

Course description

The course is designed to introduce doctoral students to institutional theory of various kinds, including classic (‘old’) institutionalism, neoinstitutionalism, historical institutionalism, and Scandinavian institutionalism. The aim is to encourage and inspire the use of institutional theory of various kinds and thus enable and incentivize PhD students to engage empirically and conceptually with perspectives on a higher level of abstraction – including structure in relation to individuals and actions, macro perspectives in relation to micro perspectives, and societal patterns and developments as partial explanations for organizational behavior and individual behavior in organizations. 

Contact

Director of Research and PhD Programme
Jens Rennstam
Phone: +46 (0)46-222 43 49
jens [dot] rennstam [at] fek [dot] lu [dot] se

Doctoral programme coordinator
Charlina Lunvald
Phone: +46 (0)46-222 41 73
charlina [dot] lunvald [at] fek [dot] lu [dot] se

Course applications

Application form for external PhD students (pdf, 462 kB)

If the number of applicants exceeds available places, the department’s own PhD students will be prioritized.

Course fees

The compulsory courses are free of charge for external participants. 

The cost of each optional course is 6,250 SEK (including 25 % VAT). 

The course fee is reduced to 9,375 SEK (including VAT) when you register for two courses. 

The courses are free of charge for doctoral students at Lund University, for doctoral students from the FEK departments within the U6 network, and for doctoral students within the SNABS network.