Leeds University Business School PhD Scholarship

A Democracy to Come?

Investigating Change in Alternative Organizations

Project Information

Leeds University Business School is seeking a talented and highly motivated doctoral researcher to work on a project related to Dr Martyn Griffin’s ESRC Future Research Leaders (FRL) Grant Award. The FRL project is entitled “A Democracy to Come? Investigating Change in Alternative Organizations” and is running from February 1st 2016 to January 31st2019. The candidate would begin their related butindependent project on 1st October 2016. They will be supervised by Dr Griffin and would join and integrate with the activities of the newly created Workplace Behaviour Research Centre led by Prof. Kerrie Unsworth.

The ESRC FRL project exploreshow organizations make the transition from top-down hierarchical workplaces to adopt democratic structures with increased employee power. It considers the opportunities and challenges that organizations face once they have made the transition and are attempting to initiate and pursue change with less hierarchy and more employee freedom and control. The project involves over 20 alternative organizations and hundreds of workers within alternative organizations. It documents the experience of self-proclaimed ‘alternative’ organizations, their members and coaches as they initiate and pursue change within the workplace. In doing so, it provides a radical exploration of the opportunities and challenges faced by employees, elected leaders, coaches and HR professionals whilst adopting and sustaining democratic organizations.

Related to this award,we are offering one funded PhD scholarship within Leeds University Business School.

Supervised by Dr Martyn Griffin the proposed doctoral study will explore the challenges and opportunities of establishing alternative organizations that work with democratic and non-hierarchical models of management. Thestudy will be able to draw on their existing contacts and/or those of the supervisory team to build an independent research project in this area. We welcome proposals that utilise innovative qualitative methods and critical conceptual insights to explore an original and inspiring research question within these organizations. While thebroad focus of the study should be alternative organizational systems which reject traditional hierarchical management (including but not limited to co-operatives, sociocracies, holacracies and other models of democratic or self-management) the specific focus of the project is entirely open for the candidate to propose. The project might, for instance, explore the intersection of aspects like power, freedom and/or control in alternative organizations. It might explore the challenges of maintaining a culture in an alternative organization or the complexities of gender, ethnicity and/or disability in alternative organizations. It might mix these (and other) themes in new and unexpected ways. The applicant is free to develop a proposal within these broad confines to develop a project that will provide interesting and inspiring insights to the field.

Applications are welcomed from any social science (or related) discipline, although candidates must have already achieved the required level of research training (usually by the attainment of a Masters) and should have some training in qualitative methods.

Candidates must also have an interest indemocratic and non-hierarchical organizations, given the substantive foci of the potential supervisory panel.

The scholarship must commence on 1stOctober 2016.

Supervisors

Dr Martyn Griffin(second supervisorProf. VirginiePérotin)

Scholarship Information

This scholarship is open to UK/EU fee-rated applicants commencing full-time PhD study within Leeds University Business School on 1st October 2016.

Number of awards: 1

Value of award: Tuition fees at the UK/EU rate (£4,250 for 2016/17) and a maintenance grant of £14,296* per annum (*subject to approval and change). There are no additional allowances for travel or research costs.

How to apply

  1. Applicants MUST first submit a research degree study application form and be in receipt of a University BANNER ID Number (Student ID Number) to be eligible to apply. Applications without a valid University ID Number will be rejected. To find out more information on how to apply for a place on the PhD programme please visit
  1. All applicants must complete the Leeds University Business School Scholarships Application Form
  1. The following documents must be uploaded with your PhD application or sent with your scholarship application by the deadline date:
  • PhD application form: apply online
  • Scholarship application form: this form must be completed in full. Download an application form from the Business School website.
  • Research proposal: a 1000-1500 word document, in Word or .pdf format, outlining your proposed research topic and programme of research. Please see Writing a Research Proposal for further details.
  • Locating your Research in Leeds University Business School Form: download the Locating Your Research Form from the Business School website
  • Two academic references: you must submit twoacademic letters of reference from two people who have taught you at Masters (or Bachelors) level who are able to comment on your academic ability and suitability to study on the programme. Referencesmust either:
  • be written on headed paper; or
  • bear the institution’s stamp / logo; or
  • be typed and stamped with the institution’s stamp on the University of Leeds Referee’s Report.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT REFERENCES: Due to the number of applications we receive, the Business School will not contact your referees on your behalf. You or your referees must provide the completed references by the scholarship application deadline.

  • Certified copies of qualification certificates: scanned copies of all your higher education and professional qualifications
  • Certified copies of academic transcripts and full grading systems: scanned copies of the official university listing of the full set of marks contributing to the overall grade of your qualifications. If you have not yet been awarded your qualification, you must provide confirmation of your provisional marks to date

If you have not already submitted the above documents as part of your PhD application, they must be attached to the scholarship application form. Scholarship applications will be rejected if any of the documents listed above have not been received by the deadline date.

If your application is successful, we will also require evidence that you have met our English language entry requirements prior to registration (EU/International applicants only).

  1. Completed application forms should be returned to the deadline.

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: Sunday14thAugust 2016 (23:59 UK time)

Any application received after the deadline date or without a full set of documents as listed will be rejected.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Applicants MUST first submit a research degree study application form and be in receipt of a University BANNER ID Number (Student ID Number) to be eligible for this Leeds University Business School PhD Scholarship.
  • Applicants must hold a First Degree at undergraduate level equivalent to at least a UK Upper Second Class Honours degree and a British Masters degree, (or equivalent qualification) in an appropriate academic discipline, with a minimum average score of 60 per cent (or equivalent).
  • Applicants whose first language is not English must meet the Business School’s minimum English Language requirements prior to registration (EUapplicants only).
  • This awardis not open to individuals who have already been awarded a PhD degree.

Scholarship regulations

These include the following (full information on the regulations will be sent to all successful applicants):

  • Awards must be taken up on 1st October 2016.
  • Applicants must live within a reasonable distance of the University of Leeds whilst in receipt of this Scholarship.
  • The award will be made for one year in the first instance and is renewable for a further period of up to two years, subject to satisfactory academic progress and on condition that you have been successful in the “transfer” process and you are eligible for full PhD registration at the start of your second year of research.