PhD in Alternative Organizational Forms, Cooperatives, and Economic Democracy IÉSEG School of Management in France

IÉSEG School of Management and Lille Economics and Management (LEM, CNRS UMR 9221) are inviting applications for a fully funded PhD position in Alternative Organizational Forms at the Lille campus in France.

The project focuses on alternative organizations such as cooperatives and social enterprises, with particular attention to economic democracy, internal communication, member involvement, and the political context in which these organizations operate. The doctoral researcher will contribute to case-study-based research, including the Park Slope Food Coop in New York, and will work with a dedicated research team in management and organization studies.

Supervision is provided by Benjamin Huybrechts and Joost Luyckx at IÉSEG, together with Frédéric Dufays (HEC Liège / KU Leuven). The post is linked to the LEM PhD program, co-organized by the University of Lille and IÉSEG.

Eligibility highlights: an MSc or near-completion in Management, Economics, Sociology, Political Science, Communication Science, Business History, or a related field; strong qualitative research skills; excellent English writing; analytical ability; teamwork; and a strong interest in societally relevant academic research.

Funding and conditions: the position starts in September 2026, offers a competitive gross salary of 2300€/month, and includes support for housing search, visa, and relocation. The student will be based in Lille and enroll in a PhD program at the University of Lille with support from IÉSEG.

Application deadline: 2026-05-15. Apply via the recruitment portal and submit a CV, motivation letter, master thesis or writing sample, and statement of academic performance.