PhD position in Marketing: Socioeconomic Inequality and Consumer Stereotypes IÉSEG School of Management in France

IÉSEG School of Management and Lille Economics and Management (LEM UMR CNRS 9221) are offering a fully funded PhD position in Marketing at the Paris campus, focusing on the intersection of socioeconomic inequality and consumer stereotypes. The research project aims to understand how societal inequalities shape the moral evaluation of social stereotypes in market contexts, exploring the impact of perceptions of socioeconomic status on consumer judgments regarding fairness, responsibility, and legitimacy. The project integrates perspectives from consumer behavior, social perception, and moral psychology, and is designed as an article-based PhD with the goal of publishing in top international journals.

The PhD student will use quantitative and experimental research methods to investigate causal relationships in consumer decision-making. Responsibilities include conducting literature reviews, developing theoretical frameworks, designing and executing empirical studies, managing and analyzing data with statistical software, and disseminating findings through academic publications and conferences. The student will be affiliated with the Marketing and Sales department and co-supervised by Dr. Benjamin Boeuf and Dr. Jorge Jacob, with opportunities for collaboration with Dr. Nico Heuvinck.

IÉSEG School of Management is AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA accredited, and a member of the Conférence des Grandes Écoles. Its faculty is highly international, and it is part of the CNRS research lab LEM, which comprises about 200 researchers and 100 doctoral students. The PhD student will enroll in the LEM PhD program, co-organized by the University of Lille and IÉSEG, benefiting from a dynamic, international research environment and support for innovative projects.

Applicants must hold (or be close to completing) an MSc in a relevant field such as marketing, consumer behavior, psychology, behavioral science, management, quantitative methods, or economics. Required skills include strong analytical and quantitative abilities, knowledge of SPSS or STATA, fluency in English, and motivation for academic research. Experience with Qualtrics, Zotero, or Mendeley is desirable. Candidates should be curious, rigorous, organized, receptive to feedback, and collaborative. Application materials include a CV, transcripts, two academic recommendation letters, a sample of previous research work, and a motivation letter.

The position offers a competitive gross salary (around €2400 per month), support for visa procedures and relocation, and resources for research activities. The PhD student will be based in Paris and will start in September 2026. IÉSEG values diversity and inclusion, encouraging applications from underrepresented groups in academia.

Applications must be submitted via the IÉSEG recruitment platform. For questions, contact Dr. Benjamin Boeuf or Dr. Jorge Jacob by email. Early applications are encouraged, and the final deadline is April 25, 2026.