PhD Special Call: Virtual Characters and Inclusion in the Market

Would you like to develop socially relevant research with an impact on diversity and inclusion in society? Are you interested in digging deeper into social media and the virtual world from an inclusive marketing perspective? Do you want to investigate the effect of virtual characters on inclusion considering minority as well as majority consumers? Do you enjoy working independently with large degrees of freedom, but still be part of a supportive and knowledgeable research team?

Then join our team on an exciting research project funded by AUFF Nova.
Aarhus BSS Graduate School, Aarhus University invites applicants for a PhD Scholarship in connection with the research project ‘The Effect of Virtual Characters on Inclusion in the Market’ in the PhD Programme Management.
 

The research project

Virtual (i.e., digital) characters are increasingly used as marketing mediums on social media platforms – a trend providing disruptive possibilities as well as ethical concerns. The flexibility in character creation gives companies the chance to step into the diversity scene and embrace inclusion, by representing traditionally undervalued consumer segments. The VICIM project aims to understand the effect of virtual characters on consumers’ feeling of inclusion in the market.

The project is funded by AUFF Nova. The research team consists of associate professor Lina F. Jacobsen (project holder) (AU), associate professor Anne O. Peschel (AU), associate professor Susanne Pedersen (AU), and professor Eva Kipnis (University of Bradford). The project is anchored in the Branding and Retail unit at Department of Management, AU.
 

Job description

In the project, we will be focusing on some overall areas:

• The influence of virtual character representation in marketing communication on inclusion in the market.
• The mechanisms explaining these effects.
• The application of the findings in the meta-verse.

The PhD project is to be carried out as part of the research project. The PhD student´s role in the overall research areas listed above will depend on the chosen candidate and  the candidates PhD project related to the topic of the overall project.
During the project you will complete a PhD education as described in the rules and regulations for the PhD programme


Your qualifications

We are looking for a candidate who:

• Has a relevant master’s degree with knowledge of theories and methods in areas such as consumer behavior, marketing management strategy, marketing communication, retailing, cognitive science, sociology, and/or psychology.

• Has experience with quantitative consumer research and is passionate about conducting innovative, high-quality research with societal impact.
• Is fluent in English. Danish language is a plus but not a requirement.
• Experience with virtual reality is a plus.
   

Further information

For further information about the position, please contact Professor Lina Fogt Jacobsen Tel.:  +45 2514 6589, Email: [email protected]

If you need help uploading your application or have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR supporter Maria Grauert Bodin Tel.: +45 8715 3445, Email: [email protected]. 
 

Who we are

The Department of Management is one of the six departments at Aarhus BSS, one of the five faculties at Aarhus University. Aarhus BSS unites the business and social science-related research fields and brings them closer together to reflect the close relationship between society and the business community. As part of a Top 100 university, Aarhus BSS, and specifically the Department of Management, has achieved the distinguished AASCB, AMBA and Equis accreditations - the latter specifically applying to the school’s core business activities.

The department’s research and teaching environment is highly international and culturally diverse with a mix of Danish and international academic staff members and PhD students. We employ more than 160 academic staff including researchers, PhD students, and research associates and cover a broad range of disciplines within management. We aim to conduct high-quality research, and we give high priority to publishing our research in leading academic journals and presenting it at recognised conferences. In addition, we have a dynamic exchange of international researchers, who stay at the department for a shorter or longer period.

For more information about the Department of Management, please visit: http://mgmt.au.dk/.


Place of work

Department of Management
Fuglsangs Allé 4
8210 Aarhus V
Denmark

 


Formal requirements

You can read more about how to apply in the application guide and find the rules and regulations of the PhD education here.

The following criteria are decisive in the assessment of the candidates:

• the applicant’s academic qualifications (assessed on the basis of the qualifying degree)
• the quality and relevance of the project proposal
• the applicant’s level of academic aptitude and assessed ability to complete the project within the framework of the PhD programme

You can read more about the assessment procedure and committees appointed by the dean here.

Applicants are very much encouraged to supply documentation as to how they rank compared to their class (both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees). This may for example be in the form of a letter from your University stating either how you rank as an individual student compared to other students the year you graduated ("ranks as no. 6 out of 111" or "ranks as among the best 8 percent") or if that is not possible, general information from your University as to how grades were distributed in the year of your graduation, will be appreciated.

Please note that Aarhus BSS Graduate School reserves the right to evaluate the applications on the basis of the documentation received before deadline, and you will not necessarily be asked for further documentation. Furthermore, Aarhus BSS Graduate School reserves the right to reject application that do not comply with the limitations as stated in the application guide (see link above).

Terms of enrolment

PhD students at Aarhus BSS Graduate School are always enrolled. The enrolment happens in accordance with the Ministerial PhD Order no. 1039 of August 27, 2013 and the terms stated in the Rules and Regulations for the PhD programmes at Aarhus BSS Graduate School. Both can be found here.
If relevant: If you are enrolled in part A of the 4- or 5-year schemes you will receive a SU PhD Scholarship according to the rules set out in the State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme (SU, in Danish). In addition, you will be offered to undertake paid work of up to 280 hours during your part A enrolment period.

Terms of employment

If you are offered employment at Aarhus University in connection with enrolment in the 3-year scheme, the appointment is made in accordance with the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities as well as the circular on the Collective Agreement for Academics Employed by the State (in Danish). The job content and qualification requirements are described in further detail in the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

You can read more about the 3-, 4- and 5-year scheme here.Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.


Aarhus University

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/