Strategy and Business Policy: Purposeful Leadership

The Project

You will be working in the Society & Organizations (S&O) center with the team of researchers of the Joly Family Chair in Purposeful Leadership, held by Professor Rodolphe Durand.

The Research Group

The S&O center is an internationally acclaimed center for its research on inclusive economy, ecological transition, and purposeful leadership. The center’s research impact is well acknowledged with international awards and regular economic and business press coverage. The center also innovates in the classroom (flipped classroom, online courses, on-site experiences, etc.).

Your Contribution

We seek to find candidates with a strong appetite for research about the notions of purpose and performance, which a recent trend in field of management research associates together. Purposeful leadership is the discursive elaboration and practical implementation of sense-giving by leaders throughout multiple organizational layers. CEOs and executive teams worldwide find that purposeful leadership provides the organization with a series of advantages such as trust, resilience, and operational efficiency. However, research has approached the phenomenon as an example of moral leadership without paying enough attention to the conditions leading to its supposed advantages. Multiple questions emerge around this relationship between purpose and performance, and we’re looking for candidates willing to elucidate them with us. 

Career

The PhD typically takes 5 years to complete. After a successful doctorate, you will have excellent chances for a scientific career at top Universities. Professor Durand has placed his PhD students at Aalto University, Bocconi, Cambridge Judge Business School, IESE Business School, University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, University of Lugano and University of Western Ontario Ivey Business School.   

The Fellowship

This Special Fellowship awards 20.000€ spread over the 5 years of study, subject to a satisfactory academic contribution to the Hubert Joly Purposeful Leadership chair. The Fellowship is offered in addition to the HEC Foundation PhD Research Fellow scholarship of 26.000€/year for a period of up to five years.

How to apply

The starting date for the PhD position is September each year. To apply, you need to follow the regular PhD application process at HEC Paris and add an additional personal statement for this specific Fellowship. Learn more here. Please note that French language skills are not required.

A question?

For general information, contact the PhD office, doctorat@hec.fr

For project-related questions, please contact Professor Rodolphe Durand
Strategy and Business Policy and founder of the S&O center, durand@hec.fr