Strategic Management – (Ph.D.)

Contents

Areas of Research

• Business strategy; especially models for value creation
• Corporate strategy; e.g. mergers and acquisitions
• International strategy; e.g. evolution of multinational companies, global corporate configuration, mangement of knowledge development and transfer across borders
• Strategy processes and implementation

Distinguishing Features of the Specialisation:

Emphasis on quantitative as well as qualitative research methodologies

Accreditation

EQUIS

BI has had EQUIS accreditation since 1999 and was among the first to obtain this status. Accreditation is given for a maximum period of five years and re-accreditation was bestowed upon BI in 2004/05 and then again in 2010. The requirements that have to be met are raised each time and it is no “walk over” to be reaccredited based on former merits.

AACSB

BI was given membership in AACSB in 2008 and is well underway in its preparations for AACSB accreditation. The process differs from EQUIS in that the school must document that it meets the quality standard before it can enter the final stage of the process. This opens up for a fairly lengthy process that may last up to seven years. BI´s goal is to complete the process in 2013/14.

AMBA

AMBA accredits the institutions portfolio of MBA/DBA programmes (full time/part time). BI has undertaken to restructure and further develop its executive MBA programmes. In line with this development BI considers to enter an application for AMBA accreditation.

RANKING

Ranking differs from accreditation in that the institution is measured against the other participant schools based on a sett of criteria. These criteria are related to characteristics of the alumni, the programme and the institution. BI participates in two of the most renowned rankings for business education, the Financial Times Ranking and the Eduniversals Top Business Schools Worldwide.

Financial Times Ranking

The Financial Times ranking consists of five partial rankings, addressing specific programmes (customised programmes, master of science programmes, executive MBAs etc.), and a final school ranking. The most influential criteria pertain to alumni salary levels and carreer development, two factors that BI at best can influence indirectly. During the last two years, BI has been placed among the 60-65 best schools world wide, a result that we are moderately satisfied with. However, it is BI´s long term goal to climb in these rankings.

Eduniversal Top Business School Worldwide

Eduniversal allows a thousand participants annually. The ranking is based on the individual participants standing among the others. During the two recent years BI has been placed among the top twenty schools in Europe, along with such well renowned schools as London Business School, INSEAD and HEC School of Management.

Funding details

There are four different ways of funding your PhD at BI.

1. Open scholarship (funded by BI)

These scholarships are announced once a year, usually in the time from January to April. The scholarships are open which means that your PhD will not be linked to a specific project but must fit it under one of the six specialisations offered by BI. A member of the academic faculty must share you research interests to be able to supervise you. A supervisor will be appointed for you if you are admitted to the programme.

PhD candidates will have their daily workplace and shared office at BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo, Norway.

2. Scholarship linked to a research project

These scholarships are announced from time to time. Your PhD research and dissertation will have to be closely linked to the research project. You are usually not required to find a supervisor before applying. You are encouraged to contact the faculty involved in the project if you are interested in applying. Each project will belong to one of the six specialisations at BI. In some cases the project can be linked to more than one specialisation.

PhD candidates will have their place of work at BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo, Norway.

3. Externally funded PhD

Should you already have obtained funding as a PhD candidate you may apply at any time, using this application form. Please note that your research project must fit in with one of BI's six specialisations. You are advised to contact a potential supervisor and department prior to applying. This person must also have the capacity and be willing to supervise you. Please contact the associate dean for the specialisation you're interested in, in order to find a supervisor within your field of research. Please note that the doctoral administration will not be able to help you find a supervisor.

PhD candidates will have their place of work at BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo, Norway.

Kindly note the requirement to send proof of funding along with the application to the programme. See the PhD Regulations for further information.

4. Industrial PhD

An industrial PhD is a doctoral degree that is carried out in cooperation between BI and business and industry. If you are considering this kind of PhD and have funding and confirmation from your employer please contact Dóra Sigurdardóttir for further information. Industrial PhD has the same requirements for educational background for admission and is also considered a full time programme. BI and the employer enter into an agreement regarding time spent at BI and time spent at the employer in addition to financial issues.

Please note that if you do not follow the application guidelines given in each announcement your application will not be valid and will not be assessed.

Faculty

The department provides teaching and conducts research on strategic perspectives in the areas of management, technology, organisations, decision-making and value creation, on a national as well as global scale. The department consists of about 25 faculty members, including 11 professors and 12 associate professors.

It is a research-oriented department that aims at producing research that makes a difference, both for the for businesses and organisations that use the knowledge and for the academic community. The department has a strong track record of publications in top journals. Recent (2007-2009) notable publications include:

• Becerra, M., Lunnan, R. & Huemer, L. (2008). Trustworthiness, risk, and the transfer of tacit and explicit knowledge between alliance partners. Journal of Management Studies, 45: 691-713.
• Benito, G.R.G., Petersen, B. & Welch, L.S. (2009). Towards more realistic conceptualisations of foreign operation modes. Journal of International Business Studies, 40: 1455-1470.
• Fry, L. & Kriger, M. (2009). Towards a theory of being-centered leadership: Multiple levels of being as context for effective leadership. Human Relations. 62: 1667-1696.
• Goldeng, E., Grünfeld, L. & Benito, G.R.G. (2008). The performance differential between private and state owned enterprises: The roles of ownership, management and market structure. Journal of Management Studies, 45: 1244-1273.
• Harrison, D. & Waluszewski, A. (2008). The development of a user network as a way to relaunch an unwanted product. Research Policy, 37: 115-130.
• Lunnan, R. & Haugland, S.A. (2008). Predicting and measuring alliance performance: A multidimensional analysis. Strategic Management Journal, 29: 545-556.
• Sasson, A. (2008). Exploring mediators: Effects of the composition of organizational affiliation on organization survival and mediator performance. Organization Science, 19: 891-906.
• Skjølsvik, T., Løwendahl, B., Kvålshaugen, R. & Fosstenløkken, S. (2007). Choosing to learn and learning to choose: Strategies for client co-production and knowledge development. California Management Review, 49: 110-128.