Lille Economics and Management (LEM UMR CNRS 9221) and IÉSEG School of Management invite applications for a fully funded Ph.D. position in Marketing at its Paris Campus.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This research project examines how socioeconomic inequality shapes the way consumers interpret and morally evaluate social stereotypes in market contexts. While stereotypes are known to influence consumer judgments and marketplace interactions, less is understood about how broader societal inequalities influence the moral interpretation of these stereotypes.
The project investigates how perceptions of socioeconomic status affect the evaluation of different social stereotypes and how these evaluations translate into marketplace judgments. In particular, it explores whether stereotypes targeting individuals perceived as high or low in socioeconomic status are interpreted differently by consumers, and how such perceptions influence judgments about fairness, responsibility, and legitimacy in consumption contexts.
By integrating perspectives from consumer behavior, social perception, and moral psychology, the research aims to develop a deeper understanding of how inequality shapes moral evaluations in market settings.
The project is designed as an article-based Ph.D. and aims to produce research suitable for publication in top international journals in marketing and consumer behavior.
The PhD will adopt a primarily quantitative approach, with a strong emphasis on experimental research methods to investigate causal relationships in consumer judgments and decision making.
The PhD student will be responsible for:
Conducting a comprehensive literature review on social perception, inequality, and consumer judgments.
Developing theoretical frameworks and hypotheses related to stereotypes, socioeconomic status, and moral evaluations in market contexts.
Designing and executing empirical studies using quantitative methods.
Collecting, managing, and analyzing data using statistical software.
Publishing findings in academic journals, presenting working papers at conferences, and communicating research findings to broader audiences when relevant.
The Ph.D. student will be co-supervised by Dr. Benjamin Boeuf and Dr. Jorge Jacob, and will be affiliated with the Marketing and Sales department. The student will also have the opportunity to collaborate on one of the projects with Dr. Nico Heuvinck.
ABOUT IÉSEG SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
• IÉSEG is AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA accredited and is a member of the “Conférence des Grandes Écoles”.
• IÉSEG is a member of a CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research) research lab: LEM.
• IÉSEG’s faculty is very diverse with 45 different nationalities represented.
ABOUT LILLE ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT (LEM)
• LEM is a research unit, that comprises the CNRS, associating the University of Lille and IÉSEG School of Management
• LEM comprises about 200 researchers and 100 doctoral students in economics and management.
• LEM is a young, internationally oriented, and dynamic laboratory with a strong scientific ambition.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Early applications are encouraged, as candidates will be evaluated as applications are received. The final deadline for applications is April 25th, 2026.