PhD Blocked Seminar
Category Research in Strategy: Taking Stock and Future Perspectives
Faculty: Rodolphe Durand, HEC Paris
Date: April 8-11, 2019
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The aim of this seminar is to reflect on the recent expansion of category research in markets. This collection of articles points to categories as social, cognitive, and strategic constructions, accomplishments that result in actors stabilizing their conceptions of who is a member in a market category and what are the consequences of remaining so. It is the purpose of this seminar to acquaint participants with some of the issues of market category creation and development using several lenses to examine the advantages accruing to those who can countervail the imperatives of category membership.
Much research in the study of categories in economics, sociology, and strategy assumes away the category definition problem by using conventional or convenient conceptualizations (e.g., formal industrial classifications, industry reports, third parties' aggregations, etc.). This course takes the position that there are many very interesting and important issues that are missed when one assumes that market categories pre-exist competition and strategy in the first place.
The course involves morning and afternoon discussion sessions distributed over four days. Each of the four class days will consist of a morning session in which a collection of articles will be openly discussed among everyone in the course. The purpose of these morning sessions is to introduce conceptual material to fuel analysis and new conceptual development. We will then break for lunch and return for an afternoon session that will involve individual work, small group discussion and group presentations about the key research issues that are suggested by the reading material assigned that day. Thursday's session will differ slightly in that each student will present an idea for an original research project that is suggested by the week's reading and discussions.
Duration and Credits:- 5 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System)
Tuition:
- Participants from HEC Partner Network Universities: EUR 350
- Participants from other Universities: EUR 500
Location:
- HEC Paris, Campus Jouy en Josas
Services:
- On-campus housing: approximately from 60-80€/night (registrations open end of January), - Access to all campus facilities: library, IT services, restaurant, sports facilities, etc,
- Welcome pack - course materials
How to Apply:
- CV
- Personal statement (max one page) which including your current research interests (thesis topic) and contact details of your thesis supervisor
Application deadline: March 15th, 2019
Announcement of admissions decision: 1 week after submission of the application