Scholarships

Please make sure you have applied formally to the University before applying for a scholarship, we must have a full application including references, proposal and transcripts from previous study before we can consider you for a scholarship.

Scholarships for 2013/14 entry

‘Supply chain accounting, employment practices and gender equality’

The two PhD studentships are an integral part of the ESRC funded project entitled, ‘Supply chain accounting and employment practices in the rising economies: global commodity chains, cost effectiveness and competitiveness’ Ref: ES/K006452/1.

The study aims to explore the present role and future potential of supply chain accounting (SCA) in monitoring and promoting better labour standards within two key emerging market settings, Brazil and South Africa. These countries form part of the BRICS (Brazil, Russian, India, China, South Africa) group of large emerging markets with a significant industrial base.

The studentships will start in October 2013 and run for three years. This will enable the students to be involved with the project from its early stages of implementation, and take part in early discussions on the literature review, the development of research methods instruments, and planning of knowledge exchange activities. Their early involvement will also help the students to be aware of how their area of research fits into the overall scheme of the project, and how their investigations will add value to it.

The research undertaken by each of the students will dovetail with that carried out within the broader project, forming one of ten case studies. Since some of the themes covered within interviews will echo those within other case studies, the students will be well placed to be able to cooperate on joint publications based on case study comparisons. However, the particular focus on gender equality will be developed in much more depth within the qualitative research for the organisation under study and its supply chain, yielding independent work that might form the basis of sole publications.

PhD topic 1: ‘Promoting gender equality through supply chain accounting in the textiles industry: the case of South Africa’
Equality issues are very topical within South Africa. Gender, disability and race are focal points of the 1998 Employment Equity Act. The study of gender can be contentious, particularly when combined with racial background, and is highly relevant to the sustainable growth of the economy, especially given that, in many areas of the country, female labour force participation rates are higher than male. The textiles industry in South Africa has been historically dominated by women, but the latter have tended to be concentrated in the lower job bands. The project student will consider the extent to which gender equality is considered within Supply Chain Accounting (SCA), the (potentially unintended) impact of SCA mechanisms on gender equality, and the role and potential of SCA in promoting greater equity. The investigation will focus in depth on one textiles case study organisation and its supply chain. This will require the project student to visit South Africa to undertake some fieldwork. The employment practices covered will include: recruitment, pay and access to training, and relative representation across the job bands. Women have tended to face discrimination in each of these areas, and in 2010, the gender earnings gap in South Africa was 30 percent (ILO, 2011). The student will be provided with the tools and support to make a contribution to knowledge in the areas of policy and practice.

PhD topic 2: ‘Promoting gender equality through supply chain accounting in the textiles industry: the case of Brazil’
The focus of the thesis is very topical. Brazil has recently been praised by the International Labour Organisation for securing economic growth while improving equity (ILO, 2011). Due to the gap in current work on gender equality within the textiles industry in Brazil, the thesis should result in a valuable contribution to knowledge. The project student will consider the extent to which gender equality is considered within Supply Chain Accounting (SCA), and also the (potentially unintended) impact of SCA mechanisms on HR practices. The investigation will focus on one textiles case study organisation and its supply chain. This will require the project student to visit Brazil to undertake some fieldwork. The employment practices covered will include: recruitment, pay and training, since these are all areas that can be prone to discrimination. The research methods will be primarily qualitative, but will also include analysis of relevant company documents, policies and procedures, where available. The student will be provided with the tools and support to make a contribution to knowledge, in the areas of theory, policy and practice.

Supervision and support
Both students will be supervised by Professor Pauline Dibben (ESRC Project Principal Investigator) and Professor John Cullen (ESRC Project Co-Investigator). They will be based in the ESRC funded White Rose Social Science Doctoral Training Centre (consisting of Sheffield, Leeds and York Universities). The centre builds on the strengths of the respective institutions, providing a strong environment for PhD success. As the White Rose DTC includes a consortium of Universities, the student will be part of a broader research community, including collaborative research training. A research training allowance is provided by the University of Sheffield to support students in seminar and conference attendance.

Application process
Applications will be particularly welcomed from students with some knowledge or experience of accounting, employment relations or gender equality, and an interest in conducting field research within either South Africa or Brazil.

How to apply?
Applicants are required to complete the following:
• Postgraduate Online Application Form
• Applicants should include in the application a supporting statement setting out which project they are applying for and why they should be considered. All supporting documents MUST be received by the deadline or we will not be able to consider your application.

EXTENDED: The deadline for applications is now 12:00 noon on 9th August 2013
Interviews will be held in early September
Further information please contact the Research Office University of Sheffield, via email mgtresearch@sheffield.ac.uk

Eligibility requirements
In accordance with ESRC eligibility criteria, the studentships are available to UK and EU applicants only.
Applicants must also meet the Sheffield University Management Schools eligibility criteria