General information

​We always work empirically. This means that all our research has immediate real-life relevance. You will work closely with us during your entire dissertation project, and we will very regularly provide you with constructive feedback and support. Our goal is to equip you for a successful career in business as well as in academia. You will learn to apply cutting-edge analytical techniques, improve your decision making, and be able to build highly effective business relationships. These skills will enable you to excel in your career just like our alumni, who went on to become top managers (e.g., Peter Körte, Thomas Germer), founders/entrepreneurs (e.g., Sebastian Kreft, Dirk Breitschwerdt), professors (e.g., Jiachun Lu, Leopold Ried, Felix Reimann), and partners at top-tier consulting firms (e.g., Gavin Meschnig, Andreas Jentzsch).
Our group has an exceptionally strong research profile and we are ranked amongst the 10 research-strongest universities worldwide in our field (http://www.scmlist.com/home/university-rankings/empirical-report/). With about 40 successful doctoral dissertations and more than 20 international dissertation research awards, we have a track record at our Chair that speaks for itself. The first supervisor of your thesis will be Professor Lutz Kaufmann, who in 2021 was the first researcher from a continental European university to ever receive a Distinguished Scholar Award of the Academy of Management – one of, if not the, most prestigious awards in our field.
We welcome candidates with a background in psychology, business, or related fields.

Your mission

• Your prime responsibility is your research in the field of B2B negotiations including publishing your work in leading academic journals
• Collaborating with renowned companies in the course of your research project, ranging from startups to large established corporates
• Opportunity to work with top researchers from the U.S.
• Supporting teaching and other projects which are closely related to your dissertation work – teaching support will be less than 20% of your time

Your profile

• You are open-minded, curious, and ready to take initiative and ownership for your research project
• You share our passion for high-quality empirical work. Actionable evidence is your goal
• You hold a very good Master’s degree in Business, I-O Psychology or a related field (a specialization in Supply Chain Management or prior work on negotiations is not required!)
• You are fluent in English
• Work experience and/or internships (e.g., in consulting, strategy, procurement, or start-ups) is a plus but not required

What we offer

Academic Environment
WHU has more than 50 faculty members in the fields of management, finance and accounting, economics, entrepreneurship and innovation, marketing and sales, and supply chain management. Research at WHU aims to adhere to three principles: quality, internationality, and practical relevance.

Contact

Professor Lutz Kaufmann
Chairholder
phone: +49(0)261 6509 320
​email: [email protected]