Hertfordshire Business School
Full Time PhD Fee Waiver Studentship
Investigating the Performance of Cooperative Firms: A Comparative Institutional Analysis
Many economists have argued that the property rights structure of cooperative firms means that they are inescapably undermined by inefficient free-riding, and are hence unable to survive long-run competition in capitalist systems. By contrast other scholars contend that the development of the cooperative sector requires an appropriate cultural and financial climate in the local and national economy, and the creation of complementary institutions. That is, organisations that support the creation and development of cooperative firms; coordinate their activities; help integrate them into a group or sector, and provide finance. A substantial body of empirical evidence shows that in certain sectors and institutional contexts cooperatives are a long-lasting rather than a transitory phenomenon, and that their performance profile can be superior to that of capitalist firms. The evidence therefore points to inadequacies in the conventional analysis of cooperative firms. Beside the limitations of the formal analysis, which suffers from methodological lacunae,this has treated the environment as fixed, it has been insensitive to contexts. By ignoring social, cultural and institutional contexts, standard accounts of the cooperative firm failed to recognise that history and context matter.
This fee waiver PhD studentship provides the opportunity to pursue a project within the scope of the above research area. Applications focused on empirical research on the relative performance of cooperative firms vis-à-vis capitalist business structures are particularly welcome.
Applicant Requirements
• Completed UH application form, including two academic references.
• A research proposal on ‘Investigating the performance of cooperative firms: A comparative institutional analysis’ of approximately 2000 words and including rationale for the topic of study; research aims; methods; expected contribution to knowledge.
• Copies of qualification certificates and transcripts.
• A copy of your passport.
• Candidates for whom English is not their first language will require certification of English language competence (minimum IELTS 6.5 or equivalent).
Applicants should have at least an upper second-class honours degree in a relevant discipline. A Masters degree in a relevant field will be advantageous.
This fee waiver studentship is open only to Home UK/EU nationals.
For an application form see:
For enquiries regarding research degrees at the University of Hertfordshire and this application process, please email Abiha Nigath (). Abiha can also supply you with our PhD Schedule on request.
For enquiries concerning this studentship please email Dr Francesca Gagliardi ()
Please send completed applications to
Deadline for applications: 5 July 2017. Interviews will be held 18-21st, 24-26th July 2017. If you do not receive an invitation to interview by this time you may assume your application has been unsuccessful.