PhD Management Controls, Social Impact, and Sustainability

Since its foundation in 1614, the University of Groningen has enjoyed an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative center of higher education offering high-quality teaching and research. Belonging to the best research universities of Europe and joining forces with prestigious partner universities and networks, the University of Groningen is truly an international place of knowledge.

Faculty of Economics and Business
The Faculty of Economics and Business offers an inspiring study and working environment for students and employees. International accreditation enables the Faculty to assess performance against the highest international standards. It also creates an exciting environment of continuous improvement. FEB's programmes, academic staff and research do well on various excellence ranking lists.

FEBRI, the graduate school and research institute of the Faculty of Economics and Business has available one PhD position in the field of “Management Controls, Social Impact, and Sustainability in Microfinance Institutions”

Project description
Are you passionate about exploring the role of management control in shaping the sustainability and impact of social enterprises? This PhD opportunity offers a chance to contribute to meaningful research at the intersection of management control, finance, and social impact, influencing both academic knowledge and real-world practices in the microfinance sector.

Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) play a crucial role in financial inclusion by providing essential financial services to underserved communities. However, MFIs’ ability to balance financial sustainability with their social mission depends on the effectiveness of their management control systems. Despite extensive research on management control in a variety of organizations, MFIs remain underexplored in management control research. This project aims to address this gap by examining (1) the types of management controls used by MFIs, (2) how these controls interact across different MFI models, and (3) their role in ensuring social impact while maintaining competitiveness and long-term sustainability.

To achieve these objectives, this study will use qualitative and survey-based research. Aligned with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 1 – No Poverty, SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 16 – Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), the findings will highlight how effective management controls can help MFIs achieve both financial sustainability and social impact, and could provide guidance to MFI leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders.

Organisation
The PhD position is embedded in the research programme Accounting of FEB’s Research Institute. The project will be supervised by dr. Shan Ahmad, dr. Klaus Derfuss, and prof. dr.ir. Paula Dirks.

The PhD student will work in intensive exchange with the supervisory team. The high quality and impact of the research will be the basis for a thesis leading to a PhD degree from the University of Groningen.

The ideal candidate is ambitious, highly motivated and wishes to make a career in research. He or she has a thorough training in research skills, speaks and writes English fluently and has obtained excellent results in the master phase.

We are seeking a PhD student with the following qualifications

- A background (MSc or research master) with a focus on management accounting, management control, financial accounting, financial management, (business) economics and/or organizational behavior with a record of high academic achievement.
- A solid training in research methods during a (Research) Master program or similar.
- A strong interest in empirical quantitative survey-based and qualitative case-study research.
- Affinity (e.g., practical experience, curiosity) with the NGO sector and/or micro-finance institutions.
- Good command of English and good academic writing skills.
- Eagerness to work in an international research team.

The full-time appointment is temporary for a period of four years, under the condition of a positive assessment at the end of the first year. The gross monthly salary is € 2,901, which increases yearly to a maximum of € 3,707. Based on the gross salary you will receive an additional 8% holiday allowance each year in May, and an additional 8.3 % end of year bonus in December. PhD candidates contribute 20% of their time to teaching in years 2-4.

Starting date: Preferably per September 1, 2025.

An assessment may be part of the procedure, consisting of psychological tests and an interview.