PhD scholarship in Public Sector Management Accounting and Control

Copenhagen Business School; Frederiksberg; On-site; DKK 363,000 - 443,000; Full time

Job summary

Copenhagen Business School in Denmark invites applications for a fully salaried PhD scholarship in Public Sector Management Accounting and Control. The three-year programme includes teaching obligations and international research, with opportunities to spend time at other research institutions.

The preferred candidate has a master's degree, strong academic English, and a track record in research. Proficiency in Danish/Scandinavian languages is advantageous.

Qualifications

• Strong research background and skills in accounting or related field.
• Proven ability to conduct independent research and develop a theoretical framework.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Knowledge of public sector management accounting and control is desirable but not required.

Responsibilities

• Teach within management accounting and control courses as part of the PhD duties.
• Develop and conduct an independent research project addressing public sector management accounting and control.
• Participate in CBS PhD programme activities and international research conferences.

Skills

Research skills

English proficiency

Education

Master's degree

Job description

PhD scholarship in Public Sector Management Accounting and Control

The Department of Accounting invites applications for a PhD position in Public Sector Management Accounting and Control. The Department of Accounting is one of the oldest and largest accounting departments in Europe. We have a growing and flourishing research environment within financial accounting, management accounting and control, auditing, and corporate governance.

Public sector organizations continuously face demands for high service quality under increasingly tighter budget constraints while simultaneously being held accountable for their performance. Several attempts have been made to strengthen management accounting and control practices such as introducing new costing techniques, performance-based budgeting, benchmarking, and performance management. But despite these initiatives, public organizations still struggle to realize political objectives, which is further complicated by the development of new technologies and societal demands for sustainability. Within this context, the PhD application should reflect an independently formulated research project that addresses questions related to the role and effects of management accounting and control practice in public sector organizations at state, regional and/or municipal level.

Potential research areas are:

• Developing and using performance measurement and management to create public value
• The influence of new technologies on management accounting and control practices
• The use of financial/non-financial information by public officials and politicians
• The development and/or use of budgeting for public sector decision-making
• The role of accounting in strategic development and public organization management

The PhD candidate will be part of the department’s management accounting research group. We focus on examining various subjects related to management accounting and control within both private and public sectors. For this PhD position, we welcome all forms of research methodologies and theoretical approaches, but we prioritize research inquiring specifically into organizational practices. We are open to candidates from different academic backgrounds both within and outside business administration.

The candidate will be expected to teach within management and control. As many courses are taught in Danish, priority will be given to candidates with language proficiencies in Danish, Swedish or Norwegian.

About the PhD programme

The three-year PhD programme at CBS gives you the opportunity to conduct research under the supervision of CBS’s associate professors and professors, supported by research related PhD courses. The programme is highly international, and you are expected to participate in international research conferences and to spend time at another research institution as a visiting PhD student. See the CBS homepage for more information about the PhD programme, https://www.cbs.dk/en/research/phd-programmeme .

CBS PhD graduates are held in high esteem not only in academia and research institutions but also in government and business where their research qualifications are in high demand.

CBS is committed to ensuring excellence, transformative and relevant teaching and research. Candidates who wish to join us must be interested in working in an organisation of this type and it is expected that the applicant will show an interest in joining the department's research environment. You can read more about the department's research here: www.cbs.dk/acc.

Application and admission requirements

The department will give priority to applicants with high grades from their universities. To be considered the applicant must:

• have a basic education at master's level (corresponding to the 3 + 2 Bologna process)
• have a weighted grade point average of at least 8.2 on the Danish 7-point grading scale for the bachelor's and master's degree combined or alternatively a weighted grade point average must be at least 9.5 for the master's degree alone. If the grade point average is not met, documentation for being in the top 40% of the class is also accepted. In rare cases, the grade requirement can be waived.
• have completed the master's programme before starting the PhD programme at CBS
• master academic English at a high level in writing and speaking

The application must include a five-page project description. The project description must include:

• a presentation of an original research question
• a description of the initial theoretical framework and method
• a presentation of the proposed empirical material

More information

can be found here: https://www.cbs.dk/en/research/phd-programmemes/admission

Documents to include

In addition to the project description, copies of the following must be included:

• diploma for bachelor's and master's degree or other certificates at an equivalent level as well as the grade transcripts
• documentation for being in the top 40% of the class (if grade requirements are not met)
• a list of articles and publications (if applicable)
• one example of a selected written work (e.g. master's thesis)

PhD School information

The PhD student is enrolled in the CBS PhD School. Further information about PhD scholarships and the PhD programme can be found at https://www.cbs.dk/en/research/phd-programmeme .

Department information

Information about the department can be found at https://www.cbs.dk/forskning/institutter-centre/institut-regnskab .

For additional information regarding the PhD position

feel free to contact Associate Professor, Tim Neerup Themsen, [e-mail] .

Employment and salary

A PhD scholarship runs for a period of three years and includes teaching obligations corresponding to 416 work hours. The scholarships are fully salaried positions, according to the national Danish collective agreement. The monthly salary is currently approximately DKK 30,264 up to DKK 36,877 depending on seniority and a pension contribution totaling 18.07%. The scholarship includes tuition fees, office space, course and travel costs (according to the current CBS agreement).

Salary level and employment take place in accordance with the Ministry of Finance's agreement with the Academics' Central Organization.

Recruitment procedure

The Recruitment Committee shortlists at least two-five applicants to be assessed by the Assessment Committee. Applicants are informed whether their application has proceeded for assessment.

Applicants selected for assessment will be notified about the composition of the Assessment Committee and will receive their personal assessment later. Selected applicants will be invited for an interview. Please note that a positive assessment does not automatically result in an interview. Once the recruitment process is completed each applicant will be notified of the outcome of their application.

Details about Copenhagen Business School are available at www.cbs.dk/en .

Application due 11/11/2026