Modules WS 2017/2018

This module serves manifold competences: As a doctoral consortium it aims at deepening both, methodological and professional research skills of the students. In addition, it is designed to foster the international profile of their work.

Students' participating in a doctoral consortium, therein share both the main contents of and progress in their own researches. Moreover, they benefit from listening to the other students' experiences and results and receive valuable feedback of the supervisors, consortium chairs and student participants.

This module serves manifold competences: As a doctoral consortium it aims at deepening both, methodological and professional research skills of the students. In addition, it is designed to foster the international profile of their work.

By means of submitting their work to an internationally reknown doctoral consortium the students learn how to position themselves in a highly competitive environment.

Since successful applications are invited to be discussed by a selective academic committee the doctoral consortium also serves to further develop the communicative and social competences of the students.

Students' participating in a doctoral consortium arranged in the context of an internationally well-regarded information systems conference, therein share both the main contents of and progress in their own researches. Moreover, they benefit from listening to the other students' experiences and results and receive valuable feedback of the consortium chairs and student participants.

The research proposal must include a description of the dissertation as a research agenda and of the methodical approach. In the colloquium on the research proposal, doctoral students shall present their dissertation project and provide reasons for their chosen approach.

Details are listed in the Implementing Provisions concerning the Doctorate Regulations

Role of the module in the doctoral study plan
The module is required as a cross-faculty course in the preparation phase of the doctoral programs “Architecture and Planning” and “Business Economics”.

Description
Subject definition
This module supports formal research training at the doctoral level by focusing on fundamental aspects of research design, particularly through the lens of the special disciplines, styles of inquiry and cultures of learning at the University of Liechtenstein. It also helps to develop research management skills.
Research design describes 'the structure of any scientific work. It gives direction and systematizes the research. Different types of research designs have different advantages and disadvantages.'1 In technical terms a typical research design is a detailed outline of how an investigation will take place. A research design will typically include how data is to be collected, what instruments will be employed, how the instruments will be used and the intended means for analysing data collected.
Research management skills, or so called transferable skills, comprise the ability to manage projects, be self-motivated and autonomous, network internationally, to think analytically and to be creative, inquisitive and original. In combining both research design and management skills, the University of Liechtenstein aligns itself with aspirations of the League of European Research Universities (LERU). It calls for an innovative doctoral education that brings together cohorts of candidates and includes elements of professional development training. This combination nurtures a range of skills that help PhD candidates to be more effective in their research projects but also to nurture abilities that will be useful in their future lives and careers.

To provide a tailored program, the PhD students attend one topic of ‘Specialisation according to PhD study’ (4 taught lecture units). In addition to this, the PhD students select five topics from the pool of “General academic and technical skills” and participate in all of the topics from the pool “Personal and professional management skills”. The features of the series “Personal and professional management skills” are open lectures, and every interested staff member is invited to join and listen.

Specific academic and technical skills

• Introduction to Research Design (mandatory: two taught units)

Specialisation according to PhD study

Mandatory: One topic from this group (four taught units per topic), according to the student’s focus area

• Research Design for Business Process Management
• Research Design for Finance
• Research Design for Entrepreneurship
• Research Design for Sustainable Building
• Research Design for Sustainable Urban Design and Planning
• Research Design for Architectural Theory

General academic and technical skills
Electives: Students have to select 5 topics from this group (two taught units per topic)

• Use and types of Observations and Surveys
• Intervention and Evaluation Research Design
• Experimental Research Design
• Correlational Research Design
• Panel Data: Fixed and Random Effects
• Big Data Skills
• Literature Reviews
• Concepts of Time-Series Econometrics
• Inquiry by design
• Round table Experience of tutors I
• Round table Experience of tutors II
• Round table Experience of PhD students I
• Round table Experience of PhD students II

Personal and professional management skills
Mandatory (one taught unit per topic)

• Ethics
• Publication process
• International doctoral exchange / PhD network
• Project management
• Intrapersonal & Self-leadership Skills
• Interpersonal & Leadership Skills
• Written & Oral Communication
• Grant application process

This module helps the student to further broaden and intensify his knowledge and methodological skills needed for his dissertation.
This module could focus on Banking, Finance or Taxation.

This course is designed to give first year PhD Students an aid for their academic endeavour. Just like in Research Design, the focus lies on methodological competences. At the same time, however, this course also aims at techniques rather than design strategies. The objective is to provide core compentences on how to craft a scientific text properly. Due to the concept of peer-monitoring applied in this course also social competencies will be trained.

During the first year students will be working on their academic writing style, they will be made familiar with normative writing styles and ways to publish tackling various kinds of genres, and they will help and learn from each other through peer-monitoring activities. As a base sample texts will be used and the texts students will be producing will be worked on. The course is built on three pillars:

• Knowledge Management:
  Working with databases, literature management softwares, etc.
• Publishing:
  How to write and publish various genres: abstracts, research papers, articles, data commentaries, reviews, project proposals, formatting, etc.
• Peer-Mentoring:
  Giving and receiving feed-back, presenting and reviewing, considering peer-feedback, joint writing activities, etc.

• This module aims at fostering professional competences. In particular, an overview on theories of the firm is given in order to provide students with a profound background for better understanding the various current topics of their discipline. The set of theories dealt with in the course will continuously be reviewed and adapted. So far, the following theories of the firm are considered to be particularly relevant for all three doctoral programs currently being offered by the graduate school:

Introduction to the Theory of the Firm (Dr. Ferdinand Thies)
The Nature of the Firm and the Problem of Social Cost (Ass.Prof. Dr. Tanja Kirn)
Agency Theory (Prof. Dr. Marco Menicetti)
Transactioncost Theory (Dr. Martin Angerer)
Information Processing Theory (Prof. Dr. Jan vom Brocke)
Resource-based Theory of the Firm (Dr. Ferdinand Thies)
Knowledge-based Theory of the Firm (Dr. Ferdinand Thies)
Behavioral Theory of the Firm (tbd)