D. (Daniel) Aguilar Viňas

Are you passionate about building sustainable futures for the planet and humanity, and about understanding the roles communities can play therein? Do you want to be a part of a cutting-edge research project that addresses the ways community enterprises can expand their societal impact to accelerate societal transformations towards sustainability? Then this exciting full-time five-year PhD opportunity is for you!

The Business-Society Management department at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, is seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate. The goal is to improve our understanding of the roles of community enterprises as drivers of societal transformations. How can community enterprises scale their impact and reshape society beyond markets and states? This is an important and timely challenge in steering sustainability transformations, as scholars and policymakers have high expectations on the roles of communities and citizens therein. Community enterprises are widely known to foster collective action locally. But what the mechanisms through which they can achieve wider transformations to tackle urgent large-scale sustainability challenges, such as climate change?

In this PhD project, you will identify and explain the drivers and obstacles in terms of resource mobilization for community enterprises. You will analyze the antecedents and outcomes of resource mobilization strategies employed by community enterprises for scaling their impact, focusing on the roles of legitimacy building and community entrepreneurs’ ability and willingness to scale. This will be done through comparative qualitative case studies of community enterprises. You will analyse initiatives in three key sustainability fields (renewable energy, circular economy and shared mobility) across several European countries (the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom). You will be embedded in a team and will work collaboratively with the other researchers. Your assignment will consist of a 4-year appointment without obligatory teaching duties and a conditional 5th year.