项目介绍

2024年3月20日

Function

Do you want to lead innovative research contributing to consumer uptake of reusable packaging? Are you eager to delve into the intricacies of consumer behavior and contribute to sustainable packaging solutions? Then this may be the perfect opportunity for you!

The Marketing and Consumer Behaviour group at Wageningen University and Research is
looking for a PhD candidate in the area of consumer behaviour change, in the context of reusable packaging. This PhD project is part of the NWO funded project Re2Pack. Reusable packaging systems (RPS) have promising environmental benefits compared to single-use packaging, yet have been subject to less integrated attention in science and society, potentially due to the complexity of the required system change. To address this, the project Re2Pack takes an interdisciplinary approach focused on value chains, consumer behaviour, and packaging design, to introduce sustainable RPS. 

As PhD student you contribute to the development of reusable packaging systems. In collaboration with manufacturers, retailers, and packaging providers, you will investigate the consumer perspective in the PhD project. Your responsibility includes the examination of:

• factors that influence acceptability of RPS;
• behavioural interventions that stimulate a change in consumers’ habits in favour of RPS;
• brand image and product use in RPS.

Combined, this will provide key insights into consumers’ response to RPS and concrete intervention elements that can help promote RPS among consumers. It is expected that you will not only develop research skills and competences for the PhD project but that you will also contribute and learn from actively participating in the Re2Pack project. You will work in an interdisciplinary team, together with PhD candidates who focus on design and value chain.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair group Marketing and Consumer Behaviour (MCB) and part of the Re2Pack project, which is led by dr. Erica van Herpen. You will be co-supervised by dr. Ilona de Hooge (MCB group, WUR) and Lise Magnier (TU Delft).

Function Requirements

You have:

• a high interest in marketing/consumer behavior, particularly focusing on behavior change;
• the ability to interact effectively with both academic and diverse stakeholder audiences;
• a scientific ambition in conducting and publishing research work;
• curiosity and motivation to address important real-world problems through rigorous academic inquiry;
• willingness to collaborate with individuals from other scientific disciplines.

You also possess:

• a successfully completed MSc degree with background in consumer behavior (e.g. consumer science, marketing, social psychology, behavioral economics). Other backgrounds will not be considered;
• statistical/ modelling skills and experience with quantitative data collection. Surveys, and (lab and natural) experiments are part of this project.

In addition, it would be nice (but not required) if you have experience in qualitative data collection, as one of the studies involves in-depth interviews.

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

Contactinformation

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Erica van Herpen, by email: erica.vanherpen@wur.nl

For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas, corporate recruiter, by email: recruitment.ssg@wur.nl