MRes/PhD in Management - Employment Relations and Human Resources

You’ll study the foundations of employment relations and human resource management and gain the skills to design, conduct and evaluate quantitative and qualitative research.

Drawing on our wide-ranging research strengths­­­, you’ll have the chance to study topics such as diversity and inclusion, wellbeing, recruitment and selection, and people analytics. Multidisciplinary study is a key feature of learning at LSE. So, alongside your core studies, you’ll take an elective course from a related field such as political science, sociology or law.

You’ll begin your studies on the master of research degree and move on to the PhD (subject to satisfactory progress). You’ll also have the chance to complete a substantial piece of work that makes an original contribution to the field.

Here at LSE, we have a vibrant community of world-class academics and doctoral students who are pursuing varied research in different fields of management. Ranked sixth in the world for social sciences and management, LSE is the ideal place to engage in the latest employment debates and learn from world leaders in the field.

We're also ranked second in the UK by percentage of overall four and three stars in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021).

• Salas, E., Kozlowski, S. W. J., & Chen, G. (2017). A century of progress in industrial and organizational psychology: Discoveries and the next century. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 589-598.
• Farh, C.I.C., Liao, H., Shapiro, D.L., Shin, J., & Guan, O.Z. (2020). Out of sight and out of mind? Networking strategies for enhancing inclusion in multinational organizations. Journal of Applied Psychology. Advance online publication
• Hulshof, I. L., Demerouti, E., & Le, P. B. (2020). Reemployment crafting: Proactively shaping one's job search. Journal of Applied Psychology, 104, 58-79.
• Bauer, T. N., Bodner, T., Erdogan, B., Truxillo, D. M., & Tucker, J. S. (2007). Newcomer adjustment during organizational socialization: A meta-analytic review of antecedents, outcomes, and methods. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 707-721. doi: 10.1037/0021-9010.92.3.707
• Dulebohn, J. H., & Werling, S. (2007). Compensation research: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Human Resource Management Review, 17: 191-207.
• Bolino, M. C., Kelemen, T. K., & Matthews, S. H. (2021). Working 9‐to‐5? A review of research on nonstandard work schedules. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 42(2), 188-211.
• Felps, W., Mitchell, T.R., Hekman, D.R., Lee, T.W., Holtom, B.C., & Harman, W.S. (2009). Turnover contagion: How coworkers’ job embeddedness and job search influence quitting. Academy of Management Journal, 52(3), 545-561.
• Bell, B. S., & Kozlowski, S. W. (2008). Active learning: effects of core training design elements on self-regulatory processes, learning, and adaptability. Journal of Applied psychology, 93, 296-316.
• Cappelli, P., and Conyon, M. J. (2018) What Do Performance Appraisals Do? Industrial and Labor Relations Review, vol. 71, 1: pp. 88-116.
• Dobrow Riza, S., & Heller, D. (2015). Follow your heart or your head? A longitudinal study of the facilitating role of calling and ability in the pursuit of a challenging career. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100, 695-712.
• Bowen, D. E. & Ostroff, C. (2004). Understanding HRM–firm performance linkages: The role of the “strength” of the HRM system. Academy of Management Review, 29(2), 203–221.
• Chowhan, J. (2016). Unpacking the black box: understanding the relationship between strategy, HRM practices, innovation and organizational performance. Human Resource Management Journal, 26(2), 112-133.
• Bulger, C. A., Matthews, R. A., & Hoffman, M. E. (2007). Work and personal life boundary management: Boundary strength, work/personal life balance, and the segmentation-integration continuum. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 12, 365-375. doi: 10.1037/1076-8998.12.4.365
• Chamberlin, M., Newton, D. W., & Lepine, J. A. (2017). A meta‐analysis of voice and its promotive and prohibitive forms: Identification of key associations, distinctions, and future research directions. Personnel Psychology, 70(1), 11-71.
• Booth, J. E., Lup, D., & Williams, M. (2017). Union Membership and Charitable Giving in the United States. ILR Review, 70(4), 835-864.
• Amengual, M., Distelhorst, G. and Tobin, D., 2020. Global purchasing as labor regulation: the missing middle. ILR review, 73(4), pp.817-840.
• Frege, C. and J. Kelly (2020): Theoretical perspectives on comparative employment relations. In: Frege, C. and J. Kelly (eds.): Comparative Employment Relations in the Global Economy. Routledge. Ch 2.
• Frymer, P., & Grumbach, J. M. (2021). Labor unions and white racial politics. American Journal of Political Science, 65(1), 225-240.
• Cappelli, P., Tambe, P., & Yakubovich, V. (2020). Can Data Science Change Human Resources?. In The Future of Management in an AI World (pp. 93-115). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
• Anthony, C., Bechky, B. A., & Fayard, A. L. (2023). “Collaborating” with AI: Taking a system view to explore the future of work. Organization Science.

GRE/GMAT requirement

The GRE/GMAT is required for all applicants. We don't require a specific GRE/GMAT overall score but the test gives us an indication of your aptitude for our programmes.

A strong GRE or GMAT score will count in your favour, but other information, such as your research interests, your examination results, previous qualifications and references are central to our overall evaluation of your application. We recognise that if your first language is not English, the verbal test will be more demanding and we view your score on that basis.

There is no preference for GMAT or GRE but all applications must submit scores at the time of application. Your score should be less than five years old on 1 October 2025 and show full and percentile scores for all sections.

Find out more about GRE/GMAT, including detail on our requirements and submission of test scores, and LSE’s institution codes.

In the first year of your MRes you will work on skills training in research design, quantitative and qualitative research methods. You'll take the first of two seminar courses (MG518 or MG519) covering micro-HRM, macro-HRM, the future of work, labour markets, institutional, and comparative employment relations perspectives, and the full range of research methods from across the ERHR field.

Alongside this, you'll attend the A Social Sciences Perspective of Academic Research in Management. This seminar is run within the Department of Management for all research students and will develop your understanding of the diversity of specialisms across faculty groups and develop your critical analysis skills. You'll be invited to attend Employment Relations and Human Resources Faculty Group Seminars and have regular meetings with your Programme Director.

From the first year you'll also engage in short research projects, called Research Practicums, with different members of Faculty. The rotation of practicum assignments will include one-to-one training and collaboration that provides you better understanding of the research process, such as literature reviews, applied research methods, coding and data analysis and evaluating findings. It'll also give the opportunity to interact and get to know different members of the faculty group.

In the second year of the MRes you'll take the second of the specialist courses covering micro-HRM, macro-HRM, and continue to take a taught course aligned to your research interest. You'll be required to join the Advanced Quantitative Analysis for Research in Management with other students in the ERHR programme and the Organisational Behaviour programmes. You complete a supervised research paper in your field of interest which will form an important element in your upgrade to PhD. You continue to work with faculty in research practicums.

Having successfully completed your MRes and met the requirements you'll upgrade to PhD candidate at the start of your third year on the programme. You'll work on developing your PhD thesis proposal and continue with your research.

You'll focus on your PhD thesis, research and writing papers for presentation at conferences and publication and continue to participate in your Faculty Group seminars.

At the start of your final year, you'll present your final year plan which outlines your timetable to completion and submission of your thesis, and actively engage and promote yourself in the job market.

Our mission

Welcome to the Department of Management. Our mission is to inspire superior management practices by fostering a comprehensive understanding of individuals, teams, organisations, and markets, along with the psychological, social, political, and technological contexts that influence them.

By studying with us, you'll gain access to a world-leading centre for education and research, uniquely positioned within a world-class social science institution at the heart of a truly global city.

The environment

Join a vibrant intellectual community comprising world-renowned faculty, astute students, dedicated and responsive professional services staff, and high achieving alumni. Through pioneering research and high-level teaching, you'll receive comprehensive, intensive, and rigorous methodological training to help you become an expert in your specialist fields.

The rich and culturally diverse learning environment at LSE’s Department of Management, will not only enrich your experience through developing a broad perspective and understanding, but also unlock an invaluable network of global peers.

Create a better world

We go beyond the boundaries of a traditional business school by integrating diverse disciplines such as economics, marketing, data, and analytics. Our comprehensive approach ensures that students gain a profound and multifaceted understanding of the business world, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to excel in a dynamic global environment.

Join us in our vision to create a better world, where a profound understanding of management drives positive change in both business and society.

Discover more about our programmes and research.

Department of Management

Who's who

Jonathan E. Booth

Programme Director

The application deadline for this programme is 15 January 2025.

If you’d like to be considered for any funding opportunities, you must submit your application (and all supporting documents) by the funding deadline.

See the fees and funding section below for more details.

The fee is likely to rise over the full duration of the programme. The School charges home research students in line with fee levels recommended by the Research Councils.

Learn more about fee status classification.

The fee is likely to rise over the full duration of the programme in line with the assumed percentage increase in pay costs (ie, four per cent each year).

Learn more about fee status classification.

Progression and assessment

You'll need to meet certain criteria to progress to each subsequent year of the programme, such as achieving certain grades in your coursework and engaging in all aspects of the programme.

Your final award will be determined by the completion of an original research thesis and a viva oral examination.

Students who successfully complete the programme often embark on an academic career.

Explore the placements of previous Department of Management PhD students

Teaching

The Department aims to give all qualified doctoral students the opportunity to teach. Developing teaching skills and experience is an important component of the students' career development and prepare you for future academic roles. To make this experience as valuable as possible we draw on the support from the LSE's Teaching and Learning Centre.

Throughout the programme, you're expected to participate in Employment Relations and Human Resource Management Faculty Research Group research workshops, enabling you to grow familiar with the process of presenting and discussing academic papers with experienced faculty, and provide opportunities for networking. Funding is also available for you to attend and present papers at academic conferences.

LSE Careers has a team dedicated to PhD students offering a wide range of resources and advice. You'll receive regular updates on career events and workshops offered by LSE Careers and the LSE’s PhD Academy. Research based employment opportunities are communicated to students in our newsletters and email updates.

All career services are available to PhD students, and PhD alumni for up to five years after completing your PhD.

Browse LSE’s wide range of services for PhD students and research staff