Doctoral Program Study Guide 2013 - 2014
Common Scientific Doctoral Studies
GENERAL INFORMATION
Orientation seminar and beginning of doctoral studies
Doctoral studies begin with an orientation seminar which is compulsory for all doctoral students.
The seminar helps students to get started with the studies and research. Participation in the
orientation seminar will be registered, but students do not get any credit points.
Common scientific doctoral studies
The objectives of the common scientific studies are:
1. to improve the intellectual and skilled capabilities of the doctoral students
2. to create a solid theoretical foundation for the use and understanding of
different theories, and
3. to intensify the progress in the doctoral studies.
The common scientific doctoral studies, 30 ECTS, are offered in three baskets:
BASKET 1:
BASKET 2:
BASKET 3:
Fundamentals of research
Methodologies and methods
Management and economics
Students must earn a minimum of 6 ECTS credits per basket. Credits from the three baskets
need to accumulate altogether at least 30 ECTS credits. However, only 30 ECTS cr are marked
to the diploma. The minimum of 18 ECTS cr in common scientific doctoral studies must be
completed in the doctoral program of the Aalto University School of Business.
To facilitate a smooth start, the common scientific doctoral studies were designed to be completed
during the first year of studies.
Regardless of the major and the focus of the research, each student should have adequate basic
knowledge in each of the three baskets. The basket structure enables different emphasis, thereby
permitting each doctoral student to find the optimal combination of courses.
Alternative courses
A non-Finnish speaking student can ask the teachers for alternatives regarding the courses taught
in Finnish. See the section on “Replacing Common Scientific Studies with Other Courses” below.
Students can look for suitable courses from different graduate schools. Methodological courses are
taught, for example, in KATAJA (The Finnish Doctoral Program in Business Studies).
Doctoral Program Study Guide 2013 - 2014
The basket structure and course options are compiled in the chart:
BASKET 1
BASKET 2
BASKET 3
Person in charge:
Persons in charge:
Persons in charge:
Professor NN
Professor Timo Kuosmanen
(quantitative methods)
Professori Marko Terviö
(Microeconomics)
Professor Johanna Moisander
(qualitative methods)
Professori Janne Tienari
(Organization Theory)
Professori Jyrki Wallenius
(Behavioral Decision Making)
90L51501 Communication for
Research Purposes, 6 ECTS
30E00500 Quantitative Empirical
Research, 6 ECTS
31C00100 Microeconomics,
6 ECTS
51D190 Philosophy of Social
Science, 3 ECTS
90L59602 Qualitative Research,
6 ECTS
90L55403 Organization Theory,
6 ECTS
51L19201 Advanced Course in
Philosophy of Social Science,
3 ECTS
90L59002 Optional Course in
Methodology, 3 – 12 ECTS
90L56503 Behavioral Decision
Making, 6 ECTS
31L510 History of Economic
Thought, 3 ECTS
FIGURE Baskets, persons in charge and courses offered in each basket.
Replacing Common Scientific Studies with Other Courses
Students may replace common scientific doctoral studies with courses taken at other universities
or graduate schools. You should bear in mind, however, that a minimum of 18 ECTS credits should
be completed in the doctoral program of Aalto University School of Business. The persons in
charge of each basket decide about the replacement and they must be consulted before taking
such courses.
Courses completed via networks in which School of Business participates actively are counted as
courses in the doctoral program.
Replacement courses must be at least equivalent to or of higher level in terms of difficulty and
extent as the Aalto University School of Business course. In addition, the content and work-load
should be at least the same. You can replace a common scientific doctoral course only once.
Replacement courses are graded in the same way as the corresponding Aalto University School of
Business course (grading: 0-5 or pass/fail). If a course taken at another university or within a network
is graded “pass /fail” and the School of Business course is graded with a grade (0-5), the grade 2 is
given for the replacement course. Student seeking a better grade for the course must consult the
person in charge of the basket.
Doctoral Program Study Guide 2013 - 2014
If the student has advanced further in the studies within the field involved, he/she must then
complete a higher level course in the same field. Courses may also be replaced with other courses
of at least equal or higher level.
Replacement should be agreed with the person responsible for the basket before
participating in the course. The persons responsible for the baskets work together with the
persons in charge of the courses on the compensation matters. The person in charge of the course
can also decide about the replacement of a course. When a student has completed a course,
replacement needs to be applied for in writing. The form is in Into https://into.aalto.fi. The sufficient
enclosures must be attached to the application for decision-making (course acknowledgement,
course description and written contribution when needed).
A course may be replaced by one or more courses that fulfill the following requirements:

the scope and standards of the course are of the equivalent or higher level

the subject and the work load of the course are at least equivalent (credit points are
not comparable as such)

the completion of the course is based on an examination, if the requirements of the
School of Business course also include an examination. The person in charge of the
course or the basket may require examination as a part of the course replacement
also in other cases. MBA courses cannot be accepted.
Additional courses can be found in the following websites:

KATAJA (The Finnish Doctoral Program in Business Studies - Kauppatieteiden
valtakunnallinen jatkokoulutusohjelma) http://www.kataja.eu

KAVA (Finnish Doctoral Programme in Economics, Kansantaloustieteen
valtakunnallinen jatkokoulutusohjelma) http://www.hecer.fi/FDPE/.

FDPSS (The Finnish Graduate School
http://web.abo.fi/fak/mnf/mate/gradschool/

SDR (Graduate School in Systems Analysis, Decision Making and Risk Management
Systeemianalyysin,
päätöksenteon
ja
riskienhallinnan
tutkijakoulu)
http://www.sal.tkk.fi/tutkijakoulu/gseng.html)

EIASM
(European
http://www.eiasm.be/

EDAMBA (A network of European Doctoral Programmes in Business Administration)
http://www.edamba.eu/

CEMS (The Global Alliance in Management Education) www.cems.org
Institute
for
in
Advanced
Stochastics
Studies
and
in
Statistics)
Management)
Doctoral Program Study Guide 2013 - 2014
Common Scientific Doctoral Studies
5.1 Starting Doctoral Studies
90L011 Orientation Seminar
0 ECTS credits
Target group: New doctoral candidates. The seminar is compulsory.
Objective: To help doctoral candidates start with their studies and research.
Contents: The program includes presentations, panels and discussion about doctoral
studies and research as well as practical questions. It is conducted by faculty and staff of
Center for the Doctoral Program.
Registration: All doctoral candidates who start their studies in fall 2013 are expected to
participate in the seminar this year. If you cannot participate, please inform the Center for the
Doctoral Program as early as possible and also let know the reason of non-attendance. If
you started your doctoral studies earlier and are planning to attend now, register at the
Center for the Doctoral Program by email doctoral-biz(at)aalto.fi.
Language of instruction: English/Finnish
Doctoral Program Study Guide 2013 - 2014
5.2 Basket 1: Fundamentals of Research
Person in charge: Professor NN
90L515 01 Communication for Research Purposes
6 op (ECTS)
Objective: On completion of the course you will be able to present your research findings
coherently and convincingly, according to academic conventions, in articles, research papers, a
PhD dissertation, as well as in conferences and seminar discussions.
Contents: The course focuses on the main ways in which knowledge is disseminated and shared
within the international academic community: research papers (including articles, essays, and
conference papers), doctoral dissertations, and conference discussions. There are two main parts
to the course, plus a pre-course assignment. (For details, please see “Evaluation”, below).
Written part: Classroom input on academic writing: organization of information (research gap,
literature survey, argumentation, findings, contribution, discussion); writing abstracts; paragraph
structure, citations, stylistic and linguistic accuracy. This part of the course includes an individual
feedback session on a revised version of the pre-course assignment.
Conference part: Simulated conference (with feedback), including presentation of papers, panel
sessions, chairing, and discussions. The conference is preceded by consultation sessions where
students get feedback on their presentations.
Teaching:
25.2.2014 Mandatory course kick-off session, at 15.00-16.00 (Related only to Conference part)
6.-9.5.2014 Written part: Classroom sessions, at 14.15-17.00
13.-16.5.2014 Written part continued: Classroom sessions, at 14.15-17.00
19.-22.5.2014 Conference part: Consultation sessions in small groups, at 9.00-11.30 or 12.3015.00 (students sign up for one time in the kick-off session)
23.5. and 26.5.2014 Conference part: Simulated conference, at 9.00-16.00
9.-13.6.2014 Written part: Personal feedback sessions on written assignment; times to be agreed
separately with students
Details to be given in the kick-off session.
Evaluation: No exam but attendance and completion of exercises and assignments is mandatory.
Please note! A pre-course assignment, to be submitted electronically to MirjaLiisa.Charles@aalto.fi by April 29, is required for the Written Part of the course. The text should be
5-10 pages long (line spacing 2), and should be such that it could potentially be included in a PhD
dissertation / manuscript to be sent to a journal. It can be part of the Introduction, Literature Survey,
Data analysis, Methodology, Discussion, or Conclusions section – depending on what is currently
relevant for you. In May, you will be expected to revise this text on the basis of issues discussed in
classroom sessions, and submit a revised version for feedback not later than May 30.
Grading: pass / fail
Doctoral Program Study Guide 2013 - 2014
Course tutors: Professor emerita Mirjaliisa Charles (Written part), DSc Christa Uusi-Rauva
(Conference part)
Course materials and literature: To be specified by lecturers.
Registration: Through WebOodi
Maximum number of participants: 40 students
Language of instruction: English
Website: https://noppa.aalto.fi/noppa/kurssi/90l51501
51D190 Philosophy of Social Science
3 op (ECTS credits)
Objectives: 1. The main aim of the course is to offer you a chance to develop your analytical skills
in reading and writing scientific texts. 2. You have the opportunity to rehearse basic philosophical,
conceptual tools to identify main features of different research approaches and 3. to write a good
methodological section for your dissertation.
Contents: Ontology, epistemology (theory of knowledge), and methodology as components of
philosophy of science. How social reality differs from natural reality: Insights of social constructivist
ontology. Different ontological and epistemological notions of realism as distinct from
instrumentalism, positivism, and idealism. Two main theories of knowledge as solutions to the
problem of infinite regress. The relevance of the ontological and methodological dispute of
explanation and understanding to social sciences today: Reasonable approaches to paradigm
disputes.
Teacher: Professor in Philosophy of Management (to be announced later).
Course requirements: To be announced later.
Registration: WebOodi October 11, 2013 at the latest.
Maximum number of participants: 35 students.
Language: English
Substitute courses: Similar courses in philosophy of social science dealing with a wide scope of
issues. Please consult the substitution with the professor before participating the course.
Possible way of sharing the work: To be announced later.
51L19201 Advanced Course in Philosophy of Social Science
3 op (ECTS credits)
Objective: The course offers you a chance to deepen your understanding about contemporary
epistemological, ontological, and methodological discussions in your own field, and improves your
skills to identify the characteristic features of different research approaches and to participate in
methodological discussions in your field.
Contents: To be announced later.
Doctoral Program Study Guide 2013 - 2014
Conditions of participation: Participation for those who have passed the course Philosophy of
Social Science 51D190 or a similar course.
Course requirements: To be announced later.
Grading: 0-5
Note: The course will be organized every second year, next time spring semester 2014.
31L510 History of Economic Thought
3 op (ECTS credits)
Objective and contents: The course provides an overview on economics as an evolving subject,
responding to the main economic issues of the time and building on previous knowledge. The
course examines the development of economics to where it is today, but also looks at economic
thought in different cultures important in a globalizing world. The topics include the birth of the
discipline in Western Europe, its development through Classical Political Economy to the birth and
the early stages of neoclassical micro- and macroeconomics to some recent controversies best
understood in a historical context. It also looks briefly at economic thought in selected non-Western
cultures. The course highlights economics both as an accumulating body of knowledge and as a
response to the economic and policy issues of the day.
Lectures: Docent Pekka Sutela lectures the course in the first period of the 2014 spring term, on
Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Course requirements: Final exam
Grading: 0-5
Literature: Sandmo, Agnar: Economics evolving: A history of economic thought. ISBN 978-0-69114842-7.
Registration: Through WebOodi, one week before the start of the first spring period 2014 at the
latest.
When replacing courses in basket 1, consult the person in charge of the basket.
Doctoral Program Study Guide 2013 - 2014
5.3 Basket 2: Methodologies and Methods
Persons in charge: Professor Timo Kuosmanen (quantitative methods) and Professor Johanna
Moisander (qualitative methods).
30E00500 Quantitative Empirical Research
6 op (ECTS credits)
Objective: The objective of the course is to enable the students to use quantitative data analysis
techniques in business and economic research. The course will provide the students with a set of
tools useful in empirical research.
Content: Basic concepts, screening data, and visualizing multivariate observations are discussed.
Furthermore, the course will define and introduce an extensive set of statistical multivariate
methods and explain when their use is appropriate and how they are related to each other.
The methods covered during the course range from commonly applied dimension reduction tools
(e.g. principal components, factor analysis) and dependence techniques (e.g. regression analysis,
ANOVA, MANOVA) to basics of categorical data-analysis. As advanced topics, the course provides
an introduction to data mining techniques (e.g. clustering and classification) and structural
equations modeling (SEM). The course content may vary on annual basis.
Methodological aspects and interpretation of analysis are also explained. SPSS and Excel
programs will be used in exercises and demonstrations during the course.
Grading: points (0-5)
Literature:
1. Hair, J., Black, W., Babin, B. and Anderson, R. (2010): Multivariate Data Analysis.
2. Tabachnick, B. and Fidell, S. (2007): Using Multivariate Statistics.
Evaluation:
1. Preliminary assignments
2. Lectures 24h, Dr. Pekka Malo, exercises 18h, Matti Karvonen
3. Grading is based on a final exam (50% of the grade), course project (20% of the grade),
exercises (15% of the grade), and tutorials (15% of the grade).
Teaching: First period of spring term 2014. Details will be announced on course web page
https://noppa.aalto.fi/noppa/kurssi/30e00500/.
Doctoral Program Study Guide 2013 - 2014
90L596 02 Qualitative Research
6 op (ECTS credits)
Course description: The course familiarizes students with recent developments and
methodological debates in the field of qualitative research and elaborates on a set of contemporary
qualitative research approaches in business contexts. The focus is particularly on ethnography and
cultural studies. The primary objective of the course is to develop students’ abilities to critically and
independently evaluate and assess their own methodological choices, and thus to support their
thesis work.
Learning objectives:
Upon completion of the course students will be able to:

understand the basic assumptions and methodological prescriptions of a number of
contemporary cultural and interpretive approaches to qualitative research

evaluate and delineate the applicability of these methodological approaches for
business studies and for their own research

define appropriate research problems and study designs for qualitative research within
different philosophical and conceptual frameworks

make informed and justified methodological choices in their own research, and

define appropriate evaluative criteria for qualitative research in general.
Course requirements:
1.
Satisfactory completion of a set of pre-assignments, which can be downloaded from the
course web site on Noppa
2.
Regular attendance and active participation in class.
3.
Mastery of the assigned readings.
4.
Completion of weekly reaction papers and peer evaluation tasks, based on the assigned
readings.
5.
Final term paper (based on the assigned readings and course work).
Instructors: Dr. Johanna Moisander (course supervision) and a team of experts.
Required readings:
A package of readings, which will be specified in the beginning of the course.
Evaluation: Students will be evaluated on the basis of their course work and their final term paper.
Grading: 0-5
Doctoral Program Study Guide 2013 - 2014
Registration and pre-exam: All students must register for the course in WebOodi seven (7) days
before the period is scheduled to start, ie. on Monday 31 December, 2013 at the latest. Enrollment
cannot be done by phone or e-mail nor by directly contacting the instructors.
Teaching language: English
Class meeting days and times: Mondays and Thursdays, at 10 - 14, during the first period of the
spring term 2014.
More information: https://noppa.aalto.fi/noppa/kurssi/90L59602/
90L590 02 Optional Course in Methodology
3 - 12 ECTS credits
The Optional Course in Methodology offers the doctoral students a possibility to include additional
advanced-level courses in methodology in their degree plans. These courses can be offered by
different departments of the Aalto University or some other university or graduate school both in
Finland and abroad. To have the course registered in the basket 2, the scope and requirements of
the course must be at least equivalent to those of the courses offered by Aalto University School of
Business Doctoral Program.
Students can accrue credits from several Optional Courses in Methodology, up to 12 ECTS credits
in total. Only courses that include a final exam or a graded course paper will be accepted.
All students are required to consult professor Timo Kuosmanen (quantitative methods) or professor
Johanna Moisander (qualitative methods) for further instructions and approval to include a
particular course in the degree plan.
When replacing courses in basket 2, always consult the person in charge.
Doctoral Program Study Guide 2013 - 2014
5.4 Basket 3: Management and Economics
Persons in charge:
Professor Marko Terviö (Microeconomics),
Professor Janne Tienari (Organization Theory) and
Professor Jyrki Wallenius (Behavioral Decision Making)
31C00100 Microeconomic Theory
6 ECTS credits
Status of the course: Common scientific studies of the doctoral program; BSc(Econ), Economics
program/ compulsory course
Previous studies: Principles of Economics (31A00110)
Objectives and contents: The objective of is to learn the microeconomic way of understanding
economic phenomena, and to use it to obtain insights for effective economic decision-making.
Microeconomics studies the economy at the level of individual consumers, firms, and industries.
This course puts additional emphasis on applications relating to problems of firms and
management, such as pricing and strategic decision-making.
Literature: Austan Goolsbee, Steven Levitt, Chad Syverson (2012): Microeconomics (1st ed).
ISBN 0716759756
Instructor: Professor Marko Terviö
Teaching:
1. Participation in lectures and exams 54 h
2. Exercises 18 h
3. Independent work 86h
The mid-term exams and the final exam are primarily based on lectures and handouts.
Grading: 0-5
Teaching: Fall term 2013, periods 1 and 2
Prerequisite: Principles of Economics (31A00110) or corresponding credits.
Course web page: https://noppa.aalto.fi/noppa/kurssi/31c00100/information_in_english
Registration: Through WebOodi. No registration for mid-term exams. Registration for final exam
through WebOodi.
Language of instruction: Finnish
Replacing course: The department organizes every Spring an English-language book exam of
this course. See the course web page for more information. Doctoral students may also take the
course in another university and ask for replacement.
Doctoral Program Study Guide 2013 - 2014
90L554 03
Organization theory
6 op (ECTS credits)
Course status: Doctoral program, common scientific doctoral studies.
Course objectives: The objective of the course is to offer doctoral students in different disciplines
an overview of theoretical traditions and paradigms of organization theory. The course enables
students to form a comprehensive view of the field and its historical development, and to evaluate
various substantial management studies topics and debates from different organization theory
perspectives.
Contents: Thematic sessions include
(1) theoretical traditions and paradigms in organization theory; classical organization theory
(2) cultural modern theory
(3) rational modern theory
(4) interpretative approach
(5) critical approach
(6) postmodern organization theory
(7) course summary and preparation for the course essay.
Literature: Links to course readings will be made available on the course website in September
2013. Additional material will be distributed at the course sessions, and subsequently posted on
the website.
Lecturer: Professor, Docent Tuomo Peltonen (Tampere University of Technology)
Implementation: Course sessions 7 x 3 hours. Reaction papers on course readings (5 x 10
percent of course grade) and essay (50 percent of course grade). Active participation in course
sessions is highly recommended.
Those PhD-students who want to complete the course while studying or working abroad are
requested to contact Tuomo Peltonen directly (tuomo.peltonen (at) tut.fi).
Language: English
Grading: 0-5
Time: Fall 2013, second period. Mondays 16-19.
Registration: WebOodi, deadline one week before the beginning of the period.
Maximum number of participants: 30 students
Website: https://noppa.aalto.fi/noppa/kurssi/90l55403
Doctoral Program Study Guide 2013 - 2014
90L565 03
Behavioral Decision Making
6 op (ECTS credits)
Course status: This course is directed to PhD students but Master’s students are welcome to the
course as well. However, PhD students are given priority in case the course is full.
Objectives: Behavioral decision research investigates how people make judgments, decisions, and
choices, and how decision processes may be improved. The field of behavioral decision research is
interdisciplinary, using concepts from psychology, economics, management science, and other
disciplines. The importance of the field was highlighted by the awarding of the Economics Nobel
Prize to Daniel Kahneman in 2002. The purpose of this course is to provide students with an
overview of behavioral decision research.
Contents: Topics covered in the course will include judgment under uncertainty (including
heuristics and biases), risk behavior, how emotional processes influence decision-making, and how
to deal with multiple, conflicting objectives and values. The anomalies in classical decision theories
are indicated. Tversky-Kahneman Prospect Theory is discussed. The focus will be on the individual
decision-maker, although we will also briefly discuss issues related to group and organizational
decision making. We also relate the behavioral decision theories to the domain of financial decision
making and consumer decision making, making the course appropriate for students of finance and
marketing.
Lectures: The instructors are Outi Somervuori and Jyrki Wallenius. Class hours are Mondays 1316 and Tuesdays 13-16 during the first spring period of 2014.
Readings: Many articles and book chapters will be made available to students.
Evaluation: There will be an exam, essays, in-class presentations, and mandatory readings.
Students are expected to participate.
Grading: 0-5
Registration: Through WebOodi a week prior to the beginning of the period, i.e. on Tuesday
December 31, 2013 at the latest.
Maximum number of participants: 30
Language of instruction: English
When replacing courses in basket 3, always consult the person in charge.