2 PhD Candidates (Empirical Legal Studies) on Markets, Behavior, and Regulation at Leiden University

Leiden University is looking to hire two PhD candidates for the project Empirical Legal Studies on the topic ‘Markets, behavior, and the regulatory role of law’. This project focuses on the empirical examination of behaviors of market players on the one hand and the rules of law regulating market behaviors on the other hand. Our research on this topic follows an interdisciplinary approach and brings together scholars from different legal disciplines as well as the social sciences. Each position entails a full-time contract for four years (in the Netherlands, PhD candidates are members of staff, not students). Specifically, it concerns one of the following two projects on the overarching theme ‘Markets, behavior, and the regulatory role of law’:

An empirical legal examination of online price discrimination, justice, and regulation. Supervisors: Helen Pluut, h.pluut@law.leidenuniv.nl, Bart Custers and Jean-Pierre van der Rest.
In the current data-driven economy, large amounts of data on consumer behavior are used to optimize profits by (dynamically) differentiating prices for different consumers. This project aims to gain insights into the perceptions and behaviors of consumers, users, and regulatory actors regarding different forms of price discrimination, and its implications for market regulation.

Compliance with fundamental labor rights through codes of conduct in the global supply chain. Supervisors: Helen Pluut, h.pluut@law.leidenuniv.nl, Yvonne Erkens and prof.mr.dr. Willem van Boom.
Protection of fundamental labor rights in global supply chains has become a major concern as a consequence of globalization and the rise of multinational companies. Companies increasingly consider it their responsibility to develop policy on Corporate Social Responsibility. In this context, it is important to look at soft law and its effectiveness as an alternative form of regulation. The aim of this project is to investigate what is the impact of codes of conduct on multinational companies’ compliance with fundamental labor rights. Your appointment should lead to a completed and successfully defended PhD thesis and entails participation in the PhD training programme offered by the Graduate School of Law.

Further details:
2 PhD Candidates (Empirical Legal Studies) on Markets, Behavior, and Regulation at Leiden University