5 Post Doc Positions at the University of Innsbruck

[michael.h...@gmail.com‏]

The SFB (Special Research Unit) “Credence Goods, Incentives, and Behavior” at the University of Innsbruck, Austria,

invites applications for

5 (Five) Post Doc Positions (40 hours per week for 4 years starting at March 1st, 2021)

at the Faculty of Economics or at the Faculty of Business and Management. The positions are available as of March 1, 2021 or later and will last until February 28, 2025.

The SFB is funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). It started in 2017 and runs for 8 years in total. It is a joint research project including the project part leaders Loukas Balafoutas, Esther Blanco, Jürgen Huber, Rudolf Kerschbamer, Michael Kirchler, and Markus Walzl. The project’s aim is to analyze key determinants of individual behavior and market performance in credence goods markets with a variety of methods, combining theoretical work, laboratory experiments and field experiments (see https://www.uibk.ac.at/credence-goods/index.html.en for further details). The research group consists of more than 30 scholars from economics and finance, thus bridging research across both fields. The researchers of the SFB are affiliated to the Faculty of Economics and Statistics or the Faculty of Business and Management at the University of Innsbruck.

 

Description of the Post-Doc Positions:

Reference: Post Doc PP03 (Insurance Schemes in Markets for Credence Goods).

Principal Investigator: Balafoutas, Loukas

Affiliation of the position: Department of Public Finance, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, University of Innsbruck.

Short job description: The main topics studied here are motivated beliefs by consumers in markets for credence goods, and the role of insurance coverage and diagnostic uncertainty in healthcare. The project part will primarily rely on experimental methods, using data collected in the lab and in the field and with diverse populations. Skills in designing and running laboratory, online and field experiments and a strong motivation to contribute to the objectives set out in this project part are required.

 

Reference: Post Doc PP05 (Reputation and Competition in Markets for Credence Goods).

Principal Investigator: Kerschbamer, Rudolf

Affiliation of the position: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, University of Innsbruck.

Short job description: This project part investigates theoretically and in a series of lab experiments the impact of institutional and informational conditions on the performance of markets label credence goods. Label credence goods have the defining property that consumers do not learn the quality or type of the good or service they received, even after consumption, while sellers know the quality when transacting with the consumer. Typical examples are goods that are vertically differentiated by unobservable process- or input-attributes – like whether food has been produced organically, whether child labor was involved in the production process of clothing, or whether electricity has been generated with a low-emissions technology. Applicants for this position are expected to have both theoretical skills and skills in designing and running laboratory experiments.

 

Reference: Post Doc PP06 (Field Experiments in Credence Goods Markets).

Principal Investigator: Kerschbamer, Rudolf

Affiliation of the position: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, University of Innsbruck.

Short job description: This project part conducts a large-scale cross-country field experiment on fraud in markets for expert credence goods. The key characteristic of an expert credence good is that consumers do not know the quality or type of the good or service that fits their needs best, while expert sellers can observe that quality by performing a diagnosis. Typical examples are medical treatments, repair services or taxi rides in an unknown city. Applicants for this position are expected to have experience in designing and running field experiments and to be able and willing to organize large-scale cross-country field experiments.

 

Reference: Post Doc PP08 (Information Provision in Credence Goods Markets).

Principal Investigator: Blanco, Esther

Affiliation of the position: Department of Public Finance, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, University of Innsbruck.

Short job description: This project part aims for the design of scalable interventions informing consumers on how to align their purchasing decisions more effectively to their pro-social orientation. There is an emphasis on the ecological and social implications of label credence goods markets, simultaneously addressing market efficiency externalities. The candidate is expected to have rich knowledge in designing and running laboratory, online and field experiments. Particularly valuable assets are programming skills in o-tree, experience in running field (or lab-in-the-field) experiments with kids and teenagers, or experience in running field (or lab-in-the-field) experiments in lower income countries. A strong motivation to contribute to the objectives set out in this project part is required.

 

Reference: Post Doc PP09/PP10 (Science as a Credence Good / Finance as a Credence Good).

Principal Investigator: Huber, Jürgen and Kirchler, Michael

Affiliation of the position: Department of Banking and Finance, Faculty of Business and Management, University of Innsbruck.

Short job description: This joint position is located in the Experimental Finance Group and deals with topics in Experimental Finance and – on a voluntary basis – in Metascience (e.g., replication studies, crowd science approaches). First, this project part aims at concentrating on the consumer side and trying to improve their financial decision making with intervention studies and nudges. Second, this project part digs deeper into the behavior of finance professionals in a series of lab-in-the field experiments. Skills in designing and running laboratory, online and field experiments and a strong motivation to contribute to the objectives set out in this project part are required.

 

Working at the University of Innsbruck

The University of Innsbruck is committed to increasing the percentage of female employees, and we therefore explicitly invite women to apply. In the case of equivalent qualifications, women will be given preference. The University of Innsbruck is an employer supporting family life, adding to the generous conditions provided by the Austrian Government.

 

We aim at a highly cooperative working environment, encouraging collaborations among the different researchers. In addition to the access to facilities and opportunities for interactions with faculty, students, and other visitors at the University of Innsbruck, the SFB provides an extensive network of international collaborations.

 

Details and requirements for all Post Doc positions

- PhD (or close to completion) and excellent publications (or high profile working papers) in one of the following fields: (Applied) Game Theory, Experimental Economics, Experimental Finance, Behavioral Economics, Behavioral Finance, or Psychology.

- Excellent knowledge of English (knowledge of German is not required), teamwork capabilities, ability to work independently, outstanding communication skills.

- Gross salary per month (14 times a year): EUR 3,889.50 with annual increases.

- No teaching obligation. There are teaching possibilities for interested candidates, which would be paid separately. 

 

Application Details

Your application should consist of the following parts:

-        Letter of motivation including the Reference of the position (PP03 – PP09/PP10) you would like to get involved in. Application to multiple positions is welcome.

-        CV (including certificates)

-        List of publications, working papers and third-party funding (if applicable)

-        Two references (referees should send their recommendation letters directly to credenc...@uibk.ac.at)

We ask you to send your application materials as a single PDF (SURNAME.pdf) to Tobias Haller (credenc...@uibk.ac.at).

The deadline for applications is January 10, 2021. The online hearings will be held at the end of January. For further information on the open positions and the application procedure, contact the speakers of the SFB, Michael Kirchler (michael....@uibk.ac.at) or Rudolf Kerschbamer (rudolf.ke...@uibk.ac.at). For scientific queries on each specific project, contact the respective principal investigator.