Up to 8 PhD students in Business Studies - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Business Studies is the largest department within the Faculty of Social Sciences with its approximately 140 co-workers and 2000 undergraduate students. We conduct extensive PhD education and have about 35 PhD students. The research schools MIT and FIRE are also connected to the department. The department conducts research and provides education on the doctoral level in the following fields: Entrepreneurship, International Business, Marketing, Organization/Management, Accounting/Finance.

We are seeking up to 8 PhD students:

• 2 general PhD student employments in Business Studies, financed with doctoral studentships. We would like to see applicants in Accounting, International Business and Marketing but also in Entrepreneurship and Organization. 
• up to 6 PhD student employments in Business Studies related to the following research projects:

Project 1: The Role of Human Cognition, Intuitive Expertise and IT in Strategic and Operational Decision Making

The project will focus on the relationship between IT related artifacts and human actors at the strategic and operational levels in organizational decision-making, with a special emphasis on cognition and intuitive expertise. There is now greater opportunity to either enhance or replace human cognition and intuitive expertise in organizational decision making in risk management and mergers and acquisitions, by applying IT-based tools to a wider range of decision-making activities than ever before. Therefore, the question is whether future development and application of IT-based tools in various decision situations that are traditionally reserved for human judgment can be replaced with IT-based tools, or whether human judgment has dimensions that cannot be replaced by IT-tools. The overall purpose of the project is to investigate the relation between cognition, intuitive expertise, and IT-tools in decision making. The successful PhD candidates will have the possibility to develop their project plans together with the supervisors, but a specific focus will be put on cognition, intuitive expertise and IT issues.

Number of positions: 2

Note: These positions are subject to availability of external funding.

Project 2: Implementation of New Work Processes and Technologies in Connection with the Electrification of the Automotive and Power Grid Industries

Electrification faces a number of important challenges related to technological development in both the automotive and power grid industries, but also challenge related to the ability of these industries to cope with the implementation of the new technologies in their organizations. This implementation can, for example, be hampered by both a lack of knowledge about new technologies and working methods that electrification requires, as well as by a great deal of doubts about change that has its origins in both the organization and the companies they depend on. But even hitherto unknown barriers that are more specific to electrification may pose challenges in the implementation of technology and work processes. The doctoral project will (1) identify challenges that make it difficult to implement new technology for electrification in both vehicle and power grid companies. This will be done with a focus on what the organizations themselves experience as challenges and how these affect the behavior of the organization and its employees in the electrification work. In addition to this survey, the project will also (2) analyze how the challenges in the various industries are interconnected, and (3) what measures can be taken to avoid or overcome these barriers to electrification. As a PhD student working within this project, you are expected to actively participate by doing independent research and thereby contribute to the project objectives by writing and publishing research based on the empirical results obtained in the project. In pursuing this work, you will be guided and supervised by experienced researchers who will also actively participate in the project work.

Number of positions: 1

Note: This position is subject to availability of external funding.

Project 3: Value Co-Creation and ICT innovations in a Science Megaproject

The project will focus on value co-creation and ICT innovations related to a scientific megaproject, the ESS (the European Spallation Source), currently being constructed in the south of Sweden. Previous studies of big-science organizations problematize value creation and appropriation from scientific institutions and argue that value is most often co-created through interaction among actors from different spheres in society.

This project is part of a larger research project concerning ESS. It focuses especially on ICT innovation aspects created in the interaction with a big-science organization being constructed. The aim is to reach new insights on ICT value co-creation dynamics before the organization has reached more long-term and stable conditions. The successful PhD candidate will have the possibility to develop the project plan together with the supervisors, who are experienced researchers and will take an active part in the research project. We are looking for a candidate with both an interest in interorganizational studies and ICT issues.

Number of positions: 1

Note: This position is subject to availability of external funding.

Project 4: Connectivity Leadership

Digitalization is a full range of software-driven processes – all the way from datafication and computation to prediction, display, communication and action. The promise of the digital transformation is that that it will help us to find new solutions to mutual problems; that it will stimulate economic development and; help us to take more informed decision. While the technology development is constant, a proactivity is needed to manage digitalization processes in order to adapt and identify new opportunities, create a more democratic and diverse society in the digitalization processes, where integrity and rights are not sacrificed. In other words, the digital transformation cannot be left to chance or be considered as self-organized. This PhD project will deal with the implications of digitalization for leadership processes.

This project aims to create new knowledge about leadership processes that provides essential insights for complex innovation contexts. Such contexts include innovation platforms, interorganizational collaborations or similar settings that are enabled by digital processes and where a complex set of different actors are involved. We therefore seek candidates interested in exploring the leadership processes from a micro perspective, using qualitative research methods.

Number of positions: 1

Note: This position is subject to availability of external funding.

Project 5: Digitalization of Financial Services

The digitalized transformation of financial services has revolutionized the interaction between banks and insurance companies and their customers; from interaction taking place at office hours to one where the customer can utilize services 24/7. New technology such as AI and blockchain facilitate development of new and established services, and enables faster and automated interaction of service providers, customers and other counterparts. At the same time, there is a development towards financial authorities’ regulations growing stricter effecting the change. We seek PhD candidates interested in exploring this tension between inertia and digital transformation and the effect this has on the interactions between actors and value creation processes. The PhD-candidate will be part of a research group consisting of other several researchers.

Number of positions: 1

Note: This position is subject to availability of external funding.

General information:

Duties: The duties of a PhD student are primarily directed at his/her own research education, (4 years full-time), 90 academic credits of courses and 150 credits research for the doctoral thesis. The work may also involve, to a limited extent (maximum 20 %) other departmental duties, mainly related to teaching undergraduate courses – in which case the position may be extended to maximum five years. General rules about PhD education can be found (in Swedish) in Högskoleförordningen Chapter 5, 1-7 §§, in Uppsala University rules and in the General Study Plan for PhD studies at the Department of Business Studies, Uppsala University.

Requirements: General entry requirement: an advanced level qualification, has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits awarded at the advanced level, or has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way. The specific entry requirement: courses in Business Studies comprising 90 credits.

In order to get a PhD position, the candidate needs to be admitted to the doctoral programme, and for this, his/her potential ability to pursue the programme is decisive.

Requirements - Language requirement: All applicants need to verify English language proficiency that corresponds to English studies at upper secondary (high school) level in Sweden ("English 6"). This can be done in a number of ways, including through an internationally recognised test such as TOEFL or IELTS, or through previous upper secondary (high school) or university studies.

The minimum test scores are: IELTS: an overall mark of 6.5 and no section below 5.5 TOEFL: Paper-based: Score of 4.5 (scale 1–6) in written test and a total score of 575. Internet-based: Score of 20 (scale 0–30) in written test and a total score of 90 Cambridge: CAE, CPE

More information about English language requirements

Note that a master thesis that has not yet been completed and assessed by the application deadline is given respite until June 3, 2020.

Criteria for assessment of applications: please see the criterias.

The application must include:

1. CV
2. Certified graduation diploma and transcripts of academic records, and other relevant documents that prove general and specific eligibility.
3. Research proposal in either English or Swedish (max. 12,000 characters including spaces). The research proposal should address the main research questions and the relevance of the project, relate the project to relevant previous research in the field, and present issues regarding data and methodology.
4. Motivation letter. In the motivation letter you will have to specify which project position you are interested in.
5. Master Thesis and books, articles, scripts, etc invoked. Note that a Master thesis that has not yet been completed and assessed by the application deadline is given respite until June 3, 2020.
6. Documents which verify that the language proficiency requirements are fulfilled. Note that applicants with a master’s degree from an English-speaking university or programme do not need to prove their English skills by submitting a TOEFL/IELTS-test. Information about English tests
7. Two letters of reference/recommendation (for example, from university teachers or employers). The letters have to include the contact information to the referees (e-mail address and phone number).The recommendation should state in what way the referent has known the applicant. We are particularly interested in an assessment of the applicant in terms of our admissions criteria.  Instructions for recommendation letters.

Interview: An evaluation committee assesses the applications and provides a recommendation for which candidates should be called for interviews. Call for interviews which will take place April 20-22, 2020 will be sent to selected candidates via e-mail.

Salary: According to the local agreement for PhD students.

Starting date: September 1, 2020.

Type of employment: Temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7.

Scope of employment: 100%

For further information about the position please contact: Director of PhD studies Susanne Åberg, ph +46 (0)18 471 1391, susanne.aberg@fek.uu.se and administrator for PhD studies Golondrian Janke, ph +46 (0)18 471 1369, golondrian.janke@fek.uu.se.

Please submit your application by March 31, 2020, UFV-PA 2020/829. Only complete applications with supporting documents will be reviewed.

Are you considering moving to Sweden to work at Uppsala University? If so, you will find a lot of information about working and living in Sweden at www.uu.se/joinus. You are also welcome to contact International Faculty and Staff Services at ifss@uadm.uu.se.