PhD position in Organization and Management Theory

Our research group in Organization and Management Theory (OMT) is seeking a PhD candidate to contribute to its research program. The core focus of our research program is the study of organizations in society. Our research is rooted in the observation that organizations are everywhere and play a key role in tackling humanity’s challenges. From birth, most people’s lives are lived through and in organizations such as schools, corporations, professional associations, governments, sports clubs, hospitals, cultural organizations, and many more. Therefore, all key societal challenges and transformations – such as those related to climate change, inequality, the onset of artificial intelligence or geopolitical conflict – are ultimately addressed and coordinated through organizations. The study of organizations is thus crucial to our understanding of contemporary societies.

At RSM, and the Department of People and Organisations, we have an eclectic program with state-of-the-art and impactful research. Researchers that are part of this program adopt a sociologically informed macro perspective - meaning that they start from the organization, organizational field, or societal level as the main unit of analysis. Otherwise, researchers are highly diverse and, as a group, encompass a wide variety of theoretical perspectives and research methods. For our PhD candidates, we provide an encouraging and supportive environment where our primary objective is to support you in developing your own research projects.

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic PhD candidate to further strengthen our group. The ideal candidate has a demonstrated passion for and experience in academic research, along with a learning orientation, perseverance, and a collaborative attitude. We are recruiting for a four-year, fully funded open PhD position, with the possibility of an extension for a fifth year. You will develop yourself as an all-round academic, learning how to conduct world-class research. Since this is an open position, there is no pre-defined research subject, which means that you will have the freedom to pursue your own interests as long as they fit within our broader research program.

Organizations; social evaluations; grand challenges; technology, craft and work; professions and occupations; organizational culture and values; power and politics; history and identity; social movements; scandals and misconduct; organizational development and change; institutional theory; ethnography; natural language processing.

Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) and our group comprise many leading academics in various international fields of research. This is evidenced by RSM’s high position in various rankings, our publication output in top-tier journals, our members’ roles as associate editors for leading academic outlets, as well as our receipt of prestigious international awards. Beyond our quantifiable achievements, we foster a strong culture of support, collaboration, inclusivity, and fairness, which we believe makes us better academics and a true community. Further, we are deeply committed to engaged research, always looking for opportunities to understand and address real problems through our research with the ambition to make a positive societal impact.

This PhD position fits broadly into our research theme of Organization and Management Theory (OMT) — the study of organizations, organizing, and management from a macro perspective. Grounded in its foundational discipline of sociology, OMT research develops and tests theory about organizations, their members, their management, and the processes through which they are organized. Our work typically examines phenomena at the group, (inter-)organizational, field, or societal level of analysis. 

Some current students’ PhD projects in this area explore questions related to how intermediation and organizational sponsorship (social entrepreneurship support by incubators, and accelerators) shape social impact creation in resource-constrained contexts, empirically examined in India’s education reform ecosystems through a multi-year ethnographic research; and another examines how labour unions and employers negotiate the introduction of automation in large-scale industrial settings, empirically focusing on a longitudinal qualitative case study of the Port of Rotterdam, analysing how collective actors shape technological change through bargaining, contestation, and institutional adaptation.

This is an “open” PhD position, meaning that the selected PhD candidate will have the opportunity to define and pursue their own research interests. You will develop a research agenda centred on a topic of your choice, informed by your skills, interests, and in alignment with one or more faculty members’ research expertise. This leaves you with significant freedom to pursue a project that is intellectually meaningful and supports your scholarly development, provided it is approached through an OMT lens and can be supervised by a faculty member with relevant expertise. While projects are developed in close consultation with specific advisors, candidates are encouraged to collaborate with other faculty members, including those from external institutions.

Currently our faculty and PhD candidates focus on themes such as:

• Alternative forms of organizing—exploring the distinct nature and challenges of social enterprises, hybrid organizations, and collective forms of action; how novel ideas, innovations, or creative products emerge; and what enables organizational success across different political regimes.
• Organizational responses to societal challenges—studying how organizations respond to pressing societal issues such as sustainability, inequality, digital transformation, and institutional disruption.
• Organizational scandals and misconduct—analysing the causes of organizations engaging in illegal or unethical conduct and society’s reactions in scandalizing and punishing such misconduct.
• Technology, work, and the future of organizing—investigating how digital technologies, platforms, and AI transform work, occupations, and organizing processes
• Professions, occupations, and expertise—understanding how professional identities and boundaries evolve in response to technological and institutional change.
• Craft and meaningful work—examining the revival of craft principles in advanced economies and their implications e.g., for identity, control, and value creation.
• Stigmatized and contested organizations and industries—studying the mechanisms through which organizations navigate stigma, legitimacy, and moral contestation
• Time, history, and temporality in the study of organizations—analysing how temporal structures, historical legacies, and collective memory shape organizing and institutional dynamics
• Organisational change and persistence—examining communicative, institutional, and cultural processes that underpin change and continuity; the interests, values, and norms driving transformation and contestation; and the role of digitization in reshaping organizational adaptation.

These themes are offered as inspiration for prospective projects, rather than as a fixed or exhaustive list of topics.

The following provides an approximate timeline, which may vary depending on methodological approach, data collection, and other factors:

• In the first year, the PhD candidate begins with an orientation to identify a potential dissertation focus through discussions with faculty and a review of relevant literature. As a specific focus develops, the literature review will become more targeted, leading to the design of the initial study. The first year ends with the development of a research proposal for the rest of the PhD trajectory. An important focus of the first year is taking relevant PhD courses on methods, theory and processes. Course work extends beyond the first year to adhere to requirements and address the specific project(s) as they develop.
• In the following years, the candidate will focus on conducting the studies necessary for their dissertation, writing, and preparing papers for journal submission. They will also take more, advanced courses to support their individual research. During these years, the candidate will also have the opportunity to present their findings at international conferences, and may plan a research visit abroad.
• The final format of the thesis will depend on the research methods employed, but an ERIM series thesis in our research group often comprises three empirical chapters, of publishable quality. Recent theses can be accessed via this repository: https://www.erim.eur.nl/research/publications/phd-series/

In addition to the research, the candidate will also have the opportunity to gain teaching experience for a small portion of their time (up to 20% of their time). They will participate in the department’s undergraduate and master's programs, acquiring valuable skills that will enhance their qualifications for an academic position upon completing their PhD.

The study of organizations is interdisciplinary, drawing on diverse theories and methods. Accordingly, the methodological approach should follow the research question, theoretical perspective, and empirical context. We encourage PhD candidates to acquaint themselves with a variety of methods and to develop as all-round researchers. Most scholars in our OMT group primarily use qualitative methods—such as ethnography, case studies, historical analysis, and interviews–but we also have excellent scholars with a quantitative focus. Mixed-method approaches that integrate both qualitative and quantitative research (e.g., combining big data or machine learning with in-depth fieldwork) can also be pursued. Method selection and mastery are viewed as part of the PhD learning process, guided by supervisors and supported by RSM’s resources and networks.

We seek candidates who:

• Are deeply curious and inquisitive about organizational phenomena and the social world around them. A genuine interest in asking and answering meaningful questions is the foundation of good research.
• Hold, or are about to complete, a Master’s degree in management or a related field within the social sciences, preferably with a strong focus on sociology, organizations, institutions, or management.
• Have demonstrated research experience (e.g., a Master’s thesis or equivalent project), using either quantitative or qualitative methods.
• Exhibit high conscientiousness, flexibility, and a collaborative attitude in their approach to research and teamwork.
• Show an open mind and a strong willingness to learn and grow in all areas of research
• Possess strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Have excellent oral and written communication skills in English, as demonstrated in a sample of academic writing*

For any questions concerning this PhD opportunity please contact Jochem Kroezen: jkroezen@rsm.nl.

Required by ERIM

All application documents required by ERIM can be found (under Application) here.  

The PhD project is funded for up to five years and should ultimately yield scientific publications in top-tier peer-reviewed journals such as Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Administrative Science Quarterly, Organization Science, Organization Studies, or Journal of Management Studies (among others).

Results/papers will also be presented at international conferences, such as the annual meetings of the Academy of Management (AoM), the European Group of Organization Studies (EGOS), and smaller specialized conferences.

Furthermore, careful planning should also yield data for work beyond the dissertation papers such that upon completing the PhD, subsequent projects can be relatively quickly embarked on.

In general, a strong ethos of cooperating towards achieving high-quality PhD training exists within the department, between relevant faculty across RSM departments as well as with the broad professional network. For example

• The relevant supervisors have a strong international network of collaborators and colleagues that can be called upon to host research visits of PhD students, assist with specific needs (e.g., friendly reviewer), and serve as external committee members.
• We encourage PhD students to spend time visiting institutions abroad. In the past our students visited institutions such as MIT Sloan, Michigan State University, WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business), Cornell University, Duke University, the University of Maryland, Northwestern University, Rice University, Stanford University, University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto.
• We regularly organize research seminars and research visits by renowned international faculty, providing opportunities to engage with distinguished speakers, interact with them directly, and explore potential collaboration opportunities.

• We nurture a collaborative environment within our research group. This includes internal research seminars from faculty and PhD candidates, and an active environment of research sharing on a day-to-day basis. Our PhD candidates are active members of this community.

Given organizations’ pivotal societal and economic role as described above, scientifically sound research, research that contributes to resolving (theoretical) problems and puzzles, and the deep contextual knowledge that is developed during a PhD project, will also address practical problems and contribute to important societal issues. The Rotterdam School of Management actively supports the dissemination of research findings to the wider society in various ways (e.g., RSM discovery).

The PhD project will be grounded in robust theoretical and methodological foundations and is expected to significantly enhance our understanding of OMT. Regardless of its specific focus, the project should advance theoretical understanding within the relevant perspectives and contribute to the development of new conceptual insights. The research is also expected to deepen our understanding of particular empirical contexts, such as specific industries, type(s) of organizations, or forms of organizing. While the precise nature of the scientific contribution will depend on how the PhD project evolves, it is anticipated that the work will meaningfully inform and extend existing theories and concepts within OMT.

Please consult the webpages of the faculty related to these themes: Greetje Corporaal, Chintan Kella, Bas Koene, Jochem Kroezen, and Rasmus Pichler (see: https://www.rsm.nl/research/departments/organisation-and-personnel-management/faculty/) for further information on their expertise and research.

Also consider having a look at the profiles of some of the current PhD students of the group to get a feel for what a PhD project in Organization and Management Theory could look like: Karthik Rapaka, Jose Gallegos Quezada, Yaari Hodara, Ejian Zhou (see: https://www.rsm.nl/research/departments/organisation-and-personnel-management/phd-candidates/).

In addition, consider listening to the podcast “Talking about Organizations" https://www.talkingaboutorganizations.com/

ERIM offers fully-funded and salaried PhD positions, which means that accepted PhD candidates become employees (promovendi) of Erasmus University Rotterdam. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO).

Erasmus University Rotterdam aspires to be an equitable and inclusive community. We nurture an open culture, where everyone is supported to fulfil their full potential. We see inclusivity of talent as the basis of our successes, and the diversity of perspectives and people as a highly valued outcome. EUR provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, functional impairment, citizenship, or any other aspect which makes them unique. We look forward to welcoming you to our community.

For questions regarding the PhD application and selection procedure, please check the Admissions or send us an e-mail via phdadmissions@erim.eur.nl.