Doctoral Studentships in Managing Innovation and Strategic Sustainability
University of Gothenburg Department of Business Administration
Sweden

Ref PAR 2020/1515

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 49 000 students and 6 400 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract scientists and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

With its more than 4000 full-time students, 475 employees, 150 international partner universities, its main subject areas – Economics and Law – and four departments, the School of Business, Economics and Law has unique breadth. The School’s close collaborations with the business sector and the public sector are also unique. The School of Business, Economics and Law holds EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA accreditations and is thus the only school of its kind in Sweden to hold Triple Crown accreditation.

The Department of Business Administration with over 140 employees of which 15 are employed doctoral students, is the largest department at the School of Business, Economics and Law. The Department consists of the sections Accounting, Marketing, Management and Organisation, and Industrial and Financial Economics and Logistics. We are one of the leading research departments in the country and our research has a strong tradition in empirically based research aiming for publications in well-recognized scientific journals.

We are looking for two doctoral students in Business Administration within the project "Managing Innovation and Strategic Sustainability", who will be employed on a fully funded doctoral studentship ("doktorandanställning"), with placement at the Department of Business Administration https://www.gu.se/en/school-business-economics-law/business-administration 

Job assignments

The PhD programme in Business Administration is equivalent to four year full-time and lead to a Degree of Doctor in Business Administration.
The study programme consists of coursework comprising 90 credits and a thesis part comprising 150 credits, for a total of 240 credits. A general study plan for doctoral studies in Business Administration is available at
https://www.gu.se/en/school-business-economics-law/business-administration/doctoral-studies/application-admission-and-requirements

Those appointed to doctoral studentships shall primarily devote themselves to their doctoral studies. They may however work to a limited extent with teaching, research and administration (departmental duties). Departmental duties may amount to a maximum of 20 per cent of full time spread over the period of study and should result in a corresponding extension of the studentship.

Project: 

The covid pandemic has made it abundantly clear that quality and efficiency in health care and life sciences is of utmost importance for society. While the pandemic has illustrated the current strengths and challenges in the health care system, it has also shown the importance that research, innovation and technological advancements have in helping to meet the healthcare challenges of the future. Yet so often, innovation is stifled by conservative practices and slow processes, which can prevent healthcare organisations and companies to mobilize knowledge and organize themselves effectively to innovate and leverage new technologies. This has to be overcome while at the same considering the sustainability impact of new technologies and business models. In this research project, we focus on a multinational actor in the midst of this development – Getinge AB.

University of Gothenburg and Getinge AB has initiated a strategic research collaboration with the aim of delivering qualified research as well as support Getinge when it comes to manage innovation and sustainability. We are now looking to admit two doctoral students into the collaboration that already comprise management representatives from Getinge and professors from the Management & Organization section at the School of Business, Economics and Law. One doctoral project will focus on managing innovation and the other will focus on integrating sustainability into business strategy.

The project of managing innovation will focus on how Getinge can improve processes and organization of people with different expertise across the business to better enable innovation of new products and solutions. This includes mobilising knowledge and coordinating activities and responsibilities across the boundaries of units and groups within the company. It also requires close collaboration with suppliers and other partners as well as customers (e.g. doctors, nurses, hospital technicians). For example, onsite support and continuously fine-tuning and adjustments of technologies may lead to new insights and product development. Furthermore, Getinge sees opportunities within the areas of digitalization, connectivity and AI to improve health care practices.

The project of integration of sustainability into strategy will focus on the firm’s attempt to move sustainability concerns into the firm’s core of operations. Getinge has recently communicated their ambition to be C02 neutral by 2025 therefore placing this at the forefront of business strategy and operations. Key aspects include how to integrate sustainability into product development and offerings to customers. For example, designing products that allow hospitals to emit less greenhouse gases when using the equipment, adding connectivity and shifting from products to services.

The close collaboration with Getinge allows a rare opportunity to study the managing of innovation and integration of sustainability into strategy in detail and in real time. The doctoral students will mainly use qualitative methods and analyze the material with theories used in the field of management and organization. In addition to producing a solid academic contribution, the projects should also support Getinge’s ambition to manage innovation and integrate sustainability into strategy.

Eligibility

To be eligible for admission to doctoral studies, the applicant must meet both the general and specific entry requirements below. Furthermore, the applicant must be considered in other respects to have the ability required to benefit from the study programme.

General entry requirements:

The applicant meets the general entry requirements if he or she:

1. has been awarded a degree at advanced level
2. has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded at advanced level, or
3. has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad

Specific entry requirements:

The applicant must have completed at least 90 credits in Business Administration, which includes a degree project of at least 15 credits or equivalent knowledge acquired by other means. The specific entry requirements are also met if the equivalent knowledge has essentially been acquired by other means within or outside Sweden.

Assessment

In selecting between applicants who meet the general and specific entry requirements, their ability to benefit from the study programme is taken into account. Applicants are assessed based on the following criteria:

• The applicant’s documented knowledge within the subject area of relevance to the research area,
• The applicant’s documented knowledge in academic theory and methodology,
• The applicant’s analytical ability, as substantiated through an academic report, paper, degree thesis or corresponding work.

Employment

Regulations for employment of doctoral students are given in the Higher Education Ordinance SFS 1993:100. Only those who are admitted to third-cycle studies may be appointed to doctoral studentships. Those appointed to doctoral studentships shall primarily devote themselves to their studies. They may, however, work to a limited extent with educational tasks, research and administration according to the regulations.

The initial appointment may apply for no longer than one year. An appointment may be renewed for no more than two years at a time. The total employment period may not exceed the time corresponding to full-time third-cycle studies for four years. 

Employment: Time limited employment (temporary), 4 years
Extent: 100%
Location: Department of Business Administration, Gothenburg
Starting date: 1 September 2021

Salaries for doctoral students are regulated in a local agreement at the University of Gothenburg.

Appointment procedure

Selected applicants will be called to an interview (preliminary in April 2021). A written assignment may be arranged. 

The admission decisions are made by the Head of Department (preliminary in June 2021), upon recommendation from the Department’s Committee for Research and PhD Education (FFK).

For further information regarding the position

Associate professor Stefan Sjögren
Deputy head of Department of Business Administration
stefan.sjogren@handels.gu.se
+46 (0)31-786 1499

Professor Kajsa Lindberg, coordinator Managing Innovation
kajsa.lindberg@handels.gu.se
+46 (0)31 786 4484

Professor Niklas Egels Zandén, coordinator Strategic Sustainability
niklas.zanden@handels.gu.se
+46 (0)31 786 2729

Unions

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg:
https://www.gu.se/en/about-the-university/work-at-the-university-of-gothenburg/how-to-apply

How to apply

In order to apply for a position at the University of Gothenburg, you have to register an account in our online recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline. The selection of candidates is made on the basis of the qualifications registered in the application.

The application must include:

1. Cover letter
2. CV 
3. A description of the research area that you are interested in, given the above described research project (max. five pages). Please, focus on one of the two themes described above.
4. Certified copies of degree certificates and certificates of enrolment in completed university courses including grades
5. A copy of your degree thesis or corresponding work and potential other scientific papers
6. Two letters of recommendation including their contact details (title, name, email and phone number)

All attachments are to be named appropriately for their content.

If your documents are not issued in Swedish or English they must be translated into English or Swedish by an authorized translator.

Closing date: 1 March, 2021

The University of Gothenburg promotes equal opportunities, equality and diversity.

Applications will be destroyed or returned (upon request) two years after the decision of employment has become final. Applications from the employed and from those who appeal the decision will not be returned.

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.