PhD position: Understanding and supporting effective innovation practices in interorganizational learning communities

5 Apr 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

University of Twente (UT)

Research Field

Cultural studies

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Netherlands

Application Deadline

26 Apr 2024 - 21:59 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Not Applicable

Hours Per Week

40.0

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

In both research and industry, there is a growing push to establish interorganizational learning communities as hubs where professionals from diverse backgrounds can collaborate, learn, and innovate collectively. Although we have seen a significant rise of these interorganizational learning communities (LCs), as they hold a promise to contribute to offering solutions for current societal issues, most of these communities often do not result in the required innovations. While the participants often posses expert knowledge on the topic, they often get “stuck” in merely exchanging knowledge. Currently, we lack insights into how to support these LCs with actionable knowledge, tools, and guidance in adopting and implementing socio-technical innovations.

The focus of the PhD project is twofold. First, you will investigate the dynamics of effective innovation practices in teams and their keydrivers. Specific methods (combinations of video-observation, physiological measures and experience sampling) will be employed to studying, at a micro-level, the innovation processes and critical moments in those processes. Second, you will develop and evaluate the effects of training and other forms of support to accelerate the innovation practices.

The resulting insights will also be used to offer formative and summative feedback to the communities themselves, empowering them to reflect on and enhance their innovation and learning practices.

The PhD position is part of the NWO-funded project LIAT; Learning and Innovating Ahead of the Threat. In this project, several other partners are also involved including Saxion Hogeschool, the Haagse Security Delta (HSD), and the Centre and the Centre for Safety an Digitalization. Within this context, several learning communities are participating in the project.

Requirements
Specific Requirements

As a PhD-student in this project, you will work on the intersection of science and practice. You will contribute to the understanding of how interorganizational learning communities can collaborate and learn together to come up with the required innovations in the field of safety (i.e., digital and physical safety) and how you support a context for continuous learning and innovation. You will design a training to prepare participants and foster the complex skills required for developing innovative solutions together with others. In doing so, you can build upon earlier trainings which are designed for these purposes. Furthermore, you will map collaborative learning and innovation processes and how these emerge over time (e.g., different phases and transitions to the next phase). We use a novel, multi-modal approach to get a more holistic understanding of these processes and to also identify “critical moments” by using a combination of video observation and physiological measures.

A great opportunity of this project is that you are not only working with academics, but also maintain close relationships with stakeholders and practitioners that are affiliated in this project.

You will be expected to report and present your findings for both scientific and non-scientific audiences, such as at scientific conferences, in journal publications, and during project meetings with partners.

To be considered for this position, you should:

• have a MSc degree in Educational Science, Business Administration, Psychology, Human Resource Management, Organization Studies, Communication Science, or a related field;
• have expertise or demonstrable interest in the process of continuous learning and innovation practises in a team context;
• have strong, demonstrable methodological knowledge and skills (qualitative and quantitative);
• have an interest in the design of trainings or interventions;
• have experience or an interest in field research, specifically in study designs where multiple methods are combined (observation and physiological measures);
• have good social and communication skills in academic as well as non-academic contexts;
• are fluent in English and able to understand and communicate in Dutch (hard requirement);
• have excellent writing and organization skills;
• have proven ability to work independently, but also to collaborate within a team and with relevant stakeholders (both within and outside academia).

Additional Information
Benefits

A 4-year PhD-position (1.0fte), starting in June 2024. The gross salary is in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU) € 2.770,- to € 3539,- per month for a fulltime position, depending on experience. On top of this, you receive a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus.

We offer excellent auxiliary terms of employment, such as

• professional and personal development programs;
• a secondary remuneration package;
• a dynamic environment with enthusiastic colleagues;
• an organization focusing on internationalization;
• a high degree of responsibility and independence.

Additional comments

Go to www.utwente.nl/vacatures/en (click twice to find the vacancy) to start with the application. You can upload your files here. Since only three documents can be uploaded per application, please combine documents if needed.

Your application should include the following documents:

• a cover letter (in English or Dutch) which explains your interest in the position and your qualifications for it;
• a curriculum vitae;
• a copy of your Master’s thesis or, if it is not yet available, an outline and summary of your thesis.

Apply before the application deadline of April 26. The first round of interviews will be held beginning of May. The second round also takes place in May. The starting date for the position is ideally June 2024, but some flexibility is possible.

For additional information about this position, or to receive the full text of the research proposal funded by NWO, you can contact dr. Marcella Hoogeboom ([email protected] / +31 53 4893984).

Website for additional job details

https://www.academictransfer.com/339857/

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Universiteit Twente

Country

Netherlands

City

Enschede

Postal Code

7522NB

Street

Drienerlolaan 5

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.academictransfer.com/en/339857/phd-position-understanding-and-suppo…

Contact

City

Enschede

Website

http://www.universiteittwente.nl/

Street

Drienerlolaan 5

Postal Code

7522 NB

STATUS: EXPIRED