PhD scholarship in Social Capital and Hybrid-Remote Work

The Department of Management at the Technical University of Denmark invites applications for a 3-year PhD position in the area of new ways of working in hybrid-remote work, starting mid-December 2021. The position is part of a research project in collaboration with the union HK Kommunal. The PhD student will be part of the division of Innovation at DTU Management. The position is affiliated to the Implementation and Performance Management (IPM) section that aims to advance knowledge on the implementation of new technology and work processes, integrating organizational performance and employee well-being.

During the pandemic, many people experienced working from home and new ways of working with their colleagues experiencing both advantages and disadvantages with implications for trust, justice and collaboration. Many private and public companies now consider making hybrid work permanent, which require new ways of working which may affect work and people in new ways. The PhD project conducted at DTU will investigate how employees and managers in the public sector experience hybrid-remote work and how to manage and organize the increased use of flexibility to ensure continuous employee well-being and organizational performance under these new circumstances.

Responsibilities and qualifications
The PhD project answers to scholarly calls of further research into hybrid-remote work and how it affects people, by focusing on trust, justice and collaboration (social capital). By combining qualitative and quantitative research, the PhD project should address questions such as:

• How hybrid-remote work is experienced?
• How does hybrid-remote work affect trust, justice and collaboration?
• What are the key factors causing these experiences?
• How workplaces can help to build trust, justice and collaboration in hybrid-remote teams and among colleagues?

The outcome of the PhD project will be a new model that relates hybrid-remote work with social capital and the role of daily management and organization of work.   

As a PhD student, you will: 

• Be responsible for conducting your own research project
• Collect and analyse qualitative and quantitative data from Danish municipalities and regional administrative offices
• Have the opportunity to teach and supervise engineering students at DTU
• Contribute to new knowledge about social capital in hybrid–remote work
• Strive to publish your work worldwide in recognised journals
• Work in close collaboration with researchers from the Innovation division and international research partners
• Present your work at international conferences and seminars
• Discuss exciting research with IPM colleagues at weekly research meetings

This PhD project will be supervised by Associate Professor Christine Ipsen and Senior Researcher Kasper Edwards.

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.

Approval and Enrolment
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see the DTU PhD Guide .  

Assessment
The assessment of the applicants will be made by Associate Professor Christine Ipsen and Senior Researcher Kasper Edwards.

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. The period of employment is 3 years.  

You can read more about career paths at DTU here . 

Further information
Further information may be obtained from Associate Professor Christine Ipsen, tel. +45 4525 6014 or Senior Researcher Kasper Edwards, +45 4525 6010.

You can read more about DTU Management and the Implementation and Performance Management section at www.man.dtu.dk . 

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark .

Application procedure
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 25 October 2021 (Danish time). Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply online", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma
• Excel sheet with translation of grades to the Danish grading system (see guidelines and Excel spreadsheet here )

You may apply prior to ob­tai­ning your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, disability, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply.

Digitalization, advanced technologies, human-robot interaction are shaping the frontiers of strategic performance of private and public organizations. In the Implementation and Performance Management Section we study leadership skills and employee competencies together with implementation processes required for a fast-paced, forward-looking transformation. In the Innovation Division, the starting point is technological innovations treated in a social and human context. Technology should never be viewed in isolation as it is always part of a larger technical and societal systems. The research in the division focusses on the interaction between technology, systems and people. 

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear vision to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That vision lives on today. DTU has 12,900 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.