NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
PhD Candidate in International Business
This is NTNU NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim. At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world. You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KHQjc4ndas&t=41sAbout the position The position is at NTNU in Ålesund at the School of International Business. We are looking for candidates with an educational background in international business or international management. However, other business and management degrees, including technology management, innovation management, organizational leadership and behavior, or human resource management, will also be considered. Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? As a PhD Candidate with us, you will work to achieve your doctorate and, at the same time, gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a future career in higher education and research, both within and beyond academia. Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.
About the project Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation, and remote operations are transforming not only where people work, but also how work is organized. As technologies redistribute tasks, expertise, decision-making authority, and responsibility across people and locations, they can reconfigure established roles, relationships, and ways of working. These changes raise important leadership questions: How do leaders help employees navigate changing roles and responsibilities? How are trust, shared understanding, and coordination maintained when work becomes increasingly technology-mediated and geographically distributed? And how do leadership practices emerge as established authority structures are reshaped by technology? These leadership challenges can become particularly pronounced in culturally diverse teams, where members may differ in their expectations regarding leadership, authority, autonomy, participation, communication, and responsibility. Such differences may reflect both the cultural composition of the team and the cultural values and orientations of individual members. The aim of this PhD project is to investigate how leadership and culture jointly shape responses to technology-driven changes in distributed work, with particular attention to how leaders navigate culturally diverse expectations as new ways of working emerge, and how these processes influence trust, role clarity, and coordination. The PhD project seeks to advance research on leadership, cross-cultural management, and technology-driven organizational change, potentially using remote maritime operations as a relevant empirical context in which geographically dispersed and culturally diverse actors must navigate shifting roles and authority while coordinating effectively in a safety-critical environment. The successful candidate will have scope to develop the theoretical framework, research questions, and methodological design within the project's overall direction.
About the proposal The PhD candidate should develop and submit a proposal within the scope of the topic, and, if selected as the preferred candidate, conduct research on the topic. Preferably, the PhD candidate’s research should focus on industries relevant to the Møre and Romsdal county, such as the marine and maritime industries.
Duties of the position
• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate • Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above • Academic publications and popular science dissemination • Participate in the research group on international business and innovation. • Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.
Required selection criteria
• You must have an academically relevant background, preferably within international business or international management. However, other business and management degrees including technology management, management of innovation, organizational leadership and behavior, or human resource management may also apply. • You must have a master’s degree in international business, international management, business administration, or equivalent. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course in which 120 credits have been obtained at the master's level. Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position. • You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree studies, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker academic background, you may still be considered if you can demonstrate that you are particularly well-suited for a PhD program. • You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty of economics and management doctoral programme (https://www.ntnu.edu/ok/research/phd) • Good oral and written presentation skills in English and/or Norwegian. PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.
The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position.
Preferred selection criteria
- •Good knowledge of industries represented in the region, such as the marine, maritime and furniture industry, both local and global.
- •Have strong motivation for advanced research work demonstrated by a motivation letter and a proposal within the scope of the project description above.
- •Good demonstrated theoretical and analytical skills.
- •Contribute to a positive work environment in general is emphasized.
Personal characteristics To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to:
• Work independently • Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them • Present and discuss your research with other professionals • Get involved and contribute constructively with feedback • Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity • Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject • Analyze data, assess different perspectives and draw well-founded conclusions • Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.
We offer
• An exciting job with an important mission in society • Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment • Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period • Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues • Working capital that can be used to implement the project • Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU • Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK) • Free Norwegian language training at a basic level (A2) As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits.
Diversity Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals. We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education. If you think this position is relevant and interest
