PhD student position in Industrial Economics and Management, specializing in hybrid work, leadership

Blekinge Institute of Technology is a place of curiosity and ingenuity with a campus in the middle of the Blekinge archipelago. Here we offer education from undergraduate to doctoral level and conduct world-class applied research. We change and make a difference. Do you want to become one of us?

The Department of Industrial Economics, being responsible for education and research within the field of Industrial Economics and Management, is one of six departments at the Faculty of Engineering. The department consists of an international and interdisciplinary group of 25 employees and several affiliated researchers. The research spans several areas, including (1) entrepreneurship, technology change, and industrial dynamics, (2) leadership and management in innovative and technology-driven organizations, (3) productivity, optimization and efficiency, and (4) implementation and use of innovative energy solutions.

The PhD student position is part of the newly funded KKS Synergy project WorkFlex+ which focuses on building resilient hybrid workplaces for sustainable retention, a three-year interdisciplinary research initiative to be conducted in collaboration with leading technology-intensive companies including Ericsson, Telenor, SONY, Storebrand, NKT, Consid and CodeScene.

Work description

The PhD student candidate will be affiliated with the research project WorkFlex+. The research focuses on how leadership, management control, and organizational work practices influence employee well-being, engagement, and long-term organizational commitment in hybrid and remote work arrangements within technology-intensive companies.

The work involves planning and conducting empirical studies in close collaboration with industry partners, including longitudinal surveys, interviews, focus groups, observational studies, and/or analyses of organizational data. The PhD student candidate is expected to contribute to the development of new knowledge on how organizations can design sustainable and resilient hybrid workplaces that support both organizational objectives and employee needs.

The position includes the collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, publication of scientific findings in international journals and conferences, and the presentation of research results to both academic and industry audiences. The research is carried out in close collaboration with corporate partners and involves participation in the project's Community of Practice and other co-creation activities.

In addition to work within the research project and doctoral studies, the position may include teaching and/or other departmental duties corresponding to a maximum of 20 percent of the total working time.

Eligibility requirements

To be employed as a Ph.D. student, it is required that the applicant is or will be admitted to postgraduate education.

To be eligible for admission to doctoral studies in Industrial Economics and Management, the applicant must have been awarded a second-cycle degree in business/economics or a technical/mathematical-natural sciences field or have otherwise acquired knowledge to be able to benefit from third-cycle studies in the subject.

Meriting competencies and experience

In addition to the qualifications described in the job description and the eligibility requirements for the position, the following documented degrees, competencies, and experiences are considered meriting:

• Specialization in organization studies, management, human resource management (HRM), and/or the behavioral sciences.
• Interest in hybrid work, leadership, the work environment, and/or organizational development.
• Experience with qualitative and/or quantitative research methods.
• Experience with surveys, interviews, and/or statistical analysis.
• Proficiency in written and oral communication in English.
• Experience of collaboration with companies and other types of organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as in teams.

Place of employment: Karlskrona.

Employment level: 100%.

Commencement: To be agreed.

Duration: The appointment is a temporary position corresponding to four years of full-time doctoral studies. The position may also include up to 20% teaching and/or other departmental responsibilities, in which case the employment period may be extended to a maximum of five years.

Application deadline: 2026-08-15

You apply online through our recruitment system by clicking on the "apply" button below.

If you have protected personal data, you should not register your application in our recruitment system. Instead, contact the HR Partner listed as the contact person in the advertisement for further instructions.

Instructions to applicants can be found at https://www.bth.se/english/about-bth/work-at-bth/vacancies. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the advertisement and instructions.

In case of different interpretations of the English and Swedish versions of this announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

Blekinge Institute of Technology, BTH, embraces diversity and welcomes applicants with varying backgrounds and experiences.
We work actively to take advantage of the qualities that diversity and an even gender distribution contribute to our operations.

We have chosen media for this recruitment and therefore we reject contact with advertisers or sellers of recruitment services.

Contact person

Martin Svensson

Associate Professor/Deputy Head of Department

+46455385354

martin.svensson@bth.se

Jonas Månsson

Professor/Head of Subject

+46455385612

jonas.p.mansson@bth.se

Darja Smite

Professor/WorkFlex+ Project Manager

+46455385719

darja.smite@bth.se

Johanna Melchert

HR-partner

+46455385225

johanna.mekchert@bth.se

Mikael Åsman

Union representative (SACO)

+46455385720

mikael.asman@bth.se

URL to this page