PhD Research Scholar Positions in Strategy and Management

PhD Research Scholar positions - Department of Strategy and Management

About NHH

NHH Norwegian School of Economics is one of the leading business schools in Europe. We have an internationally recognised research environment and collaborate with 195 universities and business schools worldwide. NHH is the first choice for students who want to study business administration in Norway. Our activities are characterised by high quality, strong ethical standards, and a collective drive for common goals. 

In close partnership with the business community and society, we generate and disseminate new knowledge and create value for a sustainable future. NHH is located in the city of Bergen and has around 3,750 students and 455 employees.

The PhD specialisation

NHH is pleased to announce vacancies in the Department of Strategy and Management. Candidates admitted to the PhD programme will receive the title of PhD Research Scholar. 

The department welcomes applications specialising in several fields of research such as strategy, organisation and management, entrepreneurship and innovation, marketing, and digitalisation and information management. The research areas described below represent research opportunities emphasised by the Department, but applications within other relevant research areas are also welcome.

Start date: August 2025

Digital innovation for Sustainable Growth

Digital Innovation for Sustainable Growth (DIG) is a research center located within the Department of Strategy and Management, focusing on sustainable growth and transformation enabled by digital technologies. By joining the research center as a PhD research scholar, you will become part of an ambitious research community and gain access to leading Scandinavian private and public organisations, national register databases, and a powerful AI server. We invite applications within the center’s main research areas and in addition on one specific topic related to AI, competition and innovation:

The center’s main research areas

The center’s research focuses primarily on five key areas:

• Technology adoption
• Digitally enabled sustainable business models and business model innovation
• Partnerships, alliances and ecosystems
• Radical transformation and innovation
• AI and business intelligence

Applications within all these areas are welcome.

E-mail: lasse.lien@nhh.no

AI, competition and innovation

As AI technologies advance, their integration into strategic decision-making and operational processes has implications for how firms create and capture value. While AI adoption is expected to become essential for survival, merely using AI tools will not guarantee long-term competitive advantages. The challenge lies in understanding how AI can be tailored to specific contexts and integrated with a firm’s existing strengths to create robust, sustainable competitive advantages. This raises important questions about AI’s role in competitive dynamics, the capabilities needed to realise AI’s full potential, and the governance challenges of AI deployment. Additionally, traditional business models may need to be reimagined, leading to shifts in market entry and exit. The intersection of AI with partnerships, alliances, and ecosystems also becomes crucial, as firms increasingly rely on external collaborations to access needed capabilities.

E-mail: bram.timmermans@nhh.no

Sustainable consumer decision-making

Sustainable consumer decision-making is a key area of research at the Center for Sustainable Business at NHH. This research focuses on how individuals make decisions related to sustainability, and how organisations and governments can facilitate better decisions to reduce the negative impact of consumption on the environment. This opportunity is ideal for candidates interested in sustainability, consumer behavior, and experimental research, while being part of a collaborative team in an interdisciplinary academic center.

E-mail: siv.skard@nhh.no

Global strategy and geopolitics

Global strategy studies the interaction between the global context of organisations and their strategy and strategic management. Recent geopolitical events, rising populism weakening global institutions, and the urgent need to tackle grand social and environmental challenges shape the “new context” for global strategy and offer exciting research opportunities. One potential avenue can be to future-proof received views and theories of global strategy and international business by integrating perspectives from political sciences and the domain of international relations to better understand geopolitical processes, interventions, and inter-governmental tensions and to explore actual firm-level responses to cope with these changes.

E-mail: bjorn.schmeisser@nhh.no

The future of human resource management (HRM)

Technological advancements have underscored the need for a deeper understanding of changes in work organisations and employment relations. The use of remote work, digital tools, and artificial intelligence has enabled organisations to adopt innovative forms of management, impacting individuals’ working lives. Parallel, the increasing demand for sustainable HRM, coupled with an aging population, exerts new pressures on organisations. We aim to explore the implications of these challenges on HR activities, considering key stakeholders, such as employers, employees and labor unions.

E-mail: karen.olsen@nhh.no

Business process redesign in a digital world

Information technology has been central to business process management since its inception. Over the past decade, emerging digital technologies including AI, data analytics, the Internet of Things, and digital platforms have brought new opportunities and challenges for the redesign of business processes. Important research topics to be explored are the role of digital technology in the redesign of business processes, the impact of digital technology on process redesign methodologies, and the importance of a process perspective in digitalisation efforts.

E-mail: kjersti.danilova@nhh.no / jon.iden@nhh.no

Leadership and sustainability

Sustainability in leadership is about purpose, meaning, and solving future problems. A company’s mission has the potential to engage employees in the pursuit of goals and outcomes. We suggest examining leadership drivers that engage employees and teams in topics related to sustainability at the workplace. Relevant research problems can include: What does it mean to be a purpose-driven leader? How do leaders influence and engage employees in sustainable missions? Leadership behavior and social sustainability? What is it leaders do to attract, mobilise, and coordinate sustainable initiatives?

E-mail: alexander.sandvik@nhh.no

The PhD programme

The PhD programme at NHH is a four-year fully-funded programme, which combines an intensive course component with research and relevant work experience, preparing the school’s graduates for scholarly positions at recognised international institutions and positions in knowledge-intensive institutions and firms outside of academia. Former PhD graduates have been hired by renowned institutions such as Harvard University, The University of Sydney’s Business School, University of Amsterdam, Tilburg University, Hanken School of Economics, Norwegian universities and business schools, as well as in the government, banking, finance and consulting industries.

The PhD research scholars will be included in a highly stimulating and rewarding research environment, working closely with faculty members and other PhD research scholars at the school. PhD research scholars participate actively in faculty and research seminars, as well as in workshops. NHH also provides funding for research stays abroad to build a wider network and strengthen the research of the PhD research scholar. As part of the position, the PhD research scholars allocate 25% of their time to teaching and/or research assistance responsibilities. They also receive pedagogical training. The place of work is in Bergen at NHH, where the PhD research scholars will have their own office space at their department.

The PhD programme gives preference to applicants who address research problems that fit the research interests of the department and available resources for supervision. As the school aspires gender balance and diversity, female applicants will be given preference if applicants are otherwise equally qualified.

The annual salary for the PhD research scholar position will be NOK 550 000 (equivalent to approximately EUR 46 780 or USD 49 410) pr. August 2025. For particularly well-qualified applicants, a higher salary may be considered. Thereafter annual adjustment of minimum 3%. The salary ensures a fair standard of living in Norway and is subject to Norwegian taxes and benefits, including public health care benefits and pension savings.

The city of Bergen offers a mild coastal climate and hosts rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities, as well as a family-friendly environment. To explore the city, go to visitnorway.com.

Application requirements

General requirements:

Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements for the PhD programme. You are required to upload the following documents with your application in Jobbnorge:

• Certificate of a Master of science degree or equivalent (please include transcripts of grades). You need to have completed your master’s degree prior to the starting date for the position. If you have not completed your degree when applying for the position, please attach an overview of the courses and grades that you have completed so far
• Certificate of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent (please include transcripts of grades) 
• Other relevant certificates or transcripts (e.g. courses completed at the PhD level)
• If the issuing authority of grades and degrees does not use the ECTS grading scale, please include an official description of the applied grading scale system
• Statement of purpose describing your motivation for applying this position (250-300 words)
• A research proposal (2000-4000 words). The research proposal should describe the aims, research questions, and motivation of the proposed research. Please note that your research proposal is tentative and often needs adjustments after your acceptance into the programme
• Curriculum vitae
• A list of all publications and/or other documented research activities 

Please upload the documents in separate files, not combined in one single file.

Specific requirements:

The Department of Strategy and Management requires you to demonstrate both an adequate level of academic skills and an adequate level of English language proficiency (unless you are exempt). We accept the following tests:

• GMAT or GRE tests to measure your academic skills
• TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Academic to measure your English language proficiency

When applying, you are required to upload a copy of your unofficial test scores in Jobbnorge before the deadline. If you are shortlisted, NHH will ask you to give us access to your official test scores without delay.

Exemptions:

• You are waived from the GMAT or GRE tests if you hold a qualifying master’s degree from a Nordic institution
• You are waived from TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Academic tests if you are a native English speaker, if you have a qualifying master’s degree from a Nordic institution or if you have a qualifying master’s degree where the language of tuition was English

For more detailed information about the tests and their minimum scores, please visit our webpage: Admission to the PhD programme | NHH. You may also contact us at phd@nhh.no

Letters of recommendation and contact details of references:

Letters of recommendation and/or contact details of references may strengthen your application, but they are not mandatory. If you choose to include letters of recommendations, the references should send their letter of recommendation in PDF format directly to hr-phd@nhh.no by latest 15 January 2025. Contact details of references may be included in Jobbnorge when you apply.

General information

For more information on the PhD programme and the submission procedure, please consult the NHH PHD website. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please note that applicants for the PhD research scholar position do not need to apply separately for admission to the PhD programme.

The state labour force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.

In accordance with §25 (2) of the Freedom of Information Act, note that the list of applicants may be made public even if the applicant has requested not to have his/her name entered on the list of applicants. The applicant will be notified if his/her request is not respected.

For questions and inquiries about the NHH PhD programme, please contact phd@nhh.no.

Applications must be submitted through the Jobbnorge online portal. To open the application, please click ‘Apply for this job’. For English version, go to the menu at the top right side.

Application deadline: 15 January 2025

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