Doctoral fellow - Department of Marketing, Innovation and Organisation

About this position

Last application date

Nov 18, 2026 23:59

Department

EB23 - Department of Marketing, Innovation and Organisation

Degree

Master’s degree relevant for the research project and including a research-based Master’s thesis

Occupancy rate

100%

Vacancy type

Research staff

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is an internationally renowned, open, pluralistic, and socially engaged university in Belgium. We strive to make science better and through that science, we also make the world better. Our credo is “Dare to Think”: we are a haven for courageous thinkers, including more than 50.000 students and 15.000 employees.

As a caring and committed employer, our talent-driven HR policy is rewarded with the European “HR Excellence in Research” quality label.

RESEARCH PROJECT

Within the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration and the research group HRM, Strategy and Organization, Professor Gosia Kozusznik and Professor Greet Van Hoye are looking for a motivated PhD student to carry out a four-year research project on how human-robot teamwork is experienced in daily work, and under which conditions it supports worker well-being and performance.

Technology is rapidly transforming work. The integration of cobots within Industry 5.0 can enrich jobs, but it also brings psychological and organizational challenges, especially where robots work closely with people or replace them in hazardous settings. Both the popular press and academic work increasingly describe people and robots as teams.

Yet existing research has mostly examined communication, coordination, and collaboration, and we know very little about the psychosocial processes that emerge when workers collaborate with robots every day: how they make sense of the robot as a colleague, how they cooperate in daily routines, and when tensions or conflicts arise. Understanding these processes, and the conditions under which collaboration with robots supports rather than undermines worker well-being and performance, is essential for designing healthier, more sustainable human-centered workplaces. To this end, multiple quantitative and qualitative research methods can be applied (e.g., experiment, questionnaire, interview, literature review).

YOUR TASKS

This position is primarily dedicated to carrying out the proposed research project, with the aim to write a doctoral dissertation consisting of academic articles that are publishable in international peer-reviewed journals.

You will present our research at international scientific conferences.

You will also reach out to experts and organizations in the field to discuss ideas, get feedback, collaborate on data collection, and translate our research findings into actionable advice.

You will provide some limited teaching support, such as guiding Master’s thesis students on a topic related to the research project.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

You are almost or recently graduated with a Master’s degree relevant for the research project and including a research-based Master’s thesis. Final-year students are thus also encouraged to apply. Examples of relevant degrees are a (Research) Master in HRM/Organizational Behavior/Management/Business Economics/Communication or Work/Organizational/Social Psychology.

For diplomas awarded outside the European Union, a certificate of equivalence (NARIC) must be submitted. The degree requirements need to be fulfilled at the start of your appointment.

You have performed well academically, as demonstrated by your study results (grades), Master’s thesis, and/or publications.

You are highly interested in the described research project and strongly motivated to obtain your PhD.

You possess good methodological and statistical skills, and are willing to develop those further. You have experience with SPSS or R.

You have good scientific writing and speaking skills, both in English and Dutch (surveys will be in both languages, writing will be mostly in English, contact with participants and organizations will be mostly in Dutch).

You are analytical, a problem-solver, and eager to learn.

You are conscientious, reliable, and quality-oriented. Your work is structured and consistent. You can keep a general oversight focusing on priorities but also have an eye for detail. You plan your work efficiently and can handle deadlines, both in the short and long term.

You take initiative and can work independently. You are open to feedback, which you proactively seek.

You have good social and communication skills, and work well within a team.

You are resilient and can cope with stress and setbacks.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

We offer a full-time, four-year position as a PhD student, enabling you to follow a doctoral training program and obtain a PhD in Business Economics. The contract starts with an initial period of 1 year, which, after a positive evaluation, will be extended by another 3 years.

Your contract will start on 1 February 2027 at the earliest, in consultation with you.

A monthly net wage of € 2.714. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax.

You will have the opportunity to work in a stimulating, dynamic, and open research environment “daring you to think”. Your (co-)supervisors have strong academic performance records, both in terms of publications and successful PhD’s. The research group houses many other PhD students allowing for ample social interactions and learning opportunities.

You will be able to conduct state-of-the art research on human-robot collaboration, a topic with great societal and practical relevance.

We offer many training and development opportunities, allowing you to further extend your methodological and statistical knowledge needed for the project, but also to acquire transferable skills supporting your further career (e.g., communication, project management).

We offer autonomy and flexibility, as well as multiple international experiences.