PhD student position in Quality Management Engineering

Information about the project and the division
The PhD student project departs from the academic field of quality management and the focus is on creating quality in coworking spaces, which is at the intersection of multiple disciplines including quality management, service management, facilities management, and behavioral economics. The project aims to generate actionable managerial insights to know what works and what does not work in meeting customer needs in coworking spaces. This is a response to the worldwide trend of coworking space as one solution for future workplaces towards a sustainable society. A quality management engineering approach for improving the service ecosystem within the context of sharing economy will be used as the main approach in the project

The position is placed at the Department of Technology Management and Economics and the Division of Service Management and Logistics (SML). This division focuses on the design and management of processes and services from the perspective of the individual, organization as well as the wider supply chain and society. The emphasis lies on resource utilization, improvement and development of processes as well as inter-organizational relationships. The key aim of the research at SML is to address societal challenges and contribute to sustainable development. The division has a particular focus on three service-intensive sectors that consist of both private and public actors: healthcare, transport & logistics, and the built environment. The division pursues problem-oriented and inter-disciplinary research, with strong emphasis on relevance for industry and society and with high visibility in leading academic journals. The division has a tradition of acting as a focal point for research, utilization and professional education within improvement, innovation and transformation of service intense sectors. The division is also active in several of Chalmers Areas of Advance. Teaching and supervision at all levels (bachelor, master, doctoral, and professional education) are important tasks, and are clearly embedded in research and practice. The division has around 30 staff members with diverse expertise, including engineering and social sciences.

Major responsibilities
As PhD student, you will take part in research at the division in the area of quality management engineering. Your major responsibility is to pursue doctoral studies in relation to the topic of the PhD student project.

At large, PhD studies include a number of doctoral courses, reviewing literature, designing research studies, collecting and analyzing empirical data, and presenting results. You will be communicating the results of your research verbally and in writing both in Swedish and English. The exact focus of the work will be decided in interaction with your supervisors. In this specific project, you will have to design, perform, and analyse field experiments using various nudges at the participating coworking spaces in Gothenburg/Sweden. This experimental study includes interviews, observations, immersions, and online surveys. During the project, results will continuously be presented at seminars and international conferences.

Position summary
The position is a full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to five years (1+2+2). You will spend approximately 80% of this time on research. As a PhD student you will also, to a maximum of 20%, be involved in teaching bachelor and master courses and/or perform other departmental tasks.

Qualifications
Master's degree in e.g. Industrial Management and Engineering, Civil Engineering, Business Administration, Management, Economics or similar subjects with an interest in quality management engineering.

To be qualified for this position you should have good interpersonal and social skills, analytical skills, good communication skills, and demonstrated interest in theories related to behavioral economics and field experiments. Due to the character of the research it is necessary to be able to understand and speak Swedish.

Other meritorious skills and experiences include project management skills, programming skills, and experiences in doing in-depth interview, survey study, experimental study, and academic writing.

Chalmers continuously strives to be an attractive employer. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Application procedure
The application should be marked with Ref 20200513 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as pdf-files, as below:

CV: (Please name the document: CV, Family name, Ref. number)
• CV
• Other, for example previous employments or leadership qualifications and positions of trust.
• Two references that we can contact.

Personal letter: (Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name, Ref. number)
1-3 pages where you:
• Introduce yourself
• Describe your previous experience of relevance for the position (e.g. education, thesis work and, if applicable, any other research activities)
• Describe your future goals and future research focus

Other documents:
• Copies of bachelor and/or master’s thesis.
• Attested copies and transcripts of completed education, grades and other certificates, e.g. TOEFL test results.

Please use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form. The files may be compressed (zipped).

Application deadline: 10 December, 2020

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***