Aleksi Aaltonen

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Looking for a PhD Student to Start in 2017

I am looking for a prospective PhD student to develop an interesting research proposal with a view to start in September 2017. We are a leading international IS group with a growing faculty and strong reputation for publishing in top management journals.

Topics and methods

There needs to be some aspect of technology and organizing/business/management in your proposal. Your work needs to also relate to my work – see my publication list for more information.

Your topic could relate, for instance, to digital innovation and entrepreneurship, digital platforms, sharing economy or to more forward-looking matters such the internet of things. These are just illustrative examples to give you some starting points for thinking about an exciting topic, not a definitive list!

Methodologically, I have a lot of experience in case studies and critical realism, yet I increasingly work with computational methods. It is not mandatory to use one of these methods, but bear in mind that I can best support you if you do methodologically similar research.

What I expect from you?

Strong PhD applicants are genuinely interested in their topic, highly motivated and typically have some special knowledge through work experience, methodological training, or generally broad understanding of organizational implications of digital technologies. Read also my short blog post on how to make a bad application.

I specifically expect us to co-author at least one top journal publication during the PhD study. This makes you employable in the academic job market and your project worthwhile to me.

Funding

I cannot strictly guarantee funding, but WBS has available scholarships that you should apply for. The idea is that you develop the proposal in collaboration with me, which enhances the chances of securing funding from WBS.

(Re)location

A PhD program lasts four years. It is necessary that you stay at least for the first year on campus or nearby after which there is more flexibility. However, presence at the campus greatly enhances collaboration with our academic community; I especially expect a scholarship holder to be regularly present at WBS – preferably living in the area.

Discussion

Be civil and don't wander too far off topic.