项目介绍

2024年6月9日

Your function

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is offering a fully funded, four-year PhD-position on studying how accountability and technical expertise shape leaders’ willingness to take risky decisions. Leadership includes making decisions under uncertainty. Oftentimes, such decisions entail a “safe” option (e.g., one in line with established processes) and a riskier but potentially more beneficial option. Experiencing a high “felt” accountability, the expectation that one will be held accountable for one’s decisions, might propel leaders towards taking the safe option. The PhD candidate would analyse whether having expert knowledge in the core business of the organisation moderates the relationship, such that expert leaders are more willing to choose the risky, less-travelled path, weakening the relationship between felt accountability and playing it safe.

As a PhD candidate, you will engage in both experiment and survey-based research to study how leaders navigate the apparent dilemma between their perceived accountability and the benefits of unconventional, hence risky, decisions. This can include experimental research on the link between felt accountability and taking safe or risky choices, as well as survey and/or experimental research on how technical expertise relates to whether accountability is perceived as a threat or opportunity. As part of the project,you will work directly with Agnes Bäker, Leander de Schutter and Rafael Wilms (Associate and Assistant Professors at VU Amsterdam) and Amanda Goodall (Professor of Leadership at Bayes Business School, London), all experts in the field of leadership.

Your Duties

You will need to develop a thorough understanding of the literature and theoretical frameworks on expert leaders and (felt) accountability. Moreover, under the expert guidance of your PhD supervisors, we expect you to acquire and extend your knowledge of quantitative research methods, facilitated by the PhD training program of ABRI (Amsterdam Business Research Institute).

Expected outcomes are articles on the specific topics studied, to be submitted to scientific and peer-reviewed journals. PhD candidates will give a modest contribution to the department’s teaching program, with the opportunity to obtain a basic qualification teaching certificate (shortened BKO).

Your profile

Requirements

• Motivated to conduct high-quality research with the aim of publishing top-level articles;
• Research Master or MSc in business administration, organizational studies, economics, psychology, sociology, or a related field;
• Basic skills and interest in quantitative research methods;
• Interest in topics of leadership (behaviour), accountability, effects of technical expertise, decision-making;
• Basic academic writing skills;