PhD: Generative AI’s Impact on Knowledge Work & Professions

VU Hoofdgebouw

Amsterdam

1 / 1

School of Business and Economics

PhD

MSc

Closes on

17-06-2025

Publishing date

28-05-2025

Apply

Interested in how GenAI (e.g., LLMs) is transforming knowledge work and professions? Apply for a PhD at the KIN Center for Digital Innovation, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Your function

GenAI is rapidly changing work, and predictions about job losses have reached newspaper headlines. Current debates on GenAI and work are typically framed around its consequences for jobs and tasks, though without empirically grounded research into both GenAI’s development and the implications of its use for organizations and professions. GenAI models that are currently being developed and rolled out in organizations are crucially different from prior AI systems, bringing about novel risks for organizations, knowledge work, interactions and collaboration.

Through ethnographic field studies we will reveal how GenAI reconfigures knowledge work practices, interactions and relationships, as well as how GenAI reshapes organizational structures. The project will contribute to theories of technology’s role in knowledge work, professions and expertise, and organizational change.

Your duties

The PhD student will conduct theoretical and empirical research on the (un)intended consequences of GenAI on group and organizational level (instead of taking an individual level lens, such as common in psychology), including studying themes such as GenAI’s impact on knowledge work practices, professionals’ interactions and relationships within the organization, developers’ and management responsibilities and organizational structures.

The PhD student will do field work during an extended period of time as “embedded researcher” (in-house of one or more organizations), which sometimes implies being full-time ‘in the field’ doing observations and interviews.

The PhD student will provide a modest contribution to the Department’s teaching programme, with the opportunity to obtain a basic qualification teaching certificate (shortened as “BKO”). And there is ample opportunity for collaborations with other PhD students on a similar topic, as part of the wider AI@Work Lab. Each works in a different organizational setting / industry. Options for a field setting for this project can be discussed, such as the healthcare industry, creative industry, or educational industry.

Your profile

motivated to do high quality research with the aim of publishing top level articles for both an organizational science and practitioner audience
excellent communication skills to collaborate with industry partner(s)
excellent academic writing and reflection skills
high proficiency English language; Dutch proficiency (or willingness to learn) preferred
diploma of a research master (preferred), or MSc, in business administration, sociology, anthropology, philosophy of science/technology, or equivalent. If you have a double degree that includes the above, and computer sciences, for instance, that would be ideal
proven expertise in, and affinity with, qualitative research methods e.g. ethnography, interviews, and observations

What do we offer?

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

a salary of € 2.901,00 (PhD) and maximum € 3.707,00 (PhD) gross per month in the fourth year, for a full-time employment
an employment contract of initially 1 year. If there is sufficient perspective, this will be extended to a total of 4 years.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and arrangements. Some examples:

A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
solid pension scheme (ABP)
a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge
contribution to commuting expenses

About us

KIN
KIN Center for Digital Innovation (KIN) (https://vu.nl/en/about-vu/research-institutes/kin-center-for-digital-innovation) is one of the departments of the School of Business and Economics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. KIN researchers study the development, use, and business value of innovative organizational processes and technologies. Our research contributes to an international field that is relatively new and multi-disciplinary. We collaborate closely with faculty and researchers from other universities and cooperate with an extensive network of business partners. The KIN research group is also responsible for several courses and minors in the Business Administration curricula at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and facilitates the MSc Digital Business and Innovation. Researchers at KIN regularly publish and hold editorial positions in leading journals such as Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science, or Management Information Systems Quarterly. In recent years, PhD candidates of KIN were hired as assistant professors at leading European business schools (e.g., University of Cambridge, Stockholm School of Economics, Warwick Business School, Rotterdam School of Management, London School of Economics).

School of Business and Economics
We at the School of Business and Economics (SBE) at VU Amsterdam bring together socially relevant teaching and research in the areas of business administration and economics. We focus on real-life issues that have a huge impact on society, economics and ecology: from robotics to big data, and from job market participation to change management.

Collaboration and cooperation, transparency and social responsibility are four keywords that embody our approach. Students, researchers and staff at SBE share real-world knowledge in order to devise solutions together to global economic and social challenges. In order to make a positive impact on the world, society and the lives of others.

Are you interested in joining SBE? You will work in a stimulating, dynamic and international environment with motivated colleagues dedicated to helping society make informed choices. SBE employs roughly 600 staff, with 7,250 students enrolled in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes and 1,700 executive students.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.

Interested

Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application and upload a short letter (maximum one page) in which you describe your abilities and motivation, accompanied by a curriculum vitae and two references (names and e-mail addresses).

Submitting a diploma and a reference check are part of the application process.

Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.