About this role
About the position Center for Research on Digitalization and Sustainability (CREDS ), a part of University of Inland Norway (INN), invites candidates to apply for a three-year PhD research fellowship: Challenges of Scaling Practice-Based Initiatives across Governance Levels in the Public Sector. The position is connected to the field of innovation studies focusing on public sector services, with particular attention to how practice-based initiatives with demonstrated effects often fail to scale, stabilize, or become institutionally embedded across governance levels. Within this broad area, relevant topics may include perspectives on organizational and institutional theory, complex adaptive systems, and co-creation of value in service ecosystems. The position is connected to the Department of Organization, Leadership and Management. Depending on the department’s needs, and the candidate’s competence and preferences, the position may be transformed into a four-year position with 25% teaching duties. The workplace is at CREDS research group, University of Inland Norway (INN) at Kongsvinger. Admission to INN’s PhD program, Innovation in Services in the Public and Private Sectors (INSEPP) , is a condition for employment as a research fellow. The candidate is expected to participate actively in INSEPP’s activities. After commencement, the candidate must apply for admission to the PhD programme within three months. An agreement for admission to the PhD programme must be in place within six months after commencement. Contact information: Associate professor Petter Braathen, phone number: +47 90653688, [email protected] Head of PhD programme Marit Engen, phone number: +47 61 28 81 07, e-mail: [email protected] About the project The PhD research fellow will join an international team of researchers at CREDS, Inland School of Business and Social Sciences. The project addresses a persistent and underexplored challenge in public sector innovation: why practice-based innovations that demonstrate strong local effects often fail to scale, stabilize, or become institutionally embedded across governance levels. The project focuses empirically on practice-based qualification pathways (e.g., within health care) targeting individuals at risk of social exclusion. The project will follow innovation initiatives in public sector that test practice-based pilot initiatives to address complex societal challenges. While such initiatives often demonstrate clear positive outcomes, they frequently encounter significant barriers when attempts are made to articulate, legitimize, and scale them within broader institutional and governance structures. As such, the project will investigate how structural tensions arise from differing rationalities, how complexity arise across levels of governance, the role of meaning-making processes, and experience of paradox situations. Candidates are encouraged to define their own research design within this theme. This includes developing the specific research questions, theoretical perspective, empirical focus, and methodological approach in dialogue with the supervisory team and the academic environment at CREDS. A broad range of methodological approaches is relevant for the theme, including qualitative case studies, action research, system dynamics modelling, and more. Please note that the project may later be modified in accordance with the supervisors’ advice and the academic research agenda of CREDS. The successful candidate will have a primary supervisor among CREDS’ academic staff. Qualifications The candidate must have a master’s degree and thesis on a relevant topic. The master's degree must normally constitute 120 ECTS credits. INN’s PhD regulations require that the qualifying education includes a master’s thesis of 30 ECTS. As a rule, the average grade at master’s level must be B. The qualifying degree(s) must be awarded from institutions in Norway, the EU/EEA or Switzerland, or from an international institution accredited by AACSB, AMBA and/or EQUIS. Where applicable, candidates should specify such accreditation in the application. Candidates who have not yet obtained the master’s degree at the time of application may apply. In this case, candidates must have submitted their master’s thesis by the application deadline. Temporary transcripts and the master’s thesis must be submitted with the application. The final diploma must be available by the time of employment. Candidates with a master’s degree from a university abroad must attach “Recognition of foreign higher education” from NOKUT. Instructions for obtaining this assessment are available from NOKUT, https://hkdir.no/en/foreign-education/education-from-outside-ofnorway/ recognition-of-foreign-higher-education-bachelor-master-and-phd Oral and written English is required. Applicants from non-English speaking countries must document their English proficiency in accordance with the Supplementary Regulations for Admission to the PhD Programme at INN University. Good oral and written proficiency in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language with a minimum of B2 competence is required, as the project involves empirical data collection within Norwegian-speaking public sector organizations where Norwegian is the primary working language. Relevant professional experience from practice-based settings in the Nordics, or in a comparable context, is considered a strong merit. Evaluation of candidates for the position will be based on a total assessment of educational background, experience and personal suitability, as well as motivation and other eligibility requirements, as defined in the advertisement. In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the project proposal's scientific merit, research-related relevance and innovativeness. In addition, the following will also be emphasized: documented independent research and development work, or experience relevant to the project. The position and associated t