PhD Position Designing Technology Infused Service for Superior Experience
We are looking for a highly motivated, and inquisitive PhD candidate to research the interface of (people) experience, technology, and service (design).
Are you passionate about how people experience technology-infused services? Are you interested in how technology can be designed for enhanced service experiences? Consider applying for this PhD position!
The proliferation of technology has transformed societies and modern service landscapes at lightning speed. Technology profoundly shapes how people interact and positively and negatively affects people’s well-being. While centering lived experience has reaped its fruits in the service realm, a glaring gap exists in the knowledge of and the interplay between the understanding of people’s situated experience and the creation of compelling technology-infused service. To unravel this relationship, it is essential to involve a human-centered approach. This can prevent risks of mass-entrusted technology in service, especially given the increasingly rapid evolution of technology such as artificial intelligence.
Central research questions are: How do people experience technology-infused service? How does technology shape service experience?
The research may draw on philosophical concepts related to (embodied) experience, technology, desire, anxiety, and meaning. Philosophies of, for example, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Jacques Lacan can be considered. Qualitative research methods are central to acquiring data across multiple technological service contexts, such as healthcare or high-tech retail, involving numerous actors: businesses, customers, and consumers.
The research predominantly attempts to contribute to Organization Theory and Service Research. The research aspires to:
- Deepen the knowledge about the concepts and the relationship between experience and technology-intense service;
- Offer insights to service designers, managers, business leaders, and policymakers to craft, optimize, and deliver technology-supported service in tune with users’ experiences;
- Address and surmount the challenge of mass-customized high-tech service that ignores human experience;
- Design organization and service strategies based on a deep awareness of the position and significance of technology in people’s lives.
Keywords: Experience, Service, Service Design, Technology, Qualitative Research, Phenomenology, Psychoanalytical Theory
The PhD candidate will be guided by a multidisciplinary supervisory team with rich experience in various domains. Dr. Yasin Sahhar is the daily supervisor, Dr. Michel Ehrenhard fulfills the role of promotor and Dr. Suzanne Janssen co-supervisor.
The successful applicant will join the Entrepreneurship and Technology Management (ETM) section of the High-tech Business & Entrepreneurship Department (HBE) at the Faculty of Behavioural Management and Social Sciences
Information and application
We are eager to hear from you and welcome your application! Please submit your application before 10 December 2023 and include:
- A cover letter (maximum 2 pages A4), emphasizing your specific interest, qualifications, and motivations to apply for this position;
- A Curriculum Vitae, including a list of all courses attended and grades obtained, and, if applicable, a list of publications and references. Please also include your master thesis or any recent manuscript;
- An IELTS-test, Internet TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT), or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE). Applicants with a non-Dutch qualification and who have not had secondary and tertiary education in English can only be admitted with an IELTS-test showing a total band score of at least 6.5, internet. TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT) showing a score of at least 90, or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE).
Note that Master students who graduate in the coming months are also welcome to apply, and we can make reasonable accommodations.
We aim to treat your application as soon as possible and respond swiftly. The first round of interviews will be held end of November. Upon positive evaluation, you are invited for a second interview, which will take place in December.
For any inquiries about this position, you can contact dr. Yasin Sahhar (y.sahhar@utwente.nl) or dr. Michel Ehrenhard (m.l.ehrenhard@utwente.nl).
More information about the section Entrepreneurship and Technology Management can be found on the website: https://www.utwente.nl/en/bms/etm/
About the department
The HBE department is dedicated to encouraging a supportive and inclusive working culture. Our aim is that all job applicants are given equal opportunities. When we select candidates for employment, it will be on the basis of their competence and ability. To support workforce diversity, we are open to offering flexible working conditions on an individual basis to support work-life balance, which may include contract of employment, working hours and location, or childcare arrangements.
The High Business Entrepreneurship corporate video can be watched via this link.
About the organisation
The Faculty of Behavioral, Management and Social sciences (BMS) aims to play a key role in understanding, jointly developing and evaluating innovations in society. Technological developments are the engine of innovation. As a technical university that puts people first, we tailor them to human needs and behavior and use social engineering to integrate them into society. We also ensure adequate governance at public and private level, and robust, inclusive and fair organizational structures. We do this by developing, sharing and applying high-quality knowledge in Psychology, Business Administration, Public Administration, Communication Sciences, Philosophy, Educational Sciences and Health Sciences. Our research and education in these disciplines revolves around tackling and solving societal challenges. The research programs of BMS are closely linked to the research of the UT institutes Mesa+ Institute for Nanotechnology, TechMed Center and Digital Society Institute.
As an employer, the Faculty of BMS offers work that matters. We equip you to create new possibilities for yourself and for our society. With us, you will become part of a leading technical university with increasing, positive social impact. We offer an open, inclusive and entrepreneurial atmosphere, in which we encourage you to make healthy choices, for example through our flexible, adaptable benefits.
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