PhD Research Fellowship:  Challenges of Scaling Practice-Based Initiatives across Governance Levels

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, petter.braathen@inn.no
Head of PhD programme Marit Engen, phone number: +47 61 28 81 07, e-mail: marit.engen@inn.no

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 tasks must be carried out in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations for government employees,
including also the Act on Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology, etc. Candidates who, after assessment of the
application and attachments, come into conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to take up the position at University of Inland Norway. Necessary approvals must be maintained throughout the employment relationship.

We offer

• An academically stimulating and supportive work environment at a developing institution. Possibility of professional development in an exciting academic research
  environment.
• Position is paid and placed in position code PhD candidate 1017 in the Government Salary Scale.
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension, with among other things, good pension and insurance schemes.

For more information about INN University as an employer, please see here.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0FVnszhpJY

How to apply

Relevant applications will be considered by an expert committee. The application and all attachments are to be submitted electronically and should include the following:

• The applicant must submit a project proposal with a progress plan (in Norwegian or English, 2000 words) that explains how the research work will be carried out and addresses academic relevance, challenges and possibilities within the project. The PhD research fellow hired will, in collaboration with a supervisor, prepare a complete project proposal creating the basis for admission to the PhD program. The project proposal plays an important part in evaluating applicants and must show how the project will lead to a successful completion of a doctoral degree.
• Application letter
• CV (summarizing education, job positions, and academic work)
• Other work that is relevant for the application
• Certified copies of transcripts and diplomas for the whole bachelor and master’s degree. An English translation of all education documents is required unless the documents are in Norwegian/Scandinavian.
• Names and contact information of at least 2 reference persons.
• A copy of the master’s thesis (in PDF)

Attachments must be uploaded as separate files. If the attachments exceed 30 MB, they must be compressed prior to upload. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all attachments are uploaded. Documents submitted after expiry of the deadline will not be considered in the evaluation of your application.

General information

INN believes that there is strength in inclusion and diversity. We desire employees with different competencies, professional combinations, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to an even better way of solving problems. We will facilitate for employees who need assitance to realise their goals. Relevant adaptations can be, for example, technical aids, adapting furniture or adjusting routines, work tasks and working hours.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, gaps in the CV or immigrant background, we shall call at least one applicant in each of these categories for an interview. In order to be considered as an applicant in these groups, the applicants must meet certain requirements. You can read more on this here: https://arbeidsgiver.difi.no/positivsaerbehandling.

We encourage applicants to tick in Jobbnorge if they have a disability, a gap in their CV or immigrant background. The ticks in the jobseeker portal form the basis for anonymised statistics that all state-owned enterprises report in their annual reports

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.