Postdoc, Business Administration, Artificial Intelligence, extreme context. - Befattningen är under tillsättning eller redan tillsatt, och det är inte längre möjligt att lämna in en ansökan

Postdoc position in Business Administration with a focus on Artificial intelligence and Extreme contexts

The Department of Business Administration at Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics, is looking for one postdoc interested in artificial intelligence and extreme contexts. Apply 2022-06-29 at the latest.

The postdoc position is based at the Department of Business administration, specifically at the management section and the research environment "Extreme Environments - Everyday Decisions (www.TripleED.com)". We offer an interdisciplinary, internationally competitive research environment interested in extreme contexts - settings where people risk getting hurt or killed (see Hällgren et al, 2018 for a more precise definition and description). More precisely, TripleED explores organizational routines, leadership, and group and organizing processes in such settings. Examples of research projects in which an applicant may contribute include but are not limited to the response to Covid-19 among organizations critical to society's resilience, decision making in avalanche terrain, commercialization of risk in extreme sports, and behaviors in Doomsday scenarios. A common denominator across the projects is a context-sensitivity to the phenomena that is researched.

The aim of the position is to create interdisciplinary research that spans research across departments. Therefore, a postdoc with a similar profile will be hired to join The Socially Aware AI group, which is part of the Department of Computer Science, Umeå University. The AI-group does research on, for example, effectiveness of restrictions in the covid crisis, radicalization and extremism, policy making for a sustainable future, creating sustainable neighbourhoods and effective ways to prevent climate change.

With this position at the Department of Business Administration, we are particularly interested in how Socially Aware Artificial Intelligence (SAAI) can be used to advance the theorizing and understanding of extreme contexts. By SAAI we mean the study of human behavior (practices, routines, leadership etc) by means of agent-based simulations. The successful candidate could contribute with knowledge of artificial intelligence methods to study human behavior, but it is not a requirement. The successful candidate would, however, need to be familiar with the data collection and analysis of qualitative research (preferably ethnographic methods, or the use of fiction) and willing to combine such methods with simulation-based methods. Experience of SAAI is, therefore, less important than knowledge of qualitative research methods.

In this position, we envision that ethnographic fieldwork, or methods for studying fiction, will be combined with the power of the agent-based simulations. Testing and validation of scenarios will confirm how social aspects of simulation may be understood and may help to develop scenarios that alerts us to societal- and organizational vulnerabilities.

 Work description

The successful candidate is expected to contribute to the research environment by planning and conducting independent and collaborative research with researchers in TripleED (in which CS researchers are included). In addition of collaborating with faculty, the successful candidate is expected to continuously collaborate with the postdoc hired at Computer Science. Examples of activities include publications, conference presentations, data collection, simulations, and analysis. The research must be relevant to understanding and developing theories applicable to extreme contexts. The position includes up to 20% of teaching on basic and advanced levels in business administration. The successful applicant will spend the time in Umeå at the unit of Business Administration. The successful applicant will be employed by Umeå University and receive a competitive salary for a period of two years fulltime.

The starting date for the position is September 1 or upon agreement.

 Requirements and qualifications

Applicants should have a Ph.D. in Business Administration. The research group is interdisciplinary. We therefore also welcome researchers with a Ph.D. in related areas (e.g. sociology, psychology, informatics to name but a few). Priority will be given to candidates who have completed their doctoral degree no later than three years prior to the position’s deadline. This qualification requirements must be fulfilled no later than at the time of the appointment decision. A candidate who has completed their degree before this may be considered if special circumstances apply. Special circumstances include absence due to illness, parental leave, appointments of trust in trade unions or similar circumstances.

The main assessment criteria for the appointment are research capabilities. In order of importance:

• an interest in artificial intelligence (preferably in extreme contexts)
• experience of qualitative research methods such as ethnography and the use fiction, and/or familiarity with methods for agent-based simulations.
• publish or have the potential to publish internationally competitive research demonstrated by publications, or texts in a well-advanced stage of the peer review process, in internationally renowned journals, books, and book chapters.
• the ability to work independently and as part of a research group.

Good communication skills in written and spoken English are required. Experience of international networks and collaboration with researchers at other universities are meritorious, so is earlier research on extreme contexts and/or artificial intelligence. The applicant must have good interpersonal skills. Since we appreciate an equal gender balance, we would like to see female applicants for the position.

 How to apply

The application should include:

• a personal letter with motivation to why you apply to the position (max one page)
• a Curriculum Vitae
• a report on past and ongoing research interest with relevance for the position (max two pages)
• a publication list
• copies of the Ph.D. thesis and a maximum of five publications relevant to the position
• copies of relevant degree certificates and other documentation the applicant wishes to include in support of the application.
• The names, with contact details and e-mail addresses, of at least two reference persons.
  
  

The application is to be submitted to the University recruitment system no later than 2022-06-29.

For further information, please contact the Head of Research and responsible of TripleED, professor Markus Hällgren at markus.hallgren@umu.se or Deputy Head of Business Administration professor Johan Jansson at +4690 - 786 78 72, johan.jansson@umu.se; 

Reference

Hällgren, M., Rouleau, L., & De Rond, M. (2018). A matter of life or death: How extreme context research matters for management and organization studies. Academy of Management Annals, 12(1), 111-153.

More about USBE

As an internationally respected, nationally influential, and regionally rooted part of Umeå University, Umeå School of Business, Economics, and Statistics contributes to societal development through education and research of a high international standard. Through interplay with surrounding society, we provide education and research that contributes to the understanding, ability, and responsibility of individuals in relation to societal challenges and the importance of sustainable development.

In collaboration with our surrounding society, we provide education and research that contributes to individuals' understanding, ability and responsibility in relation to societal challenges and the importance of sustainable development. We are AACSB-accredited and sustainability certified according to the environmental management standard ISO14001.

The Department of Business Administration, the Department of Economics, the Department of Statistics and The USBE office form USBE, with about 140 employees. About 3300 students follow our programs every year and we offer education from the undergraduate to the doctoral program level in all of our main disciplines – Business Administration, Economics and Statistics.

The Department of Business Administration has about 60 members of staff. We pursue research within four sections Entrepreneurship, Management, Marketing and Accounting/Finance.

Read more about USBE here: umu.se/en/usbe/

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