PhD position in Digital Transformation in Zürich

The Chair of Strategic Management and Innovation (SMI), Prof. Dr. Georg von Krogh at the Department of Management, Technology and Economics, ETH Zurich, invites applications for a PhD position in Digital Transformation.

You will be co-supervised by Prof. Georg von Krogh and a team of senior researchers at SMI () and will be funded by Swiss National Science Foundation. The duration of the PhD program is three to four years. The starting date is August 2022.

The effects of digital transformation on firm performance and market dynamics have become a central topic in recent years. The economic impact of digital transformation is ambiguous because there is no established theory on the phenomena and its impact on market dynamics. The project, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and carried out in collaboration with the KOF Swiss Economic Institute, aims:

1. to improve understanding of the underlying processes and capabilities that firms use to digitally transform their operations, business models, and value chains, and
2. to analyze digital transformation in the context of competitive and dynamic market conditions. In the age of digital transformation, these questions are especially pertinent and critical for developing theory and deriving meaningful evidence-based implications for strategy and policy.

You will research measures of digital technology adoption to assess the relationship between digital transformation, organizational capabilities, and practices to explain heterogeneity in firm behaviour and performance. To investigate the effects of digital transformation, most of the research will build on econometric analyses. In addition, you will conduct several small case studies to investigate the firm-internal mechanisms underlying the quantitative findings to derive evidence-based implications for organizational design and strategy in the era of digital transformation.

You hold an MSc, MA, or MPhil degree in business administration or a related field such as management information systems, computer science, psychology, sociology, mathematics, engineering, physics, or statistics (MBAs are not eligible). We invite applicants with a strong affinity for quantitative research methodologies and statistical analysis, as well as an interest in qualitative research methods.

Furthermore, you should have excellent written and spoken English skills, have an interest in developing outstanding research skills, enjoy research and writing, be curious, learning-oriented, and self-directed, enjoy collaborating in teams, and have a strong interest in contemporary issues in management and organizations. Given the research-focused orientation of the team, we are specifically looking for aspiring scholars with ambitions to pursue an academic career. The project should culminate in a PhD thesis composed of at least three high-quality research papers, targeted at the field’s leading journals.

The SMI group offers an inspiring, supportive, and team-based research environment to support your immediate immersion into an ambitious research agenda. Our team consists of a dynamic and international group of researchers who share a common vision of contributing significantly to the highest-level academic research in the fields of strategic management and innovation. Our work is directed to topics such as knowledge management, information systems innovation, collaborative innovation, organization and management theory, and competitive strategy.

The team has an excellent track record of publishing in the field’s leading journals (including The Academy of Management Journal, Harvard Business Review, Information Systems Research, MIS Quarterly, Nature Biotechnology, Management Science, Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal), and has a strong international network of collaborators.

We offer competitive salary conditions. Funding is secured for at least three years. For more information on employment at ETH Zurich see .

In line with our values, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish.