PHD Position

PhD Position in Innovation Management

Published Monday 3 Nov 2025

Deadline Thursday 15 Jan 2026

Work area PhD

Organisational unit Rotterdam School of Management (RSM)

Salary € 3.059 - € 3.881

Employment 1 fte - 1 fte

Abstract

Successful innovation management involves all actions needed to generate creative ideas and to turn these into attractive new products, services, and business models. The Innovation Management group at RSM is a team composed of several ambitious international faculty whose research focuses on creativity, idea management, leadership in innovation, diversity and inclusion, AI, standardization, collaborative innovation, and innovation strategies. We also execute large research projects in collaboration with leading organizations on, for instance, horticulture innovation and in the creative industries. Our research is often empirical and applies both quantitative and qualitative methods. As a PhD candidate in our section, you can design your own PhD project. The themes described below serve as inspiration and reflect the expertise of the department. Supervisors can vary per paper that you are working on.

For general questions regarding the doctoral program in Innovation Management, please reach out toKathrin BornerorEugene Pyun.

Topic

Collaborative innovation: Innovation has become imperative for organizations and societies at large. The increasing pace of technological and market change forces organizations to collaborate to share risks and resources. In addition, the grand challenges of our time require solutions that are well beyond the limits of a single organization. But interorganizational collaboration has its own disadvantages such as cooperation and coordination problems. What are the conditions for interorganizational collaboration to succeed? For further information: Birgul Arslan

Idea management and innovation contests: The successful management of ideas has become a strategic organizational capability and a source of competitive advantage. Many companies have set up idea management programs and innovation contests to facilitate the generation, development, and implementation of new products, services, processes, and business model ideas. However, out of a pool of submitted ideas, typically only a few will be adopted and brought successfully to the market. How can firms effectively collect ideas and motivate people to continuously generate creative ideas, how can they identify and select the best ideas, and how can they channel these ideas into successful innovations? For further information: Dirk Deichmann

Ecosystem & Standardization strategy: Ecosystems are networks of interdependent firms and institutions that collaborate, compete, and co-evolve within shared frameworks. Standardization defines the "rules of the game" in these ecosystems by setting common technologies, protocols, and norms that coordinate interactions across participants. This research area explores how standardization shapes innovation ecosystems and how ecosystem dynamics, in turn, drive the emergence of dominant standards. For further information: Eugene Pyun

Approach

Quantitative/qualitative/experimental empirical research methods can be employed (depending on the studied research questions).

Required profile

Candidates applying for a PhD position within this research theme should have a background in business or management studies, sociology, economics, psychology, engineering, or other related fields. We are looking for candidates with very strong analytical and verbal abilities. Candidates with interest in quantitative, qualitative, or experimental research are welcome. The research group shares methodological rigor with a strong attention to theory development in combination with relevance for business and society. Candidates preferably have proven expertise and interest in qualitative, statistical, experimental and/or computational skills, and should be eager to learn new methodological tools. Candidates that can strengthen the diversity of our community are especially encouraged and welcome to apply.

Required by ERIM

All application documents required by ERIM can be found here .

Expected output

The project output is publication of papers in top tier management journals in innovation, creativity, general management, organization, strategy or operations management.

Cooperation

The Innovation Management group at RSM consists of young and ambitious international faculty who publish in the very top management journals, in collaboration with several renowned international scholars and industry partners. The group has published in leading management journals such as the Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Journal, Strategic Management Journal, Organization Science, Organization Studies, Journal of Management, Journal of Management Studies, Journal of Operations Management, Research Policy, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes and Journal of Product Innovation Management as well as in leading psychological journals of relevance for business such as the Journal of Applied Psychology , the Annual Review of Psychology and Psychological Science .

The Innovation Management group has strong connections with creativity and Ainnovation management academics in pioneering universities. As a testimony to that, our PhDs conducted research visits at for instance NYU Stern, University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Carlson School of Management at University of Minnesota, and Yonsei University in the past.

In its teaching the group links state-of-the-art management theories with business practice. We also develop training modules for executives concerning business model innovation and new business development. Some organizations that we closely collaborate with for teaching and research include DSM, Dutch Design Foundation, LEGO, Microsoft, Philips, Renault, Unilever, European Commission, and International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Societal relevance

Innovation is of utmost importance for the long-term survival of firms and economies. Corporate and political leaders consider innovation to be core to competitive advantage. To achieve these results, the proper management of innovation is therefore essential: creativity should be enhanced, new products and services should be brought to the market quickly and effectively, and increasingly the use of new business models serves as a platform to achieve desired results. In our group, each project's objective is to produce valuable guidelines for executives to increase the innovativeness of their organizations.

Scientific relevance

All projects aim at advancing our understanding of important aspects of creativity and innovation management and to contribute to academic literature. Targeted contributions of each project listed above can be retrieved from the specified contact person.

Employment conditions

ERIM offers fully-funded and salaried PhD positions, which means that accepted PhD candidates become employees (promovendi) of Erasmus University Rotterdam. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO).

Erasmus University Rotterdam aspires to be an equitable and inclusive community. We nurture an open culture, where everyone is supported to fulfil their full potential. We see inclusivity of talent as the basis of our successes, and the diversity of perspectives and people as a highly valued outcome. EUR provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, functional impairment, citizenship, or any other aspect which makes them unique. We look forward to welcoming you to our community.

Contact information

For questions regarding the PhD application and selection procedure, please check the Admissions or send us an e-mail via .

1. PhD Position in Innovation Management