PhD in Leader Legitimacy in Augmented Leadership
Explore how AI reshapes leadership legitimacy in organisations through a four-year doctoral scholarship in Norway.
Best for:Best for early-career researchers with a master’s in social sciences, organisational behaviour, or related fields, passionate about AI’s role in leadership and organisational legitimacy.
Overview
This doctoral scholarship at BI Norwegian Business School focuses on investigating how AI influences leader legitimacy within organisations. As part of the EU-funded EMANAIRE project, the successful candidate will examine how employees perceive leadership legitimacy when AI supports decision-making, oversight, and communication. The project combines qualitative and quantitative methods to study critical incidents, leader identity shifts, and practical interventions for responsible AI use. The candidate will collaborate with an international cohort of doctoral researchers, participate in residential schools and intersectoral secondments, and contribute to cutting-edge research on AI-augmented leadership. The position is ideal for applicants with a strong background in social sciences, organisational behaviour, or related fields, and a keen interest in AI’s impact on leadership dynamics.
What you'll do
- Conduct research on how employees perceive leader legitimacy when AI supports decision-making, oversight, and communication.
- Analyse critical incidents involving AI-supported decisions to understand how authority allocation shapes legitimacy perceptions.
- Investigate the impact of AI on leader identity, responsibility, and willingness to pursue leadership roles.
- Design, pilot, and evaluate interventions to help leaders use AI effectively while maintaining independent judgement and accountability.
- Collaborate with an international cohort of doctoral researchers, participate in residential schools, and complete a six-month intersectoral secondment.
- Develop ethics, data-management, and open-science materials in consultation with the supervision team.
- Complete a doctoral thesis and related research outputs under the host doctoral programme and EMANAIRE plan.
- Engage in research integrity, equality, responsible AI, and FAIR data practices.
Requirements
Degree required: Master of Science degree with thesis work, a research master’s/M.Phil. degree, or a comparable degree relevant to Communication, including disciplines such as communication, media studies, human-computer interaction, sociology, psychology, management, organisational behaviour, human resource management, law and technology, science and technology studies, political science, or related social-science and interdisciplinary fields. An MBA degree does not meet the requirements.
Degree offered: PhD
Language: English; IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 90 (unless a waiver is granted).
Instruction: English
- Strong interest in leadership, organisational behaviour, legitimacy, authority, and the role of AI in organisations.
- Training or experience in qualitative, quantitative, longitudinal, multilevel, or mixed-methods research.
- Ability to study sensitive workplace relationships and emerging technologies with methodological rigour and strong research ethics.
- Excellent command of written and spoken English.
- Motivation to publish in international peer-reviewed journals.
- Applicant must not hold a doctoral degree.
- Applicant must not have resided or carried out their main activity in Norway for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately preceding the start date (excluding compulsory national service, short stays, and time spent in a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention).
- Applicant must be enrolled in, or meet the conditions required for timely enrolment in, the doctoral programme leading to the degree.
- Applicant must have completed, or complete by the start date, a qualifying master’s degree with thesis work and a grade point average of B or higher.
Funding & terms
How to apply
Applicants must upload a 2,000-word original project proposal, CV, transcripts of grades for master’s and bachelor’s degrees, Diploma Supplement, relevant certificates, two letters of recommendation, and a signed verification document through the electronic application system. Applicants who do not hold a qualifying master’s degree from a Nordic institution and whose degree was not taught in English must document English proficiency through TOEFL or IELTS unless a waiver is granted.
- Certificate of a Master degree (MSc, MA, or equivalent) including transcripts of grades
- Certificate of a bachelor's degree or equivalent including transcripts of grades
- Diploma Supplement or comparable document explaining the study and grading system
- Other relevant certificates and transcripts
- 2,000-word original project proposal
- Curriculum vitae
- At least two letters of recommendation
- Certificates from previously completed doctoral-level courses (if applicable)
- Complete list of publications and relevant activities (if applicable)
- Signed verification document
Contact
PhD Administration· PhD Admissions
https://www.bi.no/en/programmes-and-individual-courses/phd/communication/
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