PhD position on Meaning making in the implementation of integral capacity management in mental health care institutes

Job description

The Faculty of Behavioural, Management, and Social Sciences at the University of Twente is currently seeking a motivated and curious PhD student who would like to contribute to understanding organizational change in the context of enabling accessible mental healthcare. The ideal candidate is interested in individual change processes. You study how mental health care employees make meaning about the jobs they do and the inner workings of their organization, and how this meaning making relates to changes they are (un)willing to make in their ways of working.

Currently, there is a high demand for increased accessibility of mental healthcare. Capacity management, and more personalized diagnosis and treatment, are seen as important solutions. However, the implementation of such organizational changes remains a major challenge.

In this PhD project, you will study how individual change processes within employees can unlock organizational change (and vice versa). You will determine how mental health care employees interpret information (e.g., about events, actions, contexts) in a personal manner in different developmental stages. The project aims to gain insight into employees’ meaning making strategies, and how they use those strategies to create commitment for change or for maintaining the status quo. You will design interventions and implement those to redesign ways of working. The project will provide you a unique opportunity to advance both your theoretical knowledge of individual change processes and contribute to making mental health care more accessible.

We are looking for a PhD student who is driven by curiosity who would like to:

• Design and conduct qualitative studies on health care employees’ meaning making processes and how this relates to their commitment to change their ways of working
• Design and evaluate intervention studies aimed at improving the efficient organization of mental health care.
• Work in close collaboration with researchers in the project team, managers and employees of mental health care institutes, and other stakeholders.
• Present findings for a scientific and a non-scientific audience. 
• Report findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals, research reports, and finalise a dissertation. 
• Participate in the doctoral program of the Twente Graduate School (30 EC).  

The PhD position is part of the project ‘Responsible scaling of data-driven approaches for enhancing mental healthcare’, funded by NWO. Several partners collaborate in the project, including University of Utrecht, Radboud University Nijmegen, Hogeschool Utrecht and Rathenau Institute. Also, several Dutch Mental Healthcare institutes are partners in the project.

Your profile

We encourage high responsibility and independence, while collaborating with colleagues, researchers, other university staff and partners. You hold your Master degree (or are close to completion) in Organization Studies, Business Administration, Public Administration, Educational Science, (Work & Organizational) Psychology, or a related field. In addition, you:

• have a background in qualitative research or an interest to develop such knowledge;
• (demonstrable) interest in topics related to meaning making processes in organizations, professional development, implementing and evaluating organizational change and/or integral capacity management;
• have an interest in challenges related to the Dutch Mental Health care;
• have good social and communication skills in academic as well as non-academic contexts;
• Master English and Dutch at at least the B2 level (data collection will be in Dutch);
• have excellent writing skills;
• are willing and have proven ability to work independently, but also to collaborate with a team and relevant stakeholders.

Our offer

• A 4-year PhD position (1 fte), starting February 2025.
• Depending on qualifications and experience, your gross monthly salary will be between € 2.872 and € 3.670. Holiday pay and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%
• Ample opportunities for further professional development
• An optional model for terms and conditions of employment
• Free of charge access to the campus Sports Centre
• 29 days of annual leave and 12 days of compensatory time off for a full-time appointment

We offer excellent auxiliary terms of employment, such as professional and personal development programs; a secondary remuneration package; a dynamic environment with enthusiastic colleagues; an organization focusing on internationalization and a high degree of responsibility and independence.

Information and application

Your application should include the following documents:

• A cover letter (maximum 2 pages A4), emphasizing your specific interest, qualifications, and motivations to apply for this position, including 2 references (just contacts);
• A CV, including a list of all courses attended and grades obtained, and, if applicable, a list of publications and references and relevant work experience.
• A copy of your master thesis, or, if it is not yet available, an outline and summary of your thesis.

Applications should be uploaded via www.utwente.nl/vacatures/en (click twice to find vacancy). Since only three documents can be uploaded per application, please combine documents if needed.

The application deadline is December 1st. The first round of interviews will be held on December 10th, the second round on December 17 and/or 19. The starting date for the position is ideally February 2025.

For additional information about this position, or to receive the full text of the research proposal funded by NWO, you can contact prof. dr. Erwin Hans (e.w.hans@utwente.nl; secretary: +31534893912).

More information about the department of Professional Learning & Technology can be found on the following website: https://www.utwente.nl/en/bms/plt/

About the department

Researchers in our section study formal and informal learning of (future) employees, including the use of technology to measure and support professional learning. More broadly, we also study professional learning in relation to the collaboration and innovation processes of professionals, particularly so in multidisciplinary settings and new forms of organizing (such as learning communities or living labs). Our studies often take place in the high-tech, health, and educational sectors with the intention to understand, evaluate, and optimize (inter)professional and (inter)organizational learning, collaboration, and innovation in these various contexts. Increasingly, the settings we study revolve around grand challenges and wicked problems, such as the transitions to green energy and circularity or matters of digital transformation. To contribute to these challenges, we also design and evaluate (technology-based) interventions to optimize professional learning, innovation, and collaboration. In our research group, we combine expertise from a range of disciplines (e.g., educational sciences, psychology, business administration, organization studies, communication science).

About the organisation

The Faculty of Behavioral, Management and Social sciences (BMS) aims to play a key role in understanding, jointly developing and evaluating innovations in society. Technological developments are the engine of innovation. As a technical university that puts people first, we tailor them to human needs and behavior and use social engineering to integrate them into society. We also ensure adequate governance at public and private level, and robust, inclusive and fair organizational structures. We do this by developing, sharing and applying high-quality knowledge in Psychology, Business Administration, Public Administration, Communication Sciences, Philosophy, Educational Sciences and Health Sciences. Our research and education in these disciplines revolves around tackling and solving societal challenges. The research programs of BMS are closely linked to the research of the UT institutes Mesa+ Institute for Nanotechnology, TechMed Center and Digital Society Institute.

As an employer, the Faculty of BMS offers work that matters. We equip you to create new possibilities for yourself and for our society. With us, you will become part of a leading technical university with increasing, positive social impact. We offer an open, inclusive and entrepreneurial atmosphere, in which we encourage you to make healthy choices, for example through our flexible, adaptable benefits.