Are you eager to contribute to helping start-up teams change into scale-ups? Are you actively interested in how start-up teams function (e.g. team composition, diversity, team dynamics)? Are you curious to find out which capabilities successful teams need to develop, and how successful start-up teams can be identified and designed (e.g. through the use of data-driven instruments)? Are you looking forward to researching the interface of organization behavior and more specifically team science and methodology (e.g. scale development)? 
If you answer ‘yes’ to most or all of these questions, then we are looking for you to support our research team in the prestigious project “From Start-up to Scale-up: making an impact using Start-up Data.” The project is funded by the Province of Noord-Brabant and executed in a consortium with important partners from the Brabant start-up ecosystem, e.g., Braventure, Brainport, Tilburg University (TiU), Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), and the Brabant Development Agency (BOM).

Being the birthplace of many start-up companies, the Brabant economy is dynamic and innovative. However, few of these start-ups develop into scale-ups. That is, few young companies enter a phase of accelerated growth to become a major company that provides a lot of employment in the region and creates substantial economic and societal impact. To remedy this, several organizations (like the BOM) provide training and support to start-ups. So far, much of this training and support is based on intuition and practical experience, and the effects of this training and support are not consistently monitored.

The research project “From start-up to scale-up” aims to investigate and increase the effectiveness of this training. It aims to develop a scientifically validated approach to supporting start-ups and build a database that enables continued monitoring of the start-ups. The research project consists of two PhD projects: one that focuses on developing entrepreneurial start-up teams (Tilburg) and one focusing on the customer development process (scaling-up) process (Eindhoven). The current vacancy describes the first PhD project.

This PhD project aims to increase our understanding of how entrepreneurial teams function and which dimensions of their interaction (e.g. planning, coordination, conflict management), composition (e.g. diversity), and leadership are predictive of their later success. Tasks for this PhD project include: 1) a literature study of relevant team literature streams (e.g. team dynamics, team processes & emergent states); 2) a review of existing scales in the field of entrepreneurial teams; 3) scale/instrument adaptation/development/validation; 4) data collection; 5) intervention study; 6) interpretation of results; and 7) consultancy report on improved development stage. Reports on intermediate steps are foreseen to help knowledge dissemination, for example to the Province.

Your position
As the overarching research project consists of two PhD projects, you will benefit from collaboration with the other PhD candidate who will be stationed at TU/e. You may also benefit from the other partners in the research project, i.e., Braventure, BOM, and the incubators of the universities of Tilburg, Eindhoven, and the Province of Brabant. These partners will facilitate interviews with start-ups and stakeholders, provide information about current efforts in start-up training, and support in building a database.

Ensuring the practical relevance of the research and disseminating knowledge during the project are key aspects of this research project, and you are expected to play a major role in them. A steering committee will help manage the project and accomplish these goals.

You have a Master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in Organization Behavior, Organization Studies, Management, Entrepreneurship, Business, or another relevant field.
You have a strong affinity for interdisciplinary research and collaboration with industry/start-ups.
You have strong analytical skills (e.g. quantitative analysis and scale development). You can work autonomously as well as in a team. You like to take the initiative and can work on a challenging topic that has fundamental and applied research aspects. You have excellent verbal and written communication skills, both in Dutch and in English.

Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment: 

• A position based on 1 FTE (40 hours per week). 
• A salary of minimum of €2.872- and maximum €3.670- gross per month for full-time employment, based on UFO profile PhD Candidate and salary scale PR. Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system based on relevant education and work experience. 
• This is a vacancy for a temporary position following Article 2.3 paragraph 8 under b of the CLA DU. You will initially receive a temporary contract for 12 months to assess your suitability. If suitable, this contract will be followed by a new fixed-term contract of 36 months. 
• Vacation pay of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%. 
• Over 8 weeks of vacation leave. 
• The opportunity to work partly on campus and partly from home with a home office allowance of €2 per day.
• Reimbursement for sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, and public transportation. 
• A monthly internet fee of €25.
• An Options Model in which you exchange benefits. For example, for additional leave, more pension, a bicycle, or personal training at our Sports Center. 
• A moving allowance (subject to conditions). 
• Employees migrating from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for the 30/20/10% tax facility.
• A pension with ABP; the most sustainable Dutch pension fund.
• Training in personal development, career development, leadership, education, and research or a language course at our Language Center. 
• A work culture in which we embrace differences, everyone is welcome and given equal opportunities. 
• A vibrant campus in green surroundings easily accessible by public transport. 

For more information, see our website and the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities. 

Tilburg University

Tilburg University is an academic, inclusive, and engaged community. Together with nearly 3,000 employees, we are committed to broad prosperity, sustainably, and inclusion. For current and future generations. We develop and share knowledge for the requirements of people and our society. This is how we contribute to solving complex social issues and help society move forward.

We educate our 19,500 students of 110 nationalities to become responsible leaders with knowledge, skills, and character. With our education and research for broad prosperity, we exceedingly focus on themes such as mental and preventive care, an inclusive labor market, the energy transition, and digitalization.

About Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Tilburg University is a specialized university with a high international reputation that strives to advance society by deepening the understanding of that society through research and education. Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences offers excellent, innovative education aimed at preparing students to become future leaders by focusing on knowledge, skills, and character building. The School offers a varied range of Bachelor and Master programs to its 3,000 students and is organized around the motto of "Understanding Society". The school’s intellectually stimulating working environment challenges its employees to realize their ambitions; involvement and cooperation are essential to achieve this. Read more about the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences here Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

About the Department of Organization Studies
The Department of Organization Studies focuses on examining the adaptiveness of organizations from a relational perspective. Its research concentrates on the interaction of organizations with their institutional environment as well as interaction within and between organizations and organizational teams. The department has a strong research orientation with a focus on high-quality publications in leading journals in the fields of organization and management (e.g. Strategic Management Journal, Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science, Research Policy, and Journal of Management). The department offers courses in various programs on the Bachelor's and Master's level, which are related to the PhD project, such as Organizational Behavior, and Innovation, Organization & Entrepreneurship. Read more about the department here. 

Would you like to know more before applying? Please feel free to contact Prof. Dr. Leon Oerlemans (L.A.G.Oerlemans@tilburguniversity.edu) or Dr. Nicoleta Meslec (m.n.meslec@tilburguniversity.edu).

We cordially invite you to apply before November 25, 2024; this can only be done online. Address your cover letter to Leon Oerlemans and Nicoleta Meslec. Attach your CV. To make a good selection, we also ask you to provide the following documents: 

• An official copy of your university degree 
• Grades lists/transcripts
• A chapter from your Master's thesis/an example of a research paper that you wrote in the recent year.
• Contact details of two referees.
  (We only approach referees for candidates invited to the second round of interviews).

The PhD position is in the Department of Organization Studies at Tilburg University.