PhD position in Strategic Management: Aligning purpose, strategy and performance

Organisation/Company University of Amsterdam (UvA) Research Field Economics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Final date to receive applications 16 Mar 2026 - 22:59 (UTC) Country Netherlands Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Not Applicable Hours Per Week 38.0 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Are you interested in academic research, and looking to make an impact on business as well as society? Do you enjoy diving deep into real-life problems of companies, while keeping a keen eye on scientific contributions? Would you like to be part of a vibrant research community in Amsterdam and Zurich? Then we have just the right position for you! The Amsterdam Business School is looking for a highly motivated PhD student who will study the process, challenges, and outcomes of firms implementing purpose-driven renewal strategies.

A corporate purpose is the fundamental reason for a company's existence beyond profit and describes how a company seeks to contribute to solving problems of people and planet. For firms that authentically integrate purpose, it acts as an organizational constitution that guides strategy, operations, and culture. While start-ups often begin with a clear purpose, larger and more complex organizations struggle to maintain clarity and focus.

In an effort to navigate geopolitical tensions, regulatory shifts, technological disruption, and evolving stakeholder demands, large established firms are increasingly formulating a purpose-driven renewal strategy. Research suggests that purpose-driven firms may experience stronger employee engagement, competitive differentiation, innovation capacity, and long-term value creation. However, attaining such strategic benefits depends on how well the purpose is integrated in the firm's core processes and endorsed by management and employees.

For large established firms, which typically face significant inertial forces, this remains a persistent challenge. The goal of this research project, therefore, is to understand how firms go about implementing and measuring their purpose-driven renewal, and what are the consequences for competitiveness and longevity of the organiztion, as well as on the wellbeing of internal and external stakeholders.

This research effort is a collaboration between the Amsterdam Business School and the ZHAW School of Management and Law, linking a PhD from the Amsterdam Business School with an Innosuisse funded research project at the ZHAW School Management and Law (Switzerland). A consortium of four large, established, Swiss-based firms have committed to support as research context:
Clariant (chemicals), Johnson & Johnson (healthcare), Bank Cler (financial), and Deloitte (management consulting and financial practice). The PhD project will perform an in-depth qualitative and quantitative research in, and with at least one of, these firms. Possible research questions with a high potential for scientific contributions as well as practical relevance include:

• What changes in business models, operations, and reporting systems do firms implement to align their organizations with a purpose-driven strategy? And what are the tensions that emerge in the process?
• How do firms go about systematically evaluating and measuring their purpose implementation and impact? Which stakeholders are involved in this process and to what extent does it lead to changes in the overall governance and culture of the firm?
• How has corporate communication about purpose evolved over time, and what determines whether top management can secure support and commitment for its purpose-driven renewal strategy from various levels of the organization?
• What determines a firm's commitment to its purpose-driven strategy? And how is this impacted by adverse events such as financial losses, reputational damage, or the need for restructuring?

You will be appointed by the Amsterdam Business School and your…