PhD Candidate in Development of Capabilities in the Brabant Start-up Ecosystem

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.

Requirements:

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.

Salary Benefits:

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. 

40 hours per week

Warandelaan 2