PhD student positions available at the Department of Management and Organization
As part of SSE, which is ranked as the top business school in the Nordics, the Department of Management and Organization (DMO) offers a vibrant, multidisciplinary and inclusive environment for PhD students in many areas of organization studies, organizational behaviour, human resource management, work psychology, public policy and administration, and employment relations. We welcome students interested in various research methods, both qualitative and quantitative.
DMO has excellent access relationships with businesses, public and non-profit organizations based in Stockholm and collaborates closely with researchers across Europe and internationally.
The SSE PhD Program in Business Administration is a four to five year, full-time, residential program taught in English. We do not offer distance learning, or allow for part-time studies. All admitted PhD students receive a scholarship from the SSE, and are guaranteed funding throughout the PhD program, conditional upon satisfactory performance. SSE does not charge tuition fees for the PhD programs.
Applicants are encouraged to consult the DMO research and people pages for further information about research Centres and areas of expertise. For questions about the application process, please contact the admissions team.
For our 2026 intake of PhD students, we particularly encourage applications in the following focus areas:
Governance
We are interested in research projects in the fields of governance, public policy, and public administration, with both Nordic and international perspectives. This includes governance in the public and private sectors, as well as their interaction, along with specific areas such as health governance and educational governance. We also welcome candidates with interests in policy evaluation and leadership development within public administration. As a PhD student, you will be part of our fast-growing community of researchers at the House of Governance and Public Policy.
For more information contact Karl Wennberg or Katja Einola.
Leadership
Research projects are invited in the area of leadership studies with a focus on issues including but not limited to diversity, technology, sustainability, power and politics. Relational, social and interdisciplinary perspectives on leadership in the context of businesses and other kinds of organisations and collective organising practices are welcomed. Projects are also encouraged that address the ethical and the practical challenges of leadership development and practice. As a PhD student, you will be affiliated to the Centre for Responsible Leadership which offers a distinctive research environment for engaging with current topics and international researchers.
For more information contact Katja Einola or Emma Bell.
Organizations and People at Work
We invite research projects in the areas of organizational behaviour, organization theory, and work psychology. Projects may focus on topics such as organizational justice, inequality and deviance, performance management, employee well-being and health, work design, and work environments. We are also interested in studies addressing the challenges and opportunities of remote, virtual, and hybrid work. Other areas of interest include the intersection of human resource management (HRM) and digital technology, especially the human side of AI.
We encourage research exploring how organizational practices and perceptions affect emotions, motivation, performance, and well-being. Proposals may also investigate changing forms of employment, including gig work, self-employment, and the integration of AI in professional services firms.
As a PhD student, you will join a collegial research community committed to rigorous, theory-driven, and methodologically diverse scholarship on contemporary work and organizations.
For more information contact Constanze Eib or Katja Einola
Ready to apply?
If you want to join our community, please submit your application directly through our recruitment system. Applicants should apply for the PhD in Business Administration, specializing in Management and Organization.
The application deadline is January 15th, 2026 (CET).
All applications to the SSE PhD program in Business Administration must be made through the web-based application system: /en/Education/PhD/business-administration/admission/. There you will find complete information about prerequisites as well as required contents of your application.
About Stockholm School of Economics
The Stockholm School of Economics is located in the centre of Stockholm and is ranked as the top business school in the Nordics. It is an academic hub for ambitious students and researchers from all over the world. By working closely with corporate partners and society at large, SSE has been creating opportunities for its graduates for over 100 years. Please read more about SSE here.