DC15 / Skills & careers

Knowledge Creation and Sharing in Augmented Organisations

Short description

This project studies how generative AI reshapes the social fabric of early-career work: who people turn to for help, how they learn from colleagues, how expertise develops, and how responsibility for decisions and outcomes is negotiated. It focuses on people who have used generative AI throughout their recent education and are now learning their roles in the workplace.

Working with RTL Nederland and KPMG Netherlands, the doctoral researcher will conduct embedded ethnography through interviews and observations with employees, managers, developers and other stakeholders. The research will follow what people actually do with AI, how they learn and become part of professional communities, and the difficulties they encounter.

A central concept is ‘AI anomie’: uncertainty about how AI should be used at work when policies, managers and colleagues send different messages. Employees may be encouraged to use AI to work faster while remaining responsible for quality and developing their own expertise. The project will examine these tensions and explore how organisations can support responsible AI use, learning and skill development at the start of a career.

Recruitment information

Applications closed

The application period ended on 18 October 2026. Applications are being reviewed.

What the project involves

  • Conduct ethnographic research in one or more organisations.
  • Talk candidly with employees about their generative AI use, experiences and difficulties.
  • Share and compare findings within a research team.
  • Develop and communicate the research through careful reading, writing and presentations.

Your background

A strong candidate will have experience in qualitative research, preferably ethnography, and excellent results in a relevant master’s programme, such as organisation studies, sociology or information systems. Strong reading, writing and presentation skills are essential. The official university advertisement will set out the full requirements.