PhD Studentship: AI-mediated Strategizing – How Generative AI Reshapes Organizational Sensemaking and Strategic Decision-making Cranfield University in United Kingdom

[Full tuition fees and an annual bursary of £20,780 (tax free) for three years for Home or Overseas students.]

This fully funded PhD studentship at Cranfield University offers an exciting opportunity to investigate how generative AI is reshaping strategic decision-making, organizational sensemaking, and accountability in modern organizations. Sponsored by Cranfield School of Management, the project is designed for ambitious scholars interested in AI governance, human–AI decision-making, and organizational strategy. The research will explore how AI-mediated strategizing transforms the framing, justification, and execution of strategic issues, addressing urgent challenges of judgement, defensibility, and responsibility as organizations increasingly rely on AI-generated logic and insights.

The project is situated within strategic management and organization studies, particularly the strategy-as-practice and process-based research traditions, and engages closely with AI governance and algorithmic organising. It examines how generative AI is transforming core managerial activities, especially strategic decision-making, sensemaking, and accountability, by reshaping how issues are framed, evidence is constructed, and authority is exercised. This research is highly relevant for modern business and management, especially as organizations embed AI into high-stakes decisions. Understanding how to maintain judgement quality, transparency, and responsible governance is critical, particularly in highly regulated and uncertainty-intensive sectors, as well as in organizations operating under intense public and stakeholder scrutiny.

The project aims to develop a process model of AI-mediated strategizing that explains shifts in sensemaking, accountability, human–AI collaboration, and the quality and defensibility of strategic decisions. It will also generate practical insights and tools to improve AI-enabled decision-making in organizations. Key research questions include how AI outputs enter decision processes, how they become accepted or contested as evidence, and how responsibility is negotiated when AI materially influences strategic choices.

Funding for this studentship includes full programme fees and an annual bursary of £20,780 (tax free) for three years, available to both Home and Overseas students. Applicants should have a first- or second-class UK honours degree, or equivalent, in a related discipline. A research background in strategy, organisation studies, AI, or a related field is particularly welcome. The position is open to Home and Overseas candidates.

To apply, complete the online application form at the provided link. After submission, admissions will contact you to request a research proposal. For further information, contact Dr Mehdi Safavi at [email protected].