PhD researcher at the Department of Work and Organisation Studies, KU Leuven
KU Leuven is offering a full-time PhD position at the Department of Work and Organisation Studies (WOS), linked to the Leuven and Antwerp campuses. WOS is an interdisciplinary research group of around 50 researchers studying the world of work from multiple scientific perspectives, including organizations in society, careers and sustainable employability, well-being and quality of work, HRM, leadership, and organizational behavior.
The project,
How Algorithms Shape Our Ideas of Healthy and Productive Work
, investigates how digital technologies, algorithmic management, and wearable devices such as smartwatches are reshaping workplace expectations, employee well-being, and ideas about the “good” or “healthy” employee. Drawing on critical theory, the PhD will examine how organizations and technology companies present these technologies, how new norms of ideal employee well-being are produced, and how employees perceive, contest, and respond to these developments.
A distinctive feature of the project is the use of theatre performance as a research tool to explore possible future scenarios involving technology, work, and well-being. The research takes a qualitative, critically analytical approach and focuses on well-being as a structurally produced phenomenon, the discourses surrounding algorithmic management and wearables, and the ways these norms may exclude certain groups.
The position is a four-year PhD scholarship holder appointment, starting from 1 October 2026 subject to approval by the doctoral committee. Applicants should have strong academic results, interest in research, experience or strong interest in qualitative methods, and excellent English and Dutch. Final-year master’s students are welcome to apply if they will obtain the required degree.
Interested candidates must apply through the online application tool by 17 August 2026. Required documents include a motivation letter, CV, and a summary of the master’s thesis. For more information, contact Prof. dr. Sophie De Winne or dr. Marjan De Coster by email.
