Job Erasmus University Rotterdam – Postdoctoral researcher for LDE research Centre
Job description
The postdoctoral researcher is expected to contribute significantly to the following two major tasks in further developing the analytical and empirical foundations of the LDE Research Centre on Frugal Innovation in Africa.
First, the postdoc will contribute to developing a more consistent and integrated analytical framework to improve our understanding of frugal and inclusive innovation and its societal implications. Much of the existing academic research on inclusive and more specifically frugal innovation is inspired by management theories, with a micro-level emphasis on firm-level business models and their direct business consequences. Little attention has been paid to the linkages with entrepreneurship and the broader institutional embeddedness of innovation processes as presented in for example (neo-) Schumpeterian economics, (economic) transformation literature, (new) institutional economics, broader institutional theory and stakeholder theory.
Second, the postdoc is expected to contribute to, and assist in coordinating a number of on-going technological and non-technological pilot studies around frugal and inclusive innovation in Africa, which will provide part of the empirical case material contributing to constructing our analytical framework.
Expected outputs:
- This postdoc is expected to (contribute to) the following outputs:
- Present intermediate research results at international conferences and workshops
- Co-author articles for publication in peer reviewed international journals on the emerging analytical framework on frugal and inclusive innovation in Africa
- Contribute to the overall coordination and direction of the LDE Research Centre
- Translate the research framework and results in existing education curricula at the three universities
Requirements
- PhD in economics, management science or one of the social sciences, or in engineering with an economics/ management focus
- Affinity with technology and innovation processes in developing countries
- Experience with doing research in developing countries
- Excellent command of English, command of French is valued positively
- Willingness to travel to and in Africa
Depending on the more detailed agreed upon tasks, the postdoc will be supervised by one or more of the three principal investigators of the LDE Research Centre (Prof.dr. Cees van Beers, Prof.dr. Peter Knorringa, and Dr. André Leliveld).
Conditions of employment
The position is for 0.8, with a fixed term for two years, starting on January 1st 2014 or as soon thereafter as possible, with the possibility of an extension for an additional year. Salary being dependent on the candidateâs experience ranges from ⏠2427 to ⏠4462 gross per month (accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement (CAO NU scale 10/11) for Dutch Universities) under full-time contract. In addition, ISS pays an 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year payment which is for 2013: 8,3 %.
The successful candidate will be employed by Erasmus University Rotterdam, and formally based at the Institute of Social Studies in the Hague.
Contract type: Temporary, two years
Organisation
The expertise of Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is concentrated in the fields of Business Administration, Economics, Medicine and Health Sciences, Law, Social Sciences, History, Culture and Communication, and Philosophy. In addition to the initial degree programmes and scientific research, the University offers specific postgraduate study programmes and courses. Erasmus University has around 25,000 students and some 2,500 staff members.
Department
Leiden University, Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam seek to fill a position for a postdoctoral researcher in the LDE Research Centre âFrugal Innovation in Africaâ, which is jointly executed by the African Studies Centre (Leiden), Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management (Delft) and Institute of Social Studies (Rotterdam). The postdoctoral researcher will be employed by the Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Description research domain
The LDE Research Centre âFrugal Innovation in Africaâ aims to develop multi-disciplinary collaborative research on innovations in Africa, with researchers and institutions in Africa and in the three Dutch Universities that constitute the LDE Research Centre. In this research the hypothesis is that innovations developed in innovation and technology networks between Western and local firms have much more potential to be relevant for economic transformation in Africa than views which consider a âone fit for allâ external solution to solve Africaâs perceived backwardness in technology and innovation. The overarching question is about the conditions under which innovations are more likely to offer development opportunities for producers and consumers in Africa.
The objective is to investigate business models and technology networks that help EU based companies to successfully develop and sell products and services for the largest unsaturated market segment in the global economy: the four billion relatively poorer and emerging new middle class consumers at the Bottom of the Pyramid. This requires frugal innovation, the re-inventing or âstripping-downâ of existing high-value consumer products that dramatically lowers their unit consumer price. Examples are Tataâs simplified water purifier; Unileverâs OMO sachets containing small amounts of detergent that are specifically produced for hand washing in cold water; and low-cost solar lighting systems for rural electrification by Philips.
Recent developments in innovation economics and management show that no single firm â not even a single country â can innovate successfully on its own in this increasingly differentiated global market. Success in bottom of the pyramid markets depends on developing multi-disciplinary and cross-cultural networks between firms with complementary core competences. Chinese and Indian producers are more accustomed to serving the real bottom-end of the pyramid. The aim is to investigate how European firms can compete successfully in the rapidly growing new middle class market segments, through establishing networks with African producers to develop locally demanded frugal innovations. We expect that the competitive edge of frugal innovations developed by networks of European firms with local entrepreneurs in Africa is to focus on value-sensitive and high quality designs, in combination with compliance with basic environmental and social standards, for a reasonable price. While such products might remain out of reach for the poorest, they will be a very attractive marketing proposition for the more than 1 billion new middle class consumers in the global economy, of which more than 300 million live in Africa by 2020.
Additional information
Applications,accompanied by a detailed Curriculum Vitae and the names of two Referees and a sample of recent academic writing can be send by email to vacancy@iss.nl (addressed to Ms. Sabine Zebel), before 1st of November 2013. The interviews will be held on 19th of November 2013
For more information on this position, please contact:
Prof.dr. C.P. van Beers, e-mail: c.p.vanbeers@tudelft.nl, Tel (+31) 15 278 1150
Prof.dr. P. Knorringa, e-mail: Knorringa@iss.nl, Tel (+31) 70 4260 584
Dr. A.H. Leliveld, e-mail: Leliveld@asc.leidenuniv.nl, Tel (+31) 71 5273 363
More information about employer Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) on AcademicTransfer. Direct link to this job opening:www.academictransfer.com/20324