Doctoral Researcher: MSCA Doctoral Network EMANAIRE, DC 06: AI Co-Creation, Morality, and the Inner Good in Creative Industries

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MSCA Doctoral Network EMANAIRE, DC06: AI Co-Creation, Morality, and the Inner Good in Creative Industries

Position details

Recruiting institution: Hanken School of Economics, Department of Management and Organisation

Work location: Helsinki, Finland · one position

Contract: four-year, full-time doctoral scholarship · 48 months

Expected start: 1 February 2027 or by agreement

Application deadline: by 11:59 p.m. on 29 October 2026

Doctoral programme: PhD in Management and Organisation

Apply: https://hanken.rekrytointi.com/paikat/index.php?o=A_LOJ&list=1&lang=en&rspvt=bx32qk756igw8ww08c0k4sgg0w8w48c

Hanken School of Economics, Department of Management and Organisation invites applications for this four-year doctoral scholarship in the EMANAIRE project, PhD project: AI Co-Creation, Morality, and the Inner Good in Creative Industries.

About EMANAIRE

EMANAIRE is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network bringing together 15 doctoral candidates at nine European universities to study how AI is changing work. Its projects examine what happens when generative and agentic AI enters leadership, everyday workflows, team communication, professional learning and career decisions. Across the network, human agency means the practical ability to understand AI-supported decisions, exercise judgement, question outputs and shape how work is organised. Each researcher joins an international cohort, receives supervision across institutions and takes part in three residential schools, methods workshops, monthly research seminars and joint work with organisations beyond academia. Every project includes extensive engagement with industrial partner (e.g. in terms of data collection and development of practice).

The doctoral project

What happens to the value and purpose of creative work when people create alongside AI? This project studies how AI agents, AI-mediated processes and platform algorithms reshape co-creation and moral questions in creative industries. It follows employees, freelancers and studios as they negotiate changes to their work and business models. Through ethnographic fieldwork you will research what practitioners value within the activity of making creative work, and how that changes across human, hybrid and automated practices. The project aims to develop a practice-based account of co-creation and offer guidance for organisations and policymakers seeking equitable, responsible and sustainable creative work.

Your work

• Study how AI agents and platform algorithms reshape co-creation, moral questions and business models in creative industries.
• Conduct ethnographic fieldwork with employees, freelancers and studios.
• Examine what practitioners value in creative work across human, hybrid and automated practices.
• Develop a practice-based account and guidance for equitable, responsible and sustainable creative work.
• Refine the research questions and design with the supervision team and prepare ethics, data-management and open-science materials.
• Complete a doctoral thesis and related research outputs under the host doctoral programme and EMANAIRE plan.
• Take part in local and network-wide training, cohort activities, reviews, dissemination and practitioner engagement.
• Participate in teaching related activities at the Department of Management and Organisation.
• Undertake collaboration with the industry partner and a separate academic mobility visit.
• Contribute to research integrity, equality, responsible AI, open science and FAIR data practices.

Supervision, training and mobility

Project contact: Mikko Vesa (mikko.vesa@hanken.fi).

Main supervisor: Professor Mikko Vesa (Hanken School of Economics).

Current DoA plan: The Doctoral researcher is expected to spend a period of time at an industrial partner conducting the ethnographic research and contributing to practice.

Academic mobility visit: At least three months at another partner institution of the EMANAIRE network.

The researcher will complete at least 60 ECTS of doctoral coursework, including at least 10 ECTS through network-wide provision. EMANAIRE combines local doctoral courses with three residential schools, monthly paper-development seminars, work-package workshops and network reviews. A Personal Career Development Plan will be agreed within the first three months and reviewed every six months.

About Hanken School of Economics

Hanken School of Economics is one of the leading business schools in the Nordic countries. It is located in Finland, with campuses in Helsinki and Vaasa. Hanken offers a range of B.Sc., M.Sc., EMBA, PhD, and Executive Development programmes taught mainly in English and Swedish. The School has close ties to the business community and an active alumni network with over 13 800 alumni working in more than 70 countries. The School is accredited by AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS. The Hanken Masters in Management programme was ranked #56 by the Financial Times in 2026. Hanken is recognized for its research quality, its international orientation, and its focus on sustainability.

Hanken is part of the European ENGAGE.EU European university alliance, that collaborates in the area of doctoral education by creating common practices and offering courses across member universities. The Department of Management and Organisation is recognized for its outstanding research in areas such as organisation studies, human resource management, business ethics and strategic entrepreneurship. The doctoral programme at Hanken is designed as a four-year full-time education, consisting of coursework, thesis work and teaching. Hanken provides comprehensive support throughout the doctoral journey, including supervision, study administration, performance monitoring, and assistance with funding. There is also support for applying for postdoctoral research funding.

Who we are looking for

Applicants should hold, or be close to completing by the start date, a relevant master's degree or equivalent and demonstrate the potential to undertake independent doctoral research. Research, policy or industry experience relevant to the project is advantageous.

In order to be accepted as a Doctoral Researcher at Hanken, applicants must fulfill the formal admission requirements for PhD studies#_msocom_1: https://www.hanken.fi/en/apply/application/phd-programme/attachments . A Masters