HAI Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Center for Work, Technology & Organization, Department of Management Science & Engineering

The “Examining Human/AI Augmentation in the Workplace: Challenges and Consequences” is a multi-sited ethnographic study that examines the organizational structures, processes, and practices that could enable (or constrain) Human-AI augmentation in the workplace, and its consequences for workers, occupational groups, and organizations.

While there is an increasing emphasis placed on the need to augment both human and machine intelligence to be effective and successful in the workplace, the organizational politics of augmentation are likely to be more complex than expected. This has the potential to unequally impact certain worker demographics and roles than others, and produce stratifying outcomes with respect to their career attainment and mobility within the organization. Therefore, we need to better understand how human-AI augmentation happens in practice in organizations, and its consequences for workplace equity, diversity, and career attainment.

The postdoctoral fellow would be involved in this ethnographic study in organizational settings where human-AI augmentation is prominent but also has the potential to impact the work and careers of certain demographics and occupational roles in adverse ways. Understanding the processes and consequences of Human-AI augmentation in the workplace, therefore, will become all the more important in order to avoid reinforcing existing workplace inequalities and/or create new forms of inequalities within and beyond organizations.

The postdoctoral fellow will be joining this project and will be part of the “AI and Orgs” lab led by Arvind Karunakaran and housed within the Center for Work, Technology, and Organization (WTO) in the Department of Management Science & Engineering.

Consistent with the norms in the fields of management and sociology, mentorship structure would involve regular (weekly) meetings with the PI to discuss progress on the project as well as other career objectives. Professor Karunakaran would mentor and support the postdoctoral fellow and provide opportunities in multiple ways, including collaboration on journal articles, sponsorship of conference travel, and invitations to participate in Center meetings. The postdoctoral scholar will also be involved in WTO lab meetings, co-organize a monthly brown bag on “AI in the Workplace,” and will contribute to the intellectual culture of the Center for Work, Technology, and Organization and Stanford HAI.

Stanford HAI is also committed to creating a diverse community of scholars who are engaged in contributing to the understanding and advancement of Human-Centered AI. Postdoctoral fellows will have the opportunity to engage with one another and with the broader Stanford HAI research community. They are also expected to participate in professional development, cohort-building, and other programmatic activities organized by HAI.

Qualifications

• PhD in Management (with specialization in Organizational Behavior/Organizational Theory), Sociology, Communications, HCI, or related fields
• Completion of all doctoral requirements within the last three years and no later than September 1, 2023

Evaluation Criteria

• Prior experience conducting qualitative/ethnographic research
• Knowledge and expertise on research related to technology and work, sociology of occupations and organizations.
• Quality of research papers (1-2 sample papers) – either published or working papers
• Expertise in ethnographic data collection and analysis
• Strong writing skills

Timeline

• Application Deadline: March 20, 2023 (Applicants advancing in the review process may be asked to submit additional materials, including letters of recommendation, and may be invited to interview.)
• Selections to be made by mid-April, 2023
• This is a 1-year appointment starting Fall 2023

The expected base pay for this position is $80,000/yr. The pay offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors including (but not limited to) the qualifications of the selected candidate, budget availability, and internal equity.

Stanford is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.