Exploring intelligent immersive systems for field service operations
Cardiff Business School supported by the ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership for Wales (Wales DTP), invites applications for PhD study. These particular studentships, known as ‘collaborative studentships’, involve liaison with a non-academic organisation, often at many key stages of the research programme. They will commence in October 2022
The lead supervisor is Dr Yingli Wang ([Email Address Removed])
This project is in collaboration with BT
Context
Increasingly complex service operations require companies to improve employees’ expertise to remain competitive. The recent Covid-19 pandemic further reveals the importance of digital and remote support, repair, and maintenance activities. Intelligent immersive systems combine immersive technologies (IMSTs) with computational intelligence mechanisms to produce adaptive, context-aware environments for advanced decision-making support. This can enhance working environments, optimising resources by reducing time and location restrictions, leading to faster knowledge transfer and better understanding of different processes. Although businesses see great potential in IMST, technology alone will not yield success, and few organisations realise that IMST requires different ways of thinking and new processes (Porter and Heppelmann 2017).
Aim and rationale
Whilst there is much enthusiasm for IMSTs, how to manage and leverage them in contemporary operations is underexplored. We expect IMSTs will have a transformational impact on service operations, helping businesses to build individual and organisational absorptive capabilities. This in turn will a) improve productivity, collaboration, and quality of work; b) contribute to environmental sustainability via remote equipment monitoring and control and supporting digital twins.
This research is one of the early studies in the OM discipline, and aims to explore the early implications of IMST in augmenting human competency and supporting field service operations. The findings will make a significant contribution to this emerging field.
Suggested research questions and theoretical lenses
RQ1: How can IMSTs add different types of value to field service operations?
RQ2: How should IMSTs user-experience be designed and executed?
RQ3: How should service organisations leverage IMSTs to achieve sustainable operations?
Multiple theories could be utilised to investigate, evidence and evaluate the impact of IMST, i.e. dynamic capability theory and absorptive capacity theory (on how IMST helps to build individual and organisational capability), institutional theory and nudge theory (how to initiate organisational change and influence individual behaviour for desirable outcomes).
The student will develop a relevant research approach guided by the project team. An action Design Science approach will be suggested as a starting point, which is well-regarded within the OM and IS/IT disciplines for discovery and problem solving[1],[2]. The principally qualitative study will employ interviews, immersive observation, focus groups, and design thinking workshops to iteratively co-develop and test 4-6 usecase examples with BT technical team.
References
Please see bottom of references section for further details.
Eligibility for the studentship
Applications are invited from exceptional candidates with a first class or strong upper second class honours degree, or appropriate Master’s degree. The University and ESRC Wales DTP value diversity and equality at all levels and we encourage applications from all sections of the community, irrespective of age, disability, sex, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation. In line with our commitment to supporting and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion, and to increase recruitment of currently underrepresented groups, applications from Black British, Asian British, minority ethnicity British and mixed race British candidates are particularly encouraged and welcomed. We welcome applications for both full and part-time study, and studentships are available as either ‘1+3’ (i.e. one full time year of research training Masters followed by three years of full-time Doctoral study, or the part-time equivalent), or ‘+3’ (i.e. three years of full-time doctoral study or its part-time equivalent), depending on the needs of the applicant.
Please visit here for further information about the PhD Programme at Cardiff Business School.
Applications welcomed by 31st May 2022(1200 hours).
Please see references section for further details on how to apply. Applications should be made online, please visit the Business School website and click "apply now".
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