PhD in Organizational Behaviour & Human Resource Management

The Telfer Ph.D. in Management is designed the shape visionary, influential thinkers who have a positive impact on the lives of people, organizations, and communities through their research. Our students work on their research in collaboration with internationally renowned professors. We share with our students the expertise of our researchers, their extensive networks, and their partnerships with organizations in local, national, and international business communities. Our mission is to consistently maintain high-quality research networks – and to put our students at the center of everything. The Telfer Ph.D. offers students the opportunity to specialize in one of five fields:

• Accounting and Control
• Entrepreneurship
• Finance
• Health Systems
• Organizational Behaviour & Human Resources

Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources (OBHR) focuses on the understanding and management of behavior in the workplace. Students develop a deep appreciation for the research and insight of subjects dealing with the “human” side of work, such as individual-level topics (e.g., recruitment, selection, job analysis, training and development, learning, motivation, performance), relational topics (e.g., relationships between individuals at work, mentors-protégés, leaders-followers, teamwork, conflict management, diversity, equity) and organizational-level topics (e.g., organizational learning, change management, compensation systems, industrial relations) as well as topics from complementary disciplines such as psychology and sociology.

Organizational Behaviour & Human Resources as a specialty

The Ph.D. in Management offers students the opportunity to focus on one of five specialties: Accounting and Control, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Health Systems and Organizational Behaviour & Human Resources.

Program Highlights

Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources (OBHR) focuses on the understanding and management of behavior in the workplace. Students develop a deep appreciation for the research and insight of subjects dealing with the “human” side of work, such as individual-level topics (e.g., recruitment, selection, job analysis, training and development, learning, motivation, performance), relational topics (e.g., relationships between individuals at work, mentors-protégés, leaders-followers, teamwork, conflict management, diversity, equity) and organizational-level topics (e.g., organizational learning, change management, compensation systems, industrial relations) as well as topics from complementary disciplines such as psychology and sociology.

At the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa, we are committed to providing our students with all the tools to succeed. Our students work on their research in collaboration with internationally renowned professors. We share with our students the expertise of our researchers, their extensive networks, and their partnerships with organizations in local, national, and international business communities. Our mission is to consistently maintain high-quality research networks – and to put our students at the center of everything.

The Doctoral Leadership Development Program offers seminars, special workshops and activities focused on personal and professional development. These activities assist in the holistic development of doctoral candidates. Additional workshops are also made available through the Altitude Program.

In addition to workshops, the Telfer School of Management is lucky to host several research talks every year. We currently host the Management Research Seminar Series, and the Health Systems Research Seminar Series. All doctoral students are invited to make at least one thesis-related presentation to the Telfer School of Management Research Seminar Series.

Multidisciplinary research is also an inherent part of the Ph.D. in Management. All students, regardless of specialization, examine the multidisciplinary nature of management decision-making. Telfer students push beyond the traditional knowledge boundaries and incorporate knowledge from other disciplines embracing emerging and sometimes conflicting paradigms including sustainability, responsible management and the need to balance environmental, economic and social outcomes.

Finally, a teaching practicum is offered and encouraged regardless of the student’s intended career. The ability to teach is an important skill for both academic and non-academic careers. Students are also encouraged to enroll in the University of Ottawa’s Certificate in University Teaching.

Everyone who joins the tight-knit community that makes up our management school is immediately engaged in the business of building a better Canada.

Our students are fully immersed in a learning experience that goes beyond the classroom and takes them out into the practical world, where they benefit from working with partners to make a real impact in their world. This exposure prepares our students to become a new generation of leaders ready to apply their learning to the world around them.

Our faculty devotes themselves to conducting leading-edge research that produces the insights and ideas that we use to shape our unique curriculum. Our staff is committed to providing the support that makes all this important work possible, united by a shared belief that better business means a better Canada, and that a better Canada means a better world.