PhD Defence: Rikke Kiilerich
In order to obtain the PhD degree, Rikke Kiilerich has submitted her thesis entitled:
Return on Experience: An ethnographic study of commitment to UX quality in enterprise software development
This dissertation examines the challenges of applying human-centered design principles in enterprise software development, a context historically shaped by executive-driven purchasing and technical requirements. Central to this is the paradox between prioritizing the user and the customer perspectives, which influences product teams’ decisions and practices. Based on ethnographic fieldwork (2021–2024) and oral history interviews with members of Microsoft’s enterprise software group, it explores how product teams respond to the growing focus on the business value of user experience. The dissertation traces a shift from cost-justifying usability to return on experience thinking by analyzing this progress over time through the lens of organizational design maturity. The findings demonstrate how adopting human-centered design principles challenges established practices in enterprise software development. It highlights how the popularization of generative AI supports this shift by requiring deep human and contextual understanding for meaningful application, promoting stronger cross-disciplinary collaboration that addresses the dichotomy between prioritizing the user and the customer perspective.
The thesis will be available from research.cbs.dk
Primary Supervisor:
Associate Professor Daniel Scott Souleles
Department of Business Humanities and Law
Copenhagen Business School
Assessment Committee:
Associate Professor Ana Maria Munar (Chair)
Department of Business Humanities and Law
Copenhagen Business School
Professor Patricia Wolf
Department of Business and Management
University of Southern Denmark
Professor René Chester Goduscheit
Department of Business Development and Technology
Aarhus University
Date: 26 June 2025
Time: 11:00-13:00
Online: TEAMS
*Please note that the microphone and camera of all spectators must be turned off.
Location: Porcelænshaven
Room: PHRs20 (Entrance 22)
Reception: Lobby outside PHRs20
*The CBS PhD School will host a reception, which will take place immediately after the defence.