Inna Smirnova

Hello and welcome!

I am currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Michigan. I study the design of modern work in creative, knowledge-intensive fields like technology and academic science. Through a multi-disciplinary approach, I explore how strategic design choices—such as incentives, evaluation processes, and task structures—impact individual motivation and productivity among knowledge workers, shaping organizational output and fostering innovation. 

I deploy advanced data analytics, online and field experiments, and surveys in my research. To date, I covered several intriguing settings: volunteer workers in online communities like GitHub and Stack Overflow, scientists navigating the innovation process, and knowledge workers in tech companies like Slack affected by AI advances. 

Education: I received my Ph.D. in Management from the University of Vienna (2020). I hold a master's in Computer Science from the University of Helsinki (2014) and a master's in Management from Kazan Federal University (2014). My bachelor's degree is from Kazan Federal University in Information Technologies (2012). 

Fun facts: I love traveling. Soul destination—Italy,  always! I enjoy painting, hiking, playing tennis, listening to jazz, and learning new languages. I am also a bookworm - find me on Goodreads if you are too:)