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PhD opportunities: Business

Compare 59 doctoral research opportunities connected with Business, including project summaries, funding and application deadlines.

Business

Context, Informality and the Practice of Project Management

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project Project management scholarship has long assumed a relatively stable institutional backdrop around formal structures, codified methods, and predictable operating environments. Yet for much of the world’s workforce, and across a wide range of industries and cultural settings, project delivery looks quite different.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Developing climate change solutions with simulation in the fashion industry

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project Climate change is a global threat to humanity today. Many models have been developed to predict global warming and Greenhouse gas emissions, with one example being the EN-ROADS climate simulator. However these models are generic and do not focus on the impact of a specific industry or individuals organisations’ actions.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Emotional Labour in Project Delivery Teams

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project While project management scholarship has traditionally emphasised technical coordination, scheduling and risk, comparatively little attention has been paid to the relational and affective dimensions of project work. This project examines the emotional labour required to keep project teams functioning, particularly during periods of pressure, uncertainty or crisis.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Gendered Identity Work in Marketing Professions: Performance, Authenticity, and Career Trajectories in the Digital Age

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project As marketing work in emerging economies becomes digitalized, performance-oriented, and visibility-driven, it is crucial for marketing research to understand how marketers build and perform gendered identities to provide innovative products and services, meet various stakeholders expectations and progress their careers (Alzahrani et al., 2026; Saxena, 2025; Varma et al., 2023).

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Hexa‑Helix Coopetition for Sustainable Destination Management

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project Tourism remains one of the world’s most economically significant sectors, driving employment, investment and local development across diverse regions. For example, in the UK alone, the visitor economy generated £147 billion in GDP in 2024, representing 5% of national economic output, and supported 2.4 million jobs.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

IFRS Sustainability Reporting Standards and corporate financial policies

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project The increasing demand for transparency, comparability, reliability and decision usefulness of sustainability information has led to the development of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) S1 and S2. IFRS S1 focuses on general requirements for sustainability-related financial information and IFRS S2 deals with climate-related disclosures.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Impact of Climate Change on Firm Performance and Asset Pricing: Machine Learning and Text-Based Analyses

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project Climate change has become a central strategic and regulatory issue for firms worldwide (Barnett, 2023). Firms increasingly disclose climate-related information in annual, sustainability, and integrated reports, reflecting their climate awareness, risk perceptions, and transition strategies (Acheampong et al., 2025). However, it remains unclear whether these disclosures represent genuine strategic adaptation or symbolic communication, such as greenwashing.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Investigating the influences and drivers of gambling participation and associated harms

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project Gambling participation has expanded significantly in recent decades, driven by digital platforms, targeted marketing, and shifting social norms (Wardle et al., 2024). The increased availability and accessibility to gambling activities has raised health concerns from different international reviews due to it the negative consequences on individuals, families and communities (Bano et al., 2021; Price et al., 2021).

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Involution-Driven Competition and Global Production System Resilience: Evidence from the Electric Vehicle Industry

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project In recent years, the global electric vehicle (EV) industry has experienced intense price-based rivalry, rapid capacity expansion, and aggressive cost compression, particularly among Chinese manufacturers. This phenomenon, increasingly described as involution-driven competition, reflects a competitive regime in which EV manufacturers pursue extreme efficiency, minimal differentiation, and survival-oriented scaling.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Leveraging Situation Awareness for Human-AI Collaboration to Achieve Operational Excellence in SMEs

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project Small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) increasingly rely on digital technologies and AI‑enabled systems to improve efficiency, resilience, and decision‑making. However, SMEs often face challenges integrating AI effectively due to limited resources, internal capabilities, and lack of guidance to delineate the roles between humans and intelligent systems.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Managing Presenteeism and Sickness Absence in UK Higher Education: A Mixed‑Methods Study

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are central to UK social and economic sustainability, contributing >£130bn annually and employing >440,000 people. As knowledge-intensive organisations, they drive innovation, regional development and growth. Supporting staff wellbeing and productivity through sustainable working practices is crucial for institutional resilience and wider economic stability.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Orchestrating Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Resource-Constrained Contexts

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project Entrepreneurial ecosystems are central to productive entrepreneurship, most ecosystem studies are more likely to focus on well-resourced contexts in developed economies (Brown and Mason, 2017; Autio et al., 2018). Yet, we know little about how these ecosystems are coordinated, led, and governed in contexts where resources, formal institutions, and public support are limited.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Organisational Capability and Social Value in Net-Zero Construction

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project The transition to net-zero built environments represents a major challenge for the construction sector. Although significant progress has been made in developing low-carbon technologies and regulatory frameworks, the delivery of net-zero buildings often falls behind policy ambition. Increasingly, these challenges are not only technical but organisational.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Public Sector Governance and Financial Resilience in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming organisational operations across both private and public sectors. In the public sector, AI offers significant opportunities to improve efficiency, service delivery, and data-driven decision-making. However, its adoption also creates substantial governance and financial challenges.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Reframing Workplace Well-being: Compassionate Leadership and the Organisational Experience of Trauma Survivors

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project This PhD project critically examines how Compassionate Leadership can enhance organisational support for trauma survivors and contribute to the development of sustainable workplace wellbeing mechanisms. While Compassionate Leadership is increasingly recognised as a transformative leadership approach, its application to the lived experiences of trauma survivors in organisational settings remains underexplored.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Regulatory Efficiency and Strategic Adjustment under Multiple Banking Constraints

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project Banks operate under multiple binding regulatory constraints, most notably capital and liquidity requirements designed to ensure resilience to economic shocks. While these requirements strengthen financial stability, they are costly: holding additional equity or liquid assets reduces balance sheet flexibility and may constrain profitability.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

The Experienced Coach: An exploration of the coaches learning pathways and developmental influences

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project Coaching has been established as a Human Resource Development initiative. However, coaching practice and research to-date has been focusing more on executive/leadership coaching outcomes, coaching effectiveness, to understand the ingredients of success factors of coaching. Such emphasis may be largely driven by the coaches and professional bodies' motivation to seek business advantage by justifying return on coaching investments.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

The role of diversity training in an era of business and socio-economic uncertainty: Managing migrant workers’ social integration at the workplace in UK organisations

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project In an era marked by business volatility and socio-economic uncertainty, it is widely suggested that diversity training could support the creation of a supportive climate of all migrant workers’ social integration at the workplace to contribute collectively to organisational goals (CIPD, 2017; Herring and Henderson, 2015). Various immigration theories (e.g., Neoclassical, dual labour market, world systems, and network) will inform this research study.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Trauma-Informed Practice and Employment Participation: Transforming Organisational Responses to Workplace Trauma

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project This PhD project examines how trauma-informed organisational practices can enhance employment participation and transform workplace experiences for trauma-affected professionals. Trauma resulting from experiences such as abuse, violence, or prolonged adversity often has enduring psychological and relational effects that shape individuals’ working lives.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Second wind: Developing multi-disciplinary decision-support tools for adopting second-hand wind turbines in UK community energy projects

Nottingham Trent University

About the Project The transition to net-zero requires innovative approaches that reduce waste, lower costs, and maximise the value of existing renewable energy infrastructure. This interdisciplinary PhD project explores whether second-hand wind turbines can provide a sustainable and economically viable solution for UK community energy projects.

Location
Nottingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
22 October 2026
Funding
Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Business

Deceptive Advertising and Consumer Trust: Understanding Consumer Responses and Promoting Ethical Marketing

Nyenrode Business University

About the Project Deceptive advertising involves false, misleading, or incomplete claims designed to influence consumer perceptions and decisions. Such practices may include omitting relevant information, presenting misleading sources, exaggerating product performance, or using branding cues that create false associations.

Location
Utrecht, Netherlands, Netherlands
Deadline
1 March 2027
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Board-Level Technology Oversight: Designing Governance Tools for Emerging Technologies

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project Many boards and senior leadership teams are expected to oversee digital transformation, AI adoption, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies without always having the tools to assess strategic value, risk, or implementation readiness. This DBA research opportunity focuses on the design of board-level governance artefacts for emerging technology oversight.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Business Model Innovation and Strategic Renewal

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project This PhD project explores business model innovation and strategic renewal in established or growing organizations. Potential topics include business model redesign, strategic renewal, digital business models, revenue model innovation, corporate entrepreneurship, industry disruption, and the transformation of traditional firms.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Cognitive processes in self-control and emotion regulation

University of Reading

About the Project The Self-Regulation, Attention, and Emotion Lab examines various topics at the intersection of self-regulation, emotion, and (social) cognition research. We are interested in understanding how people can succesfully pursue their multiple goals and motivations and how they cope with negative emotions. For instance, we aim to understand how people cope with adversity during goal pursuit such as conflicts between goals, motivations, and desires (e.g.

Location
Reading, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Corporate Due Diligence through Contractual Commitments

Nyenrode Business University

About the Project All our projects, as well as the PhD itself at Nyenrode, are self-funded. Corporate due diligence is at the core of responsible business conduct due to an increasing complexity of global supply chains and a changing regulatory framework in Europe and across the globe.

Location
Utrecht, Netherlands, Netherlands
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Corporate Governance, Risk Management and Executive Decision-Making

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project This PhD project invites research into corporate governance, risk management, and executive decision-making in complex organizational environments. Possible topics include board effectiveness, enterprise risk management, governance structures, executive accountability, financial oversight, regulatory pressure, and decision-making under uncertainty.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Corporate Governance: Boards, CEOs, and Compensation

Nyenrode Business University

About the Project All our projects, as well as the PhD itself at Nyenrode, are self-funded. Expressions of interest are invited for part-time PhD projects in corporate governance, with a primary emphasis on boards, CEOs, and executive compensation.

Location
Utrecht, Netherlands, Netherlands
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Cross-Border Management, Culture and Institutional Complexity

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project This PhD research opportunity examines cross-border management, culture, and institutional complexity. Possible topics include institutional distance, cultural adaptation, international management practices, global teams, expatriate leadership, subsidiary management, cross-border mergers, and the coordination of organizations across different legal, cultural, and regulatory environments.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Detecting Hostile Behaviour Through Real-time Voice Analysis

University of Worcester

About the Project This PhD study will explore the automation of hostility assessment from the human voice in real-time. The project will leverage recent advances in machine learning to train a hostility predictor model to identify and classify hostile behaviours. Demonstrating persistent high levels of hostility in are associated with several morbidities including coronary artery disease.

Location
Worcester, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Determining Cyber Attacks by Using Machine Learning to Detect Message Anomalies

University of Worcester

About the Project We are interested in finding ways to determine internal and external attacks on cyber systems such as IoT devices, wireless sensor networks (WSN), car electronic components, or connected computer systems. Such attacks often involve the alteration, fabrication, deletion or injection of data messages. Detecting anomalies in data message streams is therefore an important aspect of any intrusion detection system deployed for cyber security.

Location
Worcester, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Determining and understanding digital exclusion

University of Worcester

About the Project Although digital technologies bring benefits to many people, there are some groups, such as older people, people without jobs, or people with disabilities, who potentially face greater barriers to digital inclusion. As daily living switches to digital technologies and the internet, such groups face increased risk of social isolation, security vulnerabilities and exclusion from work or commerce.

Location
Worcester, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Digital Platforms, Ecosystems and Competitive Advantage

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project This PhD project focuses on digital platforms, business ecosystems, and competitive advantage. Possible research directions include platform strategy, ecosystem orchestration, network effects, digital marketplaces, platform governance, technology-enabled scaling, and the international expansion of platform-based business models.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Digital Product Passports: Designing Frameworks for Value Chain Transparency

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project Organizations are facing growing pressure to provide transparent, verifiable, and lifecycle-based information about products, sourcing, sustainability, and supply chains. This DBA research opportunity focuses on the design of digital product passport frameworks that support regulatory compliance, circularity, and consumer trust.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Distributed Leadership: Designing Structures for High-Performance Hybrid Teams

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project Hybrid and decentralized work environments challenge traditional leadership models. Top-down management structures often struggle to support fast decision-making, engagement, accountability, and ownership when teams are distributed across locations, time zones, and digital platforms.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Emotional Intelligence, Executive Performance and Leadership Effectiveness

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project This PhD project focuses on emotional intelligence, executive performance, and leadership effectiveness. Potential research topics include emotional intelligence across cultures, executive self-awareness, resilience, leadership development, decision-making under pressure, coaching, psychological safety, and the relationship between emotional capabilities and organizational outcomes.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Entrepreneurial Strategy and Venture Growth in Global Markets

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project This PhD project examines entrepreneurial strategy and venture growth in global markets. Possible topics include international entrepreneurship, venture scaling, founder decision-making, growth strategy, entrepreneurial ecosystems, market entry, fundraising, innovation, and the strategic challenges faced by startups and scale-ups.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Examining Adaptations in Case Study Development to Enhance Participant Centred Learning in Management Education

University of Worcester

About the Project The University places a significant value on collaboration in learning and Worcester Business School, like other schools across the University, has built its strong reputation as a learning community invested in management education, on the delivery of opportunities for learning through collaboration and participation, working and co-creating with students.

Location
Worcester, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

FinTech, Financial Innovation and Strategic Value Creation

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project This PhD research opportunity is designed for candidates interested in how financial technology, digital finance, and financial innovation are reshaping value creation in global business. Possible research directions include digital banking, fintech adoption, mobile payments, open banking, blockchain-enabled financial services, financial inclusion, and the strategic transformation of financial institutions.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Forward-Looking Betas and the CAPM

Nyenrode Business University

About the Project All our projects, as well as the PhD itself at Nyenrode, are self-funded. Traditional models of asset pricing, such as the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), rely on historical data to estimate systematic risk (beta). Yet, these backward-looking estimates fail to capture how investors perceive risk in real time—especially in volatile or emerging markets.

Location
Utrecht, Netherlands, Netherlands
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

From Supply Chains to Supply Ecosystems

Nyenrode Business University

About the Project All our projects, as well as the PhD itself at Nyenrode, are self-funded. One of the key characteristics of an ecosystem is that each member must create value for itself, but not at the expense of the larger ecosystem.

Location
Utrecht, Netherlands, Netherlands
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Global Leadership and Cross-Cultural Management

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project This PhD research opportunity examines global leadership and cross-cultural management in international business environments. Possible topics include intercultural leadership, global mindset, expatriate leadership, multicultural teams, cross-border collaboration, leadership adaptation, and the management of cultural complexity.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Global Market Entry, Expansion and Competitive Strategy

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project This PhD project focuses on global market entry, international expansion, and competitive strategy. Possible research topics include foreign market selection, entry mode choice, localization, strategic partnerships, international franchising, export development, regional expansion, and competitive positioning in new markets.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Home Automation and Dementia Care

University of Worcester

About the Project Home Automation technologies have evolved significantly in recent years to incorporate all aspects of modern living from climate control, lighting, security, safety monitoring, entertainment and energy conservation.

Location
Worcester, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

International Business Strategy across Developed and Emerging Markets

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project This PhD research opportunity examines international business strategy across developed and emerging markets. Possible topics include multinational strategy, international expansion, localization, global competition, emerging-market firms, cross-border partnerships, institutional distance, and strategy adaptation across countries.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Investigating Supply Chain Resilience to Support the Transition from Fragility to Flexibility

Nyenrode Business University

About the Project All our projects, as well as the PhD itself at Nyenrode, are self-funded. Globalization has encouraged firms to offshore production, resulting in extensive supply networks that deliver notable economic advantages. This expansion has also increased structural complexity and heightened vulnerability to disruptions that interrupt the movement of materials and goods.

Location
Utrecht, Netherlands, Netherlands
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Organizational Change, Agility and Resilience

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project This PhD project focuses on organizational change, agility, and resilience. Potential topics include transformation leadership, change readiness, crisis response, organizational learning, agile management, restructuring, post-merger integration, cultural change, and resilience in uncertain environments.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Regenerative Finance: Designing Models for Sustainable Value Creation

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project Sustainability is increasingly moving from reporting and compliance toward measurable impact, resource regeneration, and long-term value creation. This DBA research opportunity focuses on the design of financial models and decision frameworks that integrate sustainability, circular economy principles, biodiversity considerations, and regenerative business logic into capital allocation.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Researching forced labor in value chains through annual reports

Nyenrode Business University

About the Project All our projects, as well as the PhD itself at Nyenrode, are self-funded. If firms are involved in forced labor in the value chain, this may lead to challenges in the corporate reporting arena. These relate to reputational problems and the corporate license to operate. What are the determinants and consequences or reporting on forces labor? Certain industries have larger challenges than other industries.

Location
Utrecht, Netherlands, Netherlands
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Safeguarding in Sport

University of Birmingham

About the Project We are looking for highly motivated and dedicated PhD candidates who are interested in exploring safeguarding in sport. As a candidate, you will have the opportunity to conduct a PhD project in the fields of Sports Coaching/Pedagogy and Safe Sport and contribute to the growing body of literature in these areas.

Location
Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Skills-First Talent Ecosystems: Designing Adaptive Workforce Orchestration Models

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project Rapid technological change is challenging traditional approaches to job design, hiring, and workforce planning. This DBA research opportunity focuses on the design of skills-first talent ecosystems that allow organizations to identify, mobilize, and redeploy capabilities in real time.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Social Innovation in Urban Development: Designing Win-Win-Win Negotiation Tools

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project Large-scale urban development projects often involve competing economic, political, environmental, and social interests. Traditional negotiation models may fail when developers, public authorities, local residents, and community stakeholders define value differently. This DBA research opportunity focuses on the design of negotiation support tools for public-private-community partnerships.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Strategic Management in Complex International Environments

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project This PhD research opportunity invites candidates to examine strategic management in complex international environments. Possible topics include strategic decision-making, competitive strategy, international growth, organizational adaptation, geopolitical risk, institutional complexity, and strategy execution across markets.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Strategic Technology Management in International Organizations

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project This PhD research opportunity explores how international organizations identify, adopt, govern, and scale new technologies. Potential topics include technology strategy, digital transformation, innovation governance, emerging technology adoption, IT-business alignment, technology roadmapping, and the role of senior leadership in technology-driven change.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Supply Chain Sovereignty: Designing Resilience Frameworks for Geopolitical Risk

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project Global supply chains are increasingly exposed to geopolitical fragmentation, trade disputes, tariffs, resource constraints, and regional instability. This DBA research opportunity focuses on the design of practical frameworks that help organizations move from efficiency-only supply chain models toward resilience-by-design.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Technology Interventions in Fan Engagement and Sport Tourism

University of Birmingham

About the Project Project Overview Technology is reshaping the sport industry. From service robots and AI mascots to augmented and virtual reality, digital tools are increasingly used to enhance the fan experience, create new forms of engagement, and stimulate sport tourism. This PhD project will investigate whether, and how, such interventions enhance fans’ emotional engagement, satisfaction, and intention to attend future sport tourism experiences.

Location
Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Thinking Towards the Future: Long-Term Corporate Finance

Nyenrode Business University

About the Project All our projects, as well as the PhD itself at Nyenrode, are self-funded. Nyenrode Business University offers a part-time PhD trajectory for professionals who want to advance research on long-term value creation and the integration of sustainability into financial decision-making. How do companies ensure that they create value not only for shareholders, but for nature and society as well?

Location
Utrecht, Netherlands, Netherlands
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Transformative Business Education for Sustainability Transitions

Nyenrode Business University

About the Project All our projects, as well as the PhD itself at Nyenrode, are self-funded. This PhD project explores how business education can catalyze sustainability transitions by fostering transformative learning and individual agency. Sustainability transitions require systemic change across socio-technical regimes, yet such change is deeply personal, demanding shifts in worldviews and values.

Location
Utrecht, Netherlands, Netherlands
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Water Stewardship as Strategy: Designing Corporate Resource-Risk Frameworks

Franklin Hudson - The International School of Management

About the Project Water scarcity is becoming a strategic constraint for many organizations, especially in sectors where production, infrastructure, agriculture, energy, or digital operations depend on reliable water access. Yet many firms have not fully integrated water risk into enterprise risk management, investment decisions, or board-level strategy. This DBA research opportunity focuses on the design of corporate water stewardship and resilience frameworks.

Location
Paris, France, France
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Business

Welcome Back to the Office: Exploring Hybrid Working Among Knowledge Workers

Nyenrode Business University

About the Project All our projects, as well as the PhD itself at Nyenrode, are self-funded. After the COVID-19 pandemic (March 11th, 2020 to May 5 th , 2023), hybrid working has become the 'normal way of working.' Hybrid working allows particularly knowledge workers to use information and communication technology to carry out their work, both at the (central) office and at other locations, including the private home.

Location
Utrecht, Netherlands, Netherlands
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only