Marketing and Entrepreneurship​ PhD

This qualification is the highest that any UK university can award. A research degree allows you to delve deeply into your chosen topic and your own research interests. Students are expected to conduct their own, independent, critical research under the guidance of accomplished academic staff. By communicating the research that you have conducted and your findings, through a thesis, you have a rare opportunity to generate knowledge. It can open doors to many careers and provides researchers with a fantastic opportunity to further their academic careers or advance into higher executive roles in the sector. We welcome applications from students of all backgrounds and nationalities.

This Marketing/Entrepreneurship PhD programme is a way for you to develop your specialism and improve your research, written, presentation and practice skills. While developing and setting up your research projects, you will initially receive general, face-to-face project specific training so that you can go on to conduct your research work effectively and independently.

Each PhD student is assigned to a supervisory team which consist of Director of Study (DOS), first and second supervisors. Our PhD students registered for an MPhil and within the first twelve months of their study, they are expected to transfer from MPhil to the PhD programme. The transfer process requires our students to produce a detailed research proposal and apply for ethics approval. Students are required to present their written piece of work to an academic audience and then proceed for the internal viva examination with an internal transfer viva examiner. The transfer viva process, appointment of internal examiner and approval of ethics documents are all subject to approval by the university research committees.

Our students are required to work independently on their research, under the advice and direct supervision of their supervisory team. Below is a list of some previous PhD topics that have been explored in the Subject Group.

• An examination of co-creation drivers in Ghana’s hotel setting: a micro level approach
• Marketing to the digital extended self; exploring the effect of digital brand engagement in self-concept (BESC) on the continued usage of branded digital possessions.
• Impact of Brand Crises on Brand Image in the age of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Sustainability in the Leather Industry: Exploring the relationship between Social Sustainability Drivers, Practices and Indicators
• The Role of Entrepreneurship and Human Resources in Supporting Sustainability-Oriented Innovations in Food Supply Chain Management

Because of the nature of the PhD programme, our students spend a vast majority of their time, studying and engaging in independent research. Students are required to have supervision meetings regularly with the view to discuss student’s progress, action plan for the next steps and suggestions on students’ improvement on the programme.

Research Topics

We can supervise topics including:

• Game Advertising and Advertainment
• Alternative Marketing (Guerrilla Marketing; Viral Marketing; etc.)
• Global Marketing and Developing Economies.
• Family business
• Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Marketing
• Gender and Ethnicity
• Social Marketing and Behavioural change communications
• Strategic marketing and Brand management including Luxury branding
• Marketing Communications and Digital Marketing
• Advertising Regulations
• Consumer research
• Fashion sustainability
• Black African identity and ethnicity studies.
• Disruptive technologies and digital transformation strategies
• Innovation and innovation ecosystems.
• Fast fashion/fashion/sustainability