Faculty of Business, Oxford Brookes University - PhD Studentships 2014/15
The Faculty of Business at Oxford Brookes University is offering studentships to exceptional
candidates seeking to study for a full time PhD starting in September 2014.
These full-time studentships, which include a commitment of seminar teaching to
undergraduate students, will be for 3 years subject to satisfactory progress. The bursary will
be £20,000 per annum, plus student fees.
Applicants should have a good Honours degree as well as a good Master’s degree at merit
level or above that includes a thesis component.
Please state clearly in your application the department, cluster and research title.
Department: Accounting, Finance and Economics
Cluster: Accountability and Governance
The Accountability and Governance Group has been formed by a team of researchers in the
Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics who are interested in a broad range of
Accountability and Governance related topics. The group have a diverse background with
experience in corporate governance, performance management, political sciences, strategic
management accounting, credit rating agencies and co-operatives. An underlying theme
throughout all projects is that of accountability, with particular interest in the third and public
sector. The overall goal of the AGG is to develop an international reputation in accountability
and governance research. We aim to achieve this overall goal through our academic
research projects, with particular emphasis on applied research using qualitative
approaches, utilising our close links to the accountancy profession.
Research title: Corporate Governance, Accountability & CSR Reporting
Relatively little work has been done to explore the relationship between corporate social
disclosures (CSD), corporate accountability and corporate governance (CG). Many
companies see various corporate social responsibility strategies as key to corporate
success, as companies are increasingly subject to stakeholder pressures, with CSD being
one of the many strategies firms attain accountability. Although various CG variables such
as the composition of the board of directors have important implications for aspects of firm
performance (Flammer, 2013), many prior studies tend to focus solely on financial
performance of companies, and the effects of CG variables on other aspects of firm
performance remain under-researched (Zhang et al., 2013).
This proposed topic contributes to enriching the literature by conducting an empirical study
on the relationship between the three key areas of research in accounting. Research
proposals that entail the use of either quantitative or qualitative methods will be considered,
but preferences will be given to the collection of primary data through interviewing or
questionnaire surveys. Proposals that entail regression analyses of secondary data may
also be deemed acceptable, subject to the satisfactory formulation of research questions.
References:
Flammer, C. (2013). Corporate social responsibility and shareholder reaction: the
environmental awareness of investors. Academy of Management Journal, 56(3),
758-781.
Zhang, J. Q., Zhu, H., and Ding, H. (2013). ‘Board composition and corporate social
responsibility: an empirical investigation in the post Sarbanes-Oxley era’, Journal of
Business Ethics, 114, 381-392.
Contact for informal academic enquiries about the studentship:
Dr Renfred Wong
rwong@brookes.ac.uk
OR
Dr Sandra Einig
seinig@brookes.ac.uk
Contact for non-academic enquiries and information:
Chris Spurgeon
cspurgeon@brookes.ac.uk
Please sign up and complete the online application here:
https://pgapp.ukpass.ac.uk/ukpasspgapp/login.jsp
Please select programme number P046190 'Business Doctoral Programme'.
In order to be considered for the programme, all applicants must submit all of the following:
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A completed application through the UKPASS system
A Research proposal of no more than 2000 words, on a topic from our list of
available research areas and following the guidelines provided
Two academic references (submitted through UKPASS or using the attached
form).
Copies of your previous degree transcripts and certificates
Evidence of funding (if the candidate is receiving funding from a sponsor)
Non UK Applicants must also provide:
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Proof of ability with the English Language
A scan of your passport.
Applicants are responsible for contacting their own referees and requesting that
references be forwarded to the Faculty of Business.
Supporting documents should be sent directly to: Chris Spurgeon, Research Administrator,
Oxford Brookes University, Faculty of Business, Wheatley Campus, Wheatley, OX33 1HX or
email cspurgeon@brookes.ac.uk
Late applications cannot be considered.
Closing date: Tuesday April 1, 2014