Theory and Practice of Management PhD

Program Overview

The part-time PhD in Theory and Practice of Management combines academic rigor with structured research, providing advanced methodological skills and support for producing impactful research. The program offers two routes: the open-access TPM and the IDPM for graduates of the IMPM program. Participants benefit from tailored research training, modules on research design and impact, and supervision from experienced academics in various management disciplines.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The part-time PhD in the Theory and Practice of Management (TPM) combines the academic rigor of a traditional PhD with the accessibility of a structured, part-time research program. It responds to the need for universities to update their provision to reflect the societies they serve, with its increased focus on research impact and business engagement. The program recognizes the value of doctoral researchers within the research community and aims to support their development of research skills while contributing valuable knowledge. Two routes are offered:

• PhD in Theory and Practice of Management (TPM): This open-access route offers a strong methodological understanding/skillset, a "light touch" grounding in the management discipline, and support for participants in producing quality, independent research.
• International Doctorate in the Practice of Management (IDPM): This route is only open to graduates of the existing IMPM program.
It delivers the same qualification as the TPM, but is based on the IMPM program and focuses on tailored research training to produce quality research. The TPM route consists of the modules outlined in the course structure, which are all compulsory. Participants must also complete 15-30 hours of tailored research training related to data collection and analysis. Upon successful completion of the modules, a 45,000-word thesis, and an academic paper of publishable quality, participants will be awarded a PhD.

Outline:

Year 1:

• Foundations of Management Research: This module covers foundational underpinnings of management research, including:
• Introduction to mapping the field
• The Enlightenment and Positivism
• Social Constructionism
• Interpretive approaches (phenomenology, symbolic interactionism, and pragmatism)
• Critical Theory
• Critical Realism
• Feminism, knowledge, and society
• Hermeneutics
• Postmodernism
• The fifth moment: present issues and future possibilities
• An Introduction to Quantitative Research: Covers topics such as:
• Introduction to quantitative research and the search for relationships
• Survey-based research
• Experiment-based research
• Cross-tabulations and chi-square tests
• Hypothesis testing (t tests and ANOVA)
• Measuring statistical relationships: correlation and regression analysis
• Introduction to computer-aided data analysis using SPSS
• An Introduction to Qualitative Research: Covers topics such as:
• Introduction to qualitative research and the search for meaning
• Introduction to mixed methods
• Common data collection methods (interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, case studies, observational techniques)
• Common data analysis methods (coding and memos, hermeneutics, semiotics, discourse)

Year 2:

• Design Issues in Management Research: Introduces research design issues in business and management, emphasizing the assumptions and procedures of different research types (qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods).
It explores how to craft research and offers a basis for evaluating various research approaches.

Year 3-5:

• Research Skills Training - various/tailored: Participants must complete between 15 and 30 hours of specific, advanced research training relevant to their research design.
This could include data collection methods, data analysis methods, or broader methodological understanding.
• The proposed training must be approved by supervisors and the programme director.
• Participants are required to write a brief report on each training session, summarizing the content, its relevance to their research, and how they will utilize the learning going forward.
• Delivering Impactful Research: Focuses on building impact into research, rather than treating it as an add-on.
Topics include:
• Understanding the significance of impact
• Routes to impact
• Building impact into research design
• Engagement with project stakeholders
• Aligning with agendas of policymakers and funding bodies
• Being an impactful researcher
• Communicating with Different Research Audiences: Helps participants develop effective communication skills with a range of stakeholders, including:
• Understanding the different agendas of research stakeholders (funders, end-users, policymakers, research participants)
• Identifying similarities and differences between academic and practitioner audiences
• Utilizing a range of communication channels, including digital and social media
• Understanding ethical issues related to research dissemination
• Developing a personal presence and profile in support of research agenda

Other:

• Supervisors are drawn from the four departments within the School's Business and Management doctoral pathway: Entrepreneurship and Strategy, Management Science, Marketing, and Organisation, Work and Technology.
• Applicants should review the profiles of academics in these departments to gain an overview of the range of topic areas for which supervision is offered.

Location Full Time (per year) Part Time (per year) Home n/a £8,000 International n/a £8,000