PhD in Business and Territorial Competitiveness, Innovation and Sustainability

Program Overview

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PhD in Business and Territorial Competitiveness, Innovation and Sustainability

Presentation of the Programme

The IQS School of Management , the Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences at the University of Deusto(DBS Deusto) and the Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences at Pontificia Comillas University(ICADE) have combined forces to offer a joint doctoral programme in Business and Territorial Competitiveness, Innovation and Sustainability (CETIS).

This programme has been created within the framework of the Aristos Campus Mundus 2015 Campus of International Excellence , whose initiative is the result of the strategic partnership between three socially committed universities (the University of Deusto, Comillas Pontifical University and Ramon Llull University). This alliance is also backed by advanced strategic cooperation agreements with Georgetown University, Boston College and Fordham University.

Key points

• Number of spots available: Barcelona: 6 Bilbao: 4 Madrid: 12 San Sebastián: 8
• Language: The programme can be done entirely in English.
• Areas: Business and territorial competitiveness Organizational management and business competitiveness

Objectives

The PhD in Business and Territorial Competitiveness, Innovation and Sustainability **enables students to delve into the various factors that impact competitiveness for companies and territories in order to contribute to the economic and social development of the world in which we live. The programme places a special emphasis on innovation as a critical factor for competitiveness and on sustainability as a key preservation element to ensure the well-being of future generations. To do so, the programme provides a solid and rigorous academic foundation in **research methodology.

Access and Admission

In addition to the general requirements that all applicants must meet in order to access doctoral studies, candidates must also meet the specific requirements for this programme and be accepted to conduct their doctoral thesis with a research group within the IQS School of Management.

Specific Requirements

• Applicants must have completed an official master’s degree in the area of economics and/or business , preferably with a research profile.
• Applicants must have obtained a C1 or equivalent level English language certificate.
• The following will also be highly valued for applicants:
  • Excellent grades in their undergraduate studies.
  • Excellent grades in their master’s degree studies in the field of economics and/or business.
  • Interest in the doctoral programme’s research lines.
  • Research experience in the field (participation in research projects, publications, etc.) prior to entering the doctoral programme.
  • Continuing education related to the field.
  • Professional or volunteer experience in the field.
  • Study abroad experiences.
  • Defined professional objectives, research goals, and personal maturity.
  • Availability to carry out the activities established in the programme and exchanges at other universities and research centres in particular.
  • A research grant awarded by a national or international body based on an assessment of the applicant’s curriculum vitae.

International Candidates

Foreign candidates must be able to prove that they meet these or equivalent requirements (certified copy of their degree, academic transcripts, and legal requirements necessary for residing in Spain, where appropriate).

Educational Activities

IQS doctoral programmes include cross-disciplinary and specific research activities within the scope of each programme. These activities are aimed at preparing excellent new researchers and optimally developing their research skills.

The activities are distributed throughout the course load and include courses, sessions, seminars, conferences, publishing articles, and international exchanges.

The activity programming aims to ensure that students have excellent international experiences, preferably through exchanges at foreign universities or research centres, doing international theses, participating in international conferences, and inviting visiting professors to campus.

Additional Coursework

PhD candidates who have not completed a research master’s degree or do not hold a research proficiency certification or an Advanced Studies Diploma must take additional coursework in order to acquire the basic methodological competencies established in a master’s degree with a profile similar to the doctoral programme.

Faculty

Professors and research staff from IQS, the University of Deusto, and Comillas Pontifical University are the faculty members of the PhD in Business and Territorial Competitiveness, Innovation and Sustainability.

Doctoral Thesis

The doctoral thesis consists of an original research project conducted by the doctoral student in a field of knowledge specific to the doctoral programme in which he/she is enrolled, and which enables him/her to work autonomously in the field of R&D&i.

International Endorsement

1. The reverse side of a PhD diploma may include the “International Doctorate” endorsement provided that the following conditions are met:

• During the educational period necessary to earn the doctoral degree, the doctoral student has completed an international exchange of at least three months outside Spain at aprestigious institution of higher education or research centre studying or carrying out research work.
• Part of the doctoral thesis, at least the summary and the conclusions , must be drafted and presented in one of the usual languages for scientific communication in the programme’s field of knowledge, other than any of the official languages in Spain, except in cases where the exchange, reports, and experts come from a Spanish-speaking country.
• A minimum of two experts belonging to an institution of higher education or non-Spanish research institute must provide a written report on the thesis.
• At least one expert PhD belonging to aforeign institution of higher education or research centre other than the person supervising the exchange referred to in paragraph (a) must form part of the thesis defence jury.

Rules for Remaining in Good Standing

Summary of Rules for Continuation in the Doctoral Program in Business and Territorial Competitiveness, Innovation, and Sustainability (CETIS) (RD 99/2011)

Doctoral students must maintain consistent daily research activity as approved by the department, under the supervision of their thesis director. Additionally, they are expected to participate in teaching and research collaborations proposed by IQS, with the approval of their thesis director. The student’s progress will be monitored and evaluated at the end of each academic year, and satisfactory performance is required for continued enrollment in the program.

Research Lines in the PhD Programme

This PhD programme is structured around two primary research lines that in turn include several sub-areas.

The primary research line “Business and territorial competitiveness” addresses research carried out in the following areas:

• Conceptualizing and measuring aporophobia
• Determinants, dynamics, and inequalities of human capital and educational attainment in China
• Economic and educational inequalities in special economic zones and open cities in China
• The links between infrastructure development, inequality, and urban sustainability
• The links between corruption, educational inequalities, and the middle income trap

The primary research line “Organizational management and business competitiveness” addresses research in the following fields:

• Consumer Behavior (gamification, voice assistants, social media, food consumption, food waste reduction, vegetarian and vegan consumer behavior, tourist behavior, sport consumption, tourist behavior)
• Services Marketing
• E-Commerce & Retailing
• Marketing of tourism destination
• Resident attitudes of tourism destinations
• Responsible and sustainable tourism
• Strategic management (corporate, competitive, internationalization, and digital strategies)
• Corporate social responsibility
• Aporophobia
• Determinants, dynamics, and inequalities of human capital and educational attainment in China
• Data science and big data
• Decision support systems based on artificial intelligence
• Disruptive technologies in society’s new challenges
• Corporate Governance
• ESG reporting & performance
• Investors’ reaction of any corporate event (event study method)
• Investor’s sentiment analysis
• Merger & acquisition (M&A)
• Finance and fintech

IQS School of Management Research Groups

Consumer Behavior Perspectives (CONHATIVE)

Research group focused on the study of consumer behavior, digital marketing, sustainability, digital transformation, tourism, and leadership.

Researchers: Dr. Ramon Palau Saumell (Principal Investigator), Dr. Jorge Matute Vallejo, Dra. Belén Derqui. Dr. Jan-Hinrich Meyer, Dr. Noelia Jiménez- Asenjo, Dr. José Luis Sánchez.

Research areas:

• Brand image, social media
• Structural equations in marketing
• Consumer Behaviour

Good Corporate Governance Research Group

This group’s research has a clear applied focus and aims to be useful for regulators to establish policies that improve good governance mechanisms.

Researchers: Dr Josep García Blandón (lead researcher), Dr Sílvia Bou Ysàs, Dr David Castillo Merino, Dr Mónica Martínez Blasco, and Dr Gonzalo Rodriguez Pérez.

Research areas:

• Audit quality
• Executive compensation
• Limits of good governance codes

Analytics, Simulations and Inquiry in STEM and Business Education

Research group on higher education teaching in specific disciplines (STEM and Business). This group’s research objectives are to improve higher education knowledge and best practices in specific disciplines (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and business) and employ qualitative techniques to analyse scientific and business data.

Researchers: Dr Jordi Cuadros Margarit (lead researcher), Dr Marianna Bosch Casabò, Dr Lucinio González Sabaté, Dr Francesc Martori Adrian, Dr Antoni Olivé Tomàs, and Dr Vanessa Serrano Molinero.

Research areas:

• Development and educational use of simulations
• Analysis based on tracing and quantitative methods
• Use of modelling and teaching to research benchmark educational strategies
• Qualitative techniques to analyse scientific and business data

Sustainability, Economics and Ethics

The Social Economics and Ethics group (or SEE) brings together IQS researchers collaborating on the interface of issues that entail both an ethical background and a social economic aspect, such as poverty, inequality, education, aporophobia, social exclusion, convergence, sustainability, among other issues.

Researchers:Dr Flavio Comim (IP), Dr Octasiano Valério, Dr Mihály Borsi, Dra Cristina Montañola, Dr Francesco Prior, Dr Llorenç Puig, Dr Oriol Quintana, Dr Xavi Casanovas.

Research areas:

The group is currently working on three distinct research fields, namely, i) aporophobia, ii) Chinese development model and iii) economic growth and dynamic convergence. Each field represents a cluster of different projects. More specifically, under the aporophobia umbrella there is a conceptual investigation about the characteristics of aporophobia, a project about the link between aporophobia and artificial intelligence and a project about the elaboration of an implicit association test (IAT) of aporophobia, funded by Ignited. We are also working on aporophobia and social simulation models. Then, under the Chinese development model umbrella we are working on the impact of preferential policies on inequality in China, with the support of the European Commission. Finally, under the dynamic convergence umbrella there is an investigation of the evolution of human capital in China and the development of indicators about quality and quantity of education, in addition to an analysis of convergence of countries’ HDI.

Tourism, Sustainability, and Innovation

The Tourism, Sustainability, and Innovation Research Group focuses its research on the following areas: sustainable and responsible tourism along with hotel and hospitality management.

Researchers: Dra. Gilda Hernández (investigadora principal), Dra. Daniela Mónica Freund, Dra. Itziar Ramirez, Dr. Ricard Santomá, Dr. Jordi Sales, Dr. Francesc Teixidó, Sr. Jorge Peralta.

The group’s research activity focuses on the following research lines :Responsible and sustainable tourism:
Responsible destination management
Tourism ethics and governance
Positive and negative impacts of tourism on destinations
Responsible and sustainable behaviour of tourists
Current trends in responsible tourism
Volunteer tourism

Hospitality management:
Organizational psychology in the hospitality industry
CSR for tourism companies
Hospitality and best practices
Inclusive tourism: gender and tourism, accessible tourism
Vocational training in tourism
Disruptive technologies in tourism
Current business management trends in tourism

Program Outline

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Objectives:

• To delve into the various factors that impact competitiveness for companies and territories.
• To contribute to the economic and social development of the world.
• To provide a solid and rigorous academic foundation in research methodology.
• To strengthen research skills based on the needs of business R&D departments, research centers, universities, technology centers, consultancies, and institutes.

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Program Description:

The program is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to analyze and address the complex challenges of competitiveness, innovation, and sustainability in a globalized world. It emphasizes the importance of research and innovation as drivers of economic growth and social progress, while also considering the environmental and ethical implications of business decisions.

• The program includes cross-disciplinary and specific research activities, such as courses, sessions, seminars, conferences, publishing articles, and international exchanges.
• Students can engage in educational activities at any of the participating universities.
• The program offers additional coursework for students who have not completed a research master's degree or do not hold a research proficiency certification or an Advanced Studies Diploma.

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Other:

• The program is offered in Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, and San Sebastián.
• The program can be done entirely in English.
• The program has advanced strategic cooperation agreements with Georgetown University, Boston College, and Fordham University.
• The program includes a seminar on ethics in research.
• The program has two primary research lines: "Business and territorial competitiveness" and "Organizational management and business competitiveness."
• The program has several research groups at the IQS School of Management that students can join to carry out their research.
• The program has a quality system that includes verification, monitoring, and accreditation.