Management (Marketing & Reputation) PhD Opportunities

In this postgraduate research programme you will undertake original research in Marketing & Reputation that will make a contribution to theory and impact upon practice.

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Current PhD students

At a glance

Supervision from an internationally renowned faculty
Contribute to teaching and research activities
Participate in the M&R PhD Annual Conference
Programme features personal development modules and workshops
Network with practitioners and academics at guest speaker talks and international conferences

Subject area(s): Business & Management

Duration: 3 years

Attendance: Full-time

Programme Director: Dr Rodrigo Perez-Vega

Overview

During your PhD in the area of Marketing and Reputation, you will develop your critical thinking, intellectual capacity and creativity. You will work with your academic supervisors to engage with industry and publish your ideas. You’ll be an important member of the academic community at Henley.

Our postgraduate research students are drawn from all over the world and you’ll benefit from a dynamic research environment. You’ll have supervision from an internationally renowned faculty, and a programme of personal development modules and workshops. You’ll also benefit from our dedicated administrative support, and outstanding facilities.

We recognise that as a PhD student, you’ll enrich the ideas within your academic discipline and in practice. You are therefore invited to play an active role in the department and are invited to research seminars, conferences and guest talks. You’ll also be encouraged to make external links with practitioners and academics in their field. This will be through presentation of your work at international conferences, and there is financial support for this activity.

Due to the taught elements of this programme we will only consider applications for full-time, campus-based students. For part-time or distance options, please instead consider the Henley Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programme. For this reason, we also do not currently offer an option for January entry.

Henley Business School holds triple-accreditation status and enjoys a reputation for high quality academic and applied research. It is part of the University of Reading, consistently rated among the UK's most research-intensive institutions.

The module descriptions set out on this page are correct for modules being taught in the current academic year. Optional module listings are indicative and may be subject to change.

Year 1

During your first year of studies, you will be required to:

Obtain at least 60 credits from PhD/Masters level courses in research methods and other relevant courses, plus one no-credit bearing course (see below);
Complete the Preparing to Teach training programme (which is necessary to be able to complete any teaching-related activities within Henley Business School);
Participate in the M&R PhD Annual Conference, monthly research seminars organised by your Department, and research seminars of other departments relevant to your area of interest;
Hold regular/monthly meetings with your supervisor(s), and attend monthly M&R PhD Meetings

Required Taught Component

We have a slightly different path of taught components for students primarily using qualitative vs. quantitative research methods - Marketing & Reputation PhD students will usually (though not always) follow the Qualitative path.

Qualitative Path

Compulsory modules	Credits
Advanced Qualitative Research Methods (MMD002) The module aims to deepen students’ understanding of qualitative research, particularly in the areas of business, organisational, social and management studies. Academic authors Professor Jane McKenzie More information	20 [10 ECTS credits]
Data Analysis: Finding Patterns With Regressions (Autumn) (MMD010) The module aims to broaden students’ understanding of data analysis by providing an overview of key methods and particularly focusing on regression analysis. Academic authors Dr Min Zou More information	0 [0 ECTS credits]
Introduction to Thesis Literature Review (Autumn) (MMD001) The module aims to provide students with an understanding of all the issues involved in researching, preparing and writing a literature review for their thesis, together with the specific techniques and resources involved. Academic authors Professor Peter Scott More information	20 [10 ECTS credits]
Pedagogy Seminar (MMD012) Through taking this module, students should gain a greater insight into contextualising language learning, updating notions of pedagogical achievements and challenges in business learning and providing pedagogical information and tutorial plans on selected business topics. Academic authors Professor Yelena Kalyuzhnova More information	20 [10 ECTS credits]

Quantitative Path

Compulsory modules	Credits
Advanced Quantitative Research Methods - decided with supervisors (TBD) More information	20 [10 ECTS credits]
Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (MMD013) This module aims to introduce students to the understanding of qualitative research, (in social science and particularly in the area of business and management studies). It is designed for students mainly using quantitative methods in their PhD studies who wish to have an introductory class in qualitative research. Academic authors Professor Kleio Akrivou More information	0 [0 ECTS credits]
Introduction to Thesis Literature Review (Autumn) (MMD001) The module aims to provide students with an understanding of all the issues involved in researching, preparing and writing a literature review for their thesis, together with the specific techniques and resources involved. Academic authors Professor Peter Scott More information	20 [10 ECTS credits]
Pedagogy Seminar (MMD012) Through taking this module, students should gain a greater insight into contextualising language learning, updating notions of pedagogical achievements and challenges in business learning and providing pedagogical information and tutorial plans on selected business topics. Academic authors Professor Yelena Kalyuzhnova More information	20 [10 ECTS credits]

You can also view the whole range of Module Descriptions, though only modules at Masters level (7) and above will be available to PhD students.

Year two & three

Confirmation of Registration

In the middle of the second year - 12 to 15 months from the start of your PhD (usually in October) - you will submit a substantive Confirmation Report of ~10-20k words that will be assessed by and defended in front of independent examiners. This process will review and determine your Confirmation of Registration and, if successful, will upgrade your status from initial registration to the programme to that of a full PhD candidate.

The Confirmation Report will be a significant development of the initial Research Proposal you submitted for your application. It will include material you may have produced during the 1st year courses in research methods (e.g. literature review, methodologies, data description).

If you plan to do a PhD thesis combining three papers, you may be expected to include a draft of the first paper in your research proposal; if you intend to use a book-like structure for your thesis, the document should include the draft of at least one of the three/four key chapters.

During the rest of your second and third years you will:

Continue to work on your PhD dissertation drafting the other two papers / key chapters
Hold regular/monthly meetings with your supervisor(s), attend monthly M&R PhD Meetings, and present at the M&R Annual PhD Conference
Contribute to Henley Business School and Marketing & Reputation departmental teaching/research activities and events
Present posters/papers at national/international conferences

Your thesis should be completed before your viva examination at the end of your third year.

Modules or course content marked as optional are indicative and may be subject to change. Please note, constraints in timetable scheduling may mean you are unable to take some optional modules at the same time as others.

The application process normally consists of three main steps:

Formal application
Shortlisting based on the documents you upload in your application
Formal interview to assess your suitability to pursue a PhD at Henley Business School.

Formal Application

Before we can begin to review your suitability for our programme you will first need to complete a formal application through our RISIS Application Portal; once you have submitted your application we will be able to provide you with further information on the admissions process.

You can apply either by:

Submitting your own research proposal which should be a well-developed document of about 6-7 pages which should:

identify the motivation of your study
place it within relevant literature, highlighting the current gap and potential research questions
state your intended methodology
show understanding of the data (if any) necessary and show relevant sources
discuss a reasonable intended timeline to completion, reflecting on issues you may encounter during your studies as presented above.

Or, if you would like to apply for a studentship then we will favour applications in one of the areas listed on the “Research Areas” page. If you would like to apply to work on one of these projects please include a Research Proposal with your application that aligns with the project that you are interested in.

Shortlisting

Your application will then be reviewed by potential supervisors, to assess suitability for our programme. You do not need to contact a potential supervisor before you submit your application, although if applying with your own research proposal, it is good practise to identify a potential supervisor whose research interests align with it, explaining exactly how your research fits the academics current research interests. You can find information on potential supervisors on the M&R Supervisors section of our website.

Please note that due to supervisor capacity entry onto our programme is extremely competitive, and eligibility is assessed against several criteria including previous education or relevant experience, and how well your research proposal aligns with the interests of the department.

Interview

After reviewing your application, our faculty may decide to invite you to interview - this is an opportunity to discuss your research proposal in more detail, and to ask further questions regarding the M&R PhD Programme. Feedback from interviews should be discussed directly with the faculty involved.

If applying for a Henley Studentship then you must also discuss this with your potential supervisors at the interview, as they will need to provide a statement of support to sponsor your application.

Successful Candidates

Following successful application, shortlisting and interview, candidates will be provided with further details regarding enrolling onto the M&R PhD Programme.

It is also at this point that applications for studentship can be submitted - the process for this will be discussed with the PGR administrator, who can provide you with the necessary forms and information on the procedure. You must have discussed this with your potential supervisors at the interview stage.

For fees, please visit the Graduate School website.

Overseas applicants should refer to the non-laboratory based fees listed in the tables (International Band 1 for non UK/Home students).

Further PhD funding

UK/EU nationals: The University of Reading takes part in the South East DTC (Doctoral Training Centre). If you’re interested in applying, please follow the link for further details.
Nationals from India and developing countries: The Felix Scholarship competition is open to candidates applying for either taught Masters or Postgraduate Research Degrees who are either Indian nationals, or from developing countries, and who fulfil the required criteria. For more information and how to apply please follow the link.
Regional PhD Bursaries: They are available for PhD applicants normally living within 25 miles of the University. The scheme is not open to students who have already started their study at the University of Reading. For further information, please go to Graduate School website.
Former UoR Graduate: If you have already studied at the University of Reading you will receive a discount of up to £1,500 off of your fees through the alumni fee discount.
Other: For information on further opportunities, please see the find funding section on our University website.

Current scholarships

Marketing & Reputation scholarship

Application & Requirements:

Due to the taught elements of this programme we will only usually consider applications for full-time, campus-based students for entry in Sept/Oct; for part-time or distance options, please instead consider the Henley Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programme.

For this reason we also do not currently offer an option for January entry.

Key requirements

We consider a wide range of candidates with a variety of qualifications, and are proud of our diverse and extraordinary PhD cohort; for this reason we welcome applicants from both academic and professional backgrounds.

Whilst we review all applications individually and on their own merits, the key criteria required for each successful candidate are:

Masters degree in relevant subject area (minimum grade recommended is Merit or equivalent; a Distinction is preferred); equivalent experience will also be considered
Top grade in your Masters Dissertation (or equivalent research-based piece of work) as an indication of your research attitude and skills
A well developed Research Proposal aligned with the M&R Research Agenda, with reasonable intended timeline to completion
English requirements: applicants whose first language is not English are expected to have obtained either;
- IELTS with an overall score of 7.0 (with no element below 6.0) or equivalent – see the full range of equivalents;
- a qualification of higher education (BSc/MSc, etc.) from a qualifying UK-based Higher Education institution within the last 2 years
Two academic references (professional references will be considered where academic references are unavailable)
Full funding in place for the 3 year programme, either through self/external funding or upon successful award of a Henley Studentship

Your application will also need to be supported by a member of our Faculty, who will agree to act as supervisor for your research – for this reason, it is important that your research proposal and topic align with our department’s wider research agenda.

Please note that due to supervisor capacity entry onto our programme is extremely competitive; as such, it is recommended that applications are made as early as possible.

For more information, please see our How to Apply section.

How can Henley Careers and Professional Development work with you?

We have an award-winning careers team here to support you through your time at Henley and 4 years after graduating.

Henley Careers and Professional Development run numerous events throughout the autumn and spring terms to help you gain industry experience. These events are aimed to enhance your professional development and network with employers. We also offer one-to-one career coaching appointments where you can talk to a Careers Consultant about your professional development. This may include planning your ideal career journey or building confidence in a particular area. It could also involve practicing for interviews or having your CV checked.

Continuing Your Career

A PhD in Marketing & Reputation can open doors to a successful career in academia and other organisations. This includes large multinationals, leading consulting firms, and governmental and non-governmental organisations worldwide. Your supervisors will work with you to create a personal development plan which will support your future career. You can apply for funding from the department for external workshops and conferences to complement your progression.

If you are seeking an academic career, then you’ll be able to undertake training that prepares you for the lecturing role. This includes opportunities to lead classes, deliver lectures and undertake assessment within the department. All PhD students will gain experience presenting their ideas through regular PhD conferences. You will also have meetings with the programme director, and attendance at department and faculty research events.

Throughout the programme you will be encouraged to make links with practitioners and relevant industry associations. You’ll be strongly encouraged to publish your work in leading journals during your PhD and following completion.

Henley Business School’s research in Marketing and Reputation is driven through leading centres. This includes the Henley Centre for Customer Management, the John Madejski Centre for Reputation, and the Governance & Leadership group.

We welcome applications from self/externally funded candidates seeking to conduct full-time postgraduate research in all areas of Marketing and Reputation. This includes in quantitative, qualitative and mixed methodologies. The faculty has extensive experience in survey methods, experimental design, depth interviewing, case studies, content analysis and ethnography (including netnography).

The faculty are also interested in the following topics for projects:

In Marketing:

Aspects of customer experience, especially relating to the use of new technologies
Relational dynamics in markets, including aspects of service recovery, service innovation and the management of customer relationships
Emerging consumer cultures, particularly non-Western contexts and practices involving new technologies
Organisational culture and climate and its impact on customer satisfaction, retention and sales
Marketing planning, strategy and competitive advantage especially involving new technologies.

In Reputation:

Corporate responsibility and wellbeing in/around organisations including individual and organisational resilience
Decision-making within a stakeholder environment, particularly bias and prejudice in leadership decision making, or the unintended consequences and decision making
The impact of the reputation of leaders and leadership teams on organisations
Nature of and working through ethical dilemmas
Governance and reputation enhancement especially leading for a sustainable and reputable organisation.

In Governance & Leadership:

We are seeking potential PhD students for the following group projects:

Further areas of interest include:

Board performance and value delivery, including boardroom diversity and the dynamics and functioning of boards
Responsibility and accountability of the board, board sustainability and resilience, including the strengths and weaknesses of governance frameworks, governance risk and reputation
Top-Team dynamics and the CEO role and contribution, including the reality of strategy generation and execution
The functioning of government, especially the relationship between minister and civil servant, and between government and critical bodies such as Central Bank, Financial Authorities and Regulators
Relationship of the firm to government, and relationship of the concentration of capital to policy development and execution.

The Supervision Experience

The Marketing & Reputation department has considerable experience of supervision and will work to ensure that you quickly develop a constructive and productive relationship with your supervisors. All PhD students will be supported by a supervisory team that will include at least one experienced supervisor who has previously supervised students to completion, and a second supervisor with subject, context or methodological expertise. We will ensure that a suitable supervisory team is identified and available before you are accepted on the programme.

You will have regular meetings with your supervisors, normally at least every 2 weeks. You will also meet regularly with the Director of Postgraduate Research who will also support you with all academic issues. In addition, all PhD students have access to workshops run by both the University of Reading and by Henley Business School, and will be invited to attend department research seminars and research events. As a PhD student you will be provided with a budget to attend further external training if required, and to present your work at international conferences.

See below for first supervisors in Marketing & Reputation: