Research
Research Themes
Brenkley Doctoral College doctoral research is organised around twelve themes. These themes reflect the expertise of our supervisors and the research interests of our doctoral community. Most researchers work across two or more themes.
Business Management
Strategic management, organisational performance, leadership effectiveness, and managerial decision-making in private and public sector contexts. Includes work on business models, competitive strategy, and the management of complex organisations.
Education Leadership
Leadership in schools, further education, higher education, and educational systems. Covers policy implementation, institutional governance, distributed leadership, and the professional development of educational leaders.
Organisational Behaviour
The study of how individuals, teams, and structures within organisations behave and interact. Includes motivation, group dynamics, organisational culture, power, and the psychological dimensions of work.
Innovation & Technology
Innovation management, technology adoption, digital transformation, and the management of R&D. Includes research on responsible innovation, open innovation, and the leadership challenges of managing technological change.
Sustainability
Environmental sustainability, climate-resilient leadership, corporate social responsibility, and the integration of sustainability into organisational strategy. Includes research on the social and governance dimensions of ESG.
Digital Transformation
The management and leadership of digital change — covering technology adoption, digital business models, AI integration, data governance, and the human and organisational dimensions of digitisation.
Healthcare Management
Management and leadership in healthcare systems, including NHS Trusts, primary care, social care, and integrated care organisations. Covers quality improvement, clinical governance, patient experience, and workforce management.
Public Sector
Management in local government, central government, public services, and third sector organisations. Research addresses accountability, performance management, public value, and the governance of public institutions.
Entrepreneurship
New venture creation, growth entrepreneurship, social enterprise, and the management challenges facing founders and owner-managers. Includes research on entrepreneurial cognition, funding, and the scaling of entrepreneurial organisations.
Human Resources
Strategic HRM, talent management, workforce planning, employee relations, diversity and inclusion, and the management of people in complex organisational contexts. Connects HRM theory to professional practice.
Business Ethics
Ethical decision-making in organisations, corporate governance, responsible business, professional ethics, and the management of ethical dilemmas. Includes research on whistleblowing, compliance culture, and moral leadership.
Knowledge Management
Organisational learning, knowledge transfer, communities of practice, tacit knowledge retention, and the management of expertise in professional and knowledge-intensive organisations.
Don't see your area?
These themes represent our current supervisory expertise and research community. If your research interest sits at the edge of or between these themes, please get in touch. We welcome interdisciplinary research and are happy to discuss whether your area of interest is one we can support.
Discuss your researchReady to explore?
Browse our current theses, meet our supervisors, or take a look at the publications emerging from the Brenkley Doctoral College research community.