Integrated PhD Business Administration

University of Essex

Research skills are critical to a postgraduate research degree, regardless of the topic you are exploring. This module will reinforce the research methods and skills developed through your previous study and will address philosophical issues underlying management and business research and explain how to select research strategies and designs. It will offer a comprehensive view of methods of data collection and analysis to support the quality and value of research outcomes.

This module equips you with a critical understanding of a range of economic, sociological, psychological and managerial theories of enterprise creation and development. Live examples, case studies and journal articles show how these theories apply in practice to real business situations. Working in groups and individually, you have the opportunity to suggest strategies for responding to the issues raised in these case studies. Topics include new business creation, innovative growth and the impact of entrepreneurship on economic and social development.

This module helps you to identify and understand the main business functions that can support an entrepreneur when determining whether there is sufficient opportunity to launch a new venture. You acquire the critical, transferable and practical skills required to create or manage a new or entrepreneurial organisation. You explore how new businesses are developed and managed, including spin-offs from large firms and social enterprises, and learn how to identify new business opportunities. Topics include: idea generation; the development of business models; networking; marketing; finance; human resource management; customer relationship management and driving growth.

Achieve an advanced understanding of international business and strategy, and the content and processes of different international expansion modes. You examine why firms enter international markets, and explore different forms of international growth by observing current business practice, case study evidence and theory.

Gain the key skills and competencies to carry out management research or prepare a comprehensive business plan, suitable for the completion of a Masters level programme. You address the philosophical issues underlying management research, and discover how to select methods and judge the quality and value of research outcomes.

Managerial Economics applies economic theory to business management, decision making and forward planning. This module explores how economic concepts, such as profit, demand, cost, pricing production, competition and business cycles, can be used to solve business problems.

Gain an advanced understanding of the external context within which international businesses operate, and the opportunities and challenges this poses to entrepreneurial firms, large and small. You are introduced to key international trade theories and practices, and the application of these to the study of entrepreneurship. You also discuss the external challenges facing international firms, particularly economic, financial, political-legal, technological and cultural challenges.

Develop the academic, research and professional skills essential for success at postgraduate level and in graduate employment. This module supports your transition to master’s study by strengthening independent learning, critical thinking and research capabilities, including the ethical and effective use of AI as a learning tool. You’ll also build key employability skills to enhance professional practice, support projects and dissertations, and improve graduate career outcomes.