Phd Research

Corruption, intimidation and organization wrong-doings: The cross country comparison of whistleblowing policy as potent antidotes - Bashir Alao

Topic: Corruption, intimidation and organization wrong-doings: The cross country comparison of whistleblowing policy as potent antidotes.

Overview: Whistleblowing is currently the most effective tool to combat fraud and wrongdoings in every organization. One of the key obstacles in the fight against corruption is the fact that, without legal protection, individuals are often too intimidated to speak out or blow the whistle. Various recent laws aim at improving the protection of whistle-blowers and enhancing their willingness to report. Evidence on the effectiveness of such legislation is, however, scarce. The research project will analyse the effect of enacted whistleblower protection legislations and compare different legal regimes concerning their impact on employers' misbehaviour, employees' truthful and fraudulent reports, and employers' retaliation. While research into this area has been ongoing since the 1980s, it has overwhelmingly focused on Western and Anglo-saxon countries. My interest is to carry out comparative research (Ireland & Nigeria) on the effectiveness of whistleblowing systems in other parts of the world, particularly the third world nations to have a balanced perspective.

Supervisor: Prof Kate Kenny

Email: B.Alao1@universityofgalway.ie

The successful commercialisation of MedTech - Blake Bowers

Topic: The successful commercialisation of MedTech 

Overview: Blake's research investigates successful technology commercialisation of MedTech. In the last three years, there has a been a decline in the amount of venture capital attracted by spinouts in Ireland. However, this is not the case for MedTech in general. Blake's research aims to compare Ireland's MedTech sector to other leading hotspots around the world (Munich, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Israel, and Singapore), and further identify how Ireland can further advance its position as a MedTech hotspot.

Supervisors: Prof. Jonathan Levie & Dr. Majella Giblin

Scholarship: Blake is funded by Cúram research centre (SFI)

Email: B.BOWERS1@universityofgalway.ie

Regional Innovation Systems: How we Govern Innovaton at the Local Level - Mike Maguire

Title: Regional Innovation Systems: How We Govern Innovation at the Local Level - Mike Maguire

Overview: This research will investigate the effectiveness of Regional Innovation System actors in the Galway region, and how global systemic shocks will re-shape the challenges in a changed environment. Qualitative research methods will be used to theorise and conceptualise an understanding of the relationships within the Galway region from a regional innovation systems perspective and seek to answer the four key research questions, as follows: 

How have Regional Innovation Systems evolved in recent years, and what learnings have emerged? How might existing theoretical frameworks underpinning Regional Innovation Systems evolve from these learnings? How will operational effectiveness and synergies of actors in Regional Innovation systems need to improve to effect localised regional growth? How can the coalition of a series of actors develop an approach to develop a sustainable regional development system and identify collaborative solutions to social needs?

Supervisors: Dr. Johanna Clancy

Secondary Supervisor: Dr. Pat Collins

‌Email:  m.maguire22@universityofgalway.ie or mike.maguire@universityofgalway.ie

Finding the model describing how whistleblowing really works - Maria Batishcheva

Title: Finding the model describing how whistleblowing really works - Maria Batishcheva

Overview: My research spans the whistleblowing area. The key research question is to find the conditions under which the context – both intra-organisational and extra-organisational environment – around whistleblower would be the most conducive to blow the whistle.

Supervisor: Prof Kate Kenny 

Email: M.Batishcheva1@universityofgalway.ie

Understanding Subsidiary Managers’ engagement in Strategic Activities - Deborah Mireles

Title: Understanding Subsidiary Managers’ engagement in Strategic Activities - Deborah Mireles

Overview: Deborah is undertaking new research into the headquarters-subsidiary relationship in US-owned high technology multinationals. Her research aims to understand subsidiary managers’ behaviour by studying their engagement in strategic activities. The strategic activities are analysed in two ways. To study how subsidiary managers know what to do, the activities are analysed in response to strategic issues according to subsidiary managers’ interpretation of headquarters expectations. Preliminary findings reveal tentative subsidiary manager scripts guiding their engagement in strategic activities. To look at the why subsidiary managers do what they do, this research examines the strategic activities they engage in when managing headquarters impressions of their subsidiary. This work offers important theoretical contributions and practical implications to the field of International Business. 

Deborah was the recipient of the Irish Academy of Management Best Paper Award at the 2020 Doctoral Colloquium (DCU) for her paper entitled: Understanding Subsidiary Manager’s Engagement in Strategic Activities in Response to Strategic Issues. How do they know what to do?”

Deborah also has recently been awarded a prestigious Postgraduate Government of Ireland Scholarship by the Irish Research Council to complete her research, announced by Simon Harris TD on Friday October 23rd, 2020.

Supervisors: Dr Josephine Igoe  & Prof Pamela Sharkey Scott (DCU)

Email: D.MIRELES1@universityofgalway.ie

The Management of Scaling Firms & Serial Entrepreneurs - Sarah Bohan

Title: The Management of Scaling Firms & Serial Entrepreneurs - Sarah Bohan

Overview: I have a passion for learning about the internationalisation of firms and entrepreneurship. The aim of this study is to gather the tacit knowledge of serial entrepreneurs, who have scaled successful ventures multiple times, and codify it. It is now more important than ever to build on the research in this field; to understand the bold ambitions of these entrepreneurs, how they pivot, anticipate or seize new opportunities, reflect on failures and enhance the scalability of their business models. I anticipate a wealth of knowledge will come from this research which will contribute to the literature of the processes and mechanisms associated with the management of successful scaling.

 In October, I was lucky enough to attend my first international conference at the Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) in Cardiff. Even though I am quite early in my PhD journey, I am keen to take any opportunity that allows me to begin building an academic network and present conference papers on my area of research. So, this was an offer I could not refuse and it was a great honour to take home an award for best paper in the track ‘SME growth and performance’ for the paper ‘Bridging Academic and Practitioner Definitions of Scaling Businesses’.

The conference theme was ‘Bridging Enterprise, Policy and Practice: Creating social and public value’. This influenced intriguing paper topics such as the importance of place post-pandemic of the self-employed, rural areas and policies to stimulate SME growth, organizational resilience, and the importance of business model renewal. It was apparent from the conference that innovation and entrepreneurship are alive and flourishing (even in the pandemic of Covid-19), but that business scaling is a real challenge for both policy and practice. It was insightful to learn of the policies and support in Wales available to SMEs and great to be able to talk with others about how practice and policy can begin to converse on how these scaling firms to pursue ‘scaling excellence’, from the perspective of a region outside of Ireland. The conference reiterated the importance of bridging all stakeholders for the greater good of these SMEs. We now face the challenge to build on this paper by continuing these conversations with stakeholders in scaling firms. We can therefore inform policy and practice on what is distinct about scaling firms and how they can create impact in Ireland and beyond.

Reflecting on my experience, I think attending a conference early on in your PhD journey is of great importance. Not only do you begin to put faces to the work of scholars you read and research, but you also start to see the links and possibilities in research with other disciplines and scholars. ISBE stimulated further ideas and avenues of research for me which I can dig deeper into (or even just be aware of during my own research) and I am keen to develop these conversations with scholars at future events and conferences.’

Supervisors: Prof Jonathan Levie & Dr Josephine Igoe

Email: S.BOHAN4@universityofgalway.ie

Formal reward practices and employee outcomes in SMEs: An investigation using psychological contract theory - Neda SALAHISANANDAJ 

Title: Formal reward practices and employee outcomes in SMEs: An investigation using psychological contract theory - Neda Salahisanandaj

Overview: This study investigates the relationship between the level of formality of reward management practices (i.e. the level of documentation and regular application of reward policies and procedures), and employee outcomes through the mediating role of the psychological contract in an SME context. The results of this study suggests that SMEs may need to find ways to blend elements of informality and formality to generate structured informality in their reward management systems. An appropriate balance between formality and informality in SMEs can contribute to employees’ positive psychological contract, which in turn increases employees’ motivation and reduces their turnover intention. Thus, it is critical for SMEs to determine ways in which formal and informal systems can co-exist without losing their agility in responding to changing environmental and organisational context.

Supervisors: Prof Alma McCarthy & Prof Maura Sheehan, Edinburgh Napier University

Email: N.SALAHISANANDAJ1@universityofgalway.ie

Assessment of civil service career attractiveness among the Gen Z and Millennial population - Noreen O'Connor

Title: Assessment of civil service career attractiveness among the Gen Z and Millennial population - Noreen O'Connor

Overview: This PhD study aims to measure Millennial and Gen Z student’s perceptions of civil service attractiveness and aims to uncover what the key drivers of civil service attractiveness are. A key objective is to understand whether Public Service Motivation serves as a predictor of civil service attractiveness. This PhD study will investigate the importance Millennial and Gen Z students place on specific work values like compensation, job security, work-life balance, and a low stress job when making career decisions.

Annual National Remote Working Survey:

https://www.nuigalway.ie/about-us/news-and-events/news-archive/2021/may/second-annual-national-remote-working-survey-shows-95-in-favour-of-working-remotely.html

RTE Brainstorm Article:

https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2021/0114/1189625-civil-service-careers-millennials-gen-z/

Supervisor: Prof Alma McCarthy

Email: Noreen O'Connor

How have the recent 2030 reforms enhanced the principle of social responsibility in non-profit organizations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? A case study of Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City’s - Abdulhadi Alharti

Title: How have the recent 2030 reforms enhanced the principle of social responsibility in non-profit organizations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? A case study of Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City’s.

The project seeks to understand if the current reforms in KSA are helping to reinforce social responsibility and corporate social responsibility. The case study will  examine if a not-for-profit organisation to determine if the 2030 reforms are making it more socially responsible and able to meet the needs of the community. The research will examine if the reforms are leading to more CSR policies being implemented and if they are successful. It will examine also if social responsibility is aligned with Islamic values.

The study seeks to promote social responsibility in KSA and more research on the issue. 

Email: Alharthi, Abdulhadi 

Supervisor(s) Name: Prof. Kate Kenny