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International dimension

The level of internationalization of the PhD program in Business and Management may be proven by the number of students of different nationalities, along with several partnerships for co-tutorships and research studies abroad for PhD students and Faculty members with different foreign universities and research centers.

 

Partnerships for co-tutorships

The PhD program is also characterized by the presence of co-tutorships, which enable the strengthening of transnational and international relations in the field of research. The universities involved are as follows:

The universities involved are as follows:

A joint research project with the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) is in progress, with the subject "Direct, indirect or agency-selling in online channels? Analysis of affordances, resources and capabilities for effective manufacturers' distribution choices" (cycle XXXVI), supported by an individual agreement between the candidate, the doctoral coordinator, the foreign supervisor, the VU rector, and the Unito rector.

The Vrije Universiteit represents excellence in Dutch education and research, consistently ranked among the world's top 200 universities in Business & Management Studies (Time and QS rankings) and among the top 50 for research excellence (WURR).

The project aims to produce three distinctive scientific investigations. Firstly, an analysis of the existing literature, hitherto unpublished, will be carried out to best catalog and make publicly available to scholars and professionals the results that scientific research has, to date, produced on the management of online channels from the perspective of manufacturing companies. The analysis will propose clear insights synthesised in a publication of a literature review in an international scientific journal. Secondly, the research aims to go beyond what has been examined by proposing and testing new models that allow manufacturers to easily direct their investments towards certain types of online sales modalities over others, depending on their strategic priorities, resources, and internal capabilities.

Specifically, by innovatively applying the Affordance theory (which originates in environmental psychology) to marketing, three macro objectives that the adoption of eCommerce allows companies to pursue are identified: internationalisation, customer portfolio diversification (B2B) and consumer data acquisition. Finally, two empirical studies will test, using quantitative methods, the effect that different forms of online selling, such as direct, intermediary or indirect, have on the relationship between digital skills and the achievement of the strategic business objectives identified above.

A cotutelle with the Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB) is currently in progress, with the subject "HR Analytics: where should it be strategically placed? An empirical analysis" (cycle XXXVII), supported by an individual agreement between the candidate, the doctoral coordinator, the Italian supervisor, the foreign supervisor, the rector of the University of Turin, the rector of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the director of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Solvay Business School.

Ranked as one of the world’s top comprehensive universities with a history spanning over 185 years, VUB combines award winning research and accredited English and Dutch-taught study programs (from Bachelor to PhD) with a high engagement towards society, as well as cultural and economic innovations. Furthermore, its expertise and strategic position in the heart of Europe allow the university to be embedded within many international and European network, making it an ideal partner for excellent research and education with a wide international outlook.


The project has the objective of filling the empirical research gap regarding the strategical positioning of HR analytics within organizations. In order to do so, a review of the existing scientific literature will first be conducted to catalog studies on the subject. This will clarify from a theoretical point of view what is meant by HR analytics and what its main characteristics are. Secondly, a qualitative study will be conducted to provide a deeper understanding of the main difficulties that are experienced by different organizational stakeholders (HR managers, employees, and HR analytics technology providers) when dealing with HR analytics, and how these can be overcome.

Finally, the project will be ended by an empirical quantitative study aimed at comprehending if a correlation exists between the positioning of HR analytics and its successful implementation, also considering the potential moderating effect of other organizational variables as top management and other business function support and composition of the HR analytics team in term of background, specialization and dimension.

Two ongoing co-tutelle agreement with the University of Agder are in place, whose main topics are "The role of Open Innovation in fostering Circular Business Models" and "Circular Business Models in the face of Grand Challenges: entrepreneurial and organizational opportunities" (cycle XXXVI).

The University of Agder (UiA) is recognised for the presence of internationally respected professors, as well as for its remarkable cultural heterogeneity. Both projects refer to the Department of Management at the School of Business and Law, as part of the PhD programme in Business and Management.

The two research projects focus on economic realities whose activities are entirely or partially dedicated to the integration of Circular Economy principles. They are designed as specific analyses of this sustainable practice, which is increasingly widespread among companies around the world. In particular, the innovation processes of these companies will be examined using two different lenses. The first research project deal with the role of openness in circular networks and companies’ collaboration, as strategic imperatives preparatory to the development of circular innovations. The second one uses an organizational approach and focuses on the collaboration of different stakeholders in developing innovations to tackle grand challenges. 

A co-tutelle agreement with the University Jean Moulin Lyon 3 is under acceptance, with the research topic "SMEs internationalisation strategies in the industry 4.0 context: what about clusters?" (cycle XXXVIII).

Located at the heart of Lyon (Rhône) – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the second largest university town in France – and in Bourg-en-Bresse (Ain), the University Jean Moulin Lyon 3 carries out scientific research and organizes courses in the humanities and social sciences with programmes ranging from two-year degrees to PhDs. From a research perspective, the University Jean Moulin Lyon 3 is composed of seven doctoral schools and 19 research units and develops interdisciplinary research linked to major social issues.

The research at the interlink between digital transformation, clusters, and SMEs internationalisation in Europe intend to undertake a comparative study in French and Italian clusters.
With the results, the project aims to contribute to the existing literature and propose concrete solution that could be used by managers and policymakers to support clusters model evolution in face of technological and international landscape changes.

A joint research project between the University of Turin and the Universidad de Málaga for the PhD in Business & Management titled "Investigating the Effects of In-Game Advertising on game experience and consumer responses" is ongoing. The co-tutelle project involves collaboration between two important European universities that, using advanced research methodologies, aim to achieve high-level scientific results.


This project focuses on analyzing the effects of in-game advertisements on the gaming experience and consumer responses. Through a series of scholarly productions, the project has several objectives including circumscribing the existing literature in this field and developing theoretical models that allow for a better understanding of the interaction between advertised elements in games, consumers and their gaming experiences as well as the effects on brands. The research will particularly focus on evaluating the effects of in-game advertisements in traditional, immersive, and metaverse gaming contexts.


We expect that this research can contribute significantly to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of in-game advertisements and consumer reactions. It also represents a unique opportunity to develop advanced research skills, gain new insights into marketing and gaming, and help develop innovative solutions for the gaming industry.

Already completed co-tutorships have enabled Ph.)D graduates to strengthen transnational and international relations in the field of research. The universities involved have been the following:

We had a partnership for co-tutorships with Université Paris-Saclay, Ecoles Doctorales based on "The Value creation in Industry 4.0" (XXXIV cycle), supported by a public grant overseen by the French National research Agency (ANR) as part of the « Investissements d’Avenir » program, through the "ADI” project funded by the IDEX Paris-Saclay, ANR-11-IDEX-0003-02.

The Université Paris-Saclay is recognized for its prestigious teachers in the international context.

The project is part of the PhD course in Business and Management, as it focused on complex phenomena that require a multisector investigation approach, including Industry 4.0.

The research project analyzed the main driving forces and constraints of Industry 4.0 in manufacturing systems through conceptual, qualitative and quantitative approaches. First, it quantitatively verified the positive and significant causal relationship between openness to Industry 4.0 and manufacturing performance on a representative sample of firms in 2018. Second, it qualitatively explored the role of performance, barriers and incentives in manufacturing firms and quantitatively investigated the moderating effect of barriers and incentives on the relationship between openness to Industry 4.0 and performance on another representative sample of firms in 2019. Finally, it integrated literature on Industry 4.0, complexity and ecosystems to better fix this research stream in a consolidated theory helping firms to overcome barriers and to benefit from Industry 4.0 adoption.

We had a partnership for co-tutorships with Universitè Jean Moulin-Lyon 3, Ecoles Doctorales based on “Augmented reality in retail: an analysis of this immersive technology through consumers’ and retailers’ perception” (XXXIII cycle), also aligned to the PhD course.
The Université Jean Moulin-Lyon 3 is recognized for its prestigious teachers in the international context.

The research has the intent to extend the knowledge on consumers’ and retailers’ behaviour referring to this technology through three exploratory studies (two qualitative on the consumer and retailer side and the last quantitative). The results highlight the role of immersive technology when coupled with an emotional engagement with a product, without which it remains a mere hedonic tool. The implications of the relationship between product involvement and behavioural intentions mediated by the immersive experience with augmented reality described in the model developed in the research opens new managerial horizons for all those companies that are aware of the benefits of these technologies and wish to implement them to improve their performance.

 


Fields of research are aligned with the core business of the research centres and institutions.

The main international Institutions and research centres with which this PhD program has several research partnerships are listed in the table.

The PhD program includes visiting periods abroad of at least 6 months total (even at non-consecutive times) at universities, research institutions or other partners.

 

International Research Seminar

From the 2022/2023 academic year, the Department of Management "Valter Cantino", to which the doctorate pertains, organizes "International Research Seminars" with the aim of promoting and sharing scientific knowledge and research results achieved by members of the Department himself in collaboration with foreign colleagues.

Participation is an integral part of the training course of each PhD student, for this reason attendance is mandatory.

The Coordinators of the initiative are prof. Alberto Ferraris (alberto.ferraris@unito.it) and prof. Niccolò Nirino (niccolo.nirino@unito.it).

The calendar of events is available on the dedicated "Seminars and Conferences" page.

Last update: 20/10/2023 09:05
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