PhD in International Management and Organization
The PhD Program in International Management and Organization is for those pursuing a research-track academic career, creating new knowledge that drives positive change.
The central mission of the Gustavson School of Business is to conduct research that is:
- recognized as rigorous and of high quality by the academic community
- practically relevant to organizations, regulators and stakeholders in business and society
- pedagogically meaningful to students and educators
- consistent with our core pillars of International, Integrative, Innovative, and Socially responsible/Sustainable
PhD students contribute to our school’s research mission by producing meaningful and impactful research.
Research that makes a difference
We value research that goes beyond simply describing the world the way it is and, instead, imagines the world the way it might be. Our program is well-suited for those that are curious about the world around them. This is especially true for those that want to explore meaningful societal issues and topics on a deeper level.
A Gustavson PhD program can take 4-6 years to complete so it is important that you are passionate about your research. There are many excellent faculty at the school with diverse research interests who can guide you through your journey.
A culture of mentorship and collaboration
Our program’s small size and cohort-based admission allows for a close-knit community. You will have the opportunity to work with faculty to conduct innovative, cross-disciplinary research. In the last 5 years:
- 65% of our peer-reviewed journal articles crossed business disciplines
- 30% of our journal articles intersected with non-business fields (such as law, psychology, computer science, health care, education and history)
PhD students will develop their research and teaching skills through a semi-structured apprenticeship model. Students are encouraged to collaborate on research projects and journal publications with faculty and their peers in the process of building their research portfolio. The school also hosts a formal weekly research seminar series and workshops/events with active participation from all PhD students. Additionally, to support PhD students in developing their teaching skills, they are paired with a teaching mentor as part of their formal pedagogical training.
Research excellence
Our PhD students learn from world-renowned experts in the field of management and organization studies. Our school has received many awards, grants and special appointments for the quality, impact and relevance of our research.
Some of our school's recent achievements include:
- receiving $4.5 million in national and international grants over the past five years
- 30% of our peer-reviewed academic articles appeared in FT50 or AJG4*/4 journals
- our faculty members serve as editors or on editorial boards of 50+ peer-reviewed journals, with 10 of those being FT50 or AJG 4*/4 journals
- people have cited Gustavson faculty over 61,000 times and downloaded our work over 247,000 times since 2017
Our faculty members have received recognition and awards such as:
- the Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers List
- member of Royal Society Canada
- Fellow of the Academy of Management
- JIBS 50 Years Silver Medal Award for Exceptional Contributions, Best Papers and more
Our PhD students have also received recognition for their academic and research excellence. Our students have published in top-tier journals such as Academy of Management Review, Journal of Management, Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of Management Studies. Major international management conferences have recognized their work with best paper awards. You can find their research in conference organizations such as Academy of Management, Academy of International Business and Administrative Sciences Association of Canada.
Student dissertation topics
Our PhD student research topics are broad and tied to their interests and values. They also align to the traditional streams of management such as strategy, entrepreneurship, international business, organizational theory, organizational behaviour, sustainability, cross-cultural management and comparative human resources.
Research themes of dissertation topics include:
- stakeholder management and community partnerships
- social enterprise
- business history
- multiculturalism
- meaningful work
- equity, diversity and inclusion
- entrepreneurship
We teach a balanced approach to methodology (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods).
Recent placement of alumni
Since its establishment in 2010, our PhD program has produced many successful graduates. Academic placements in the last 3 years include:
- Penn State University (USA)
- Queens University (Canada)
- Warwick Business School (UK)
- Newcastle University (UK)
- York University (Canada)
- University of the Fraser Valley (Canada)