Bridging differing perspectives on ecosystem research to understand co-opetition

Overview

Grand challenges of today from Covid-19 to climate change are increasingly tackled by new forms of multi-organisational arrangements, representing the ecosystems. The simultaneous occurrence of competition and cooperation is commonly observed in ecosystems and often referred to as co-opetition. This PhD research will focus on better understanding of the co-opetition in ecosystems through an in-depth qualitative study.

Project Details

A prominent economist and strategist, David Teece suggested that the ecosystem notion might substitute for the industry now (Teece, 2016). This PhD studentship project seeks rigorous and cumulative research on how an ecosystem-based perspective informs the viability and sustainability of organisations in today’s highly volatile business environment. Particularly, this PhD study will focus on examining how organisations simultaneously manage co-operative and competitive interactions to remain relevant and viable within ecosystems. The project will adopt a qualitative research design including a range of methods to collect data, e.g., interviews, workshops, observations etc.

University of Strathclyde is a multi-award-winning institution with one of the world’s leading and largest business schools in Glasgow. The successful PhD candidate will join a vibrant research community at the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship within Strathclyde Business School. S/he will be mentored and supported closely by the supervisory team and will actively participate their research programme and knowledge exchange activities. Therefore, highly motivated PhD candidates from various backgrounds, including business and management studies and engineering are invited to apply.

Eligibility

We welcome applications from exceptional candidates with a solid academic record in any disciplines (at least a 2:1 Honour’s degree or international equivalent). Candidates should preferably have a Masters-level degree with Merit/ Distinction (with average programme mark of no less than 65%) or international equivalent in Business, Management, Social Sciences or related subjects, from an internationally reputable University. English Language requirement of IELTS band 7.0 or above with not less than 7.0 in each component.

Applicants with great academic potential and clear motivation to conduct world-class research will be considered. Previous research experience in engaging with industrial partners, academic writing, conducting systematic literature reviews, publishing research, and qualitative data analysis is highly desirable. The candidates should also be able to work independently as well as in a team, collaborate with colleagues and have excellent communication skills.