The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM) at the University of Surrey, located in Guildford, UK, is delighted to announce a project-led studentship opportunity to outstanding PhD candidates who will be starting their doctorate in January 2023.
This is an exciting and innovative three year fully funded University of Surrey PhD studentship to undertake a thesis by publication studying the first Italian B-Corp hotel: Palazzo dell'Agricoltore, in Parma, Italy. The thesis by publication will be established through three research projects: Philanthropy and community engagement, Biometrics and hotel design, and Sustainability and hotel life cycle assessment (see the provisional proposals below). The inter-disciplinary project team supporting the student will be Dr Jonathan Skinner (lead supervisor), Dr Bora Kim, Dr Pablo Pereira Doel, Dr Viachaslau Filimonau.
Here are three provisional proposals for the thesis-by-publication research project in Parma. The exact research topic to be examined within each aspect of the research project will be ‘co-created’ by the project team to ensure interests of the PhD candidate, supervisors and hotel management team are aligned.
1. Regeneration and rejuvenation: An examination and contribution into philanthropic practice in Parma’s modern-day hotel development (led by Dr Jonathan Skinner and Dr Bora Kim)
This aspect of the research project examines and contributes to the understanding and practice of philanthropic activities as public good in the hotel’s development and the institution’s place in urban Parma. This project will use practice-based research to test and evaluate the application of philanthropy in and around the new hotel project in Parma. It will consider research questions such as: how is philanthropy engaging the hotel staff and local community? How does philanthropy best impact on the hotel resident’s experience? What new insights from a practice-based approach to new forms of philanthropy are there in terms of urban regeneration and visitor rejuvenation?
Read the full description of this element of the project
2. Building B-Corps Biometrics: laboratory and field experimentation (led by Dr Pablo Pereira Doel)
Palazzo dell’ Agricoltore will be the first B-Corp tourism accommodation in Italy. B-Corps are global leader businesses that adopt an innovative management approach focusing on inclusiveness, equity, and regeneration. In other words, business that go beyond sustainability and profits; businesses as force for good to benefit people, communities, and the environment (B-Corp, 2022).
Considering that Palazzo dell’ Agricoltore is currently being developed, it is important how its concept, commitment, and philosophy is communicated to the public to maximise the outcomes (e.g., attracting future guests, local community, and staff). In this sense, the following topics / research questions can potentially be explored using the latest biometric technology to measure emotional engagement (e.g., Li et al, 2015; Scott et al, 2019):
- A laboratory experiment to measure emotional and cognitive engagement of the public with the Palazzo dell’ Agricolore website and/or marketing materials.
- A laboratory experiment to measure emotional and cognitive engagement of the public with the Palazzo dell’ Agricolore communication to recruit staff.
Read the full description of this element of the project
3. (Environmental) Sustainability of a hotel (led by Dr Viachaslau Filimonau)
This aspect of the research project is concerned with the environmental externalities of a hotel business and how these externalities can be effectively prevented and mitigated. The rationale for this research stems from the fact that hotels are one of the most resource-intense types of services; it is therefore important to understand how this resource intensity can be, at least partially, reduced. A case study hotel which is currently being built in Parma represents a unique opportunity to design a hotel business from the new which has low(er) environmental footprint.
Read the full description of this element of the project
Entry requirements
Open to UK and international candidates starting in January 2023.
In addition to the standard entry requirements for the PhD programme, candidates must have Tourism, Hospitality and Events industry experience. They should be prepared to work and study independently as well as part of a research team. They will be based in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey, but will be expected to spend extensive research time in Parma. Fluency in English is essential, fluency/competency in Italian is desirable.
How to apply
Applications should be submitted via the Hospitality, Tourism, Transport and Events PhD programme page. Applicants will need to clearly state in the online application form that they are applying for the Palazzo dell’Agricoltore project-led studentship. Apply by midnight on Monday 5th September 2022 (BST), with interviews taking place week commencing 12th September 2022.
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