This funding model includes a 36 month fully funded PhD Studentship, in-line with the Research Council values, which comprises a tax-free stipend paid monthly (2024/5 - £19,237) per year and a Full Time Fee Scholarship for up to 3 years, subject to you making satisfactory progression within your PhD.
All applicants will receive the same stipend irrespective of fee status.
Application Closing Date:
23:59 on Tuesday 30th April 2024 for a start date of the 2nd September 2024.
How to Apply
To apply, please complete the project proposal form, ensuring that you quote the project reference, and then complete the online application where you will be required to upload your proposal in place of a personal statement as a pdf document.
You will also be required to upload two references, at least one being an academic reference, and your qualification/s of entry (Bachelor/Masters certificate/s and transcript/s).
Project Title: Digital entrepreneurship: the impact of entrepreneurs’ attributes on the entrepreneurial processes and outcomes
Project Lead: Dr Duyen Chu Duyen.Chu@bcu.ac.uk
Reference: DEPO
Project Description
Digital entrepreneurship is an essential element of the digital economy which is hailed as one of the most significant economic developments since the industrial revolution. This project is aimed to shed light on the impact of entrepreneurs’ attributes on entrepreneurial processes and outcomes in digital entrepreneurship. A multiple method approach will be applied to collect both secondary data and primary data. For primary data, survey questionnaires and semi-structure interviews will be conducted with entrepreneurs. Candidates with good knowledge of research methodology, and relevant background and skills are welcome to apply to join the project.
Candidates with background in entrepreneurship and digital transformation are particularly encouraged to apply.
Anticipated Findings and Contribution to Knowledge
Understanding the factors and circumstances which facilitate digital entrepreneurship is of interest to academic research, and guides business practice as well as public policies aiming at supporting this phenomenon given its positive impacts in terms of job creation and economic growth. A primary focus of entrepreneurship research has been on understanding the factors that underlie entrepreneurial pursuits and the ways by which entrepreneurial actions unfold. New digital technologies have transformed the nature of these factors and the nature of uncertainty inherent in the entrepreneurial processes and outcomes as well as the ways of dealing with such uncertainty.
Recent systematic reviews show that research in this area is still fragmented and under theorised. A rich opportunity exists for researchers to revisit and revise existing theories of entrepreneurship in the light of digital technologies and to develop new theories of entrepreneurship in the digital age.
Our project will shed light on the impact of entrepreneurs’ attributes on entrepreneurial processes and outcomes. Models will also be developed to estimate the relationships different entrepreneurs’ attributes and digital entrepreneurial outcomes. The project will extend the applications of the human capital and social capital theories to the context of digital entrepreneurship. The findings of the project will have theoretical contributions and practical implications on how entrepreneurs can leverage their attributes and the attributes of their new venture teams to enhance their entrepreneurial processes and outcomes. The project findings can also contribute to the development of evidence informed policies on digital entrepreneurship.