Call for Applications for the Doctoral Programme in Business Administration

DIGITAL INNOVATION / BLOCKCHAIN – TOTAL: 4 POSITIONS

Three (3) positions in:

1. Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
   The third wave of crypto (after the invention of digital money & Bitcoin in 2009 and the creation of programmable smart contracts & Etheruem in 2015) is centered around the creation of open, algorithmic, censorship-resistant applications that enable all financial services (banking, lending, exchanges, insurance, etc) to be implemented without intermediaries. Research proposals in DeFi will focus on studying business model innovation, user adoption, economic and societal implications, and similar aspects of the DeFi phenomenon. The ideal PhD candidate will have a background in Computer Science, Finance/Economics, Business Administration or similar and will already have gained practical experience in using and understanding the prospects and limitations of existing DeFi applications and protocols.
   Research Advisor: George Giaglis, Professor, [email protected]

2. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and asset tokenization
   Digital collectibles have emerged as a distinct class of crypto tokens, enabling users to mint, acquire, trade and own unique pieces of digital art or other artifacts. However, the applications of so-called non-fungible tokens (NFTs) extend beyond art to include proof of ownership of real-world assets (e.g. real estate), assets held in metaverses (e.g. virtual worlds) and new types of rights (e.g. right to a share of someone’s future income streams). Research proposals will focus on studying NFT-enabled disruption of the real world and/or new virtual worlds, business model innovation, economic and societal implications, and similar aspects of the NFT phenomenon. The ideal PhD candidate will have a background in Computer Science, Finance/Economics, Business Administration or similar and will already have gained practical experience in using and understanding the prospects and limitations of existing NFT and asset tokenization applications.
   Research Advisor: George Giaglis, Professor, [email protected]

3. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)
   DAOs enable the creation of new forms of organization, sometimes consisting entirely of computer code and being algorithmically governed based on rules by their creators. DAOs represent a departure of the industrial-era paradigm of corporations, enabling ad-hoc organizational arrangements that are based on programmable trust. Research proposals in the DAO space will focus on studying this emerging form of organizational design and understanding its future potential, application areas, but also limitations. The ideal PhD candidate will have a background in Business Administration, Finance/Economics, Social Sciences or similar as well as existing know-how in what DAOs are and how they operate.
   Research Advisor: George Giaglis, Professor, [email protected]

One (1) position

Title: Energy Web PhD Studentship in Distributed Ledger Technologies (Blockchain and Energy) — IFF @ University of Nicosia

Description:  Pursuing an acceptable optimal solution to the Blockchain trilemma (i.e., Security, Decentralization, and Scalability) has led to the development of a multitude of DLTs, that aim to deliver enhanced features of the technology but in different ways. Thus, the resulting landscape of such efforts is characterized by silos that have been emerged by the increased levels of heterogeneity at the network and protocol levels. As DLTs are becoming an acceptable technology there is an increased need for interacting with these systems in a seamless and effective way. This research project aims to further contribute on the interoperability challenges of DTLs. Can we consider energy as a liquid asset and transfer its state from one blockchain ecosystem to another? Can we enable the state of smart contracts from the EW chain to interoperate on other chains?

More specifically, this project is concerned with the following objectives:

• to explore and understand the issues and challenges caused by the heterogeneity of DLT systems;
• to critically assess various patterns, and mechanisms for interoperability (e.g., notary schemes, hash-locking schemes);
• to identify the properties an interoperable DLT should have;
• to identify any attack vectors that can emerge on an interoperable network;
• to empirically evaluate interoperability solutions proposed;
• to design a secure interoperability framework for DLTs (considering states and events);
• to improve the performance of the system while keeping its security and confidentiality characteristics;
• to empirically demonstrate the effectiveness of the methodologies developed using the EW-DOS tech stack and Energy Web ecosystem;

At the end of this research project, the candidate will be able to demonstrate the techniques developed through the system design and high impact journal publications.

Academic Qualifications: An MSc or MEng degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Computer Science or Information Technology, Computer Engineering with a good fundamental knowledge of information systems and software development.

More details here

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
Research Advisor: Dr. Klitos Christodoulou, [email protected]

Three (3) positions in:

FINANCE

One (1) Position in Finance in the field of Applied Economics/Behavioral Finance/Media/Technologies.

In the wave of the dizzily swift developing knowledge stream on cryptocurrencies, artificial intelligence, machine learning, social media and crowd-sourcing this post investigates the nexus of these technologies aiming to develop a forecast model for cryptocurrency price movements beyond economic indicators, political issues or government interventions including psychological driven factors.
The student will apply triangulating research methods embracing phenomenological and positivistic approaches.
Research Advisor: Hans Rüdiger Kaufmann, Professor, [email protected]

One (1) Position in the area of Finance, with research proposals pertaining topics on: Fund Management, Investment and Asset Management, Behavioural Finance, Financial Markets and Institutions, Corporate Finance/Financial Management, Digital Currencies, Financial Modelling and Asset Allocation.
Research Advisor: Svetlana Sapuric, Associate Professor, [email protected]

One (1) Position in the area of Finance, and specifically one (or a combination) of the following areas:

• Corporate Governance and the Board of Directors
• Blockchain and Governance
• Blockchain and Accounting and Controls
• Decentralized Autonomous Organisations (from a governance point of view)
• Market-based Empirical Research on one of the following topics:
• Corporate Social Responsibility and Reporting
• Socially Conscious Investing
• Market Behaviour of Cryptocurrencies/Cryptoassets

For this post, the candidate should have a strong background in quantitative methods (Econometrics or Statistics) proven by previous quantitative research or work experience or by having successfully completed advanced courses in Econometrics or Statistics. Moreover, the candidate should have a background in either Finance, or Accounting, or Economics, or Financial Mathematics, or Financial Econometrics or similar discipline (Bachelor or Masters degree).
Research Advisor: Dr. Ifigenia Georgiou, [email protected]

Three (3) positions in:

MARKETING

One (1) position in the following area: “Application of Digital Technologies in Marketing”

Description: Digital technologies (including Information & Analysis Technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Social Media, Customer Relationship Management Systems, Digital Marketing Communications Channels etc.) are reshaping the landscape of business planning and implementation, particularly marketing. And while these digital tools are relatively clear in their capacity to execute specific functions within the varied business operations (market analysis, customer profiling and relationship management, communications, mass customization etc.), how they can be used in the overall strategic and/or marketing design of an organization is still unclear. And it is getting even more so as contextual changes are shape-shifting the form and processes of businesses across the globe.

Empirical research is thus requisite in describing and prescribing how digital technologies may be used, not simply as tools within organizational strategic and/or marketing planning, but as integral parts of it, or even as its very foundations. We therefore call for PhD research proposals that deal with this question in an array of industry and typological contexts, including, but not limited to: Strategic Marketing, Consumer Behaviour, and Customer Relationship Management, applied in such contexts as the construction industry and/or real estate, food and agriculture, services, manufacturing, SMEs, governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Research Advisor: Alkis Thrassou, Professor, [email protected]

Two (2) positions in any of the following areas:

1. Consumers have the potential to become ambassadors for climate change, sustainable development, and environmental protection by sharing their knowledge, experience and engagement with their families, local communities, and public and private decision makers as well as using social media. Equally, corporations have the power to directly involve citizens and communities in contributing to climate action and protecting the environment, thereby encouraging them to change their personal behaviour and their mind sets, reducing their carbon and environmental footprint and act at an individual and collective level. Researchers can adopt a multi stakeholder perspective for the development and assessment of knowledge, skills and attitudes of consumers and particularly young consumers on climate change and sustainable development. The focus could be on exploring the increasing importance of sustainability and its implications on consumer behaviour, organisational behaviour, and the society.
   Research Advisor: Ioanna Papasolomou, Professor, [email protected]
2. COVID-19 has had a profound impact on society and the workforce. For many if not all organisational members, the workload at least doubled because of the transition to remote learning, adjustments to constantly changing learning environments, planning for contingencies and a heightened struggle to balance work, life, and family responsibilities. Explore Internal Marketing strategies, tools, and challenges in the context of the new environment from multi-stakeholder perspectives for example, the management’s, the employees’, the shareholders’, etc.
   Research Advisor: Ioanna Papasolomou, Professor, [email protected]
3. The role new technologies play in terms of service quality and customer satisfaction especially in the context of the new competitive environment created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study can explore how new technologies (for example, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, etc) are challenging companies today, how new technologies have helped businesses to cope with the challenges created by the pandemic, how the pandemic has shaped the marketing and corporate communications fields, and how these new technologies could be used to offer businesses and customers a more direct and interactive way to communicate with audiences, and especially those new generation consumers who are intertwined with digital technologies.
   Research Advisor: Ioanna Papasolomou, Professor, [email protected]
4. Consumer Generated Marketing and Social Networking Applications. Undoubtedly marketers are operating within an increasingly changing media landscape and dealing with consumers who seek information by using multiple brand touchpoints. In addition, marketers are faced with audiences that are becoming more critical, sophisticated, informed, mobile, and technology oriented. Businesses need to accept the growing power and potential of consumer generated content which in turn raises several challenges as well as new opportunities. How do generation Z consumers engage with brands?Research Advisor: Ioanna Papasolomou, Professor, [email protected]
5. The power of Electronic Word-of-Mouth Communication in a marketing context: eWOM refers to “a consumption experience shared by customers who purchase the product, experience the service, or interact with the brand shared”. Explore this powerful consumer driven tool from a marketing perspective and in the context of different stakeholders, organisational settings, and demographic markets.
   Research Advisor: Ioanna Papasolomou, Professor, [email protected]
6. Additional research topics for example Integrated Marketing Communications, and Influencer Marketing.
   Research Advisor: Ioanna Papasolomou, Professor, [email protected]

One (1) post in the following topic:

“Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility”

Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility (CSR) has never been more important. In recent years, the impact of corporations upon our world has become undeniable (Chaffee, 2017).
Citizens nowadays demand a responsible business behavior from all kinds of organizations (for-profit and not-for-profit), corporations and their leaders who have become aware of the crucial role of social responsibility in seeking performance excellence and sustainable growth (Antonaras et al, 2011). The last decades witnessed a vigorous debate over the role of corporations in society (Basu and Palazzo, 2008). Interest in CSR became intense as shareholders, consumers, activists, governments, and society in general called for higher standards of business.

Research proposals in the area of Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility could focus on the following topics, but not limited to:

• •Developing a Corporate sustainability & responsibility framework for SMEs
• Measuring the socioeconomic impact of CSR activities/strategies
• Whistleblowing and CSR: the role of internal auditors
• The importance of verification in corporate sustainability reporting
• Prompt supplier payments as an act of corporate sustainability and responsibility

Research Advisor: Alexandros Antonaras, Associate Professor, [email protected]

One (1) post in the following topic:

“Open Data for Smart Cities: Developing job profile(s) and training content”

Context

Referring to Open Data generated, processed and exploited within the context of smart cities there are two dimensions we have to take into consideration. The first relates to the management of data produced and held by public sector bodies regulated under the EU Directive¹ on open data and the re-use of public sector information.

The second dimension relates to research data which are determined in the Open Data Directive² (art2§9) as documents in a digital form, other than scientific publications, which are collected or produced in the course of scientific research activities and are used as evidence in the research process. These should be provided openly for further use according to FAIR Principles (findable, accessible, interoperable and re-usable).

As stated in recital 27 of the Open Data Directive “The volume of research data generated is growing exponentially and has potential for re-use beyond the scientific community. In order to be able to address mounting societal challenges efficiently and in a holistic manner, it has become crucial and urgent to be able to access, blend and re-use data from different sources. At the level of smart cities, this requires specific expertise that is currently missing, according to the open data maturity report produced in 2021 by the European commission’s initiative Data.europa.eu³.

Links:

¹ European legislation on open data https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/legislation-open-data

² Directive (EU) 2019/1024 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on open data and the re-use of public sector information https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1561563110433&uri=CELEX:32019L1024

³Open Data Maturity report 2021 https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/landscaping_insight_report_n7_2021.pdf p.3

Research Questions

Some of the issues examined in this PhD can be identified as follows:

1. the need of infrastructure to host and to function accordingly to support the FAIR principles e.g. adoption of PIDs (Persistent identifiers).
2. training of professionals in a variety of topics (e.g. metadata schemas and quality, APIs, licensing etc) in order to act as admins of open data.
3. training in all levels, for all interested stakeholders through specific job profiles
4. incentives and awareness activities for people to be involved and use data as end-users.

The proposed PhD dissertation will examine methodologies and apply them to identify the skills and competences for smart city officers and required training (learning objects) for offering training on Open Data in relation to the specific profile.
Research Advisor: Angelika I. Kokkinaki, Professor, [email protected]