Accounting, Banking, Economics, Finance, Management Studies and Marketing

The PhD programme in the Business School at Bangor has been described by external experts as ’second to none in the UK’. Our role of PhD throughput is amongst the highest in the UK and we have ESRC recognition for our research training (MSc to PhD) in Management and Business as well as Economics. Our current and recent PhD students are a lively and friendly community. Their areas of research interest are as diverse and interesting as their backgrounds. PhD Projects Our research centres are highly interested in supervising PhDs in the topics listed below. We recommend before applying contacting the academic staff you wish to supervise you to discuss your interest area, have a look at our staff profiles to get an idea of the research interests and publications of our academic team. Understanding Consumers Self-regulation, emotion and consumer wisdom of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) users The number of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) users has increased as a result of the cost-of-living crisis and the level of UK personal debt is at an all-time high. This project seeks to examine the relationships between self-regulation, emotion and consumer wisdom when using BNPL loans to shop online. The study will also explore a potential link between self-regulation failure related to BNPL and the fear of missing out. Differences in consumer spending using BNPL (i.e. essential purchases vs non-essentials) and the potential benefits of BNPL will also be explored with the aim of promoting positive consumer financial well-being. Exploring the growth of vaping and the marketing of e-cigarette brands Vaping as a behaviour is commonplace and increasingly normalised but there has been a rise in vaping amongst young people over the past five years. Research suggests that young people are experimenting with vapes, and there is an uptake in the use of disposable vapes with Elf Bar and Geek Bar emerging as popular brands. This project will explore young people’s attitudes and perceived identities in relation to their vaping behaviours. The research will also examine the communication techniques of e-cigarette brands (e.g., branding, packaging, in-store communications, social media marketing) and how they are processed by both vapers and non-vapers. Psychological ownership and perceived control of a City by its consumers: the case of Bangor This project will investigate the perceived control, psychological ownership and place attachment felt by Bangor’s students, residents and visitors. The city’s current versus desired place brand will be examined and the needs of stakeholders will be explored with the aim of rejuvenating the city’s image. The High Street in Bangor has been in decline for years and the city was recently rejected in its application for the Levelling up fund. Community engagement and a bottom-up approach to improving the City’s brand is required and will be critical in the future attractiveness of Bangor as a place to study. Responsible Banking ESG Performance and Syndicated loan market The syndicated lending market has evolved into a pivotal segment within the global financial landscape. This project intends to dive deep into the burgeoning dynamics of this market, specifically examining its interactions with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors. The appointed candidate will venture into the exploration of the impact of ESG factors and climate change on the bank lending behaviours. market's dynamics, risk attributes, and economic…

IELTS: 7.0 (with no individual score lower than 6.5)

UK students: £5,182 per year

UK/Home: £5,182 per year

• Bangor, United Kingdom