Oxford Brookes Business School research student profiles

Thames Ditton, UK.

Ever since finishing my MSc in Coaching & Behavioural Change at Henley Business School in 2016, the idea of doing a doctorate at Oxford Brookes has been a tempting one. The course seems unique in providing the opportunity to deepen one’s academic understanding of coaching and mentoring, whilst also maintaining a professional practice at the same time.

I have been working independently for several years as an executive coach-mentor for leaders in charities, start-ups and larger corporates. The specific trigger for me engaging in the doctorate programme at this stage was the Covid crisis. Before the pandemic hit, charities had already been facing a wide range of strategic difficulties. The impact of austerity, funding pressures, declining public trust, digital disruption and Brexit were just a few of the issues they were typically dealing with. But Covid transformed the situation to create a perfect storm in which demands for service provision skyrocketed, funding collapsed and the usual ways of working became impractical. When you add on top the further challenges that have arisen more recently relating to diversity and inclusion, COP26 and the Ukraine war, we have certainly been living through exceptional times!

In the eye of this storm have been the CEOs of charities who have had to handle these extreme circumstances, often with little personal support. For this reason, I am intrigued to learn more about the role that coaching and mentoring can play in supporting people in this role. Research evidence suggests that coaching and mentoring is not widely used by charity leaders, partly because the disciplines are not well understood and partly because many CEOs feel a bit self-indulgent spending their time, and potentially also the charity’s money, on their own personal development. However, those that do benefit from this kind of help rate it as their most valuable form of personal and professional development.

My hope is that my research project will help to strengthen the knowledge base about the characteristics of coaching and mentoring for CEOs. In so doing, it will help to increase the awareness and understanding charity CEOs have of the potential support they have available to them. It will also help to better inform coaches and mentors about the key issues, needs and mindsets of their potential clients in this sector. Both groups could learn to build more productive coaching relationships by better understanding the ways of working together that deliver greatest value and impact.

Having been involved in the programme for a few months now, I have thoroughly enjoyed being a student again. I’m conscious that I’m probably one of the oldest students on campus – in fact, I’m probably older than most of the staff members too! But you’re never too old to learn something new and I’ve found the support and challenge from everyone involved in the Oxford Brookes community has been very inspiring.

The experience hasn’t always been easy. Getting my head around some of the philosophical aspects of the nature of knowledge has been a stretch, as has my return to the realm of statistical analysis for the first time since my A-levels! But I’m loving the intellectual challenges and I’ve already learned a huge amount about both charity leadership and the rigours of doctoral-level study.

I heard about Oxford Brookes University from my friend and was impressed with its academic infrastructure and student support.

Research funding and the research expertise of my supervisors attracted me to Oxford Brookes University.

I worked for 18 years as a development professional in various research-led consulting firms and non-governmental organisations. I worked as a consultant to various government, non-government organisations and corporate bodies in many states of India, Nepal and Bangladesh. My areas of consultancy include; agribusiness promotion, Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) based enterprise development, women empowerment and livelihood promotion, education, rural marketing and vocational skills development. During this period, I published book chapters and articles in different international journals.

Since I had done my masters in the UK, I was quite aware of the research environment, so it was not that difficult to settle down. My supervisors and research group are a great source of support. Various research activities, seminars, training programmes and events organised by the Business School creates an atmosphere of academic culture which is very helpful. Regular supervision from my supervisors is the biggest asset of my PhD studentship. Library resources and other academic infrastructure help me immensely in my research work.

The title of my research is “Mining led Industrialisation and gender-based violence within indigenous communities of Odisha, India”. The overall aim of this research is to examine and understand the inter-relationship between mining led industrialisation and growth of violence among indigenous communities (particularly women) in India, through an eco-socialist and feminist theoretical framework, and empirical evidence.  

The path to development of Indian economy is perceived through large scale industrialisation. This approach, designed to eradicate poverty and debt, paradoxically targeted elite and urban sections of India with residual impact on rural and tribal population. The study focuses on the issues and transitions in gender relationships and gender roles of the tribal communities, particularly women, who are more vulnerable in the process of mining led industrialisation. The mining projects in the name of development are not only a threat to environment and livelihoods but also a predicament to the status of the tribal women.   

This research focuses on how the current industrialisation process not only has been violating all environmental and other regulations of the government in the form of deforestation, mining, displacement by its own institutional set ups, but it has also been contributing to strengthening patriarchal relations among the tribal communities; a phenomenon which is less noticed. This research will analyse the encounters and social structural changes through mining induced displacement where the position of women in tribal societies is threatened. Largely, due to the fact that employment in mining industry is predominantly male, tribal women are not only rendered unemployed, but they are also getting marginalised in the communities, losing access to livelihoods due to changes in the land use patterns, displacement and deforestation. This research intends to explore, understand and analyse the transformations within   indigenous societies caused by mining led industrialisation and the growth of a patriarchal culture of violence.   

The research is based on qualitative multi-method case study of the Sundargarh district of Odisha, India. Sundargarh is one of the districts with high concentration of tribal population and has attracted several mining industries like coal, iron ore, bauxite and manganese. Multi-method case study research, rooted in critical realist paradigm, has been adopted for this research. 

The interdisciplinary research environment at Oxford Brookes University helps me as a researcher. I have been able to learn about different research skills from my fellow researchers. I have been able to make friends from various countries, which helps cross-cultural learning and keeps me excited.  

British weather is the biggest challenge for me. Initially it did affect me a lot, but with time, I have been able to cope with it.   

The research training is beneficial for me since I am returning to academic research after a long gap. It brushes up on the skills required for academic research. It is well designed for a researcher and keeps a person updated on latest research methods and analysis techniques.

I wish to complete my PhD within stipulated time. I will continue to publish REFable articles in the ABS list of journals and teach in different areas of development economics by keeping social goals in mind.

I first joined Oxford Brookes as an MSc student.  

I did my Masters at Oxford Brookes, so it seemed reasonable to do my PhD here.

Before starting my PhD, I was working for the University of Oxford as a Senior HR Officer.

My supervisors, the disability team and my fellow students were all so supportive when I was not feeling well.

Gender has always been used as a common denominator in which women can find some common ground in order to counter their inequalities in leadership. This research, however, aims to explore and highlight the challenges that women who identify as BME face in their quest to progress and attain leadership roles in higher education institutions (HEIs). I will discuss the encounters (for example, stereotyping and prejudice) that these women face and specifically address the dimensions of gender, race, class and their impact on leadership. Crenshaw’s (1989) concept of intersectionality will be used to understand the way in which gender, race and class mediate and shape the experiences of these women in the workplace. The road to leadership demands an understanding of how multiple identities position women differently in HEIs. The research seeks to redress the reliance on one identity and argue that women have multiple identities and will be affected differently by these multiple identities.

In 1989, Crenshaw introduced the term to avoid the pitfalls inherent to identity politics. She argues, intersectionality ‘denote[s] the various way[s] in which race and gender interact to shape the multiple dimensions of black women’s employment experiences’ (Crenshaw 1989, 139). Thus, Crenshaw challenges individuals and institutions who essentialise identities. It is clear that intersectionality has given us something to think about despite the various debates and critiques that surround the framework

This research will be carried out in Higher Education Institutions and qualitative research methods will be used to explore the phenomenon under study by interviewing women who identify as black and ethnic minorities. I intend to explore the perceptions and the views of these women when it comes to their leadership opportunities in these institutions. Having worked in one myself, I would have to reflect and note down any biases I might have, but the semi-structured interviews with participants are meant to explore deeply on this topic. I will conclude by highlighting the findings and limitations, and what can be done to bring about social justice in underrepresented groups.

I hope to pursue a career in academia.

I found out about Oxford Brookes University through a Google search when I was looking to apply for a research degree programme at a university which offered Digital Marketing.

After my masters’ degree, I was looking for universities to apply to for a doctoral degree which was credible and highly reputed. I conducted sufficient research and shortlisted universities which are highly ranked across a span of different research projects especially within the Marketing subject area. This is when I came across Oxford Brookes University. I was clear that I wanted to be a part of a university which provided a high-quality student experience and would prepare me for a career in academia. I was impressed with the research student profiles across the University and at the Faculty level which was very diverse. I found various interesting active research projects about digital marketing strategies. Most importantly, my potential supervisors’ (who are also my current supervisors, Dr Sarah Quinton and Prof Janine Dermody) research profiles; their research interests and experience attracted me to join Oxford Brookes University. Additionally, Oxford is a beautiful place to live with a strong student community presence around the city.

Before commencing my PhD journey at Oxford Brookes University, I completed a Masters’ by research (MRes) at the University of Exeter.                

Prior to starting my journey in the United Kingdom, I worked as a Lecturer at Reva First Grade College and Brindavan College in India, and as an Activation Officer at Nestle India Ltd.

It was very easy for me to settle into the research environment as I had just completed my masters’ degree and produced a dissertation on consumers’ stance towards mobile games as a communication medium, a case study of Indian gamers. The PhD programme at the Business School is well structured (registration, ethics approval, transfer, and the final submission) and communicated very clearly in the induction session, which is helping me to focus and plan my work to achieve the set milestones. Both my supervisors are very supportive in various stages of the PhD programme and for the deadlines that I need to adhere to. At the beginning, the library training was particularly useful for me to know from where and how to get access to the resources available for my research. The University also offers support by providing various research training and networking events.

The purpose of my research is to investigate the effectiveness of product placement through recall and recognition in mobile games as experienced by Indian female consumers.  In the last few years, with progress in technology, the ways of advertising are changing as advertisers look for new avenues of reaching the target consumers. Product placement is a creative and productive tool in the promotion mix which combines the advertisement with the entertainment, blurring the advertised content. Creating awareness using product placement strategy has been the main goal of advertisers. Although movies and television programmes have been popular choices for product placement because of its wide reach, over the past few years, it has expanded to other forms of media like video games, computer games and games played on social networking platforms.                  

A mobile phone is the easiest form of entertainment whilst on the move. Mobile games are an interactive and engaging platform, it provides a way for gamers to interact with the products placed in the game than just being mere passive viewers of advertisements. Many video games are now moving to the mobile platform to increase their audience reach. Digital games are traditionally associated with men. But with the increased use of mobile devices, games have also attracted a lot of women consumers. Mehta (2016) highlights that Indian women are outplaying men in mobile games. Men and women approach and interpret advertisements with different motives and perspectives. The growing number of women playing mobile games, the increase in disposable family income, and their response to media can have a positive impact for gaming companies in India, attracting advertisers to reach these women gamers. Thus, the underpinning idea of this study is to conduct gender-specific research examining the effectiveness of product placement through recall and recognition in an interactive and engaging platform like mobile games. Furthermore, this research will be conducted in a naturalistic environment to explore the opportunities and limitations with product-placement strategy in a hand-held environment.                

My project will employ a mixed methods research approach, where the participants will be asked to play a game on their smartphones and answer a questionnaire after playing the game. Additionally, in order to understand the perspectives of the participants about the game and their experiences of the product placement concept in detail, semi-structured interviews will be conducted. This research will develop a product placement framework. 

I enjoy being a research student primarily because it gives me an opportunity to explore my research topic in detail with a new perspective; to read different theories and other researchers’ insights about the topic and at the same time see the practical implementation. Although it is a journey of my choice, there are times when I am muddled and look for guidance. My supervisors have always been supportive and guiding me at all stages. I am always supercharged after meetings with my supervisors who constantly encourage me to work hard and produce quality work within the agreed deadlines.                

The challenging aspect so far in my PhD journey is to maintain consistency with my work. ‘Being efficient and systematic’ has been my mantra until now; to constantly discipline myself and plan my day-to-day activities. I strongly believe that it is important to break long-term goals into working short-term goals and each time I accomplish a goal I list it and reward myself! I feel with these little rewards, along with the list of accomplishments, motivates me to work hard in the long run.

The training events at Oxford Brookes University are plentiful and communicated in advance. The Graduate College Training Programme including time management, tackling the writing stage, media training workshop and data management and storage have helped me to learn strategies for careful planning    and execution, and has allowed me to be productive throughout my PhD journey. I find the career and personality development training to be very engaging and covers a span of training programmes from how to write a job application, how to get a job and the interview skills required for researchers in academia. Courses also focus on non-academic jobs; enhancing personal effectiveness as a researcher through the MBTI framework, for example, has been beneficial for me, as I am aware of the opportunities that I can look for and how to apply. Seminars from the Oxford Brookes Business School such as the 20-20 seminars every semester, International Research Conference and Biennial Doctoral Event provides an opportunity to interact with guest speakers and different PhD students and listen to a range of research methods, the data collection process, and the challenges. I have attended many seminars and training from the very beginning of my PhD journey and will continue to attend, this is helping me to enhance my skills set and learn new concepts which are valuable as an early career researcher.

After completing my PhD, I aspire to continue my career in academia as a priority. However, if I become aware of some interesting market research work in any company, I am open to that as well.  

I first heard about Oxford Brookes from the Oxford Brookes University website, before starting my master’s degree here. I completed a Master’s in Tourism and Hospitality Management at the Oxford Brookes Business School in 2015.

I have been running our family business in tourism and hospitality since 1996. Our business comprises two travel agencies, one small boutique hotel, and one transportation company. This has led me to work with the Indonesian government through several organisations that I represent such as ASITA (The Association of the Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies) and IWAPI (The Association of Indonesian Business Women). As such, I have contributed to the planning and product development programmes, joined focus group discussions, and participated in international training and conferences worldwide. My experience in tourism has also provided many experiences of working with local community programmes, especially those that seek to improve the empowerment of women in tourism. I have also delivered a number of workshops for SMEs in tourism sectors.

I have found I am surrounded by people that have excellent experience in research, as well as great facilities provided by the University. The University provides events related to my research and career development, and I am given numerous opportunities to talk about my research at conferences and seminars.

My research aims to examine the 2014 Indonesian Village Law and its influence on the nexus of power in rural tourism destinations. The focus of the research will be on the planning and decision-making process at the village level. Decentralisation is defined as the transfer of authority and power, responsibility and resources, from central government to a lower level of government. Decentralisation has been suggested by a number of scholars as critical to securing sustainable tourism development.  It is a democratic process, requiring bottom-up planning and decision making in less developed countries. Many authors have focused extensively on the dynamics of community based planning when seeking to implement sustainable tourism in communities. For the most part, however, they have not explored the connection and interaction between the local community and local government within a decentralised system. The level of authority provided to the community, the legitimacy of policy decision making within the community, and the resources to deliver tourism policies have also not been studied within decentralised tourism policy mechanisms.      

The primary focus of this research is on the ‘mechanic’ of gaining participation from local community members. There are widely differing views about what constitutes effective community participation and many researchers have not explored the connection and interaction between the local community and local government within decentralised systems.   

Indonesia started the process of policy decentralisation in 2001. The Indonesian Government chose not to follow the models implemented in other countries, where authority was transferred from a central government institution to regional levels of government. Instead, it chose to use decentralisation as a means to give greater authority, political and financial resources directly to regions and municipalities, thereby bypassing the provincial government structure. To this end, in 2014, the Indonesian Government enacted Law no 6/2014 (Village Law) on village governance and finance. This Law makes provision for the establishment of village governance committees and allocates funding to these committees from central government. As a result of the Law, all of the 74,754 villages in Indonesia have both the authority and resources to govern their own affairs and develop their area    based on their individual preferences. Under the provisions of this Law, therefore, those villages which have tourism potential have the opportunity and means to develop tourism facilities using the resources and powers provided to them.  

To ensure that increased decentralisation leads to increased democratisation, the Village Law recognises that village governance should be accountable to villagers by providing a framework for citizen participation in the planning and monitoring of local policies. Using a qualitative method, this research will define the factors that enhance citizen participation in the village, particularly in tourism development. The primary data has been gathered in two rural tourism destinations in Indonesia, which have been selected according to their tourism development trajectory stage. This research will analyse the advantages and disadvantages, the implications and the process of policy formulation that can emerge from the implementation of the policy for tourism rural community's engagement in Indonesia, as well as contributing to theory by delimiting the essential pre-requisites to support rural tourism communities in maximising the benefits from policy decentralisation.  

I enjoy being a research student as it gives me an opportunity to explore, in detail, a research topic I am passionate about.

Oxford Brookes University provides a wide range of research student training which has helped me to face many different challenges during my research programme.

After completing my PhD, I would like to work to help our communities develop their tourism potential, and expand my business in the tourism industry in Indonesia