PhD Study : Corporate Social Responsibility in the SME sector of the construction industry

Summary

The construction industry has in the past received a poor reputation for its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and wider environmental and social impacts, given the nature of its activities and the obvious draw these have on natural resources and the associated waste produced.

To some extent large construction companies have recognised the wider environmental and social impacts of their activities and attempted to redress this imbalance by embedding Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) principles into their company ethos and reporting back on their ESG performance.  However, despite some progress being made much of the rhetoric can be categorised either as what they are obligated to do or ‘greenwash’ which resides in an environmental policy that bears limited relation to that implemented in practice.

No similar obligations exist for Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) resulting in a proportion of the market who fail to appreciate the business or wider environmental/social benefits of sustainability or CSR reporting on their activities.  For these companies the alignment of sustainability with their business operational plan or business strategy is at either mismatched or misplaced.

This PhD topic will investigate the barriers and challenges to embedding CSR and sustainability into business plans of SME construction companies.  In particular, it will focus on unravelling the issues that have prevented this sector in fully embracing CSR and sustainable thinking with a view to overcoming these barriers through a new framework call to action.

The proposal should identify the range of reporting initiatives that are currently used and respected in the construction industry (such as the Global Reporting Initiative, Carbon Disclosure Project, Accounting for Sustainability and the ISO suite of tools) and determine the wider resource and skills development needed to help integrate such reporting in the SME sector.

The applicant should demonstrate an awareness of the core issues affecting the construction industry and the SME sector and how these impact on sustainability performance.  They should determine the best approach to data gathering and analysis considering a range of options including best practice evidence based research from other countries, statistical modelling or futures-based research which can help embed a range of alternative scenarios to reflect the operational aspects of sustainability and its corresponding challenges.

This project should also acknowledge the wider implications of the research in delivering on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and how the construction industry must respond to decarbonisation of the built environment.  In doing so, it will consider the wider socially responsible investment principles that could be beneficial to SMEs whilst acknowledging the access to finance barriers that typically affect the sector.  CSR and sustainability reporting make good business sense and this message needs to be capable of being communicated within the construction industry through implementable operational business plans hence a core output will be how to embed sustainability within the decision-making processes of the SME construction companies.

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

• Clearly defined research proposal detailing background, research questions, aims and methodology

Desirable Criteria

If the University receives a large number of applicants for the project, the following desirable criteria may be applied to shortlist applicants for interview.

• Masters at 65%

Funding and eligibility

The University offers the following levels of support:

Vice Chancellors Research Studentship (VCRS)

The following scholarship options are available to applicants worldwide:

• Full Award: (full-time tuition fees + £19,000 (tbc))
• Part Award: (full-time tuition fees + £9,500)
• Fees Only Award: (full-time tuition fees)

These scholarships will cover full-time PhD tuition fees for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance) and will provide a £900 per annum research training support grant (RTSG) to help support the PhD researcher.

Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Please note: you will automatically be entered into the competition for the Full Award, unless you state otherwise in your application.

Department for the Economy (DFE)

The scholarship will cover tuition fees at the Home rate and a maintenance allowance of £19,000 (tbc) per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance).

This scholarship also comes with £900 per annum for three years as a research training support grant (RTSG) allocation to help support the PhD researcher.

• Candidates with pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, who also satisfy a three year residency requirement in the UK prior to the start of the course for which a Studentship is held MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance.
• Republic of Ireland (ROI) nationals who satisfy three years’ residency in the UK prior to the start of the course MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance (ROI nationals don’t need to have pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to qualify).
• Other non-ROI EU applicants are ‘International’ are not eligible for this source of funding.
• Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Due consideration should be given to financing your studies. Further information on cost of living