Business Administration & Tourism

1. Departmental Context and Research Mission

2. Programme Structure and Learning Progression

The PhD in Business Administration and Tourism is a research-intensive programme structured in accordance with national doctoral education frameworks and HMU’s internal regulations. Candidates typically pursue the degree over a minimum of three (3) academic years of full-time study, with part-time options that may extend up to six (6) years based on individual progress and the nature of the research project. 

Admission to the doctoral programme is competitive and requires an approved research proposal, evidence of academic performance, and alignment with faculty expertise. Candidates must secure a scholarly supervisor—or supervisory committee—whose expertise corresponds to the proposed research area. Formal admission is granted upon evaluation of academic credentials, research proposal suitability, and faculty availability.

Once admitted, candidates undertake independent research rather than structured coursework. The core requirement is the development and defense of a doctoral dissertation that demonstrates a substantive, original contribution to knowledge in business or tourism. The supervisor and supervisory committee guide the doctoral candidate through key phases: proposal refinement, research design, fieldwork or data collection, analysis, scholarly writing, and preparation for oral defense.

3. Academic Domains and Research Focus Areas

Doctoral research at the Department of Business Administration and Tourism aligns with contemporary global priorities in business and tourism studies. The Department supports multiple interdisciplinary research domains, including but not limited to:

Strategic Management and Organizational Leadership

Candidates explore how strategic decision-making, leadership practices, organizational culture, and governance influence sustainable performance. Research in this domain may examine competitive strategy, corporate responsibility, innovation management, and organizational transformation in the face of digital disruption.

Hospitality Management and Experience Design

This domain focuses on advanced research into hospitality systems, service quality, experiential design, guest satisfaction, and operational strategies that improve resilience, differentiation, and value creation in hospitality contexts.

Tourism Systems, Planning, and Development

Doctoral research here investigates tourism demand modelling, destination planning, sustainable tourism development, cultural and heritage tourism, public policy impacts, and the socio-economic dynamics of tourism ecosystems. Topics often address challenges related to overtourism, climate adaptation, community engagement, and economic competitiveness.

Marketing, Consumer Behavior, and Digital Business

Candidates examine advanced marketing theory and practice, including digital and social media marketing, consumer behavior analytics, brand strategy, and data-driven marketing decision-making. Research may explore the interaction between technology adoption and market responses in business and tourism sectors.

Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Small Business Studies

This domain supports inquiry into entrepreneurial ecosystems, venture creation, innovation diffusion, business incubation, financing strategies, and the scaling of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially in tourism-intensive regions.

Service Management and Quality Assurance

Research may focus on service systems, quality frameworks, service innovation, and performance measurement. Studies in this domain often integrate operational, strategic, and experiential perspectives to improve service delivery across various industries.

These research domains accommodate both theoretical scholarship and applied investigations, enabling candidates to address industry-relevant issues while advancing scholarly theory.

4. Research Integration, Facilities & Professional Engagement

Doctoral candidates engage in independent research supported by departmental resources, archival access, analytical software, and collaborative academic environments. While the department does not list detailed laboratory facilities typical of technical programmes, it encourages utilization of industry databases, quantitative and qualitative research tools, digital analytics platforms, and external partnerships to inform empirical work.

The Department fosters participation in international conferences, peer-reviewed journal publications, and scholarly workshops, supporting candidates’ professional visibility and engagement with global academic communities. Additionally, doctoral candidates may contribute to ongoing research projects, consultative initiatives, and interdisciplinary collaborations relating to business, tourism, and service management.

The programme supports knowledge exchange and professional development through seminar series, guest lectures, and interdisciplinary research clusters, enabling candidates to strengthen their methodological skills and theoretical foundations. The Department maintains mechanisms for continuous improvement, including structured feedback from students, alumni, employers, and academic partners, ensuring that doctoral training remains relevant to emerging trends in research, policy, and practice.

5. Graduate Outcomes and Professional Preparation

The graduates of the PhD in Business Administration and Tourism are able to:

• Formulate and conduct independent research that addresses complex problems in business, management, and tourism systems.

• Design rigorous empirical or conceptual studies using appropriate qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method research methodologies.

• Analyze data critically and interpret findings with clarity and scholarly integrity.

• Disseminate research effectively through peer-reviewed publications, presentations at international conferences, and engagement with professional audiences.

• Apply theoretical and analytical insights to strategic and policy-relevant challenges faced by organizations, governments, and industry sectors.

• Demonstrate ethical reasoning and professional responsibility in research design, execution, and reporting.

• Function and lead in multidisciplinary research environments and academic communities.

The doctoral qualification prepares graduates for a broad range of careers:

• Academic and Research Roles: University faculty, research scientists, postdoctoral scholars, and academic thought leaders.

• Industry and Consultancy: Strategic consultants, senior analysts, innovation managers, and organisational advisors in private and public sectors.

• Policy and Governance: Policy researchers, tourism developers, community engagement specialists, and advisors in government or non-profit organisations.

• Entrepreneurship and Leadership: Founders of innovation initiatives, leaders in service enterprises, and executives in sectors requiring strategic research capabilities.