Research and PhD
Staff in the Unit are committed to the development of innovative research. We regard this as important in contributing to the overall development of what is still a relatively young subject, particularly in the UK. Research also informs and shapes our teaching and contributes to the development of our project work. Work includes funded research projects, consultancy projects with research elements, individual work and an active cohort of PhD students. Our research falls within two broad themes and CREED welcomes PhD applications linked to these themes:
Research Themes
Entrepreneurship and SMEs:
In this theme research focuses on a range of themes within entrepreneurship. CREED's specialisms are in the following areas:
- Enterprise and entrepreneurship in the informal economy not only in advanced market economies, but also transition economies and the majority (third) world;
- Enterprise and entrepreneurship in family contexts;
- Entrepreneurship: how market/business opportunities are enacted between couples and in teams, families, communities or regions;
- Methodological implications of researching entrepreneurship;
- Entrepreneurial learning, behaviour and education
Regional Development and Competitiveness:
Under this theme, our research focuses on developing theory, policy and practice in relation to local and regional economic development not only in the advanced market economies but also transition economies and majority (third) world. CREED's specialisms are in the following:
- Measuring competitiveness, with the widely-respected UK Competitiveness Index, European Competitiveness Index and Global Competitiveness Index all developed by ERDU;
- Understanding the role of consumer services in local and regional economic development, including the leisure industries, sports sector, tourism and the cultural industries;
- Analysing the economies of deprived areas, especially the livelihood practices of households;
- Evaluating variations in the extent and nature of the informal economy at all spatial scales and developing public policy approaches for tackling the informal economy;
- Assessing the role of entrepreneurship in contributing to regional emergence in the South East Balkans area of Europe.
- Institutional entrepreneurship and regional development;