Social value and social impact strategy

The global transition towards an Impact Economy, where activities aim to deliver net positive outcomes, presents both business challenges and opportunities. Despite increasing recognition of the need to align operations with societal goals, progress toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been slow. This underscores the urgent need for organisations to integrate social value creation into their core operational strategies, moving beyond viewing such efforts as peripheral obligations or additional costs.

This call for PhD proposals invites research that critically examines the processes by which businesses manage for impact and create social value. The research should focus on deepening our understanding of how organisations incorporate impact considerations into their decision-making frameworks, exploring how these can complement traditional financial metrics. Central to this investigation is the potential to shift the narrative from social value as an expense to social value as a performance metric that enhances organisational efficiency and productivity.

The proposed research should also seek to engage with practitioners to explore real-world practices and uncover what hinders or facilitates organisations in managing for impact. Nevertheless, if accepted, there is an opportunity to collaborate with global players on this subject area to help address key challenges, identify strategies to overcome them, and develop robust theoretical frameworks to contribute actionable insights to this evolving field. The outcome should provide a pathway for businesses to deliver sustainable strategies that balance economic, social, and environmental objectives, and be part of the global movement on changing the way we account for value.

Methodologically, the research may employ a range of approaches, including qualitative or quantitative research, participatory action research, or other innovative methods. Projects that combine interdisciplinary strategies to explore the dynamic and nuanced nature of managing for impact are particularly encouraged.

This PhD research offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the global dialogue on impact management and social value creation. Prior knowledge/industry experience in sustainability, social entrepreneurship, or impact evaluation and measurement is encouraged but optional. Those who are comfortable with numbers and data management are also desirable.

We seek submission to advance academic understanding while providing practical solutions for businesses navigating this critical area.

Brunel offers a number of funding options to research students that help cover the cost of their tuition fees, contribute to living expenses or both. See more information here: https://www.brunel.ac.uk/research/Research-degrees/Research-degree-funding. The UK Government is also offering Doctoral Student Loans for eligible students, and there is some funding available through the Research Councils. Many of our international students benefit from funding provided by their governments or employers. Brunel alumni enjoy tuition fee discounts of 15%.