Graduate Teaching Assistant - Midlothian, United Kingdom - Heriot-Watt University

Description

PhD Scholarship with Graduate Teaching Assistantship

School of Social Sciences, Department of Marketing & Operations

There are 4 opportunities available.

The School seeks to award a number of PhD scholarships with associated Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) positions to outstanding doctoral candidates with clear potential to excel as academic teachers and researchers. The GTA PhD scholarship is a four-year fixed term position: Students undertake a PhD on a 0.75 FTE basis alongside a 0.25 FTE teaching contract. Remuneration consists of a PhD stipend of £14,427 per annum (0.75 of the standard UKRI rate), plus a salary of £7,401. In addition, PhD tuition fees will be covered.

About Our Team

The Department of Marketing and Operations is a growing department currently with 37 full-time faculty (24 staff in Edinburgh, 9 in Dubai and 4 in Malaysia). There is a blend of early, mid and later career academics. Faculty are supported in their career development through annual performance and development reviews, a sabbatical scheme and access to training offered by the HWU Learning and Teaching Academy and the Research Engagement Directorate. In addition to the Head of Department, dedicated leadership is provided by department heads of Learning and Teaching and Research.

Both undergraduate and postgraduate taught courses bring real-world examples into the classroom through case studies, guest lecturers and links to industry to provide challenge-based learning. Our programmes are accredited by chartered institutes in marketing (CIM), procurement and supply chain management (CIPS), and logistics and transport (CILT) and the project management institute (PMI). Teaching is delivered globally by staff based in each campus location and separately through our uniquely flexible learning experience- Heriot Watt online. Teaching includes:

To undergraduates an MA Marketing and a range of operations courses within an MA in Internatinoal Business Management.

To postgraduates four MSc programmes in the areas of logistics and supply chain management, business analytics, digital and international marketing.

Through Heriot Watt online, four academically equivalent MSc programmes online plus two MBA specialism pathways.

Detailed Description

Under the leadership of the Head of Department, Dr Kathryn Waite, the role-holders will provide teaching support in one or more of the following areas: Operations Management, Supply Chain and Marketing. This will include large and small group teaching, tutorials and assessment activities.

We invite applications from candidates who can address one of the following topic areas in their PhD:

MARKETING SUBJECT GROUP

The roles of digital technology and Artificial Intelligence in sustainable stakeholder value co-creation. This project will explore the potential of digital technology to stimulate and host sustainable value co-creation between organisations' stakeholders. Businesses and stakeholders increasingly seek economic, social and environmental benefits. Customers demand that successful organisations collaborate with responsible partners to build sustainable competitive advantage. This collaboration constitutes sustainable value co-creation. If successful, it can improve human wellbeing, save resources, protect the environment, and ensure profitability. The nascent empirical research on sustainable value co-creation lacks consensus on its characteristics and needs. Moreover, very few studies have considered the potential of digital technologies – and especially Artificial Intelligence - to facilitate sustainable value co-creation amongst stakeholders. Therefore this research project will address this gap. The successful candidate will thoroughly review the relevant academic literature, collect qualitative data from interviews, focus groups, and online locations, then subject the data to textual analysis, before collating their findings and presenting their recommendations for theorists and practitioners.

The impact of smart tourism on tourist experience in Scotland. Smart tourism takes advantage of technology in order to create, manage and then deliver innovative services and experiences, resulting in more convenient and sustainable living spaces for both residents and tourists. Proposals are invited on how to identify whether technology and digital tools enhance the overall tourist experience, the extent to which digital tools might make a substantial economic and social contribution to Scotland, and how their use might maximise the competitiveness of a destination. By highlighting the use of cutting-edge technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mobile applications in the context of tourism, this research will contribute to recent developments within smart tourism, aiming to add value to different stakeholders in Scotland. This opportunity will be of interest to candidates from within a range of business disciplines. However, it is important to demonstrate a strong commitment and interest in the field of tourism marketing and service experience. Candidates should have some knowledge of and be prepared to be trained in secondary data analysis and mixed methods (including a range of qualitative approaches).

How businesses can harness customer value co-creation to reduce food waste at the foodservice stage and to improve food security. Food waste is 'the discarding or alternative (non-food) use of food that was fit for human consumption by choice or after the food has been left to spoil or expire as a result of negligence' (FAO, 2015, p. 1). Paradoxically, commercial food waste is prevalent in many societies which suffer food poverty and food insecurity. Nearly one third of the world's population faces food insecurity, rising to nearly two thirds in Sub-Saharan Africa (FAO, In the Global South, over 4 billion 'Bottom of Pyramid' (BoP) consumers - who survive on less than $2 per day - are challenged by food insecurity, high food prices, malnutrition and poor food quality (Chikweche et al., 2012; Nagy et al., Increasing numbers of consumers in the Global North face similar threats after prolonged periods of wage stagnation, food inflation, and state austerity. Market trends, social norms, and ingrained consumer behaviours have often hindered attempts to reduce avoidable food wastage (Morone et al, 2019; Purdam et al, 2016; Stöckli et al, Additionally, many food retail and foodservice businesses have neglected the redistribution of unsold food due to perceived administrative burdens, resource limitations, lack of expertise, and assumed commercial and reputational risks. This research project will explore how food retailers and foodservice businesses can engage consumers in value co-creation to reduce avoidable food wastage and to address food insecurity and food poverty. The research will contribute directly to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 1 (No Poverty). The project will generate data from retailers and consumers. We particularly welcome proposals to explore non-UK contexts (such as Bottom of Pyramid markets), as well as UK-based studies.

OPERATIONS AND LOGISTICS SUBJECT GROUP

Exploring the role of social capital in uplifting sustainable supply chain resilience: A study of the UK FMCG industry. Following recent global upheavals, supply chain resilience (SCR) has emerged as a vital capability for businesses, especially in the FMCG industry. These events underscored the fragility of global supply chains, highlighting the necessity for resilience in the face of disruptions. The McKinsey report emphasizes that businesses will continue to encounter disruptions of varying intervals and magnitudes, making the building of resilient supply chains crucial for future success. Despite extensive research on factors contributing to supply chain resilience, the role played by relationship configurations of social capital in enhancing sustainable supply chain resilience, especially in the upstream supply chain, remain underexplored. Social capital plays a crucial role in building trust, sharing knowledge, and fostering collaboration, which are essential for a sustainable and resilient supply chain (Mubarik et al., To explore these relationship configurations, the successful candidate is envisioned to conduct case study research, employing interviews and other suitable data collection instruments.

Building circularity through digitalisation in manufacturing SMEs. Circular economy is a topic of increasing popularity in the EU, UK and Scotland. Geissdoerfer et al. (2017, p. 759), define circular economy as "a regenerative system in which resource input and waste, emission, and energy leakage are minimized by slowing, closing, and narrowing material and energy loops. This can be achieved through long-lasting design, maintenance, repair, reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and recycling." A new circular economy `Scotland` bill is passing through the Scottish Parliament together with other policies such as the UK Plastic Tax and Deposit Return Schemes, which aims to change consumer behaviours to be more circular and sustainable in consumption. As manufacturing SMEs align their operations with new policies, digital technologies could provide various benefits; however, this is not well addressed in the literature. Thus, this project aims to explore how circular economy business model can be achieved through digital transformation in manufacturing SMEs.

The impact of managerial judgement on business performance

Research into performance measurement & management (PMM) has been increasingly concerned with investigating the impact of organisational control systems on human behaviour and, subsequently, business performance. The aim of this project is to explain how intuitive and analytical managerial judgement impacts business performance. The prospective PhD candidate will use an organisational control system theoretical lens to investigate this relationship. The Edinburgh Business School (EBS) Global Incubator and Consultancy Programme will provide data collection and professional development opportunities. The successful candidate will be aligned with the Intelligent Automation Systems Lab as part of the Centre for Networks and Enterprise Excellence.

Systems Approach to Intelligent Automation in Organizations

Intelligent Automation (IA) is an emergent field reuniting both established technologies, such as classic automation, and technologies currently undergoing rapid change, such as artificial intelligence applications. The project will contribute to this field through the development of system-oriented methodologies for the study of IA in organizations, from a scoping, design, assessment, or implementation perspective. The prospective PhD candidate will be expected to draw on existing knowledge to identify current research gaps in this area to draw theoretical and methodological contributions from a systems, and/or change agency perspective. The candidate will be provided data collection and professional development opportunities through the Edinburgh Business School (EBS) Consulting Bootcamp. The successful candidate will be aligned with the Intelligent Automation Systems Lab, and the Centres for Logistics and Sustainability, or Networks and Enterprise Excellence, depending on the nuances of their proposed research.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Head of Department, the post-holder will:

Relevant training will be provided alongside the role. In particular, during the first two years of the contract, the post-holder will be expected to undertake training in teaching and learning as required by the University, as well as the School's PGCert in Research Methods (unless equivalent qualifications are already held).

Education, Qualifications and Experience

The person requirements to successfully perform the role.

Essential criteria:

Desirable criteria:

About Heriot Watt University

Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and leading-edge, relevant research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for innovation, business and industry.

Heriot-Watt University has five campuses: three in the UK (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Orkney), one in Dubai and one in Malaysia. The University offers a highly distinctive range of degree programmes in the specialist areas of science, engineering, design, business, psychology and languages. Heriot-Watt is also Scotland's most international university, boasting the largest international student cohort.

About Our School

Social Sciences is the largest of five academic schools at Heriot-Watt University and we provide teaching and research across our core disciplines:

The Edinburgh Business School:

Languages and Intercultural Studies

Psychology

We specialise in industry-focused degree programmes which embrace a truly international outlook. Our degrees are taught by experienced professionals and highly regarded academics, and we are proud to produce high-calibre, career-ready graduates and offer a full range of degree choices at undergraduate and postgraduate level.