Research by Departments

Research degree studies at the College of Business are offered in 6 departments covering a wide range of strategic areas to suit individuals' research interests:

Department of Accountancy

Research in accounting covers a broad spectrum of issues in the areas of financial accounting, auditing, and corporate governance. The major foci in the department include:

1. Financial disclosure and capital markets, examining how accounting information affects corporate decisions and investor decisions;
2. Auditing, corporate governance, and accounting regulation, investigating accountability mechanisms such as audit quality, litigation risk, financial fraud, and internal controls;
3. Interdisciplinary research with IT, AI, ESG, and supply chain management.

Department of Decision Analytics and Operations

Research expertise in the Department can be grouped into two streams:

1. Operations research and operations management in a broad sense, including specific areas such as healthcare management, inventory management, revenue management, financial engineering, sustainable operations, supply chain and logistics management, and interdisciplinary research between operations and risk management/marketing/finance/accounting;
2. Business analytics in a board base sense, including big data analytics, data mining, econometrics, credit risk management, optimization, simulation/decision models, marketing analytics, healthcare analytics, and market research.

Department of Economics and Finance

1. Economics research expertise of the Department includes: (1) International Economics: Trade Policy; Intellectual Property Protection; FDI and Global Sourcing; International Migration; International Financial Crises; Exchange Rate Economics; Purchasing Power Parity; Capital Mobility; Globalization; (2) Microeconomics: Auction Theory; Mechanism Design; Experimental Economics; Game Theory; Industrial Organization; Contract Theory; Political Economy; (3) Macroeconomics: Business Cycles; Endogenous Growth; Structural Change; Fiscal and Monetary Policy; Real Estate and Urban Economics; Labor Economics; Consumer Credit; and (4) Econometrics: Econometric Theory; Economic Forecasting; Bayesian Econometrics.
2. Finance research expertise includes: (1) Corporate Finance: Capital Structure; Payout Policy; Capital Raising; Real Investment; Firm-bank Relationship; Mergers and Acquisitions; Restructuring; Hedging; Corporate Governance and Control; (2) Asset Pricing: Equilibrium Asset Pricing; Equity Return-risk Relationship; Term Structure of Interest Rates; Derivatives Pricing; Financial Engineering; and (3) Investments and Capital Markets: Financial Investments; Market Microstructure; Anomalies; International Financial Management; Financial Services and Intermediation; Fund Management; Credit Risk Management.

Department of Information Systems

The Doctor of Philosophy Program in Information Systems provides comprehensive training to analyze, develop, implement, evaluate, and manage information systems in various contexts, i.e., from individual to organizational and societal contexts. The research training draws on theories, concepts, and methods from domains such as business information systems, design science, management, operations research, cognitive and social psychology, strategy, and/or economics to study complex and advanced information systems. Particular emphasis is placed on the links between theory and practice and the practical application of innovative information systems methods and techniques to create business values and societal impacts. The research methodologies employed include behavioral methods (qualitative and quantitative), technical modeling, and econometrics. The main areas of research include (1) Digital Transformation and Digital Society; (2) Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship; (3) Generative AI and Machine Learning; (4) Business Analytics and Big Data; (5) Sustainability and Green IS; (6) Social Media and Platform Economy; (7) Smart City, Smart Health, and FinTech; (8) Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology.

Department of Management

Research foci/expertise in the Department include:

1. Human Resources Management
   Chinese Human Resource Management; Recruitment & Selection; Training & Development; Selection and Assessment;
2. Organizational Behaviour
   Organization Theory; Organizational Change; Sociology of Work; Organizational Justice; Coaching; Conflict Resolution and negotiation, Leadership; Risk & Uncertainty; Social Constructionism; Business Ethics; job attitudes; virtual teams;
3. Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management
   New Product Management; New Product Forecasting; Innovation & Creativity; entrepreneurship;
4. International Business
   International Management; International Organizational Behaviour; MNC Control and Staffing; international alliances; Intercultural Communication; Comparative Management; Japanese management practices; Culture and cognition, Psychology of biculturals, Cross-Cultural Research Methods;
5. Strategic Management
   Strategic Management; Strategic Management of Financial Resources; Competitive & Cooperative Strategy; Decision-making; Strategy and Policy; Corporate Governance and Political Strategy in Transitional Economies (China); Mergers and acquisitions (M&A);
6. Corporate Social Responsibility
   Business Ethics; Stakeholder Management; Corporate Social Responsibility.

Department of Marketing

The Department of Marketing is renowned for its robust research in areas such as quantitative marketing, consumer behavior, and marketing strategy. The department excels in interdisciplinary research, integrating insights from economics, psychology, statistics, and digital marketing methods to better understand market dynamics and consumer decision-making. Additionally, the faculty’s research expertise on digital transformation in marketing analytics, competitive strategies, and the implications of emerging technologies on consumer interactions positions the department as a leader in the academic and professional marketing communities.