Institute for International Management and Entrepreneurship (Ref: 2026/LUL/IIME)

About the Project

The Institute for International Management and Entrepreneurship (IIME) is an interdisciplinary community of scholars at Loughborough University London.

We explore the intersections of international management, entrepreneurship, political economy, employment relations, and economic sociology, examining how management, entrepreneurialism, labour, and employment relations evolve amid technological, political, and economic change — and how these transformations shape work, governance, and innovation globally.

Located within the interdisciplinary environment of Loughborough University London, IIME collaborates with colleagues in Institutes studying design, media, digital technologies, development, diplomacy and governance, and sport business. This unique setting enables us to bring fresh perspectives to the pressing challenges facing organisations and societies in the 21st-century global economy. Our research is not siloed in abstract theory but grounded in global, political, and practical contexts.

IIME researchers publish in leading journals across international management (e.g. Journal of International Business Studies, Strategic Management Journal), entrepreneurship (e.g. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Journal of Business Venturing), political economy (e.g. Review of International Political Economy, Socio-Economic Review, New Political Economy), sociology (e.g. Sociology, Theory and Society, Work, Employment and Society) and organization theory (e.g. Organization Studies).

Our work spans themes such as:

1. Global Production, Internationalisation & Institutional Change
   We explore how institutions vary across national contexts and affect multinational enterprise (MNE) strategies and practices – including human resource management practices – but also how the latter affect national contexts. For example, we investigate how outward investment from emerging economies is shaped by institutional determinants, and in turn shape home and host country institutions.
   We also research how the global division of labour along Global Value Chains has changed the way in which companies are managed and governed and the impact this is having not just on workers and other stakeholders, but the geopolitical order in general.
2. Corporate Governance & Business–State Relations
   We examine how different governance regimes — from authoritarian and state capitalism to democratic systems — affect firm strategy, performance, and risk. Within this theme, we ask: how do MNEs engage with emerging market institutions, regulatory frameworks, and government actors?
   We also have an interest how governments as owners of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) affect the global economy. This includes a research interest in how governments use industrial policy – notably through SOEs – try and implement economic change, including green transition to a low carbon economy. This also involves research on “just transition,” i.e. the impact of green transition on different socio-economic groups in different countries.
3. Digital Innovation & Disruptive Technologies
   We study how digitally enabled capabilities — such as AI, Internet of Things, and data-driven business models — reshape firm behaviour, strategy, and entrepreneurship. We are particularly interested in how firms leverage digital tools to innovate, how online entrepreneurial activity evolves, and how data-intensive ecosystems catalyse or constrain new forms of business.
4. Entrepreneurship & Innovation Ecosystems
   Our work on entrepreneurship spans formal ventures, informal entrepreneurship, social innovation, and corporate entrepreneurship. We investigate how business models emerge or evolve, how spin-outs and university-based ventures form, and how ecosystems (networks of governmental, institutional, and market actors) foster or inhibit innovation. We also pay attention to how gender, ethnicity, and social context influence entrepreneurial entry, growth, and innovation.
5. Corporate sustainability and responsibility
   We examine how firms respond to mounting social and environmental pressures, with particular attention to how short-term incentives can constrain meaningful action on climate change. We analyse how corporate responsibility is embedded in governance structures, and how firms balance long-term sustainability commitments with the demands of financial markets, shareholders, and competitive pressures that often reinforce short-termism. We also investigate how political, regulatory, and reputational risks arising from the climate crisis shape corporate strategy and reshape firms’ engagement with stakeholders. In doing so, we explore how evolving institutional expectations and climate-related risks are transforming business conduct across global contexts.
6. Market power, monopolies and political economy of prices
   We also examine how digitalisation and the rise of digital platforms have contributed to increasing market power and concentration, as well as the policy responses to these developments, including interventions through competition law and policy. In the context of broader geopolitical and geoeconomic shifts, these policy tools have gained renewed prominence. Accordingly, we investigate how such policies are designed and implemented in the UK, the US, the EU, and across diverse national contexts worldwide.
7. Political economy of professional service firms, experts and consultants
   Finally, we analyse how consultants, experts, and professional service firms influence key aspects of political and economic governance worldwide. We examine how their advisory work shapes policy design, regulatory reform, and organisational transformation across diverse institutional settings. We also consider how their involvement reconfigures power relations between public and private actors, often extending their reach into core state functions. In doing so, we assess the broader implications of their growing authority for accountability, democratic governance, and the evolution of contemporary political economies.

Please contact Professor Gerhard Schnyder (G.Schnyder@lboro.ac.uk) for further information and questions.

Supervisor
Prof Gerhard Schnyder - G.Schnyder@lboro.ac.uk

Tuition fees for 2026-27 entry
UK fee - £5,238 Full-time degree per annum
International fee - £23,100 Full-time degree per annum
Fees for the 2026-27 academic year apply to projects starting in October 2026, February 2027 and July 2027.
UK tuition fees for 2026/27 are currently to be confirmed pending the release of the UKRI recommended rates. Once published, these rates will be subject to formal approval by the University before being confirmed.

Opportunity Details
Target Start Date: October 2026
Full time or part time available.
Open to UK and international applicants.

How to Apply
We welcome discussions with interested candidates.
Step 1: Interested applicants should first contact Professor Gerhard Schnyder (G.Schnyder@lboro.ac.uk) to discuss your research interests and funding options
Step 2: Applicants are then strongly encouraged to contact potential supervisors with a CV, academic transcripts, and confirmation of funding sources or planned funding sources.
Step 3: following any informal discussion, applicants are invited to make a formal application on the Loughborough Website.