As sustainability becomes a more pressing concern for organisations, firms are under growing pressure to respond to environmental and social challenges in clear and visible ways.
But their responses vary widely. Some embed sustainability into the core of their operations and strategic thinking, while others take narrower, more symbolic or compliance‑led approaches. This project explores these differences by focusing on how managers frame sustainability – and how those frames shape operational priorities and strategic action.
The PhD would examine how managers interpret sustainability issues, how they decide what counts as strategically important, and how these interpretations influence decisions in operations and supply chain contexts. It could explore questions such as: How do managers make sense of competing sustainability demands? Why do some see sustainability as a source of innovation and long‑term value, while others view it mainly as a cost, constraint or reputational concern? And how do these cognitive frames affect the selection, prioritisation and implementation of sustainability practices within organisations?
This project shifts attention from external pressures to the internal sense‑making processes that shape whether sustainability becomes strategically meaningful, marginal or contested. In doing so, it offers a more nuanced understanding of why organisations facing similar conditions may follow very different sustainability pathways. The study would contribute to research on managerial cognition, sustainability strategy, and operations and supply chain management, while also offering practical insights for organisations aiming to move beyond compliance towards more substantive forms of sustainable transformation.
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. 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%.
