Research topics and projects
Find a topic you can investigate and see what our students are researching in the QUT Business School.
Within each area of interest, you can find open topics at your study level: PhD, Masters, Honours or the Vacation Research Experience Scheme (VRES) for eligible undergraduates.
Choosing a topic does not exempt applicants from providing a full research proposal in the application.
40 matching student topics
Displaying 1 - 12 of 40 matching student topics
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Summer VRES Program
OpportunityFour Summer VRES positions specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander QUT Business School students working on an immersive research project. This research will allow students to better understand the role of research and its role as an effective approach to developing solutions to complex problems.Key details$2,000.00 honorariumflexible-delivery under academic supervision (set your own days)independent or group-based delivery experience80-100 hoursno prior research experience requiredKey Benefitswork closely with academics and the QUT Business School Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Groupprofessional …
- Centre/School
- QUT Business School
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Research Placement (VRES Scheme)
Available to current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Business and/or Law students interested in completing a winter research placement in the Faculty of Business and Law. This program allows students to better understand the role of research and its role as an effective approach to developing solutions to complex problems. Students work alongside academics on research projects, developing critical thinking and research skills transferable to a wide range of careers.Key details$2,000 honorarium (stipend/scholarship).Flexible-delivery under academic supervision (set your own days).Dedicated …
- Centre/School
- School of Management
How to reduce consumer reactance?
Have you experienced a negative feeling when a media platform constantly pushing advertisements to your screen or when a salesman chasing you around to introduce a product? That negative feeling will typically lead to reactance and push you away from these persuasive messages. This research is embedded in the theories of persuasion knowledge and psychological reactance. We will also look into consumer personalities and cognitions. We aim at exploring and testing solutions to reduce consumer reactance.Skills and experience:Research background in …
- Centre/School
- QUT Business School
Managing Diversity for Positive Organizational Outcomes
This research aims to provide insights into how organisational gender and age diversity can be managed for positive employee and organisational outcomes. A lack of knowledge is creating issues including slow progress in being an inclusive society, diversity initiatives for short-term gains, and a lack of well-being of individuals. The expected outcomes include insights into what drives diversity practices, how diversity practices lead to positive outcomes, and organisational strategies to strengthen positive outcomes.
- Centre/School
- School of Management
- Study levels
- PhD
- Master of Philosophy
The Martyrdom Effect: why we hurt to give
Most theories of motivation and behaviour consider pain and effort to be deterrents. In contrast to this widely held belief, researchers have identified that the prospect of enduring pain and exerting effort for a cause can promote contributions to the cause. Specifically, research has shown that willingness to contribute to a charitable or collective cause increases when the contribution process is expected to be painful and effortful rather than easy and enjoyable.This project extends this theory to a shopping context. …
- Centre/School
- School of Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations
- Study levels
- PhD
- Master of Philosophy
Do COVID-safe practices and messages create anxious shoppers?
As the COVID19 virus spread globally, here in Australia, retailers were forced to implement COVID-safe practices. These included QR Codes, social distancing floor decals, hand sanitising stations, sneeze screens, limiting access, stock limits and reminder messages. Anecdotally, such practices and messages should have inspired consumer confidence, i.e. to shop safely.However, in November 2020, the Australian Bureau of Statistics found quite the opposite in their 'Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey', which provided insights into the prevalence and nature of impacts from …
- Centre/School
- School of Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations
- Study levels
- PhD
- Master of Philosophy
Dopamine Dressing: Do brightly coloured outifts make us happier?
The theory of “enclothed cognition” suggests the systematic influence that clothes have on the wearer's psychological processes.Researchers have found the diverse impact that clothes can have on the wearer. It is proposed that enclothed cognition involves the co-occurrence of two independent factors—the symbolic meaning of the clothes and the physical experience of wearing them. For example, research has found physically wearing a lab coat increased selective attention compared to not wearing a lab coat, and wearing a lab coat described …
- Centre/School
- School of Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations
- Study levels
- PhD
- Master of Philosophy
The use of chatbots for mental healthcare and emotional wellbeing
According to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading cause of disability, with 300 million globally suffering from it while fewer than half of those affected receive treatment. New Apps aim to help users manage their mental state, from meditation apps to more therapeutic platforms like Joyable. And a new Facebook Messenger chatbot called Woebot tries to help people with depression and other mental disorders through education and mood tracking. The focus of this research is to investigate consumers’ …
- Centre/School
- School of Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations
- Study levels
- PhD
- Master of Philosophy
The impacts of retailers' collectable free-gifts on children
Have you collected any? From the McDonalds' 1998 Vintage to the Coles 2018 Little Shop and the Woolworth 2019 Lion King Ooshies, retailers have been trying many collectable premium/gift promotions, and most of them are free to get with a certain amount of consumption in the retailer's store.Generally speaking, premium promotion is an important marketing promotion strategy which increases the retailers' revenue and brand reputation (Foubert et al. 2008; Septianto et al. 2020). For example, Wang, Japutra and Molinillo (2020) …
- Centre/School
- QUT Business School
- Study levels
- PhD
- Master of Philosophy
Leading diversity
Diversity is a buzz word in many organizations today. While having a diverse team promise potential for innovation and creativity, it can also create many challenges. Leading diversity will be an important capability for future leaders.
- Centre/School
- Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research
International entrepreneurship in a digital era
I am interested in supervising students with a high level of commitment and ambition to publish on top academic journals.My interests are around international entrepreneurship (international business and also entrepreneurship), emerging markets, innovation, and digitalisation.Topics that include two or more of these fields are of my interest, and I would be keen to see your proposal and work with you on shaping it to a high standard.
- Centre/School
- Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research
Immigrant entrepreneurship
Immigrants start their own business either out of necessity or opportunity. They engage in all different types of business activities, ranging form the small business inside the ethnic enclaves to the multinational enterprises across the globe.We are interested in new insights you can bring from your own research, business or community background. Please pitch your idea to us for the opportunity to create new knowledge together.
- Centre/School
- Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research
- Study levels
- PhD
- Master of Philosophy
- Honours
- Vacation research experience scheme