The programme
Overview
The University of Verona, through the Department of Management, and the University of Udine, through the Department of Economic and Statistical Sciences, have jointly established the Ph.D. program in "Accounting and Management."
The Ph.D. in Accounting & Management aims to train researchers capable of contributing to innovation in the field of scientific research in the disciplines of accounting and management. Graduates are expected to conduct research activities in Italian and foreign universities, public and private research centers, or hold qualified roles in businesses and public institutions.
The program features a comprehensive educational activity in English, specialized in disseminating knowledge, methods, and methodologies for research. It places particular emphasis on both quantitative and qualitative research methods in the fields of management and accounting.
List of research topics and areas of interest for the 41st cycle (Academic Year 2025/2026)
- Accounting and performance measurement
- Accounting for sustainability
- Accountability, corporate reporting and stakeholder engagement
- Alternative forms of accounting and accountabilityESG Value relevance
- Management compensation and corporate reporting
- Audit and assurance quality
- Misbehaviours in accounting and reporting
- Sustainability performance measurement and reporting
- Governance, internal auditing and risk management
- Governance and strategic decision making in public administration
- Performance evaluation in public administration
- Management accounting in public institutions
- Public accounting and financial management in MENA countries
- Management
- Corporate Sustainability
- New Business Models for Sustainability
- Business model innovation, sustainability and servitisation
- Circular economy and sustainability: ownership and governance structures and business models
- Governance, strategic leadership and organizational behavior in entrepreneurial firms
- Complexity management, foresight and resilience
- From inter-organizational network to platform economy
- Sustainable digital business model
- Internationalization, digital transformation, sustainability
- Internationalization and relocation strategies in a digital age
- Marketing & organisation
- Transformative service research
- New trends in consumer behaviour
- Semantic textual analysis for social media marketing
- Sustainability and innovation adoption in the food value chain
- Food consumer behaviour analysis
- Interactions between agribusiness, tourism and rural development
- New trends in marketing
- Marketing Management & Event Management in Sport and Tourism
- Finance
- Corporate finance, entrepreneurial finance and institutional investors
- Bank regulation and financial stability
- Long term investment horizons: insurance and pension schemes
- Private capital market financing and investors: trends and new perspectives
- Climate change, green and ethical finance: implications for the financial sector and SMEs financing and investment decisions
- Blended finance for public infrastructure in the ecological and energy transition
- Supply chain management
- The role of third party logistics across the supply chain
- Omnichannel strategy and customer service
- Logistics and supply chain management within the circular economy practice
- Supply chain strategy and risk management
- Optimization and sustainability in transportation and distribution
- Supply chain resilience
- Logistics service quality
- Retail supply chain strategy
- Last-mile delivery and sustainability
- Reverse logistics and sustainability
The first-year educational plan includes an intensive training program through the delivery of high-level didactic activities divided into modules. Specifically, the first semester aims to provide methodological foundations for designing and conducting original and innovative research. The methodological framework includes a first module on "research design and organization" aimed at defining the structure of a research project and the main theories underlying economic-business research. The second module focuses on methods, principles, and tools of qualitative research, while the third and fourth modules concentrate on quantitative research methods, especially statistical methods, supported by software tools for analysis (basic and advanced content).
The second semester addresses in detail the thematic areas that characterize research paths in accounting and management, defined as "classic topics," framing the fundamental characteristics of research lines in accounting, performance management, finance, management, organization, marketing, and supply chain management. Subsequently, trending topics on the same lines are explored to identify the characteristics of the ongoing debate at the national and international levels and the research trends. At the end of each methodological and classic module, assessment forms and the formalization of a grade report are planned. Finally, at the end of the first year, doctoral candidates must prepare a paper on the literature review within the specific scope of each research project.
The underlying logic of the training path involves a dual level of content delivery: classics and trending topics. "Classic" lessons aim to provide fundamental skills related to the specific theme, while "trending topic" lessons aim to open attention to new research lines, delving into specific topics within the ongoing scientific debate internationally.
The lessons will be held in person.
The second and third years involve the organization of focused seminars, participation in national and international conferences, and the preparation of additional empirical research papers. Additionally, the Interuniversity project develops an innovative collaboration with businesses through the so-called industrial doctorate, allowing doctoral candidates to qualify their formative and research experiences in an industrial context. This also ensures that businesses provide high-quality innovative qualifications to human resources. Doctoral scholarships have been secured through the support and financing of Cattolica Assicurazioni SpA, Vicenza UniVr Hub - Fondazione Studi Universitari di Vicenza, Smeg-Bonferraro, and the Federazione Veneta BCC- Credito Cooperativo.
The contact person for the Management Department in Verona for the course is Prof. Ivan Russo.