Research Seminar Series
School of Business Research Seminars 2024-25
Semester 1
1. Research Beacons at the School of Business
Monday 21st October, 2-3pm (online)
This online event will introduce you to Research Beacons at the School of Business, specifically Data Science and Digital Transformation (lead – Prof Markus Helfert); Health and Wellbeing (lead - Dr Damien Cassells); Society and Public Policy (lead - Dr Gail Sheppard); Sustainability and Climate Change (lead – Dr Patrick Rigot-Muller). A 10-minute presentation by each Research Beacon will be followed by a general Q&A. Those interested in finding out more about these Research Beacons and/or interested in potential collaborations, are invited to attend.
2. Open Research in public-private research partnerships: comparing practices in Ireland and Denmark
Tuesday 22nd October 3-4:00 (online)
This will be a 30 minute presentation by Dr Gail Sheppard from the School of Business giving an update on the NORF-funded project ‘ROCHE’. The focus of this presentation will be on preliminary findings from interviews carried out with Irish and Danish researchers on the challenges and opportunities posed by making data open.
3. Social Tech: Putting the ‘Social’ Back in Society
Thursday 7th November from 1-2pm. Location: TSI128
We are delighted to bring you a research seminar with Research Professor Jessica Lichy from IDRAC Business School.
The presentation, entitled “Social Tech: Putting the ‘Social’ Back in Society”, delivered by Prof. Jessica Lichy, explores how digital technologies, particularly app-based services, impact sustainable production and consumption. While these technologies can foster eco-friendly behaviours, they also drive conformity and convenience, potentially counteracting sustainability goals. The research draws from case studies, including consumer trends in app usage, food-truck innovations as models of local and sustainable business, and sustainable practices in wine production. Additionally, the presentation highlights social business principles, the ‘So-Lo-Mo’ (Social-Local-Mobile) business model, and the role of consumer psychology in adopting sustainable behaviours. From the findings, key areas are identified for further research, including the effects of digital algorithms, gamification for promoting sustainability, and the importance of digital literacy in supporting sustainable choices across different cultural contexts.
4. Either With Us or Against Us: Navigating the Perils of Brand Neutrality in a Politically Polarized World
Thursday 21st November from 2-3pm (online)
The title of Dr Max Yu’s talk is: Either With Us or Against Us: Navigating the Perils of Brand Neutrality in a Politically Polarized World.
Despite the popularity of brand activism, many brands prefer to remain neutral on debated sociopolitical issues amid fear of backlash. However, consumers increasingly expect brands to take a stance, and past research suggests that neutrality is perceived as untrustworthy and rated negatively. This research addresses this disparity and shows that neutral brands are perceived more negatively by liberals than by conservatives because liberals believe brands are morally obligated to contribute to society, but conservatives believe brands are only responsible for their interests (e.g., profit). Neutral brands can attenuate negative evaluations by showing they are accountable to society in other ways (e.g., engaging in corporate social responsibility). The findings suggest that brands can sidestep the political battle in the marketplace by using other avenues to affirm their contributions to society.
Semester 2
5. The grand challenge of crafting an ERC business proposal
Monday 10th February from 11am-12pm. Location: TBC
In this research seminar, Dr Luca Castellanza will reflect upon his experience applying for an ERC Starting Grant in October 2024, explain how his ambitious project addressing inter-organisational solutions to global warming came about, and present some of the draft manuscripts that spurred from the ERC proposal.
In addition to demystifying the ERC application process, the seminar will provide a practical example of what it means to “pivot” your academic career before, during, and after an ERC application. The seminar will closely follow the ongoing development process of “ENTRESILIENCE”, a project seeking to transform how academics, organisations, policymakers, and societies perceive and relate to runaway global warming, provide the first unified reference framework for coordinated action on unavoidable existential threats, and build and test groundbreaking organisational science with urgent and actionable insights.
6. Consumer-led online groups: Transforming supermarket loyalty programmes
Tuesday 11th March from 11am-12pm (online)
As the retail landscape evolves, grocers invest in innovative programmes to foster and maintain customer loyalty. To enhance their marketing strategies, these grocers need to fully understand how their loyalty programmes (LPs) motivate consumer behaviour. One LP mechanism is the provision of money-off shopping vouchers for previous spends of fixed amounts. With soaring food prices, independent, consumer-led online voucher exchange groups have emerged as forums for gifting and exchanging money-off supermarket LP vouchers. Through qualitative semi-structured interviews with moderators of grocery voucher gifting and exchanging online groups in Ireland, this research—led by Dr Nada Elnahla and Prof Elaine Wallace—provides new insights about motives for LP voucher gifting and exchanging, and the consequence of voucher gifting and exchanging on consumers’ store loyalty and their food choices, at a time where food prices and food poverty are on the rise. The study also provides suggestions for businesses seeking to better market and manage their LP voucher schemes.
We are currently working to schedule more seminars for semester 2. Please check back soon for more details.
Attendance
Attendance is welcome from University staff members and postgraduate (both taught and research) students within the School of Business. Please rsvp to [email protected].
Archived Seminars
Our archives contain details on our Past Seminars.
Any questions regarding the Research Seminar Series can be addressed to [email protected].