Combined study

4 years

prof. Ing. et Ing. Stanislav Škapa, Ph.D.

Chairman :
prof. Ing. et Ing. Stanislav Škapa, Ph.D.
Councillor internal :
prof. Ing. Vojtěch Koráb, Dr., MBA
prof. Ing. Mária Režňáková, CSc.
doc. Ing. Marie Pavláková Dočekalová, Ph.D.
prof. Ing. Alena Kocmanová, Ph.D.
doc. Ing. Vojtěch Bartoš, Ph.D.
doc. Ing. Miloš Koch, CSc.
doc. PhDr. Iveta Šimberová, Ph.D.
Councillor external :
doc. Ing. Petr Pirožek, Ph.D.
doc. Ing. Zuzana Dohnalová, Ph.D.
prof. Ing. Jiří Kraft, CSc.

The Company Management and Economics doctoral programme aims to educate experts highly qualified for research in the field of company management, for teaching and doing research at universities, and work in international organizations, domestic and global companies.
Emphasis is put on acquiring deep and systematic knowledge and understanding of theories and mastering modern methods and procedures applicable to economics as a field of science, next on adopting advanced methods for research in economics, company management, and on developing expertise in econometrics.
Students concentrate on their own research, finding solutions to research problems focusing on comprehensiveness and theoretical background of the solutions found. An integral part of students' activities is publishing the research results, their interpretation and subsequent presentation taking different forms (presentation at research forums, at scientific conferences, writing paper, conceiving and presenting research projects, etc.), but above all, writing and defending a dissertation.

A graduate in Company Management and Economics has acquired highly specialized, systematic knowledge of theories, concepts, and methods in the field of company management and economics, which is among the best on an international scale, thus enhancing the engineering expertise and skills, as well as deep and systematic knowledge and understanding of advanced mathematical and statistical methods of quantitative and qualitative data analysis including deep and systematic knowledge of the methods and procedures of scientific work.
Graduates will find jobs of highly qualified experts in research organisations as heads of research and development teams and can also teach and do research at universities, in international organizations, at domestic and global companies.

The study requirements for students of the Company Management and Economics programme can be found in individual curricula.
The key required subject is the Methodology of Science and Research Work in Economics and Management, which is offered in cooperation with the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. The programme's main objective is to teach the students how to do research, to improve their knowledge and practical skills needed for scientific work, as well as to teach them how to write a good dissertation.
The first year also includes the Economics III course aiming to improve the use of analytic tools needed in micro-economy, particularly concerning the analysis of the supply part of market mechanism with special emphasis on mathematical models, acquainting the students also with alternative approaches to demand and supply forming. In the macro-economy part, emphasis will be laid on the theory of exogenic an endogenic economic growth and the theory of state policy, improving the students' capabilities to apply the acquired knowledge in the context of company management. The second year includes the required Academic Writing course to develop the students' communication skills needed to describe their research and general academic genres while improving their stylistic skills typical of academic writings.
In the second year, students are required to choose one of the below listed courses to augment their expertise and skills needed for writing a quality dissertation.
• Theory of Management;
• Sustainability and Circular Economics;
• Information Management;
• Marketing Theory;
• Business Management Theory;
• Theory and Practice of Financial Management;
• Methods of Economic Management of Enterprises;
The required courses and the one optional chosen are then completed by an exam.
Since an individual curriculum must include research activities based on the dissertation focus, starting in the first year, the following research outcomes are required (Research outcomes I-IV):
• In the first year a student must have at least one publication (a contribution to a domestic/international conference proceedings or paper published in a reviewed journal) corresponding to the dissertation focus, having the structure of a research paper with a co-authorship of at least 80%. The student will receive a credit for the fulfilment of this condition from his or her supervisor.
• At least one publication is required in the second year, too, (paper in a Jimp or JSC type journal or a contribution to Defendant-type conference) with a co-authorship of at least 80%. The student will receive a credit for the fulfilment of this condition from his or her supervisor.
• At least one publication is required in the third year (research paper in a Jimp or JSC type journal) corresponding to the dissertation topic with a co-authorship of at least 80%. The student will receive a credit for the fulfilment of this condition from his or her supervisor.
• In the fourth year, too, a doctoral student is expected to publish at least one research paper in a Jimp type journal related to the dissertation focus written by the doctoral student alone, or several papers with a co-authorship totalling 100%. The student will receive a credit for the fulfilment of this condition from his or her supervisor.
The required research outputs as defined above strongly support the internationalization element since the fulfilment of the publishing requirements (particularly in the third and fourth years) is only possible if the papers published are written in English.
Because of the strong accent of the doctoral study on research with outcomes reflected in the dissertation, required is also a presentation of the dissertation research focus to help assess the setting of the dissertation objective, the progress of work on the topic chosen, the expected research contribution of dissertation as well as the research methodology. The student will receive a credit for the fulfilment of this requirement from his or her supervisor.
In order to improve the quality of dissertations, doctoral students must present a "small defence of dissertation" at the supervising department. This defence should help assess the dissertation scientific contribution, the research methodology, and the fulfilment of the main and partial goals of the dissertation. The student will receive a credit for a successful presentation from his or her supervisor.
An integral part of each individual curriculum is the obligation to complete a Foreign Internship - Study Stay in the third or fourth year abroad at a university or research organisation whose research focus is the same as or related to the one of the dissertation. The stay should contribute to the development of the student's expertise and skills in the given problem area, help him or her establish international contacts, broaden his or her experience and provide him or her with opportunities to engage more closely in the scientific community dealing with problems related to the dissertation focus. The length of the stay is one semester. The student will receive a credit for a completed stay from his or her supervisor.
In students of the combined study mode, the stay abroad may take the form of on-the-job stay at a company or institution working on problems related to the dissertation focus.
The student will receive a credit for a completed stay from his or her supervisor.
As an important part, an individual curriculum for a full-time doctoral student will include teaching practice needed to enhance the presentation skills. As a rule, this teaching practice in the first four semesters includes 4 lessons a week on average. For students in the combined study mode, such practice is replaced by their publishing activities with at least one publication (a paper in a type Jimp journal or a contribution to a type D conference proceedings with a co-authorship of 100 % or several publications with the co-authorships totalling 100%. The student will receive a credit for the fulfilment of this requirement from his or her supervisor.
Doctoral students of the combined study mode are not required to appear at the supervising department on a regular basis, however, they have to attend the courses offered, consultations, and other events related to the individual curriculum following instructions by the supervisor.

The Company Management and Economics doctoral programme is offered on the basis of individual curricula set up by supervisors in cooperation with the students. An individual curriculum covers four academic years providing the student with the expertise and skills needed for doing research. A draft of each individual curriculum must be debated and approved by the Doctoral Committee. When conceiving a doctoral study, emphasis is laid upon:
• curriculum / study;
• independent scientific and research activities related to the dissertation focus;
• internationalization supported by stay abroad;
• teaching practice;
The key part of an individual curriculum is the division of the study and completion of the required theoretical and optional courses. The first year includes two required courses:
• Methodology of Science and Research Work in Economics and Management (prof. Ing. Vojtěch Koráb, Dr., MBA)
• Economics III (doc. Ing. et Ing. Stanislav Škapa, Ph.D. person in charge and teacher 60%, doc. Ing. Zinecker Marek, Ph.D., teacher 40%,)
One required specialised course is taught in the second year:
• Academic Writing (doc. PhDr. Milena Krhutova, Ph.D.)
Next, students may choose one required optional course that enhances the expertise and skills necessary for writing a good dissertation. These are the below courses:
• Theory of Management (doc. RNDr. Anna Putnová, Ph.D., MBA);
• Sustainability and Circular Economics (prof. Ing. Alena Kocmanová, Ph.D.);
• Information Management (doc. Ing. Miloš Koch, CSc.);
• Marketing Theory (doc. Ing. Vladimír Chalupský, CSc., MBA, person responsible and teacher 50%, doc. Ing. Vít Chlebovský, Ph.D. teacher 50%);
• Business Management Theory (doc. PhDr. Iveta Šimberová, Ph.D.);
• Theory and Practice of Financial Management (prof. Ing. Mária Režňáková, CSc.);
• Methods of Economic Management of Enterprises (doc. Ing. Tomáš Meluzín, Ph.D.);
Each required theoretical or optional course is completed by an exam.
Since an individual curriculum must include research activities based on the dissertation focus, starting in the first year, research outcomes are required.
Because of the strong accent of the doctoral study on research with outcomes reflected in the dissertation, required is also a presentation of the dissertation research plan to help assess the setting of the dissertation objective, the progress of work on the topic chosen, the expected research contribution of dissertation as well as the research methodology.
In order to improve the quality of dissertations, doctoral students must present a "small defence of dissertation" at the supervising department. This defence should help assess the dissertation scientific contribution, the research methodology, and the fulfilment of the main and partial goals of the dissertation.
An integral part of each individual curriculum is the obligation to complete a Foreign Internship - Study Stay in the third or fourth year abroad at a university or research organisation whose research focus is the same as or related to the one of the dissertation. The stay should contribute to the development of the student's expertise and skills in the given problem area help him or her establish international contacts, broaden his or her experience and provide him or her with opportunities to engage more closely in the scientific community dealing with problems related to the dissertation focus. The length of the stay is one semester.
In the combined study mode, the stay may take the form of an on-the-job stay at a company or institution with a student working on problems related to the dissertation focus. Students staying abroad must also prove their language skills. The student will receive a credit for a completed stay from his or her supervisor.
As an important part, an individual curriculum for a full-time doctoral student will include teaching practice needed to enhance the presentation skills. As a rule, this practice in the first four semesters includes 4 lessons a week on average. For students in the combined study mode, such practice is replaced by their publishing activities.
Next, an individual curriculum includes other, no less important, activities improving a student's research profile. These are in particular applications for grants (such as Junior Projects as part of Specific Research), participation in domestic and international conferences.
The structure and content of a doctoral student's curriculum are part of the BUT Apollo information system.

The Company Management and Economics doctoral programme is intended for graduates in economic Master's programmes.

2. round (applications submitted from 23.05.2024 to 02.08.2024)

1. Assesing the Economic Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Enterprises

   The research will focus on the analysis of the current state of the use of artificial intelligence in a selected sector of economic activities in order to propose a model for evaluating resp. measuring the economic impact of the adoption of artificial intelligence applications on enterprises in the sector.

   Tutor: Doskočil Radek, doc. Ing., Ph.D., MSc

2. Benefits of pokročilých services provided by enterprises

   Current manufacturers provide to their products also advanced, e.g., smart services. Advanced services offer many benefits for both manufacturing companies and as well as for their customers. The aim of this topic is to investigate which benefits of advanced services are significant for manufacturing companies.

   Tutor: Kaňovská Lucie, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

3. Brand development for start-up and spin-off companies

   Brand development of emerging businesses has many specifics. Businesses at this stage do not have a clearly defined business model and their specific needs must be considered. It is necessary to define approaches reflecting the nature of startup and spin off companies to develop theory and practice.

   Tutor: Zich Robert, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

4. Business ecosystem - a model solution in a selected sector

   The research will focus on identifying the most significant elements/components of the business environment of the selected sector and validating them on a sample of organisations. Using the selected methods, the influence of the elements/components affecting the prosperity of organisations in the selected sector and their model solution will be determined. (Due to the scope and depth of the research topic, only the internal form of the PhD study is assumed).

   Tutor: Pirožek Petr, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

5. Business valuation (specific issue)

   Approaches to firms’ valuation based on estimation of future cash flows are very sensitive to parameters specific to firms' business branch. Aim of the thesis is to identify the specifics of the chosen branch and incorporate them, as parameters, into the valuation models.

   Tutor: Režňáková Mária, prof. Ing., CSc.

6. Circular Business Models

   The aim of the research is to develop circular business models. This means developing business models that are consistent with a circular economy and seek to narrow, slow and close resource loops.

   Tutor: Pavláková Dočekalová Marie, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

7. Circular economy and selected indicators for its evaluation.

   The aim of the thesis will be to analyze the current state of knowledge about circular economy and to propose indicators that evaluate circular economy.

   Tutor: Kocmanová Alena, prof. Ing., Ph.D.

8. Corporate Governance - determination of the most significant factors associated with the performance of corporate governance

   The problem addressed aims to describe the functioning of Corporate Governance (CG) in selected organizations. On the basis of the conducted research, through quantitative/qualitative methods, the relevant factors (competences, qualifications, roles, decision-making methods, etc.) influencing effective and efficient CG in organisations will be determined. (Due to the scope and depth of the research topic, only the internal form of the PhD study is assumed).

   Tutor: Pirožek Petr, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

9. Development of approaches of business ideas and innovation validation

   The principles of business idea validation are applied to new projects and existing companies. The dynamics of the development of environment requires efficient evaluation. Classical market research is failing so new approaches need to be developed from the perspective of theory and practice.

   Tutor: Zich Robert, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

10. Family business - challenges of the current business environment

    The dissertation focuses on the strategies and actions chosen by family businesses in dealing with crises, crisis management or conflict situations. These strategies will be examined from a performance perspective on a selected sample of family businesses.

    Tutor: Marciánová Pavla, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

11. Green competencies of employees and development of responsible innovations in industrial companies

    Green employee competencies are an essential element of the green human resource management. The main objective of the thesis is to examine the impact of green competencies of employees on their innovative behaviour, leading to the implementation of responsible innovations.

    Tutor: Łapińska Justyna, dr. hab., prof. UMK

12. Impacts and influences of ESG and innovation factors on sustainable business models

    The aim is to focus on the influences and impacts of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors on building sustainable business models of companies and to analyse the research results in an international context by using meta-analysis and mathematical-statistical methods to analyse the literature searches. The main research question is whether it is possible to confirm the general conclusion of the impact of ESG and innovation factors on sustainable business models on the broad basis of the analysed research results.

    Tutor: Kocmanová Alena, prof. Ing., Ph.D.

13. Intellectual capital assessment in the context of knowledge management

    The research will focus on a critical analysis of current approaches to measuring intellectual capital in knowledge management with the aim of proposing a model of intellectual capital assessment reflecting current entrepreneurship trends.

    Tutor: Doskočil Radek, doc. Ing., Ph.D., MSc

14. Research on the relevant factors operating in the expatriation programme of managers in multinational companies

    The object of the research is to conduct a survey in selected branches of multinational companies operating domestically, or in branches of domestic multinational companies located abroad. Based on the use of quantitative/qualitative methods, the relevant factors associated with expatriation success in international management, the rationale for their use and the determination of the benefits of expatriation for multinationals will be determined. (Due to the scope and depth of the research topic, only the internal form of the PhD study is assumed).

    Tutor: Pirožek Petr, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

15. Strategic management of companies emerging within the university innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems

    Strategic management of companies in university ecosystems is based on approaches that do not reflect the specifics of their functioning. The scope for the development of management theory and practice stems from the specific nature of the functioning of these enterprises and the ecosystems themselves.

    Tutor: Zich Robert, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

16. The Assessment System of the Company's Economic Indicators and their Information Support

    Nowadays information technology assists in all spheres of functioning society. The ability of availability to have the right information at the right time influences the possibility of prompt and proper decision-making process leading to the "success" of the company. The aim of the dissertation thesis is an identification of the system which evaluates relevant economic indicators of companies, analysis, assessment of information support and proposal of the most suitable system of information support.

    Tutor: Bartoš Vojtěch, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

17. The importance of servitization and smart (digital) servitization of companies in terms of sustainable development

    The reasons leading companies to the servitization strategy have recently been supplemented with society-wide global trend of striving for sustainable development. The aim of the topic is to map the significance of servitization and smart servitization of companies in terms of sustainable development.

    Tutor: Kaňovská Lucie, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

18. The role of angel investing in the context of start-up projects in a selected sector

    Start-up projects typically face a lack of capital. This has been provided very often by angel investors. While interest of business angels is typically focused on the ICT sector, the amount of capital invested in other sectors has also been increasing recently. This dissertation thesis focuses on the evaluation of angel investors' investment strategies in a selected sector with respect to the life cycle of a start-up project.

    Tutor: Zinecker Marek, prof. Ing., Ph.D.

19. University Entrepreneurship Centers and Their Relations to Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

    Research on Entrepreneurship Support within University Education and its Impact to the Entrepreneurial Ecosystems of the region.

    Tutor: Chlebovský Vít, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

1. round (applications submitted from 12.12.2023 to 12.04.2024)

1. Application of advanced mathematical procedures in the analysis of dynamic business processes 

   Suitable methods of analysing dynamic business processes allow managers to increase the efficiency of the company's management processes. The research will focus on the possibilities of applying advanced mathematical procedures in solving selected dynamic models from business practice designed to support business management decision-making, while using appropriate means of information and communication technologies. 

   Tutor: Novotná Veronika, doc. Mgr., Ph.D.

2. Competencies desired for collaboration with artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

   The main goal of the dissertation will be to identify and describe the changes in the work environment that occur in connection with the implementation of modern technologies. In this context, to identify the competences of workers required for effective work with these tools and the methods of their effective development.

   Tutor: Konečná Zdeňka, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

3. Risk analysis of the issuer when valuing non-traded bonds

   Valuation of the purchased debt instruments through the market approach comes up against the low liquidity of the capital market in the country. The aim of the thesis is to derive a valuation model for debt instruments based on expected cash flows, taking into account the issuer's default risk.

   Tutor: Karas Michal, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

4. Specifics of human resource management in the context of Industry 5.0

   The main goal of the dissertation will be to identify and describe the principles of the emerging industrial revolution known as Industry 5.0 and, in the given context, to propose a human resource management model that will enable sustainable business in its context.

   Tutor: Konečná Zdeňka, doc. Ing., Ph.D.