Research Seminar by Prof. Sunil Sahadev

Posted on February 12, 2021 by administrator

Research Seminar by Prof. Sunil Sahadev, Professor of Entrepreneurship, Brighton Business School, University of Brighton, UK was held on January 21, 2021.

Seminar Topic – Exploring the Strength of Online Reviews as Antecedents of Occupancy rate in the Hospitality Sector: A Signalling Theory Perspective

Abstract – Prof. Sunil’s research interests span across three interconnected, interdisciplinary research domains: research related to boundary spanning elements in organisations, research on sustainability and related issues and research on e-commerce and digital marketing.

Within the larger domain of boundary spanning elements, he focuses specifically on frontline employees in service organisations, salespersons, sales management as well as research on management of distribution channels in firms. Across these research domains, he has used a variety of research approaches and theoretical lenses.

In sustainability-related research, Prof. Sunil has looked at the adoption of environmental strategies by firms, adoption of pro-environmental behaviour by families through the family decision-making lens. He is currently looking at environmental-related decision making by ethnic entrepreneurs in the U.K. He has also conducted studies in issues like student gambling, problem drinking etc.

In e-commerce and digital marketing, Prof. Sunil is looking at a host of issues like servicescape design, e-service quality, psychological contract violation in e-commerce, internet banking loyalty etc.

Most of his research involves a positivist research philosophy that attempts to build theory through theorising relationships between constructs embedded in social phenomenon and testing the validity of these inter-relationships.

We could summarize his research approach as realism, combined with a strong belief in the need for interdisciplinary studies that reflects the reality of social sciences research – which is inherently multi-disciplinary.