Programa de Doctorado de la Universidad de Sevilla

Doctoral thesis

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Doctoral thesis

7.1 DOCTORAL THESIS:

The presentation and reading of the doctoral thesis is governed by the regulation of the University of Seville, Resolution 7.2/CG 17-6-11, Article 13, which is available for consultation at the following electronic address:

https://bous.us.es/2012/numero-3/pdf/archivo-10.pdf

https://bous.us.es/2011/numero-4/pdf/archivo-12.pdf/at_download/file

According to this regulation, two types of doctoral thesis can be presented: 1) an original research project or 2) a set of published articles.

  1. 1. The doctoral thesis will consist of an original research project carried out in any of the lines of research of the doctoral programme. It must provide the doctoral student with skills to undertake independent work in the R&D+i area. Authorisation to present the work will be issued by the Academic Committee of the programme, with the approval of the supervisor or supervisors and the tutor. The thesis must have at least the following contents: title, abstract, introduction, objectives, methodology, results, conclusions and bibliography. Also, to ensure the quality of the thesis, the doctoral candidate must provide the Academic Committee with an article that has been published or accepted for publication, for approval of its presentation and reading, in a magazine indexed in the Journal Citation Report, as the first or second author with the same demands as cited in point 2.

 

  1. 2. A doctoral thesis may also consist of the regrouping of a report on a research project published by the doctoral student in relevant scientific media in his or her area of expertise. The articles that make up the doctoral thesis must be published or have been accepted for publication on a date after the initial enrolment in the doctoral programme, which must have not been used in a previous thesis and must mention the University of Seville through the membership of the doctoral student. If the work has been published by several authors as well as the doctoral student, a statement by the other authors that they have not presented the publication in another doctoral thesis or waiving the right to do so must be presented. The co-authors will mention the work of the doctoral student in the mentioned works. The set of works must consist of at least two articles which have been published or accepted for publication in magazines indexed in the Journal Citation Report. The doctoral student must preferably be the main author or may be the secondary or tertiary author provided that the first or second signatories are the supervisor or co-supervisor of the thesis, and the doctoral student must specify his or her scientific contribution, which must be certified by the supervisor or co-supervisors. Works included must have no more than four authors. In the event that there are more, the supervisor or co-supervisors of the thesis will be asked for a report of each contribution to the published works. The Doctoral Committee of the University of Seville will decide whether to accept the dissemination as a compendium of publications based on the report submitted. As well as the publications, the doctoral thesis must include an introduction justifying the thematic unit, the objectives to achieve, an overall summary of the results, the discussion of these results and the final conclusions. A complete copy of the publications will be required, which must contain: the name and involvement of the author and all co-authors, if applicable, as well as the full references of the journals or publishing houses that have published the works or have accepted them for publication, in which case proof of acceptance from the editor-in-chief of the magazine or editorial must be provided.

When the work is complete, the student will present the doctoral thesis to the Academic Committee with a document requesting the start of the pre-reading and evaluation formalities. This document must be approved by the tutor and the supervisor or co-supervisors of the thesis. To do this, the student must be enrolled for academic tutelage. Authorisation to present the work will be issued by the Academic Committee of the programme, with the approval of the supervisor or supervisors and the tutor.

Once the doctoral student has authorisation from the Academic Committee of the programme, the doctoral student will submit an electronic copy to the University Registry, when possible, as well as a short summary in electronic format for inclusion in the institutional databases and repositories. The copy of the thesis will be kept on deposit in the unit responsible for management of doctoral studies for 15 business days in the reading period. The thesis may be consulted by any doctor who may submit observations about its content in writing to the University Registry within the deposit term established. These observations will be addressed to the Doctoral Committee of the University of Seville.

The deposit period will start on the day following submission of the thesis in the University Registry if this complies with all the requirements for processing; otherwise it will be calculated from the day following certification of its correction. The thesis will be duly deposited with the organisation and will be published on the website of the unit responsible for doctorate studies at the University of Seville.

In the event, the request will be submitted to opt for the International Mention in the Doctor’s degree together with the copy of the thesis. The thesis may be written and read in the usual languages for scientific communication in the field of knowledge.

If the deposit period expires without allegations, the Academic Committee of the programme will authorise the thesis reading. If allegations have been received during the deposit term, the Doctoral Committee will authorise or deny the thesis reading having heard the coordinator of the programme, supervisors, tutors and doctoral student. The Doctoral Committee will establish such changes as it sees fit to authorise the thesis reading. In this case, the doctoral student is obliged to submit a copy and a brief summary of the changes made to the unit responsible for doctoral studies of the University of Seville as a required condition for authorising its reading.

 

7.2 EVALUATION AND READING:

When the Doctoral Committee of the University of Seville communicates the authorisation for the reading of the doctoral thesis, the Academic Committee of the programme will propose the committee that will evaluate the doctoral thesis to the Doctoral Committee of the University of Seville, based on a report from the supervisor or co-supervisors and the tutor. It will be composed of eight members, of which five will be members and the remaining three, substitutes. All the members of the committee must have doctorates and accredited research experience, which must be proven by means of a summarised curriculum vitae or link to a virtual document containing the curriculum. The committee proposal from the Academic Committee will include at least one member who will be a foreign doctor of renowned prestige in the field of research who will comply with the criteria required by the regulating law. There may be a different number of members on the committee from that specified if this is established in thesis co-tutoring agreements with foreign universities.

No more than two members of the five members may belong to the same university or to the same research organisation, whether public or private. Three of the members must belong to institutions that neither participate nor collaborate in the doctoral programme or in the doctoral school in which the programme is registered. The thesis supervisor, co-supervisors and tutor may not form part of the committee, except when the thesis is presented in the framework of bilateral co-tutoring agreements with foreign universities which provide for this in the specific agreement. The committee is to be chaired by the lecturer of a Spanish public university with the highest academic category and length of active service. The secretary of the committee will be the lecturer of the lowest ranking Spanish university in active service, preferably from the University of Seville if the reading is to take place on its facilities.
The proposed committee must be approved by the Doctorate Committee of the University of Seville. Once the committee has been approved, the Academic Committee of the Doctoral programme will be duly notified of its designation. This, in turn, will notify the appointment to each member of the committee, providing each with a copy of the thesis and the Doctoral Activities Document (DAD) of the doctoral student indicating, if appropriate, if the thesis is opting for the International Mention in the Doctor’s degree.

The committee will have the Doctoral Activities Document, which will consist of a qualitative evaluation instrument additional to the doctoral thesis evaluation. The President of the Doctoral Thesis Committee will agree upon the date, venue and time for the thesis reading after consultation with the other members, doctors and substitutes of the committee, the Departmental manager or Institute in which the doctoral student is enrolled, the thesis supervisor and the tutor, if any. The secretary of the committee will notify the Department or Institute in which the doctoral student is enrolled, the unit responsible for managing the doctoral studies, the doctoral student, the doctoral supervisor and, if any, the co-supervisors and the tutor at least ten business days in advance. The academic committee of the programme must give suitable publicity to the thesis reading, announcing the time and venue when this will take place in sufficient time. The committee will convene the reading of the doctoral thesis with the presence of its five members or their substitutes. The Secretary of the committee will take the minutes of the meeting.

The doctoral thesis will be evaluated after the thesis reading at a public meeting at the University of Seville on a teaching day, which will consist of the presentation and defence by the doctoral student of the research work carried out before the members of the committee. In the case of programmes in which several universities take part or in which external entities collaborate, the thesis reading will take place at the venue specified in the applicable agreements. If there are no specifications to this effect, it will take place at the University site of the Department or Institute where the doctoral student is enrolled. The doctors present at the public act may ask questions at the moments and in the manner indicated by the president of the committee. In exceptional circumstances determined by the academic committee of the programme and participation of companies in the programme or the Doctoral School, if there are confidentiality agreements with companies, or if there is the possibility of generating patents over the content of the thesis, a procedure will be implemented to protect the privacy of the reading and the subsequent filing of the doctoral thesis in the institutional repositories. When the reading and discussion of the thesis is complete, each member of the committee will issue a written report containing his or her evaluation. Then, behind closed doors, the committee will determine the overall classification of the thesis, in terms of “apt” or “not apt”. The President of the committee will announce the classification in a public session.

The committee may propose a “cum laude” mention for the thesis if the vote is issued unanimously as a secret positive vote. Votes are scrutinised in a separate session from the reading of the doctoral thesis. The session will take place behind closed doors, concluding the reading and communication of the overall classification. The Secretary will issue the collation certificate of the Doctor’s degree, including information about the reading and classification process. The votes referred to in the paragraph above will be attached to the collation certificate. If the doctoral student has opted for the International Mention in the Doctor’s Degree, the Secretary of the committee will include a certification in the collation certificate that the opportune requirements have been fulfilled.

The completed minutes will be forwarded to the unit responsible for managing the doctoral programme.

7.3 INTERNATIONAL MENTION IN THE DOCTOR’S DEGREE:

The back of the certificate of the Doctor’s degree may include the mention “International Doctor” provided the following circumstances concur::

  1. a) During the necessary training period for obtaining the Doctor’s degree, the doctoral student must have spent at least three months outside Spain at a higher education institution or a prestigious research centre either studying or performing research activities. This stay must be in a country other than the doctoral student’s usual place of residence. Academic stays and activities will be validated by the supervisor and authorised by the academic Committee, and will be included in the Doctoral Activities Document
  2. b) As well as the doctoral thesis, at least the summary and the conclusions must have been drafted and presented in one of the usual languages for scientific communication in their field of knowledge, other than any of the official languages in Spain, except in cases where the stay, reports and experts are from a Spanish-speaking country.
  3. c) The thesis must have been reported on by at least two experts belonging to a non-Spanish higher education or research institution.
  4. d) At least one expert belonging to a non-Spanish higher education institution or research centre, with a Doctor’s degree, and other than the director of the academic stay mentioned in paragraph a), must have been part of the committee that evaluated the thesis.

The request to opt for the “International Doctor” mention must be submitted when presenting the thesis and must be accompanied by the following documentation:

  1. a) Certification issued by the higher teaching institution or research centre confirming that the doctoral student has spent at last three months outside Spain in a higher education institution or prestigious research centre. The certification must state the start and end dates of the stay, and the director of the research group in which the candidate has collaborated.
  2. b) The reports of the two experts belonging to a non-Spanish higher education or research institution.
  3. c) A brief scientific curriculum vitae of each of the lecturers who have issued those reports.

The thesis reading must take place at the university where the doctoral student is enrolled; in the case of joint doctoral programmes, in any of the participating universities or in the terms indicated in the applicable collaboration agreement.

7.4 THESES READ IN THE PROGRAMME:

 

 

On 8 February 2019, the Doctoral Thesis “The impact of internal and external factors on the success of the TQM programme. Empirical study of Spanish organisations” was read by Mr Francisco José Carmona, supervised by the Doctor of the Programme Dr Antonio Leal Millán. For this, the classification of Summa Cum Laude distinction was obtained.

On 14 January 2019, the Doctoral Thesis “Internationalisation of SMEs as a vaccination against economic crises” was read by Mr Julio Vecino Gravell, supervised by the Doctors of the Programme Dr Wagner Kamakura and Dr Mª. Ángeles Ramón. For this, the classification of Summa Cum Laude distinction was obtained.

On 24 September 2018, the Doctoral Thesis “Heterogeneity and complementarity in strategic alliances and network resources” by Ms María del Mª del Mar Cobeña Ruíz-Lopera, supervised by the Doctors of the Programme Dr Cristóbal Casanueva Rocha and Dr Mª. Ángeles Gallego Águeda. For this, the classification of Summa Cum Laude distinction was obtained.

On 17 September 2018, the Doctoral Thesis “The portfolio of alliances and their relationship with business strategy and the internationalisation process. Theory and empirical evidence in aeronautical and air transport industries” was read by Mr Marco Castiglioni, supervised by the Programme Doctors Dr José Luis Galán

On 17 July 2017, the Doctoral Thesis “University Governance System in Ibero America. A vision from the Theory of Agency” was read by Anibal Ganga Contreras, supervised by Dr Encarnación Ramos Hidalgo and Dr Antonio Leal Millán”. For this, the classification of Summa Cum Laude distinction was obtained.

On 5 July 2017, the Doctoral Thesis “Knowledge management and dynamic capabilities: four essays on their relationship and influence on Green innovation performance” was read by Ms Gema Albort Morant, supervised by Dr Gabriel A. Cepeda Carrión and Dr Jörg Henseler”. For this, the classification of Summa Cum Laude distinction was obtained. International Mention.

On 5 July 2017 the Doctoral Thesis “Analysis of the distributor mark in the online and offline context” was read by Mr Eloy Gil Cordero, supervised by Dr Fco. Javier Rondán Cataluña and Dr Manuel Rey Moreno. For this, the classification of Summa Cum Laude distinction was obtained.

On 24 March 2017 the Doctoral Thesis “The effects of social integration on online social networks and its influence on social buying. A personality-trait based approach” was read by Ms Miriam Muñoz Expósito, supervised by the Doctors of the Programme Dr Manuel J.

On 23 March 2017 the Doctoral Thesis “Study of the long tail formation within an ewom community. The case of CIAO UK” was read by Ms María Olmedilla Fernández, supervised by Dr Mª. del Rocío Martínez Torres. For this, the classification of Summa Cum Laude distinction was obtained.

On 17 June 2016 the Doctoral Thesis “Knowledge Management Processes and Organizational Learning and Unlearning: Three Works on Their Relationship and Influence on Value and Performance” was read by Mr Ignacio F. Cepeda Carrión, supervised by the Doctors of the Programme Antonio Leal Millán and Dr Silvia Martelo Landroguez. For this, the classification of Summa Cum Laude was obtained.

On 24 November 2014, Mr Antonio Luis Leal Rodriguez read his Doctoral Thesis “Absorptive Capacity, Relational Learning and Organizational Culture in a Knowledge Management Context: Three Essays on their Influences in the Innovation Outcomes”.

On 15 September 2014, Mr José Antonio Zarrias Adame read his Doctoral Thesis entitled “The Positive Effects Produced by Firm Volatility of Firm Growth, Employment Generation and Firm Profit”.

On 30 June 2014, Ms. María del Mar Miras Rodríguez read her Doctoral Thesis entitled “Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance: Influence of National Cultural Factors and Membership to the Electricity Sector”,supervised by Dr Bernabé Escobar Pérez and Dr Amalia Carrasco Gallego, obtaining the Summa Cum Laude distinction and the International Doctorate Mention. The general objective of the thesis was to study the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Financial Performance (FP).