Rennes School of Business PhD Students

I am Jiawei, a first-year PhD student from the research center Financial Market & Corporate Outcomes (FMCO) of Rennes School of Business.

I obtained my MSc in Finance and Investment from the University of Nottingham (UK), and I earned my BSc in Finance from Northeast Normal University (China) and Rutgers University (USA). I have two years of work experience in the asset management field in Shanghai, primarily focusing on risk control for standardized investment operations, encompassing both the stock and bond markets.

My supervisor is Dr Bakr AL-GAMRH, Associate Professor in the department of Finance and Accounting.

Research interests

My research interests primarily revolve around portfolio management, risk management, investment strategies, and their integration with corporate governance.

Personal interests

I use Python for data analysis and am skilled in data processing and quantitative analysis. In the future, I hope to enhance my qualitative analysis skills. Additionally, I aspire to improve my academic writing abilities.

Abebaw Mulat Ashenafi is a PhD student in Management (Supply Chain Management) at Rennes School of Business (RSB). His doctoral research focuses on risk-aware optimisation and resilience in global supply chains, with particular emphasis on maritime logistics and security-critical transport systems. His work combines mathematical optimisation, scenario-based modelling, and game-theoretic analysis to support decision-making in volatile and high-risk environments.

Research Interests

• Supply chain resilience and disruption management
• Maritime logistics, vessel platooning, and convoy operations
• Attacker–defender game models (vessel convoys vs. piracy threats)
• Scenario-based, stochastic, and risk-adjusted optimisation
• Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM/MADM) in logistics and sourcing

Professional Experience

Abebaw has more than seven years of experience in teaching, research, and academic service.
Prior to joining RSB, he served as a Senior Lecturer in Industrial Engineering at Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia, where he taught operations research and supply chain-related courses, supervised undergraduate and MSc projects, and contributed to programme coordination as Chair Secretary of the Industrial Engineering programme.

Education

• PhD (ongoing), Management (Supply Chain Management) — Rennes School of Business, France
• MSc in Industrial Engineering (Production Engineering and Management) — Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Ethiopia
• BSc in Industrial Engineering — Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
• Higher Diploma in Behavioural and Social Science (Professional Teacher Education)

Supervision

Professor Jason Bian and Professor Ramzi Hammami

Publications

Ashenafi, Abebaw Mulat, and Sisay Geremew (2020). “A Combined Simulation-based Taguchi Robust Design Approach for Improved Parameter Design.” Industrial Engineering & Management Systems, 19(3), 644–656

Bradley Stone is a final-year PhD student studying the processes of interaction, innovation,
and coevolution in ecosystems.

He is jointly pursuing a PhD in Management at Rennes School of Business concurrently with a PhD in Innovation in the Public and Private Sectors at the Inland University of Norway.

Profile:

Before beginning his PhD studies, Mr. Stone conducted research for over 20 years as an engineer and physicist in fields including alternative energy, quantum physics, optical computing, beam steering and shaping, and orbital operations. He has four years of instructional experience teaching physics and engineering, and another eight years teaching entrepreneurship, project management, finance, and management topics at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Research interests:

Mr. Stone is interested in understanding how innovation is created, funded, and diffused into the community. Specifically, he is focused on innovation, ecosystems, interactions, coevolution, and the measurement of these phenomena. The application domains in which he currently conducts his research are:

• Business higher education ecosystems
• Agrifood ecosystems related to beverage production
• Grid-scale renewable energy systems
• Alternative energy sources

Research questions:

His doctoral research seeks to understand the nexus of interaction, innovation, and
coevolution, and thus his doctoral research questions include:

1. What is the relationship between coevolutionary interaction and innovation output
   within ecosystems?
2. How should innovation be defined and measured for operationalization in ecosystem research?
3. How should the concept of coevolutionary interaction be operationalized and
   quantified?

Theory and methodology:

Mr. Stone’s research draws on evolutionary theory, rational choice theory, and complex
systems theory. He employs a critical realist philosophical stance that recognizes qualitative, research as necessary to develop theory and quantitative empirical research to test that theory and develop scientific knowledge. His work uses both qualitative and quanitative methods including social network analysis, statistics, document analysis, and interviews, among others.

Miram Amin is a PhD student enrolled in the research center Financial Market & Corporate Outcomes (FMCO) since September 2022, under the supervision of Dr. Taoufik Bouraoui and Dr. Christos Alexakis

Miram earned her master’s degree in Advanced Studies and Research in Finance fromthe IGR-IAE School of Management at the University of Rennes I in 2019.

She has built an impressive 6-year career in the finance sector, serving as a Senior Business Valuation Analyst.Her professional journey spans industries such as Asset Management, Investment Banking, Automotive, Oil & Gas, and Information Technology. She has consistently demonstrated expertise in financial modelling, budget management, and conducting rigorous financial and investment analyses.

Research Interests:

Miram, a Climate Fresk facilitator, has a strong passion for the subject of climate change and its implications in the realm of investment. She is actively engaged in a research project that explores the trajectory of Impact Investment. Her study delves into the existing gaps in this domain and evaluates the associated risks. She aims to determine whether Impact Investment is merely a passing trend or a more substantial transition, all the while examining its potential contribution to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Main themes of research:

• Is impact investment a trend or a real transition?
• Do SMEs polarize Impact investors through greenwashing activities?

Consult the scholar:
Miram Amin | LinkedIn

I am Lalitha Shankari, a PhD student at Rennes School of Business. I completed my MSc in International Accounting Management Control and Auditing with distinction, also at Rennes School of Business.

My supervisor is Dr Roman MATKOVSKYY, Associate Professor in the Department of Finance and Geopolitics.

My research examines board gender diversity and corporate outcomes in Asian markets, with a focus on how informal institutions (societal values and cultural norms) and formal governance reforms jointly shape women’s representation on corporate boards. A key theme in my work is distinguishing “check-the-box” compliance from substantive, sustained improvements in board diversity. I also study the implications of board gender diversity for firm policies and whether these relationships depend on internal governance and external institutional quality.

Questions of interests:

• How do societal values and cultural norms influence board gender diversity across Asian countries?
• Does corporate governance act as a mechanism linking societal values to board gender diversity?
• Is board gender diversity associated with firms’ financial and investment policies in Asian listed companies?
• Do internal governance structures condition the diversity-policy relationship? And do external governance shape these outcomes directly, and do they strengthen or mute the marginal role of board gender diversity?
• Does internal governance act as a channel through which diversity becomes operative?

Methodology

I use an unbalanced panel of listed firms from Asian countries. My approach combines:

• Firm and year fixed-effects panel regressions
• Moderation-mediation models

Skills I develop during my PhD

I aim to strengthen my expertise in institutional and corporate governance research and further develop advanced quantitative skills in panel data methods, moderation/mediation analysis, and governance measurement. In parallel, I aim to develop qualitative research skills, including systematic literature review and theory synthesis, theory building and triangulation, to support rigorous mixed-method research.

I am Lakshmi Narasimha Raju, a PhD student affiliated with the Artificial Intelligent-Driven Business research area of Rennes School of Business (enrolled in February 2022).
My supervisors are Professor Yi Liu and Professor Sarah Hudson.

My research interests include the ethics of AI, algorithmic management, technology-mediated control, and the study of employee resistance and workarounds, as well as their implications for organisations.

Topic of thesis

Algorithmic Surveillance and Control in Workplace: Exploring Employee Legitimacy Perceptions and Resistance Strategies

Main themes of my research / Research questions

• Ethics of algorithmic monitoring
• Employee reactions to algorithmic surveillance and control

Theory used

Workaround theory, Moral Foundation theory, sociomateriality

I am interested in developing my skills in qualitative research methods, experimental research design, and improving my skills in machine learning and text mining.

I am Segun Shogbanmu, a first year PhD student in Management with specialization in Marketing. My research interest sits in the intersection of judgement and decision, moral reasoning, and consumer-brand relationship breakdown. My supervisors are Dr Claire-Lise Ackermannand Professor Dildar Hussain.

I have a BA in English (LASU); MBA (LBS); and MPhil (LBS). My MPhil dissertation is titled “moral coupling: how self-relevance and transgression relevance influence consumer opposition” under the supervision of Prof. Tayo Otubanjo.

Prior to joining Rennes School of Business, I have had tripartite experience in teaching, consulting, and research. My most recent role before joining RSB was as the Chief Strategy Officer of a technology solution and servicing company, Prunedge.

Main themes of my research/ Research questions

I am currently investigating how customers apportion their loyalty to each side of co-brands post relationship breakdown.

Theory used

Cognitive Dissonance Theory and Signaling Theory

nterested in

I am very keen about a mix of experimental design and qualitative research methods.

Le Phuong Thao Quynh is currently pursuing her Ph.D at the Rethinking Tomorrow Organisation, jointly supervised by Dr. Laurent Scaringella at Rennes School of Business and Prof. Bard Tronvoll at Inland University (Norway).>

Her academic background lies in economics and finance. She got her master’s in business with a specialisation in Banking and Finance from Monash University in Australia. Additionally, she completed the Leadership in International Security course at Geneva Centre of International Security from 2018 to 2019. Her Ph.D project centers on “Multilevel ambidexterity towards sustainable performance in SMEs: an innovation perspective (with a focus on the Vietnam’s agricultural SMEs)”.

Work experience

She had 1 year working in industry in a project department of a technology company in Hanoi. Subsequently, she transitioned to the academia, working as a Macroeconomics Lecturer at Foreign Trade University in Vietnam for 10 years.

Research questions

How is the relationship between multi-level ambidexterity with green innovation?

In what way do ambidexterity and green innovation influence the performance of the agricultural SMEs at organisation and ecosystem levels in Vietnam?

I use/I am interested in

Quynh’s main interest is to develop her skills in both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to enhance their application in her research.

Tina Nartnik is a first-year PhD student at Rennes SB, writing her Double Degree in pair with the School of Economics and Business at the University of Ljubljana. Her research interests are the effect of technology and Artificial Intelligence on Trust in the context of Business Intelligence and Analytics. She is also a Teaching Assistant at SEB LU, with over 5 years of experience in IT, Data engineering, BI Development, and Visualisation. She also holds Microsoft Azure certifications for Azure fundamentals (AZ-900), Azure data fundamentals (DP-900), and Azure data engineer associate (DP-203).

Topic of thesis

Trust Ambivalence in AI-Augmented Analytics

Main themes of research

Business intelligence, Artificial intelligence, Trust ambivalence, Continuous use

Luyang Hou is a PhD student in the Department of Supply Chain Management and Information Systems.
She joined Rennes School of Business in 2024.
Her supervisor is Dr Maher AGI, Associate Professor in the Department of Supply Chain Management and Information Systems.

She has an academic background in business with a specialisation in finance and accounting, and study experiences in China, Malaysia, and the UK. After obtaining her master’s degree in the UK, she worked as a consultant at a Big Four firm in Mainland China in information risk management, and later at an Hong Kong advisory firm in ESG consulting. Through her engagements with clients in e-commerce, logistics, and financial industries, she developed research interests in management integrated with digital technology and sustainability.

Her research focuses on sustainable supply chain and operations management issues.

She is also passionate about teaching and has experience working both online and on-site as a tutor and teaching assistant.

My name is Alexandre Dohin, and I have been a doctoral student since January 2025. I am affiliated with the University of South Brittany and the IRISA laboratory, and I conduct my research in collaboration with Rennes School of Business, within the Operations & Analytics department. I am supervised by Dr Karim Zkik (RSB), Dr Mawloud Omar (UBS) and Dr Abdellah Akilal (UBS).

I am a computer engineer specialising in cybersecurity. My background has enabled me to develop strong skills in digital systems engineering, including software development, systems and network administration, DevOps practices, defensive and offensive cybersecurity, and data analysis. My thesis, entitled ‘Cyber resilience and predictive maintenance on supply chain platforms: coping with disruptions in weak institutional environments,’ focuses on the analysis of digital vulnerabilities and mechanisms for anticipating failures affecting supply chain platforms in an industrial context.

In this context, I explore the contribution of predictive maintenance methods and machine learning techniques, particularly neural networks, to improving organisations’ ability to cope with cyberattacks and incidents in fragile institutional contexts.

I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Marketing Department at Rennes School of Business, enrolled in a joint doctoratea joint doctorate with the University of Ljubljana, School of Economics and Business. My supervisors are Dr Mahabubur Rahman and Dr Barbara Culiberg.

My current research interests revolve around the firm’s marketing capability, exploring the antecedents and consequences of corporate social responsibility structure, corporate social responsibility consistency, and their impact on firm financial outcomes. I mainly use secondary data to conduct empirical studies.

Publication In Peer-Reviewed Journals

• Teng, F., Rahman, M., & Jang, S. (2026) What Drives CSR Specialization? The Roles
  of Relative Marketing Capability and Market Conditions. Journal of Business Research (The paper was Accepted in Jan 2026)
• Pizzetti, M., Chereau, P., Soscia, I., & Teng, F. (2023). Attitudes and intentions toward masstige strategies: A cross-cultural study of French and Chinese consumers. Journal of
  Business Research, 167, 114174

Research Interests

Mary Le Gal is a PhD researcher at Rennes School of Business, specializing in qualitative research. Her work focuses on organizational tensions, looking at how competing demands show up in everyday work and how frontline staff navigate them over time.

Method and context

Her research is based on a nine-month ethnography in a long-term care facility, a context shaped by population aging, where resource constraints, emotional demands, and increasing scrutiny make these tensions especially visible.

Research aim

She aims to develop a relational, process model of how multiple tensions interact over time and to translate it into a practical map that helps teams recognize recurring patterns and respond more constructively.

Background

Prior to her PhD, Mary worked as a change management consultant for seven years and has taught management and organization modules for over a decade. She holds an MSc (with distinction) from Coventry University, UK, and a BBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.

Trang is currently pursuing a PhD under the supervision of Dr. Saqib Aziz. She earned a Master’s degree in Public Policy, with a specialization in economics and development, from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

She has a background in the U.S. economy and sustainable development before transitioning to academia in the field of corporate finance. She has two years of experience as a Finance lecturer at the International School, Vietnam National University before moving to France.

Her PhD research focuses on the intersection of political risk and sustainable finance at the firm level, with the aim of examining how firms can adapt to emerging financial challenges.

She seeks to develop advanced skills in both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in order to produce high-quality scholarly work with practical relevance for firms.