The changes in the economic and societal environment, driven by globalization and the rapid evolution of technology, challenge our existing knowledge about how business firms and organizations must be managed in the twentieth-first century.

One of the missions of the academic community in business administration is to provide evidence-based advice to managers, grounded on quality research. With this inter-university doctoral programme, four leading Spanish universities (Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya) join efforts and look for synergies to train young researchers in acquiring the competencies required to perform cutting-edge research in the fields of management and business administration.

The doctoral candidates that defend their doctoral thesis successfully obtain a joint doctoral degree from the four universities offering the doctoral programme. A PhD in business can be the starting point on an academic career, but it is also a signal of the acquisition of research-related competences, increasingly appreciated by business firms worldwide.