An exploratory exercise to come up with a concrete MBA research theme: on animal welfare

An exploratory exercise to come up with a concrete MBA research theme: on animal welfare

 

I am a part-time MBA student, currently learning how to carry out a dissertation project. My personal interest is animal welfare in Hong Kong but I have no ideas how to come up with a research theme that is appropriate for an MBA dissertation proposal. As a brainstorming exercise, could you suggest 4 MBA research themes for me to consider that is related to animal welfare?

Yes — for an MBA dissertation, the best animal-welfare topics are usually framed through management, strategy, CSR, operations, marketing, sustainability, or stakeholder value, rather than animal welfare as a purely veterinary or legal issue. In Hong Kong, that gives you several strong and practical research angles.

4 MBA research themes

1.    Corporate social responsibility and animal welfare in Hong Kong firms
You could study how companies support animal welfare through CSR, employee volunteering, donation campaigns, or cause-related marketing, and whether these activities improve brand image or stakeholder trust. This fits well with MBA themes like CSR, reputation management, and stakeholder theory.

2.    Business models for pet-food and shelter-support enterprises
You could examine how Hong Kong social enterprises or commercial firms create sustainable business models while supporting shelters, stray animals, or pet adoption. This is a good topic if you want to connect animal welfare with entrepreneurship, social innovation, and circular economy ideas.

3.    Consumer attitudes toward pet-friendly and animal-welfare-oriented brands
This theme could explore whether Hong Kong consumers are willing to pay more for products or services from firms that demonstrate strong animal-welfare commitments. It links nicely to marketing, consumer behaviour, and ethical branding.

4.    Animal welfare as part of supply chain and ESG governance
You could investigate how animal welfare is integrated into procurement, sourcing, or ESG reporting, especially in food, retail, or hospitality firms. This is a strong MBA topic because it connects governance, sustainability, risk management, and corporate accountability.

How to make one workable

A good MBA dissertation theme should be narrow enough to research in a few months and broad enough to show management value. For example, instead of “animal welfare in Hong Kong,” you could narrow it to:

• “The impact of CSR activities on public perceptions of animal welfare brands in Hong Kong.”
• “The business viability of pet-food donation models for animal shelters in Hong Kong.”
• “Consumer willingness to support animal-welfare-friendly brands in Hong Kong.”
• “How Hong Kong firms incorporate animal welfare into ESG and stakeholder management.”

Best fit for MBA

If you want the most MBA-friendly direction, I would prioritize these two:

• CSR and brand reputation.
• Business model / social enterprise sustainability.

Those are easier to justify as management research and easier to turn into a proposal with clear objectives, research questions, and data collection methods.

I am interested in the crude research theme of "Consumer attitudes toward pet-friendly and animal-welfare-oriented brands". Besides, I would like to consider the following key words for my research theme formulation: ethical branding, consumer behavior, pragmatism, and exploratory research. Could you come up with a more concrete research theme based on these information?

 

A strong concrete theme would be:

“An exploratory study of Hong Kong consumers’ attitudes toward ethical branding in pet-friendly and animal-welfare-oriented brands.”

This keeps your original idea, while making it more MBA- and dissertation-ready by adding a clear market context, a consumer-focus, and an exploratory design. It also fits pragmatism well because you can justify choosing methods that help you understand both attitudes and practical business implications.

Slightly sharper alternatives

1.    “Exploring Hong Kong consumers’ perceptions of ethical branding in pet-friendly and animal-welfare-oriented brands.”

2.    “A pragmatist exploratory study of consumer behavior toward animal-welfare-oriented branding in Hong Kong.”

3.    “Consumer acceptance of ethical branding among pet-friendly and animal-welfare-oriented brands in Hong Kong: an exploratory study.”

Best version for an MBA proposal

If you want the most balanced and academically acceptable wording, I would suggest:

“An exploratory pragmatist study of Hong Kong consumers’ behavior toward ethical branding in pet-friendly and animal-welfare-oriented brands.”

This version works well because:

·        Exploratory signals that you are investigating a developing topic.

·        Pragmatist signals a practical dissertation orientation.

·        Consumer behavior gives you a clear business/marketing angle.

·        Ethical branding makes the topic sound more management-focused and academically framed.

Possible refinement

If you want, you can make it even more precise by specifying a sector, such as retail, food, or pet services. For example:

·        “An exploratory pragmatist study of Hong Kong consumers’ behavior toward ethical branding in pet-friendly pet retail brands.”

·        “An exploratory study of consumer attitudes toward ethical branding in animal-welfare-oriented pet food brands in Hong Kong.”

 

With reference to the concrete research theme of "An exploratory pragmatist study of Hong Kong consumers’ behavior toward ethical branding in pet-friendly and animal-welfare-oriented brands.”, please provide some information on: (1) related research issues, (2) related Hong Kong public-media reported issues, and (3) 3 relevant academic theories to use, with references in Harvard reference format.

Below is a dissertation-oriented framing for your theme, with the three parts you asked for. I have kept it focused on Hong Kong and on MBA-relevant concepts such as branding, consumer response, and practical managerial implications.emerald+1

1. Related research issues

A useful research issue is whether Hong Kong consumers actually notice and value ethical branding in pet-friendly and animal-welfare-oriented brands, or whether they mainly buy on price, convenience, and product quality. Another issue is whether ethical branding affects outcomes such as trust, purchase intention, brand loyalty, and willingness to pay a premium.emerald

You can also examine whether consumers distinguish between genuine animal-welfare commitment and superficial “green/ethical” messaging, which is relevant to concerns about credibility and brand authenticity. A third issue is whether consumer attitudes differ by pet ownership, age, income, and prior involvement in animal welfare.emerald

For an exploratory pragmatist study, your research issues can be framed as:

·        How Hong Kong consumers interpret ethical branding in pet-related products and services.

·        What factors shape their buying decisions.

·        Whether perceived ethicality translates into real market support.emerald

2. Hong Kong public-media issues

Hong Kong public-facing animal-welfare reporting often highlights rescue, stray-animal care, and community support activities, showing that animal welfare is a visible public concern rather than a niche topic. The SPCA Hong Kong continues to publicise rescue and welfare-related work, and it also promotes pet-friendly locations and public engagement around animal welfare issues.spca+1

The Hong Kong Consumer Council has also stressed sustainable consumption and the need for better consumer information, which is relevant to ethical branding because consumers need credible, understandable claims before they can make informed choices. Its annual report discusses the Council’s efforts to educate and encourage consumers toward more sustainable choices and better product information.hub.hku

A practical local issue is that some brands and organisations promote “ethical” or “green” claims, but consumers may struggle to verify them. That makes Hong Kong a good setting for studying trust, label credibility, and whether ethical brand messages influence consumer behavior in a crowded and fast-moving market.hub.hku+1

3. Three theories to use

Theory 1: Theory of Planned Behavior

This theory is very useful for consumer-behavior research because it explains how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control shape intention and behavior. In your topic, it can help explain whether positive attitudes toward animal welfare actually become purchase intention.emerald

Theory 2: Stakeholder theory

Stakeholder theory fits well with ethical branding because it views firms as responsible to multiple stakeholders, not only shareholders. In your dissertation, it can support the idea that pet-friendly and animal-welfare-oriented brands create value by responding to customer expectations, social expectations, and community concerns.academic.oup

Theory 3: Ethical consumerism / brand ethicality

This is the most directly relevant lens for your topic because it focuses on how consumers respond to brands they perceive as morally responsible. Research shows that perceived brand ethicality can influence commitment, psychological ownership, and willingness to pay a premium, making it highly relevant to your theme.emerald

4. Possible research angle

A strong dissertation focus could be:

“How do Hong Kong consumers perceive ethical branding in pet-friendly and animal-welfare-oriented brands, and how does this perception affect purchase intention and brand trust?”

That version is narrow enough for an MBA dissertation, but still broad enough to allow exploratory interviews, a survey, or a mixed-method design. It also aligns naturally with pragmatism because you can combine practical market understanding with theory-driven analysis.emerald

Harvard references

Consumer Council (2023) Consumer Council Annual Report 2022-23. Hong Kong: Consumer Council. Available at: https://www.consumer.org.hk/f/annual_report/429305/CCAR22-23_p60-67_Promoting%20Sustainable%20Consumption.pdf (Accessed: 25 June 2026).

Kumar, V. and Kaushal, V. (2023) ‘Brand ethicality as a driver of psychological, affective and behavioral response to a brand’, Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 41(8), pp. 1178–1196. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-05-2023-0193 (Accessed: 25 June 2026).

SPCA Hong Kong (2026a) Home. Available at: https://www.spca.org.hk (Accessed: 25 June 2026).

SPCA Hong Kong (2026b) Pawprint Magazine. Available at: https://www.spca.org.hk/help-advice/pawprint-magazine/ (Accessed: 25 June 2026).

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