Mohammed Akhib is from the College of Business, Government and Law and is one of the 12 winners of the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Doctoral Thesis Excellence for 2023. Mohammed was supervised by Professor Roberta Crouch and Dr. Ashokkumar Manoharan  from Flinders University.

Mohammed’s thesis Exploring the Consumer Perceived Veracity of Traditional Media vs Social Media Reports in an Organisational Crisis Context investigated the extent to which crisis reports are believable by the consumer, comparing the attribution of blame placed on the organisation when reported by traditional media and social media. The focus of the study was on the trust and distrust perceptions of Australian consumers during an organisational crisis.

We invited Mohammed to share insights into the PhD journey and what winning this award means.

What does winning the Vice-Chancellors Award for Doctoral Thesis Excellence mean to you?

It is an honour and privilege to be a recipient of the VC Award. This recognition would not have been possible without the exceptional guidance and constant encouragement of my supervisors. It particularly highlights the unwavering support of my lovely wife and our wonderful kids throughout my PhD. I feel grateful to everyone who supported me during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What has been one of the most enjoyable parts of the journey?

The entire PhD journey became more and more exciting as I studied deeper and used a variety of techniques to develop an understanding of the various elements at play. I found great satisfaction in acquiring new knowledge and skills that opened up new insights, which were like delightful treats. This type of fun was certainly not what I expected.

What has been one of the hardest parts of the journey?

The uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and the trauma of personal losses during this period were the hardest parts. The support of my supervisors, the CBGL, and the HDR office helped me to continue and complete the PhD journey.