About me
Dr Obby Phiri is a Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Finance at Westminster Business School. He holds a PhD and an MSc (Distinction) in Accounting and Finance from the University of Essex, and a Bachelor of Accountancy (Distinction) from the Copperbelt University. He is also a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Before joining the University of Westminster, Dr Phiri gained extensive professional and academic experience at the University of Essex, University Campus Suffolk, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Bank of Zambia, and the Copperbelt University. He has also served as a board treasurer for a non-governmental organisation and as managing director of a consultancy firm.
Dr Phiri’s teaching and research are shaped by his strong professional background in auditing, financial management, and risk analysis. His academic work focuses on corporate governance, corporate social responsibility (CSR), risk management, auditing, and financial reporting, with an emphasis on their contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—notably SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
He has supervised MSc and PhD students and served as an external examiner for DBA and PhD candidates at partner institutions.
Teaching
Dr Phiri contributes extensively to teaching and curriculum development across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in audit, finance, and accounting. At the undergraduate level, his teaching portfolio includes Introductory Financial Accounting, Accounting and Finance for Business, Financial Accounting and Reporting, Accounting Theory and Practice, and Auditing Theory and Practice. At the postgraduate level, he delivers modules such as Contemporary Issues in Accounting; Auditing, Assurance and Professional Ethics, and Advanced Financial Statement Analysis.
In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Dr Phiri supervises placement students providing academic guidance and professional mentorship to enhance their experiential learning, critical reflection, and integration of theoretical knowledge into professional practice.
Research
Dr Phiri’s research critically examines the intersections of corporate governance, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and sustainable finance, with a particular focus on accountability and stakeholder relations in resource-rich economies. His doctoral research investigated CSR practices in Zambia’s extractive industries, analysing how multinational mining firms engage with local communities and the implications of such practices for transparency, legitimacy, and sustainable development.
Building on this foundation, Dr Phiri’s subsequent work explores how executive compensation, employee productivity, and firm performance interact with ethical governance and social responsibility. His research contributes to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—specifically SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)—by addressing issues of income inequality, responsible corporate conduct, and inclusive community development.
Key research areas include:
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainable development
- Corporate governance and ethical business practices
- Executive compensation, pay ratios, and income inequality (SDG 10)
- Risk management and auditing quality
- Financial reporting and transparency
- Stakeholder theory and community engagement (SDG 11)
- Corporate accountability and social impact in resource-rich economies (SDG 1)
Dr Phiri’s research has been published in leading international journals, including:
- Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society
- Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal
- Corporate Ownership & Control
Publications
For details of all my research outputs, visit my WestminsterResearch profile.