New in­ter­na­tion­al rank­ing: CBS among the world’s lead­ing busi­ness schools for re­search reach­ing busi­ness and poli­cy­makers

Research from CBS is not only read and cited by fellow scientists. It also finds its way into businesses, organisations and the environments in which policy decisions are shaped.

This is according to a new assessment by the Financial Times, which examines how research from international business schools reaches and is used beyond academia.

CBS performs strongly across several areas. The school ranks 10th for research published in journals aimed at business practitioners and decision-makers, and seventh for research cited in policy documents produced by governments, think tanks and international organisations.

For Morten Frederiksen, Dean of Research, Innovation and Societal Impact at CBS, the rankings are an important recognition of the school’s ambition to produce research that combines high academic quality with relevance beyond academia.

“It is a very strong result for CBS. Of course, we must conduct research of the highest international quality, but our ambition is also for the knowledge we create to be put to use. When our research reaches people making decisions in businesses and organisations, as well as those developing the evidence base for policy, it is an important indication that we are succeeding in that ambition,” says Morten Frederiksen.

CBS in the top 10 for research reaching business decision-makers

Research rarely travels directly from the pages of an academic journal to the boardroom. Along the way, a number of publications translate academic knowledge into the questions business leaders grapple with: How should we organise? How should we lead? And how do we develop the business?

It is in this space between research and practice that CBS ranks among the leading business schools. In the Financial Times assessment, CBS ranks tenth for research published in journals aimed at business leaders and decision-makers.

These include Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review and California Management Review – publications that have made a name for themselves by bringing research closer to the decisions and dilemmas businesses face.

“One of the most important contributions we can make as a university is to provide research-based knowledge that can inform decisions beyond academia. This applies both to businesses and organisations and to policymaking. It is therefore encouraging to see CBS research having international reach and influence across several areas,” says Morten Frederiksen.

CBS research reaches policymakers

In addition, CBS ranks seventh in the Financial Times assessment of research cited in policy documents. In total, CBS research was cited 28 times by 15 different organisations across ten countries. This places CBS ahead of institutions including INSEAD and the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

The figures do not show that the research itself has led to specific policy decisions. But they do show that it is being drawn on in the environments where societal issues are analysed, debated and translated into policy.

“Research-based knowledge can help inform the decisions that shape our societies. It is therefore particularly encouraging to see CBS research being picked up and used in policy documents across organisations and countries,” says Morten Frederiksen.

CBS also performs strongly in external research funding, ranking fifth among the participating business schools.

New ways of measuring the impact of research

The Financial Times assessment is part of its work to explore new ways of evaluating the impact of research beyond universities.

Traditionally, research quality is often assessed through academic publications and citations by other researchers. However, these measures do not necessarily show whether research also reaches businesses, organisations or policymaking.

The Financial Times is therefore examining a range of other indicators, including citations in policy documents, publications aimed at business practitioners and external research funding.

These measures cannot in themselves demonstrate the specific changes that research has brought about. They can, however, provide an indication of where research is being picked up and used as a source of knowledge beyond academia.

For CBS, this perspective is particularly important.

“Our ambition is to produce research that both advances academic knowledge and contributes to addressing significant challenges in business and society. It is therefore encouraging to see CBS among the leading international business schools when the reach and impact of research beyond academia are examined,” says Morten Frederiksen.