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Measuring the long-term impact of business school research on academia, teaching, society and decision makers

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  • Haenlein, Michael
  • Jack, Andrew

Abstract

Research shapes, in one way or another, the activities of nearly every business school. It is a cornerstone that defines institutional prestige, faculty recruitment, and student demand. However, despite the billions invested annually, much of this research receives limited attention beyond academia. This article introduces a comprehensive conceptual framework that distinguishes between four types of impact, depending on the primary stakeholder group the research addresses. We separate academic, teaching, societal, and managerial impact through its influence on the behavior of fellow academics, consumers/ public policymakers, students, and managers. By proposing a set of short-term impact signals and medium-term impact measures, we map the path from research publication to long-term impact. Our framework offers actionable insights for business school deans, journal editors, and faculty. We identify current challenges in measuring research impact, including output variety, attribution, and data availability. We hope our framework can guide decision-makers seeking to enhance the visibility and real-world influence of business school research. This article accompanies and explains the underlying thinking in an experimental new standalone Financial Times research ranking (www.ft.com/bsis)

Suggested Citation

  • Haenlein, Michael & Jack, Andrew, 2025. "Measuring the long-term impact of business school research on academia, teaching, society and decision makers," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 1-12.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ijrema:v:42:y:2025:i:1:p:1-12
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijresmar.2024.10.009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kohli, Ajay K. & Haenlein, Michael, 2021. "Factors Affecting the Study of Important Marketing Issues: Additional Thoughts and Clarifications," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 29-31.
    2. Kaplan, Andreas, 2018. "A school is “a building that has four walls…with tomorrow inside”: Toward the reinvention of the business school," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 61(4), pages 599-608.
    3. Waltman, Ludo & van Eck, Nees Jan, 2013. "A systematic empirical comparison of different approaches for normalizing citation impact indicators," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 7(4), pages 833-849.
    4. Kaplan, Andreas M. & Haenlein, Michael, 2016. "Higher education and the digital revolution: About MOOCs, SPOCs, social media, and the Cookie Monster," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 59(4), pages 441-450.
    5. Kohli, Ajay K. & Haenlein, Michael, 2021. "Factors affecting the study of important marketing issues: Implications and recommendations," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 1-11.
    6. Stremersch, Stefan, 2024. "How can academics generate great research ideas? Inspiration from ideation practice," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 1-17.
    7. Donthu, Naveen & Reinartz, Werner & Kumar, Satish & Pattnaik, Debidutta, 2021. "A retrospective review of the first 35 years of the International Journal of Research in Marketing," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 232-269.
    8. Stremersch, Stefan & Camacho, Nuno & Vanneste, Sofie & Verniers, Isabel, 2015. "Unraveling scientific impact: Citation types in marketing journals," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 64-77.
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    10. Michael Haenlein & Mary Jo Bitner & Ajay K. Kohli & Katherine N. Lemon & David J. Reibstein, 2022. "Guest Editorial: Responsible Research in Marketing," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 8-12, January.
    11. Ramani, Ravi S. & Aguinis, Herman & Coyle-Shapiro, Jacqueline A.M., 2022. "Defining, measuring, and rewarding scholarly impact: mind the level of analysis," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 117286, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
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    Keywords

    Rigor vs. Relevance; Long-Term Impact;

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