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Research

Our pool of world-class researchers influence management strategies and practices world-wide through our outstanding list of outputs and direct involvements with industry. Our research addresses some of the biggest challenges of our time such as sustainability and responsible leadership.

Kent Business School is a research-led business school. Our research strategy is developed around the core theme of sustainable innovation which cuts across the entire School. This theme can be seen as being divided into two sub-strands of research aimed at answering these main questions:

How can innovation that enables sustainable long-term economic growth be created and supported?
How can sustainable business practices improve environmental and social conditions?

Kent Business School advances knowledge through constant promotion and support of innovative research. We have an impact on wider society through extensive collaborations with external partners which range from other academic institutions to a variety of local, national and international businesses as well as the NHS. Within this wider context, our main strategic aim has been geared towards establishing ourselves as a leading institution for research in sustainable innovation.

Kent Business School is a global leader in research and develops a wide portfolio of research related activities including workshops, conferences and research seminar series. This has led to a large number of international collaborations and to over 200 co-authored papers with international partners.

We carry out daring and innovative research

Professor Maria Paola Scaparra collaborates with the Vietnamese government

Departments

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Department of Accounting and Finance

Specialising in public-sector critical accounting and accounting history.

Department of Analytics, Operations and Systems

Innovating in wide-ranging topics such as operational research and systems thinking.

Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship and International Business

Studying issues surrounding consumer behaviour, product development and maintaining value supply chains among others.

Department of Leadership and Management

Helping in the development of innovative business strategies for businesses all over the world.

Research Centres

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The Centre for Quantitative Finance

Providing quantitative analysis of issues in the financial markets for businesses and policymakers.

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The Centre for Logistics and Heuristic Optimisation

Helping companies to solve complex strategic, tactical and operational problems.

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The Centre for Technology, Innovation, Management and Enterprise

Exploring new multidisciplinary and innovative approaches to topics related to digital innovation.

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The Productivity and Workplace Performance Hub

Contributing to the evidence base for competitiveness, environmental growth, regional productivity, technology and innovation.

Postgraduate Researchers

Our vibrant community of Postgraduate Researchers are active members of our research community. In 2019 our PhD students attended numerous conferences and have published papers.

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PhD Students

Our vibrant community of Postgraduate Researchers are active members of our research community.

Our research: Making a difference

At Kent Business School, we bring our research to end users through our collaborations with practitioners and other stakeholders. These collaborations help our partners benefit from the insights of our research while building long-lasting ties which lead to follow-on projects. Some examples of our latest collaborations with external partners:

Port of Dover: this Innovate UK funded project saw Kent Business School bring its expertise to one of the most important freight points of entry to the UK. The port has benefited from our traffic simulation tool which has led to a reduction of traffic congestion. Parallel to this, researchers at Kent Business School have also been fundamental on the re-design of the Western Docks and led to significant savings in infrastructure development.

Priority Freight: this award winning Knowledge Transfer Partnership has led not only to significant commercial benefits for the company, but also to a considerable reduction of the company’s CO2 emissions.

NHS: through running inclusivity workshops with three different NHS trusts, research at Kent Business School has helped BAME workers better understand how to navigate the politics involved in career promotion.

Zero Trace Procurement: this Knowledge Transfer Partnership helped a utility brokerage firm develop the KIVEEV tool which applies our knowledge of risk management to help energy buyers better manage their consumption and costs.

This is in line with the University’s wider strategy which focusses on developing research with a civic mission, helping others benefit from our insights and becoming a pillar of the Kent region.