Bayes Business School ranks fifth in UK for research excellence

Research produced at Bayes Business School has been ranked in the top five in the UK for being world-leading, and impacting society, policy and the economy.

The results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, which assesses research quality at UK higher education institutions, confirmed Bayes’ Business and Management Studies submissions as one of the best in the country.

Based on the Times Higher Education league tables – which rank universities using a Grade Point Average (GPA) measure – the overall GPA ranked City’s submission in Business and Management Studies as 5th in the UK and 5th for the proportion of research rated as world-leading (4*) (59 per cent).

Among submissions from Bayes was the research of Dr Amanda Goodall, Reader in Leadership at Bayes, whose work examines the role of leaders in shaping an organisation. Through studying managers across different sectors, Dr Goodall’s findings show that the most effective leaders are those who have extensive experience within the field the organisation operates in – that medical experts are best suited to lead the NHS, for instance – as opposed to more generalistic leadership skills and experience across different industries.

Another Bayes submission was for the work of Professor David Blake, Professor of Finance & Director of the Pensions Institute, who explored the life market and longevity of transferring pension plans from schemes to insurance companies, and eventually out into capital markets in the face of retirees living longer. Professor Blake worked with Her Majesty’s Treasury to devise a system of ‘longevity swaps’, whereby pension plans could remove liabilities and lower capital requirements for pensions providers.

Professor Bobby Banerjee, Associate Dean for Research & Enterprise at Bayes Business School, said: “This is a truly outstanding result for the School and a remarkable achievement of which we should all be proud. Our outstanding environment score is a result of the work of outstanding people – academics, professional staff, and research students who have consistently put Bayes research on the world map. I would like to offer my sincere thanks and gratitude to the scores of people involved in the REF submission.”

Professor Andre Spicer, Dean at Bayes Business School, said: “I am delighted with how we performed. It speaks to the strong research culture at Bayes and reminds us of all the excellent work which people do in not just publishing papers but also mentoring others, reviewing, creating impact, applying for funding and much more.”

View the full City, University of London results on the Research in Focus microsite, which includes an overview of City’s research, a snapshot of our REF results and videos and articles about research projects and their impact on the world. You can find out more about our world-leading and internationally excellent research by visiting the microsite and watching our ‘Research in Focus’ video.

In total, 86 per cent of City’s submission to the REF was rated as being of world leading (4*) and internationally excellent (3*) quality. To read the full story, visit the Bayes website.

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