World Online Ranking of Best Business and Management Scientists – 2023 Report

by Imed Bouchrika, PhD

Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist

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Business and Management Scientists Ranking 2023: What It Means and How to Use It

If you are comparing business schools, looking for a doctoral advisor, evaluating a research partnership, or trying to understand where influential management scholarship is produced, a scientist ranking can be useful. But only if you know what it measures and what it does not. The 2023 Research.com ranking of the best business and management scientists highlights researchers whose work has had measurable academic impact in areas such as strategy, entrepreneurship, organizational resilience, knowledge management, operations, innovation, and management practice.

This guide explains how the ranking was built, what the results say about global research strength, which countries and institutions appear most often, and how students and professionals can use the list to make better decisions about graduate study, collaborations, and career planning.

Quick Answer: What Does the 2023 Ranking Show?

The 2023 Research.com business and management scientist ranking identifies scholars with strong discipline-specific influence. To be included, researchers had to meet a minimum D-index of 30 and show that most of their scholarly impact was tied to business and management. Research.com reviewed more than 7,819 profiles before publishing the final list.

The United States has the largest share of ranked scientists with 468 researchers, or 46.8% of the ranking. The United Kingdom is second with 162 scholars. Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, China, and Germany also appear prominently. Among institutions, the University of Pennsylvania leads with 21 ranked scientists.

What the Ranking Measures

This ranking is designed to measure research influence within business and management, not popularity or institutional branding. Researchers were not included simply because they were well known. They had to meet a discipline-based threshold and show that their publication record was meaningfully concentrated in the field.

Research.com also considered additional scholarly evidence, including awards, academic achievements, and bibliometric indicators. In practice, that means the ranking is better at identifying researchers who have shaped business and management literature than at comparing schools on teaching quality, student support, or overall degree value.

Why Business and Management Research Matters in 2026

Business and management research remains highly relevant because organizations continue to face disruption from AI adoption, workforce change, global supply pressure, sustainability expectations, and faster shifts in consumer behavior. For schools, employers, and researchers, the question is no longer just who publishes the most. It is who is producing work that helps explain how organizations adapt, compete, and stay resilient.

Recent research has also highlighted how companies often prioritize adaptive strategies in unstable conditions. One line of scholarship found that pandemic-era adaptive strategies often took priority over long-range planning for post-COVID business conditions. That aligns with the work of Bratianu and Bejinaru (2020), which emphasized the value of emergent knowledge strategies when organizations are dealing with disruption.

For anyone comparing doctoral programs, research centers, or executive education options, the ranking can reveal where strong research ecosystems are concentrated. It should be one input among several, not the deciding factor on its own.

How to Read This Ranking Correctly

The most useful way to interpret the list is as a signal of scholarly influence. A university with many ranked scientists may have stronger research networks, better access to active faculty, and more opportunities for doctoral students or collaborators. But that does not automatically mean the school is the best fit for every learner.

Before making a decision, compare the ranking with accreditation, curriculum quality, tuition, format, faculty availability, and career outcomes. A highly cited research environment may be ideal for a future academic, but less practical for a working executive who needs flexibility and a leadership-focused curriculum.

Countries With the Most Ranked Business and Management Scientists

Research.com’s 2023 list is heavily concentrated in the United States and the United Kingdom, with several other countries also contributing a meaningful number of leading scholars. This concentration reflects where major research universities, doctoral programs, and funded research environments are often located.

The country assigned to a researcher is based on the scholar’s affiliated research institution, not the researcher’s nationality.

The United States remains in first place and increased its share from 2022. The United Kingdom stays in second place. Australia remains third, although its count fell from 57 in 2022 to 52 in 2023. Canada holds fourth place, the Netherlands moves ahead of China, and Singapore rises to 8th place from 10th in 2022. Italy enters the top 10 and replaces Sweden.

Institutions With the Highest Number of Leading Scientists

Institutional concentration matters because it often reflects where strong research networks, mentoring systems, and funding support are available. The University of Pennsylvania leads the 2023 ranking with 21 scholars, up from 18 in 2022.

Harvard University and Arizona State University are tied with 13 ranked scientists each. Stanford University follows with 12. Hong Kong Polytechnic University is fifth and is the only non-American university in the top 10. The University of Southern California, University of Maryland-College Park, and MIT each have 11 scientists.

American universities make up 90% of the top 10 institutions. Within the top 20, four universities are based in the United Kingdom: the University of Warwick, the University of Cambridge, the University of Reading, and Cardiff University.

H-Index Leaders and What the Numbers Suggest

The top-ranked researchers often have exceptionally strong publication records, but the numbers should be read carefully. Citation metrics can show influence, yet they do not fully capture teaching quality, real-world impact, or newer research that has not had time to accumulate citations.

In Europe, Professor Mike Wright of Imperial College London in the United Kingdom ranks first with an h-index of 145 and is also the overall global leader in the 2023 list.

In North America, Professor David B. Audretsch of Indiana University leads the regional list and ranks second globally with an h-index of 131.

In Oceania, Professor C. Michael Hall of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand is the regional leader with an h-index of 108 and ranks 11th globally.

Professor Michael Frese of Asia School of Business in Malaysia leads Asia and ranks 12th globally with an h-index of 108.

Professor Marly Monteiro de Carvalho of Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil leads South America and ranks 910 globally with an h-index of 41.

Professor Theodor J. Stewart of the University of Cape Town leads South Africa and ranks 1183 globally with an h-index of 36.

The report states that the average h-index for the top 1% of scientists is 114, compared with an average of 56 for all scientists in the ranking. It also reports that the top 1% have an average of 651 published articles and 113,115 citations, while the average across all ranked scientists is 194 published articles and 25,474 citations. The lowest h-index in the ranking is 30.

You can review Research.com’s ranking process and data approach in the methodology overview here.

How This Ranking Can Support Student and Career Decisions

Strong research environments can help students build analytical thinking, evidence-based judgment, and familiarity with current management problems. That can matter in consulting, strategy, operations, entrepreneurship, analytics, academic work, and leadership tracks.

Still, a ranking does not predict a salary, guarantee a job offer, or ensure admission. A program can be research-strong and still be a poor fit if it is too expensive, too rigid, or too far from a student’s career goals. Learners comparing undergraduate paths can also review high-paying bachelor’s degree fields to understand how major choice may influence long-term planning.

Working professionals should pay close attention to format and outcomes. For example, an executive who needs flexibility may find value in affordable online executive MBA options, while a future researcher may care more about faculty supervision and publication culture than convenience alone.

Flexible Pathways and Their Role in Business Education

Flexible education routes can open doors for working adults, first-generation students, and people changing careers. Online, part-time, accelerated, and transfer-friendly options can make business education more accessible at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

That said, faster is not always better. Students pursuing research-oriented careers need solid preparation in writing, statistics, research design, ethics, and critical thinking. If you are exploring accessible undergraduate options, Research.com’s guide to the easiest bachelor’s degree programs may be a starting point, but it should be weighed against academic rigor and long-term goals.

Opportunities and Challenges for Emerging Business Scientists

Early-career scholars in business and management face a demanding environment. They are expected to produce rigorous research, adapt to new technologies and data sources, and contribute to questions that matter both academically and practically. At the same time, they often need mentorship, funding, and interdisciplinary collaboration to build a strong career.

Institutions can support new researchers through research design training, data access, collaborative labs, and faculty mentorship. Flexible doctoral routes may also widen access to advanced study, but applicants should still verify standards, supervision quality, and dissertation expectations. Students comparing options may find it helpful to review the most accessible doctoral pathways while checking rigor and accreditation carefully.

Acceleration can help some learners progress more efficiently, but it should never replace research depth. Anyone considering a faster route should confirm that the program provides qualified advisors, clear completion requirements, and enough time for a credible dissertation or applied research project. A guide to the shortest online doctoral programs can help with initial comparison.

An associate degree is not a research doctorate, but it can be a useful starting point for learners building foundations in business, economics, accounting, or management. Faster options may help motivated students complete lower-division work sooner and move into bachelor’s-level study.

Students who want to eventually enter business research should use that stage to strengthen writing, statistics, quantitative reasoning, and information literacy. For those looking for a quicker entry point, the fastest accelerated associate degrees may be worth comparing, as long as transferability to a bachelor’s program is confirmed.

How Affordability Affects the Research Pipeline

Cost influences who can enter and stay in higher education, especially in long programs that require years of tuition, mentoring, and research support. Lower-cost and flexible programs can make business education more realistic for working adults and students with limited financial resources.

Affordability should never be evaluated in isolation. Students still need to review accreditation, faculty expertise, research support, and transfer policies. Working adults comparing flexible options can start with Research.com’s guide to the most affordable online colleges for adults.

Online Learning and Research Collaboration in Business Schools

Online tools have changed how business researchers teach, share work, and collaborate across institutions. Students may now participate in virtual workshops, digital research seminars, and remote team projects without being tied to one campus.

This can be especially useful in business and management, where ideas improve through critique, replication, and cross-disciplinary discussion. Stanford Graduate School of Business offers online research workshops that support research skill development.

If you are considering an online business program, look for evidence of real academic engagement: research methods courses, database access, faculty office hours, writing support, thesis or capstone options, and opportunities to join applied projects.

Common Mistakes When Using Research Rankings

• Using a research ranking as a full school comparison. Research influence does not tell you everything about tuition, student support, or career outcomes.
• Assuming famous faculty guarantee access. You still need to confirm whether those scholars teach, mentor, or supervise students.
• Ignoring program fit. A top research institution may still be the wrong choice if the schedule, location, or delivery format does not work for you.
• Skipping accreditation checks. Accreditation can affect financial aid, transfer credit, and employer recognition.
• Looking only at tuition. The real cost may include books, fees, travel, technology, and lost work time.
• Assuming online programs are automatically weaker or easier. Quality depends on faculty access, assessment standards, and student support.
• Reading citation metrics as perfect proof of quality. H-index and D-index are useful, but they are not complete measures of impact.

Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Business or Management Program

The complete 2023 list is available here:

WORLD'S BEST BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT SCIENTISTS RANKING

You can review Research.com’s ranking process and data approach in the methodology overview here.

Key Findings From the 2023 Ranking

• The 2023 ranking reviewed more than 7,819 scientist profiles and used a D-index threshold of 30 for inclusion.
• The United States dominates the list with 468 scientists, equal to 46.8% of the ranking, followed by the United Kingdom with 162 scholars.
• The University of Pennsylvania leads all institutions with 21 ranked scientists, and American universities account for 90% of the top 10 institutions.
• Mike Wright of Imperial College London ranks first globally in the 2023 list and leads Europe with an h-index of 145.
• The top 1% of scientists have an average h-index of 114, compared with 56 across all ranked scientists.
• Use the ranking as a research-quality indicator, not a complete measure of program value.
• Students and professionals should always weigh research strength alongside accreditation, cost, faculty access, delivery format, and career support.

About Research.com

All research was coordinated by Imed Bouchrika, Ph.D., a computer scientist with extensive experience collaborating on international research projects with academic partners. His role was to help ensure that the data remained unbiased, accurate, and up-to-date.

Research.com is a research portal for science and educational rankings. Its mission is to help professors, research fellows, and students advance their work and identify leading experts across scientific fields. Research.com also supports learners by helping them compare colleges, academic options, and career pathways.