RRBM Responsible Research in Business and Management

What RRBM Responsible Research in Business and Management does

RRBM (Responsible Research in Business and Management) is a US-registered 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 2014 by Anne Tsui, in collaboration with EFMD and a senior scholar team spanning five business disciplines (Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, Operations Management) and four institutional partners (AACSB, EFMD, PRME, and the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program). Its mission is to transform business school research so that it is both credible and useful to society, and its core product is the "Position Paper" and "Seven Principles of Responsible Research" plus the "Vision 2030" strategic initiative. The organization operates almost entirely as a virtual entity: its product surface is delivered through a WordPress-based website (rrbm.network) that hosts the position paper, executive briefings, an exemplary practices database, journal special issues tracking, and video resources; community engagement is delivered through bimonthly newsletters (Voices), approximately 17 webinars per year, and an annual Responsible Research Summit that rotates among top business schools (Rotterdam, Wharton, INSEAD, Cambridge, Tsinghua, Warsaw). Additional programs include four disciplinary awards (Responsible Research in Management, Marketing, Operations Management, and Finance), the RRBM Honor Roll, and the Dare to Care Doctoral Dissertation Scholarship program (up to US$10,000 per recipient). RRBM is governed by a 20-member Working Board representing five disciplines and operates with a lean paid staff of approximately 8, including a half-time Project Director and a Manager seconded from EFMD Global. The organization does not sell products; its funding derives from institutional support from the founding partners and in-kind or cash sponsorship from co-hosting business schools. As of late 2018, RRBM had approximately 1,000 individual endorsers and 55 institutional members, and its activities have spanned 21+ countries.

Name

RRBM Responsible Research in Business and Management

Legal name

Responsible Research in Business & Management

Website

https://rrbm.network

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RRBM is a US 501c3 non-profit founded in 2014 that promotes credible and useful research in business schools globally. It operates virtually through a website-hosted position paper, four disciplinary awards, doctoral scholarships, and annual summits, serving scholars, deans, editors, and business school associations across 21+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paradise Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Institutional Support: RRBM receives support and funding from institutional partners including AACSB, EFMD, PRME, Aspen Institute's Business and Society Program, and GRLI, as well as sponsorship from business schools for annual summits.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RRBM operates a global non-profit community and digital platform (rrbm.network) that inspires, encourages, and supports credible and useful research in business and management. It delivers this mission through position papers, disciplinary awards, doctoral scholarships, online courses, annual summits, webinars, and a bimonthly newsletter, all convened under a Working Board with founding institutional partners AACSB, EFMD, PRME, and Aspen Institute.

Product overview

RRBM (Responsible Research in Business and Management) is a virtual organization and network focused on inspiring, encouraging, and supporting credible and useful research in business and management disciplines. The organization operates primarily through its website platform (rrbm.network) which serves as the central hub for all activities. The core offerings include: the Position Paper and Executive Briefing documents outlining the vision for responsible research; multiple disciplinary awards (Responsible Research in Management, Marketing, Operations Management, and Finance awards); the RRBM Honor Roll for recognizing impactful publications; the Dare to Care Doctoral Dissertation Scholarship and online course for doctoral student development; and annual events including the Responsible Research Summit, Academic Summit, Roundtable, and regional Asia-Pacific summits. The platform also provides resources such as the VOICES bimonthly newsletter, Exemplary Practices database, Journal Special Issues tracker, and webinars. Governance is managed through a Working Board with representatives from five business disciplines and four institutional partners (AACSB, EFMD, PRME, Aspen-BSP).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RRBM Website Platform (rrbm.network) The primary digital platform serving as a hub for the responsible research community. Hosts the position paper, enables public endorsement, facilitates community registration, and provides access to resources including awards, scholarships, events, publications, and best practices.
• Position Paper Comprehensive white paper outlining the vision for responsible research in business and management, presenting principles of usefulness and credibility, and calling for transformation of business school research to achieve a better world.
• Executive Briefing Executive-level briefing that envisions business schools embracing responsible science to address societal and business challenges, guided by principles of usefulness and credibility.
• Vision 2030 Strategic initiative setting the goal that by 2030, business schools are globally admired for advancing societal well-being through timely, cutting-edge research addressing pressing challenges.
• Responsible Research in Management Award Annual award recognizing published empirical research studies that exemplify the principles of responsible research. Co-sponsored by the Academy of Management Fellows Group.
• Responsible Research in Marketing Award Annual award (AMA-EBSCO Annual Award for Responsible Research in Marketing) recognizing research exemplifying responsible research principles in marketing.
• Responsible Research in Operations Management Award Award recognizing responsible research in operations management, sponsored by the Manufacturing and Service Operations Management (MSOM) Society.
• Responsible Research in Finance Awards Finance-related responsible research awards including the EFA Best Paper Prize in Responsible Finance (3,000 EUR) and The Moskowitz Prize for socially responsible investing research.
• RRBM Honor Roll Recognition system to identify and highlight scholarly articles, monographs, policy papers, or books that reflect credible science useful to society. Authors can display the RRBM-Honor Roll emblem on their CV.
• Dare to Care Doctoral Dissertation Scholarship Scholarship program offering up to 10 scholarships to doctoral students in business schools to conduct responsible dissertation research addressing various forms of justice in organizations.
• Philosophical Foundations of Responsible Research Online Course Globally open online doctoral course developed in partnership with Arizona State University and Hong Kong Baptist University to educate doctoral students on responsible research principles.
• Responsible Research Summit Annual summit bringing together the RRBM community and research ecosystem stakeholders to advance responsible research for credibility and societal relevance. Hosted at rotating international locations including Rotterdam, Philadelphia, INSEAD, Cambridge, and Warsaw.
• Asia-Pacific Responsible Research Summit Regional summit focused on Asia-Pacific perspectives on responsible business school research with global implications, hosted by Tsinghua University.
• Responsible Research Academic Summit Virtual summit for deans, editors, association leaders, senior and young scholars to share experiences and explore new ideas for transforming business school research toward responsible research.
• Responsible Research Roundtable Annual roundtable bringing together academic researchers and business leaders to identify benefits and challenges of engaged research, generate demand-led research, and solve wicked problems through knowledge co-creation.
• VOICES Newsletter Bimonthly newsletter published since May 2018 highlighting key news and updates of RRBM activities for the community.
• Exemplary Practices Database Resource showcasing initiatives improving utility, credibility, and assessment of responsible research across the global academic landscape, organized in three categories: improving research relevance, improving research credibility, and improving research contribution assessment.
• Journal Special Issues Tracker Resource tracking special issues in journals advancing responsible research, including calls for papers and published issues.
• RRBM Webinars Online event series covering topics related to responsible research including methodology, theory development, and research impact, with recordings available for the community. RRBM sponsors approximately 17 webinars annually.
• RRBM on Tour Global symposium series where RRBM Working Board members travel to present and discuss responsible research topics at various international business schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• By 2030, business schools globally admired for advancing societal well-being through timely, cutting-edge research
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered founding partner, core partner and supporting partner.

• AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)founding partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAACSB is one of the founding institutional partners of RRBM. As the leading accreditation body for business schools, AACSB provides legitimacy and reach into the global business school community. AACSB published revised accreditation standards in 2020 incorporating societal impact in each school's mission, research, teaching, and outreach activities, supporting RRBM's mission.
• EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development)founding partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFMD is a founding institutional partner that initiated the RRBM project in 2014 when Ulrich Hommel invited Anne Tsui to form a senior scholar team. EFMD provides ongoing program and website support through Jean-Alexis Spitz serving as RRBM Manager. EFMD Global hosts RRBM's operational activities.
• PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education)founding partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPRME is a founding institutional partner representing the United Nations Global Compact initiative for responsible management education. Jonas Haertle of UNGC's PRME joined the founding team in August 2016.
• Aspen Institute Business and Society Programfounding partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Aspen Institute Business and Society Program is a founding institutional partner supporting RRBM's vision for responsible research that improves business and society.
• GRLI (Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative)core partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerGRLI is listed as a supporting partner of RRBM, working toward the shared goal of advancing responsible leadership and management education.
• Academy of Management (AOM)core partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAOM, through its Fellows Group, assumed sponsorship of the Responsible Research in Management Award in December 2020. The organization provides significant support for RRBM awards and initiatives.
• International Association for Chinese Management Research (IACMR)core partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerIACMR partnered with RRBM to develop and launch the Responsible Research in Management Award in 2017-2020, the first disciplinary award recognizing responsible research.
• American Marketing Association (AMA)core partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMA partnered with RRBM and EBSCO to launch the annual AMA-EBSCO Annual Responsible Research in Marketing Award, recognizing research aligned with responsible principles.
• Manufacturing and Service Operations Management (MSOM) Societycore partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSOM Society issues awards for published articles and books exemplifying the Seven Principles of Responsible Research in Operations Management.
• European Finance Association (EFA)core partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFA launched its annual Best Paper Prize in Responsible Finance (3,000 EUR) during 2020-2022, promoting research on finance's role in societal progress.
• INSEADcore partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerINSEAD co-hosted the 2022 and 2023 Responsible Research Summits with Wharton and RRBM, providing venue and organizational support for these flagship events.
• The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvaniacore partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerWharton co-hosted the 2022 Responsible Research Summit and serves as a sponsor, with Working Board Chair David Reibstein affiliated with Wharton.
• Arizona State Universitysupporting partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerASU partnered with RRBM to offer the first globally open online doctoral course on Philosophical Foundations of Responsible Research in Fall 2021.
• Hong Kong Baptist Universitysupporting partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerHKBU partnered with RRBM to offer one of the two separate offerings of the Philosophical Foundations of Responsible Research online doctoral course, enabling global participation.
• Tsinghua University School of Economics and Managementcore partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerTsinghua SEM hosted the Inaugural Asia-Pacific Responsible Research Summit in October 2024, advancing RRBM's reach in the Asia-Pacific region.
• University of Queenslandsupporting partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Queensland supported the Inaugural Asia-Pacific Responsible Research Summit hosted by Tsinghua University.
• HKUST Business Schoolsupporting partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerHKUST Business School supported the Inaugural Asia-Pacific Responsible Research Summit as a partner institution.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights11 records

Broad incumbents

• American Marketing Association (AMA): Co-sponsor (with EBSCO) of RRBM's Responsible Research in Marketing Award. A broader incumbent marketing academic association with a comparable convening and awards function in its discipline.
• European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD): Founding partner of RRBM and the operational host for the RRBM Manager. While much larger in scope (EQUIS accreditation, program portfolio, events), it shares RRBM's academic-convening function and serves as a comparable European institutional player in management education quality.
• Academy of Management (AOM): Largest US-based professional association of management scholars; its Fellows Group assumed sponsorship of the Responsible Research in Management Award in 2020. Comparable in mission as the academic society whose members RRBM seeks to influence.
• AACSB International: Global business school accreditation body that updated its standards in 2020 to incorporate RRBM-aligned societal impact language. Larger and broader scope than RRBM, but directly comparable as the regulator whose standards translate RRBM principles into binding requirements.

Regional players

• International Association for Chinese Management Research (IACMR): Co-developed and originally sponsored the first disciplinary RRBM Responsible Research in Management Award (2018). Regionally focused on Chinese management research but adjacent in mission to RRBM's scholarly awards work.

Emerging players

• MSOM Society (Manufacturing and Service Operations Management): Discipline-specific operations management academic society that runs RRBM's Responsible Research in Operations Management Award. A comparable but more narrowly scoped peer operating in the same awards-and-recognition lane within OM.
• European Finance Association (EFA): Launched the EFA Best Paper Prize in Responsible Finance during 2020-2022 in collaboration with RRBM. Comparable European academic finance association whose prize work overlaps with RRBM's responsible-finance agenda.

Direct peers

• Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME): UN Global Compact initiative advancing responsible management education. RRBM co-founder and direct sibling organization; both pursue adjacent goals (responsible education/research), and PRME is represented on RRBM's Working Board via its head.
• Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI): Cross-sector leadership initiative focused on responsible leadership and management education. RRBM lists GRLI as a partner and the two share the 'responsible management' framing across academic institutions and corporate members.
• Aspen Institute Business and Society Program: Founding institutional partner of RRBM with overlapping mission: promoting business research and leadership that addresses societal challenges. Provides comparable convening, publications, and awards in the responsible business domain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rrbm-responsible-research-in-business-and-management

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about RRBM Responsible Research in Business and Management