Faculty of Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
Prof N Binedell, Dean
E-mail address: binedelln@gibs.co.za
Message by the Dean
The growth in the number of published research outputs reflects the increasingly important role that research plays at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). As it is a postgraduate and post-experience institution, the majority of students who study at the business school are executives at large South African companies.
Business schools are increasingly recognising the need for rigorous research that is focused on the challenges faced by business leaders. This is particularly true of the distinct political economies that constitute future emerging markets. The growth and development of economies that were previously considered to be underdeveloped will require a dedicated research focus in order to develop appropriate theory and practice relevant to the particular economies in which companies operate. This is particularly true in the case of South Africa.
The purpose of GIBS’s teaching and research is to have a direct impact on management practice. To this end, every effort is made to ensure that academic research is framed and disseminated through a number of channels to make it accessible to a wider audience.
It is pleasing to report that the volume of research has steadily increased over the past years. During 2009, the faculty published ten peer-reviewed journal articles (eight in local journals and two in international journals).
It is an academic requirement of the MBA degree that each student produce an original piece of research. Some 778 research papers have been produced since the school’s inception.
This prodigious output is supervised by faculty members and a number of these research projects find their way into academic journals.
Towards the end of 2009, GIBS launched the Centre for Business Analysis and Research (CBAR), which is devoted to coordinating the increasing number of research-related initiatives underway at GIBS. Some of the larger initiatives operating under the umbrella of the CBAR are an EU-funded project on the globalisation of innovation, a multinational collaborative research project between South Africa and the Swedish government that is focused on economic growth and innovation, and a Kellogg-supported project on the baseof-the-pyramid concept.
The school is fortunate to have two NRF-rated academics on its staff and the deepening of research capacity in the faculty continues to be supported in a number of ways, including the attendance of local and international conferences, the presentation of papers, and research retreats and regular faculty colloquia, as well as visits by and collaboration with accomplished international researchers.
Prof Nick Binedell
Director: Gordon Institute of Business Science
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