How to assess and measure the impact of business schools and their research? Two recent cases in Europe: The Business School Impact Survey (BSIS) and the UK REF assessment system

Business schools are increasingly faced with external pressures to demonstrate their impact on society. Reducing public budgets, the pervasive effects of business school rankings, and a correspondence between the rise and rise of business schools in higher education and increased scepticism about their contribution to society have all increased interest in the impact of business schools and business education and research. However, not much is known about how to measure and/or assess the impact of business schools. In this symposium, we are interested in how to conceptualise impact and develop useable ways to qualitatively assess and quantitatively measure impact. The symposium will draw upon current European examples of how to assess and measure the financial, economic, regional and educational impact of business schools and the learning from the first cycle of use of the UK REF impact process