Management Publication of the Year Awards 2026 –
Looking back to last year’s winners for inspiration
Here at Business Research Unpacked (BRU), we are delighted to support the Management Publication of the Year 2026 competition, which launched in February. The Awards, run by Chartered Management Institute, Chartered Association of Business Schools, and British Academy of Management, celebrate research that transforms management and leadership practices, shapes policy, and drives real-world impact. Whether it’s a book, podcast, blog, or film, these awards shine a spotlight on work that tackles today’s toughest challenges across five different categories:
Sustainable Futures
SME Growth
Social Enterprise and Innovation
Technological Disruption
Inclusive Work
Today, we look at the publications from the winners of the 2024 Awards to give inspiration for making a submission.
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Social Innovation and Enterprise and Overall Winner
Elizabeth Kelan, Men Stepping Forward
Winner of the Social Enterprise and Innovation category and overall Management Book of the Year, awarded by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the British Academy of Management (BAM) and the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS)
How do men interested in gender equality become ‘change makers’ and lead their organisation towards inclusion?
Directly addressing men, this innovative book reveals how they can be centrally involved in creating gender-inclusive cultures in their organisations. Using cutting-edge research, it suggests practical actions for men as leaders and managers to implement in order to make real changes.
Ideal for the time-poor professional, it is essential reading for all men who want to make a difference but don’t know where to start.
What our judges thought:
‘The book carries a positive outlook, and views men as enablers and agents of change. The stories and struggles are compelling, and describing the male middle managers’ struggles with some issues around explicit gender equality initiatives/training programmes for women is refreshingly honest.’
Sustainable Futures Category Winner
Sreevas Sahasranamam, Blog Series
The blog series is a collection of Sreevas’s public-facing work, where he explores key ideas at the intersection of entrepreneurship, social innovation, and disruptive technologies. Through blogs, guest talks, and video content, Sreevas aims to translate complex research into accessible insights and engage in conversations about building a more sustainable future.
What our judges thought:
‘The blogs effectively bridge the gap between theory and practice, offering actionable insights on how entrepreneurship and business innovation can be harnessed to tackle gender inequality, foster innovation and reduce poverty. I particularly like that some blogs’ focus on how to tackle challenges in low- and middle-income countries as well as the aspect of gender focusing on female entrepreneurship, thereby influencing the development and understanding of practice in these areas.’
SME Growth Category Winner
Ian Gray and Jon Bessant, The Scaling Value Playbook
The Scaling Value Playbook provides an overview of the challenges in moving innovation to scale, offering practical guidance on managing this process. It explores creating new ventures and discusses the road to realizing value at scale. It also provides a framework for developing and implementing a strategy for scaling up and scaling out of innovation, together with tools and templates to enable the reader to create a fit-for-purpose scaling strategy.
In an easily accessible and visually appealing way, De Gruyter playbooks offer practical concepts for improving business performance. They are an extremely valuable resource for a wide range of business professionals.
What our judges thought:
‘This practitioner-focused book addresses an under researched area of innovation management, ‘scaling the innovation’. The book is written in an accessible format, a pleasure to read quickly and sets concepts and methods with definitions and plenty of international examples. Its contributions are significant as scaling part of the innovation process requires a systems approach that goes beyond ideation, it is messy, and difficult to implement. I congratulate the authors for launching this interesting book that will be a good addition to business school libraries and beyond.’
How to Apply
Enter your publication to gain recognition, amplify your influence, and ensure your publication reaches the managers, leaders and policymakers who can put it into practice. Make your ideas count - apply today: https://www.managers.org.uk/community/awards/management-publication-of-the-year/
The nomination site closes on Thursday, 18th June 2026 at 12:00 BST.
Authors:
Stuart Hull (Grants Manager at British Academy of Management)
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