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Insights into leadership, organisations and behaviours

Our research focuses on the critical developments in this field and the way in which organisations adapt to and manage them, particularly in the fields of entrepreneurship, human resources, knowledge management, leadership, and social and organisation studies.

The Research Division is home to five research centres:

The Henley Forum improves learning practices to allow people to work effectively together to exploit their knowledge and improve organisational performance. Areas of expertise include knowledge strategy, developing and retaining expertise, and knowledgeable decision making.

Research by the Henley Centre for Leadership considers how to engage the leadership capacity of entire organisations. It is also concerned with developing leadership capability, leadership and diversity and the impact of leadership on innovation and creativity.

An interdisciplinary approach is evident in the Centre for Social and Organisational Studies, which explores how organisations and individuals relate and respond to the changing socio-economic environment in a sustainable fashion. A key research agenda is morality and the intersection of governance, ethics and the self.

The Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship is home to business innovators and scholars who research the economics of entrepreneurship, including digital leadership and entrepreneurship, ethnic entrepreneurship and women entrepreneurs.

The research division also conducts work internationally through the Centre for Euro-Asian Studies, which focuses on the development of the competitiveness of Kazakhstan.

The Heads Together and Row team on a beach.A modern building in Tblisi Georgia

research highlights

Four-day week pays off for British business

Research led by Karen Jansen, Professor of Leadership and Change, shows how a shorter working week, on full pay, could not only reduce a firm's carbon footprint but also benefit businesses’ bottom lines through increased staff productivity and an uplift in staff physical and mental health. Two-thirds of UK businesses operating a four-day week reported improvements in staff productivity and one third of business leaders say that making the switch will be important for success in the future, and has already saved implementing businesses an estimated £92 billion annually. Moreover, three-quarters of British workers would back the change, with 67% of ‘Generation Z’ saying it would influence the organisation for which they would choose to work. Find out more on the Four Better or Four Worse? research hub.

Heads Together and Row

Researchers at Henley Business School have followed a team preparing for a 3,000-mile rowing race across the Atlantic to find out how we can build both individual and team resilience to bounce back from adversity and to learn from tricky situations. Negative factors identified in the research included lack of sleep, relationship pressures and uncertainty, while positive factors included feeling part of a team, successfully overcoming adversity and the ability to voice concerns and opinions safely to keep relationships functioning. Find out more.

The daily grind

Psychologist Jonathan Passmore, Director of Henley Centre for Coaching, has been looking at the science-based practices that can help improve employee behaviours and performance. Behind the scenes, the science of mindfulness offers a compelling case for board room executives to take the practice seriously as a tool to enhance both performance and wellbeing.

Economic development in Ukraine, Georgia and Kazakhstan

The dynamic pattern of regional economic development in the leading knowledge-producing cities has acquired the term entrepreneurship ecosystems (EEs). But less is known about how EEs develop and function in less knowledge-intensive settings. Researchers at Henley Business School have developed a new framework to understand the dynamics at play, and are working with partner organisations in Tbilisi (Georgia), Kiev (Ukraine) and Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan) to roll out empirical testing of Entrepreneurship Ecosystem formation in these rapidly growing cities.

Study opportunities

Henley Business School has a vibrant community of about 260 PhD and DBA researchers who are an integral part of the its research activities. Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour provides PhD opportunities students from all over the world, wanting to conduct full-time postgraduate research in Henley Business School’s areas of interest. In addition, the School provides a highly sought after DBA programme for those in employment at senior positions. More information.

henley business school

Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour is one of six research divisions within Henley Business School at the University of Reading, and part of the University's Prosperity & Resilience research theme.

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2024/25
2025/26