Winners: (l-r) The School's Maria Wishart, Lorna Treanor, President of Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Stephen Roper, Director of the Enterprise Research Centre, with an award

Winners: (l-r) The School's Maria Wishart, Lorna Treanor, President of the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Stephen Roper, Director of the Enterprise Research Centre

Warwick Business School has secured two esteemed awards for its groundbreaking research.  

The accolades, awarded at the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) annual conference, highlight the School’s commitment to addressing critical business and societal issues through rigorous academic inquiry. 

The first award, for the Best Paper on SME Growth and Performance, was bestowed on a paper entitled Do more inclusive workplaces lead to more innovation? Evidence from the UK, Ireland and Sweden by Stephen Roper, Professor of Enterprise and Director of the School’s Enterprise Research Centre (ERC). His co-authors were Jane Bourke, of University College Cork, Stavroula Leka, of the University of Lancaster, Holly Blake, Craig Bartle and Louise Thomson, of the University of Nottingham, Maria Wishart, Research Fellow at the ERC, and Juliet Hassard, of Queen’s University Belfast. 

The research provides compelling evidence that greater workforce diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity and disability is positively associated with an increase in the propensity to undertake product and process innovations. 

Professor Roper said: “This award is testament to the hard work and dedication of our researchers. Our findings underscore the importance of inclusivity in driving innovation, which is crucial for the growth and performance of SMEs. 

“This is another example of how our research at Warwick Business School has real impact, not only influencing how businesses operate but Government policy as well. That is the goal of the Enterprise Research Centre - to help SMEs thrive and grow. 

“The UK Government’s Research Excellence Framework rated 93 per cent of the School’s research ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ and awards like this demonstrate its importance.” 

The second accolade, the Best Research & Knowledge Exchange Paper, went to Warwick Business School’s Kevin Mole, Associate Professor of Enterprise and Dr Wishart. It was awarded for their paper Navigating the tensions related to Environmental Sustainability: Discursive Insights from British Entrepreneurs and was written alongside Michael Martin, Head of Net Zero & Advice Team at business advice not-for-profit firm Wenta. 

This research delves into the complex dynamics entrepreneurs face when balancing business objectives with environmental sustainability. It offers valuable insights into how entrepreneurs navigate these tensions, providing a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities in sustainable business practices. 

Dr Wishart said: “Winning this award is a great honour. Our research sheds light on the critical issue of sustainability in entrepreneurship, and we hope it will inspire more businesses to adopt sustainable practices.” 

Dr Mole emphasised the practical implications of their findings and added: “Our research provides actionable insights for entrepreneurs striving to integrate sustainability into their business models. It's gratifying to see our work being recognised and making an impact. 

“These awards not only celebrate the individual achievements of the researchers but also reinforce Warwick Business School’s position as a leader in academic research. The school’s dedication to producing high-quality, impactful research continues to drive innovation and influence business practices globally. 

“WBS was ranked fifth in the UK for its business and management research by the Times Higher Education’s analysis of the UK Government’s Research Excellence Framework and these accolades show why.”

Learn more about the Enterprise Research Centre's award-winning research on how diversity and inclusion can increase innovation.

Further reading:

Substantial rise in long-term mental health hits Midlands firms

Enterprise Research Centre mulls the state of small business

What support can small firms access to reach net zero?

 

Stephen Roper is Professor of Enterprise and Director of the School’s Enterprise Research Centre. He is also Co-Director of the Innovation & Research Caucus.

Maria Wishart is a Research Fellow at the School’s Enterprise Research Centre.

Kevin Mole  is Associate Professor of Enterprise and teaches Entrepreneurship and New Value Creation on the Executive MBA and Global MBA. He also lectures on the Entrepreneurial Mindset on MSc Management.

Discover more about the School's Change Makers.