World Online Ranking of Best Business & Management Scientists – 2026 Report
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On April 15, 2026, Research.com released the fifth edition of its annual report, recognizing the world’s top business and management scientists. This report highlights the researchers shaping how organizations respond to economic uncertainty, technological disruption, and shifting global markets. It also reflects how the field continues to evolve as business problems grow more complex and interdisciplinary.
For the 2026 edition, more than 3,000 scientist profiles were carefully examined across leading bibliometric databases. Each profile underwent strict validation to ensure accuracy, consistency, and relevance to the discipline. Only scholars with a minimum D-index of 30 were considered, along with a strong concentration of publications in business and management.
This report serves as a reference point for decision-makers, researchers, and institutions seeking to understand where influence in business scholarship is concentrated. It also provides a clearer view of which countries and universities continue to lead in producing high-impact research, and how academic priorities are shifting in response to real-world challenges.
As global organizations face rising pressure to adapt—whether through digital transformation, AI integration, or resilient supply chains—the insights from leading researchers offer a grounded perspective on what strategies are likely to define the next phase of business innovation.
The Latest developments shaping business and management research
Business and management research in 2026 is being redefined by the convergence of artificial intelligence, sustainability, and organizational transformation. These are no longer separate themes. They now operate as a single, interconnected research agenda focused on how firms adapt to continuous disruption.
Artificial intelligence has moved from experimentation to operational integration. Recent industry insights show that companies are no longer asking whether to adopt AI, but how to embed it into core workflows and decision systems. In fact, up to 70% of the value from AI initiatives now comes from changes in people, processes, and organizational design—not just the technology itself. This shift is driving new research into human-AI collaboration, leadership models, and workforce reskilling.
At the same time, supply chains have become a central focus of research due to persistent global volatility. AI-powered forecasting, real-time analytics, and localized production models are now critical areas of study. These tools allow firms to anticipate disruptions, improve risk visibility, and respond faster to changing conditions. The concept of “AI-enabled supply chains” is emerging as a dominant framework that combines data infrastructure, predictive systems, and strategic agility.
Sustainability has also evolved from a compliance issue into a core strategic priority. Companies are increasingly integrating environmental metrics directly into operations, using data-driven models to reduce emissions, optimize resources, and redesign production systems. However, new research highlights a growing tension: while AI can improve efficiency and reduce waste, it also introduces environmental costs due to its energy demands. This has led to a surge in studies on “sustainable AI” and responsible innovation.
The Key findings for the 5th edition of the best business and management scientists ranking
- The top 10 scientists remain highly concentrated geographically, with five based in the United States.
- The United States leads the ranking with 429 scientists, followed by the United Kingdom with 144.
- China ranks fourth with 45 scientists, slightly ahead of Canada with 44, signaling its growing influence in business and management research.
- Research impact continues to intensify, with the top 1% of scientists reaching D-index 139.11, while the overall average remains 65.02.
- Institutional leadership remains concentrated, with the University of Pennsylvania leading with 19 scientists, while several other institutions closely follow within the 10–13 scientist range, indicating a competitive academic landscape.
The full ranking for the 2026 list of best business and management scientists can be found here:
WORLD’S BEST BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT SCIENTISTS RANKING
Countries with the Highest Number of Leading Business & Management Scientists
The 2026 ranking shows a gradual redistribution of global research output, with established leaders maintaining dominance while several countries adjust in scale.
The United States continues to lead with 429 scientists, down from 446 in 2025, reflecting a slight contraction while still holding a significant lead. The United Kingdom remains second with 144 scientists, compared to 158 in 2025, indicating a modest decline but stable positioning.
Australia strengthens its standing with 64 scientists, up from 56 in 2025, making it one of the few countries in the top tier to record clear growth. This reinforces its rising role in global business and management research.
China moves ahead of Canada in 2026, recording 45 scientists compared to 42 in 2025, while Canada registers 44 scientists, down from 51 in 2025. This shift marks a notable change in the top five, with China continuing its upward trajectory.
In Europe, the Netherlands reports 36 scientists, slightly down from 38 in 2025, while Germany increases its count to 36, up from 31 in the previous year, allowing it to match the Netherlands. Italy enters or strengthens its position in the top 10 with 16 scientists, while France records 15, consistent with its prior standing. Singapore rounds out the top 10 with 14 scientists, up from 13 in 2025.
Overall, while the ranking remains led by a core group of countries, the year-over-year changes point to a slow but clear diversification of research capacity, particularly across Asia-Pacific and parts of Europe.
Please note that the country associated with a scientist is based on the affiliated research institution according to MAG, not on their actual nationality.
Institutions with the Highest Number of Leading Scientists
The 2026 ranking shows a tighter clustering among top institutions, with several universities converging in the 10–13 scientist range, signaling increased competition at the highest level.
The University of Pennsylvania remains the leading institution with 19 scientists, down from 21 in 2025, but still holding a clear lead. Arizona State University retains second place with 13 scientists, unchanged from the previous year.
A notable shift appears in third place, where Massachusetts Institute of Technology enters the top tier with 13 scientists, strengthening its presence in the field. Stanford University follows with 12 scientists, maintaining a strong position, while Hong Kong Polytechnic University also reports 12 scientists, continuing as the highest-ranked Asian institution and improving from 11 in 2025.
Further down, the University of Southern California and the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor each record 11 scientists, with Michigan remaining stable year over year.
Pennsylvania State University joins the top 10 with 10 scientists, alongside Harvard University and the University of Maryland, College Park, both with 10 scientists. Harvard remains steady compared to 2025, while Maryland continues to hold its position within the top tier.
Compared to 2025, when more institutions clustered at exactly 10 scientists, the 2026 ranking shows a slight upward shift among mid-tier leaders (11–13 range). This indicates a gradual redistribution of top research talent, with more universities strengthening their presence at the upper end of the ranking.
How online universities are advancing business and management research
Online universities are accelerating how business and management research is produced and applied by removing geographic barriers and enabling global collaboration.
A key contribution of online universities is scalable, data-driven research. Cloud platforms and virtual labs allow scholars to work on shared datasets in real time, speeding up research in areas like AI, digital transformation, and supply chains. For instance, IBM has developed cloud data platforms that allow organizations—and by extension, academic researchers working with them—to integrate data across suppliers, logistics systems, and internal operations into a unified environment. These platforms enable real-time data sharing, predictive analytics, and collaborative decision-making across multiple stakeholders.
Many online universities partner with companies, giving researchers access to real-world problems and data, which leads to more practical and applied insights.
The growth of online and hybrid programs is also expanding the pool of researchers. More professionals can now contribute to research without leaving their jobs, increasing the number of practitioner-led studies.
Overall, online universities are making research more collaborative, applied, and accessible—helping the field evolve faster in response to real-world challenges.
H-index ranking—leaders, averages, and distribution
The 2026 ranking highlights a continued rise in research impact, with top scientists achieving higher D-index scores and stronger citation performance across regions. All figures below exclude scientists flagged as “False” in the dataset to ensure accuracy.
The top scientist in the field, David B. Audretsch from Indiana University, is also the leading scientist in North America, with a D-index of 150.
Across regions, the highest-ranked scientists reflect both geographic concentration and emerging diversity in research leadership. In Europe, Cary L. Cooper of the University of Manchester, United Kingdom leads with a D-index of 145
In Oceania, C. Michael Hall of the Massey University, New Zealand records a D-index of 129, while in Asia, Yogesh K. Dwivedi of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia leads with 137.
In Africa, Amine Belhadi from the International University of Rabat, Morocco ranks highest with a D-index of 45, and in South America, Marly Monteiro de Carvalho of the Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil leads with 49, highlighting the wider spread of research contributions beyond traditional centers.
The overall distribution of D-index values shows a clear concentration among mid- to high-impact researchers. The top 1% of scientists reach an average D-index above 139.11, while the overall average across all ranked scientists remains 65.02. This gap reflects the significant difference in publication volume and citation impact between elite researchers and the broader academic population.
In terms of research output, top-tier scientists publish at a substantially higher rate, with hundreds of peer-reviewed articles and tens of thousands of citations. This reinforces the role of sustained publication and influence in achieving top D-index scores.
Overall, the 2026 data shows a maturing field where research impact continues to intensify at the top, while the global distribution of leading scientists becomes more geographically diverse.
You can learn more about the methodology used to create this report here.
About Research.com
All research was coordinated by Imed Bouchrika, Ph.D., a computer scientist with a well-established record of collaboration on a number of international research projects with different partners from the academic community. His role was to make sure all data remained unbiased, accurate, and up-to-date.
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