‘Business School Legitimacy and the Challenge of Sustainability: A Fuzzy Set Analysis of Institutional Decoupling’, published in 2016 by Dr Annie Snelson-Powell, Dr Johanne Grosvold and Emeritus Professor Andrew Millington, received the 2026 Academy of Management Learning and Education (AMLE) Decade Award.

This award is given to the AMLE paper that has received the most citations over a ten-year span – and that has “demonstrated a significant impact in the field of management”.

The paper examined why some of the business schools studied followed through on their sustainability promises while others did not, drawing on interviews with 40 deans from UK business schools.

The patterns identified in the research found that the size of the business school played a role; smaller, highly respected business schools tended to be more likely to match their sustainability policies with real actions.

In contrast, larger, wealthier schools – or those without sufficient expertise – were more likely to pay lip service to sustainability without necessarily incorporating it into their activities.

Continued impact

“This paper was the first empirical chapter of my PhD, and it’s still etched in my brain,” explains lead author Dr Annie Snelson-Powell. “I worked so hard on all aspects of this, from the theorising to the methods, data and contributions.”

She continues:

“Questions around the legitimacy and impact of business schools seem as timely as ever. I am so grateful for the recognition, and encouraged in my continuing research in this space. I am currently working on projects concerning the business school as a discipline, its role within universities as well as its impact on society. I am particularly interested in exploring how management education is oriented to respond to the challenges of climate change, income inequality and global conflicts.”

“I am delighted to be the recipient of the AMLE Paper of the Decade Award. It is clear that the paper ignited an important debate in the field that continues to date, which is what you hope for,” adds co-author and supervisor Dr Johanne Grosvold. “The collaboration behind the paper shows what can collectively be achieved through sustained PhD research and supervision.”

The award was presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, which was held in Philadelphia, US, from 31 July to 4 August 2026.

Leading publications

Academy of Management Learning and Education is an AJG 4*-ranked journal, making it one of an elite tier of journals that publish work regarded as the most original, rigorous and influential within their field.

AMLE focuses on the processes of management teaching, the learning that results from it, and the issues affecting the institutional environment and administration of business schools and their stakeholders.