Leading professor awarded the inaugural Management Publication of the Year Prize

• Professor Elisabeth Kelan wins inaugural Management Publication of the Year 2024 for her book, "Men Stepping Forward: Leading Your Organization on the Path to Inclusion".
• Professor Kelan’s work offers a timely, practical guide for men who want to play their part in helping deliver gender-balanced workplaces.
• Professor Kelan’s work encourages men to develop a clear vision for supporting gender equality and actively engage in advancing it, for example, by articulating its importance to others and advocating for meaningful change.
• The judging panel included Andrew Hill (Financial Times), Robert Halfon (former skills minister), Edwina Dunn (Dunnhumby, The Female Lead), and Karen Blackett (former WPP president).
• Award supported by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), British Academy of Management (BAM), Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS), and the British Library.

London – Elisabeth Kelan, the distinguished Professor of Leadership and Organisation at King’s Business School, King’s College London, has been named the recipient of the inaugural Management Publication of the Year 2024 award at the British Library.

The prestigious accolade recognises exceptional contributions to the fields of business and management, and Kelan’s groundbreaking book—Men Stepping Forward: Leading Your Organization on the Path to Inclusion—has firmly placed her at the forefront of thought leadership in digitalisation, diversity, and inclusive leadership.

The award-winning book, published by Bristol University Press in 2023, offers a compelling and timely guide for men who wish to become agents of change in fostering gender-inclusive workplaces. Drawing on the latest research, the book presents practical strategies for male leaders and managers to take tangible steps towards creating inclusive organisational cultures. Kelan’s research continues to shape the future of leadership, empowering individuals to make a lasting impact on gender equality in the workplace.

The Management Publication of the Year 2024, supported by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the British Academy of Management (BAM), the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS), and the British Library, recognises groundbreaking work that offers fresh insights into some of the UK’s most pressing challenges in leadership and management.

Elisabeth Kelan’s winning entry was selected by a prestigious judging panel including Andrew Hill, senior business writer, Financial Times; Rt Hon Robert Halfon, managing director, Ladder of Opportunity Consulting and former skills minister; Byron Dixon OBE, founder and CEO, Microfresh; Edwina Dunn OBE, founder, Dunnhumby and The Female Lead; James Reed CBE, chairman and CEO, Reed; and Karen Blackett CBE, former president, WPP.

The award ceremony featured a fireside chat with Elisabeth Kelan, who shared insights on her book—a practical guide for all leaders. She highlighted her field study’s influence, stressing the need to engage those who don’t see gender equality as their responsibility, like middle managers or men without daughters.

The panel praised the work for its engaging and actionable approach to gender equality transformation. The judging panel also commended Sreevas Sahasranaman, Ian Gray and John Bessant for their contributions to management thinking.

Ann Francke OBE, CEO of the Chartered Management Institute, said:

Elisabeth Kelan’s work was praised by the judges for being informative, accessible and concise, with the potential to deliver transformative change. At a time when inclusion initiatives are being withdrawn around the world, this publication reminds us that rather than take a step backwards, this is the moment to step forward and accelerate action.

The Rt Hon Robert Halfon said:

It has been an honour to be on the judging panel. For me, the principles behind my judgments have been originality, wisdom, and accessibility, meaning that what has been written is readable and illuminating to all.

Katy Mason, President of the British Academy of Management said:

We send heartfelt congratulations to the winners of the ‘Management Publication of the Year’ awards. These prestigious awards celebrate substantial business and management research that is informing policy, business, and third-sector practices. It is truly excellent to see examples of impactful scholarship where findings generate valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers alike. The collaboration between our organisations has been instrumental in making these awards possible.

Professor Stewart Robinson, Chair, Chartered Association of Business Schools said:

These awards highlight the critical yet under-recognised value of the impact of management research in addressing the socio-economic challenges of our time. From the environment to social innovation and economic growth and productivity, the research undertaken in the UK’s business schools has the power to equip leaders to make actionable change in the organisations they lead.

The prize was established to highlight research and thought leadership that can shape real-world change, at a time when CMI analysis has found that the UK lags behind its global competitors in valuing and developing management skills. The World Management Survey ranks the UK sixth globally for management quality, and CMI research suggests that improving UK management skills to US levels could add 840,000 skilled managers and boost GDP by £127 billion over the next generation.

The prize was announced at a British Library ceremony, attended by leading voices in business, academia, and policy. The judging panel also commended Sreevas Sahasranaman, Ian Gray and John Bessant for their contributions to management thinking.

The full longlist of nominees for Management Publication Of The Year