About

The Impact group at Oxford Saïd explore how the activities of organisations and markets relate to issues beyond creating financial value alone.

The idea of impact is open to multiple interpretations. Our group broadly regards impact as representing measurable evidence of change in a social or environmental context, in alignment with strategic objectives. In this sense 'impact' is quite distinct from traditional notions of ‘purpose’ or ‘responsibility' in organisational research.

Research

Our research builds both new theory and empirical evidence across a range of impact topics.

Our aim is to provide leaders with new thinking and practical tools to measure, manage, and maximise their impact. We carry out pioneering research in several areas, including:

  • Social innovation
  • Systems change
  • Organisation and system resilience
  • Impact measurement
  • Impact investing
  • Hybrid organising
  • New metrics in the ESG space
  • New conceptions and tools for measuring ‘profit’ and other outcomes of interest
  • Integrated reporting for corporations
  • Alternative frameworks and tools for policy
  • Experiments in social bonds
  • Outcomes-based policy-making
  • Circular Economy dynamics, climate change and sustainability
  • Emerging global climate finance funds
  • Rise and development of social finance in many country contexts
  • Scenarios and strategies for organisations in a networked world
  • The Sustainable Development Goals.

 

We publish in books and leading academic journals, undertake consultancy with a range of organisations and agencies and serve in leadership positions for professional associations and on journal editorial boards.

Research projects

Programmes

Lecture theatre

Our research directly informs teaching and other engagement at the School and is the basis of collaborations with colleagues in other parts of the University.  We have developed a range of executive education programmes across a number of impact fields and offer innovative content in our degree and diploma programmes.

People

View from Lecture theatre

Our research agenda reflects original and collaborative work among over twenty faculty, fellows, early career researchers and postdoctoral fellows, doctoral students, associate fellows and alumni.  Our colleagues combine their expertise across a broad range of business and management disciplines with theory and methods from anthropology, psychology, the humanities, complexity theory, cultural studies, behavioural theory, and economic and organisational sociology.