Northeastern named a top university for innovation management

Photo by Mary Knox Merrill.

Northeastern University and three of its business scholars have been recognized for their contributions to the field of innovation management. The new study, published in the Journal of Product Innovation Management, named Northeastern one of the world’s top 10 universities in this relatively young field of research that examines the development of new ideas, products or procedures in any area of business.

The study involved an analysis of nearly 1,200 articles, published in 10 top peer-reviewed academic journals over the last two full decades, and identified the most outstanding institutions and scholars who are top contributors to innovation management research. The study’s “productivity ranking of universities” aims to offer useful information for stakeholders, including prospective faculty and companies seeking consulting help and potential donors.

“Innovation and entrepreneurship research and teaching have been a long-standing pillar of the College of Business Administration’s strategy,” said Harry Lane, the college’s interim dean.

Northeastern ranked fifth in the adjusted rankings, which value single-author papers higher than papers with multiple authors. The three scholars recognized by the journal are leaders in the field of business strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Gloria Barczak, professor of marketing, focuses on new-product development research. Edward McDonough III, professor of international business and strategy research has focused on managing new-product development. Marc Meyer, the Robert Shillman Professor of Entrepreneurship and a Matthews Distinguished Professor, is a faculty director of the High-Tech MBA program and is active in the areas of new-product development and entrepreneurship.

“Innovation cuts across many fields,” Lane said. “We have three of the world’s top scholars in innovation management: Gloria in marketing, Ed in international business and strategy and Marc in entrepreneurship.”

Northeastern is a global leader in innovation and entrepreneurship, with a focus on use-inspired research with real-world applications across many disciplines. Students are also engaged in real-world business leadership through initiatives like the Northeastern Entrepreneurs Club and IDEA, Northeastern’s Venture Accelerator while the College of Business Administration’s entrepreneurship program has been ranked by the Princeton Review as one of the top 10 in the nation.