CBOS members
CBOS is made up of faculty members and PhD students from the School of Management, as well as affiliates from other departments and external associate members
Centre for Business, Organisations and Society (CBOS)
Rethinking business in a sustainable society; providing the evidence base to get there
Who we are and what we do
Research and publications from CBOS members.
CBOS publications
Find journal and conference papers from our members.
Our research themes
Our research addresses a wide range of topics, with particular focus on the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
SDG 3: Good Health & Wellbeing. How do business practices and their governance impact upon health and wellbeing, including among consumers, employees and local communities?
SDG 5: Gender Equality. What role can business play in driving gender equality and how does this intersect with other forms of disadvantage and inequality?
SDG 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth. What is the experience of workers in global supply chains, and what are the most effective ways of enhancing conditions to ensure prosperity and growth?
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. What roles do markets and the consumer experience play in shifting towards sustainability?
SDG 13: Climate Action. What actions should businesses and stakeholders take to address the climate emergency, and which behaviours facilitate or impede just transition?
Impact showcase
From sustainability to cyber-security, find out how CBOS members are tackling the topics central to our lives.
The human side of sustainability
The research from the Centre for Business, Organisations and Society examining how and why we make the choices that matter for our planet.
Formative moments
Nine moments that shaped our business and society research – and the papers that responded to them.
Working for a better world
How School of Management academics are at the forefront of research to improve employment conditions, protect workers and stamp out modern slavery.
Content warning
Digital spaces can be rife with toxicity – and it doesn’t always stay online. Meet one of the researchers working to identify the red flags for action offline.
What it means to be an LGBT+ ally at work
Dr Luke Fletcher’s research explores how LGBT+ people can be better included and supported in the workplace.
Threats and Trade-offs: the game challenging entrepreneurs to think about cyber security
How Dr Joanna Syrda and Dr Oishee Kundu are using a novel approach to illustrate the business risks of neglecting online defences.
Upcoming events
Find out how you can join us for seminars, webinars and conferences.
The Bath Business, Organisations and Society Symposium (BBOSS) 2025
4 Jun 2025 8.45am
0.19,
10 East
,
University of Bath
A developmental and inspiring research symposium for all scholars with an interest in the business and society relationship.
TABEC 2025: Transatlantic Business Ethics Conference
4 Jun 2025 7.00pm
10 East
,
University of Bath
This invitation-only event will discuss the role of business in protecting or opposing universal rights, freedom, and democracy.
Joining CBOS
Find out more about how you can become a member.
PhD profile: Elif Nur Duman-Cogen
Elif shares her research on the agency of silence, addressing gendered stigma and refugees’ persistence in living honourable lives.
PhD profile: Zena Al-Esia
Zena tells us about her background in NGOs, the importance of CSR in difficult contexts, and the importance of the right supervisor.
PhD profile: Dr Mike Rogerson
Mike talks about his experiences of postgraduate study at Bath and how it helped him build a lasting network.
Choosing CBOS for your doctorate
Our PhD students explain why they chose Bath and talk about what it's like to be part of CBOS
Global Early-Career Accelerator for Representation (GEAR)
The GEAR programme aims to improve the representation of researchers from low-and-middle income (LMI) countries in the field of business and society.
Commentary and analysis
Research, analysis and comment on the role of business in society.
The cloud over corporate sustainability could yet have a silver lining
Dr Annie Snelson-Powell asks whether a fresh and more directly impactful kind of corporate sustainability could begin to emerge.
Celebrating the launch of Drag as Marketplace
Dr Mario Campana and his co-authors talk about the tensions and triumphs that have accompanied drag’s move to the main stage.
Reinventing rites: when same-sex couples say ‘I do’
Dr Lorna Stevens explains her research into how have couples negotiated, adapted or transformed elements of a practice rooted in heteronormative traditions.
Are second-hand markets helping sustainability? Not in the enrichment economy
Dr Roman Pavlyuchenko explains the paradoxical nature of the resale business for high-end watches.
Corporate activism – how invested are companies in societal debate?
Visiting scholar Dr Lauran Olkkonen examines whether companies’ words on societal debate match up with their actions.
Especially for you: the magic of personalised gifts
The power of a personal touch can make the difference, explains Dr Diletta Acuti.
Using social media to hold business to account
Hear Sarah Glozer and Andrew Crane talk about the importance and challenges of social media, and discuss the genesis of the Thinklist.
The #thinklist
The #thinklist a list of influential faculty thinkers on social media who focus on issues of responsible business. We publish a new version of the list, on a specific theme, three times a year.
The CBOS thinklist
The thinklist is a social media list of the most influential and interesting responsible business scholars.
#ThinklistImpact
The #ThinklistImpact is a list of academics on social media who influence practice and have impact in the wider world.
#ThinklistImpact Methodology
The rationale and criteria behind the #ThinklistImpact.
Past events
Explore some of the conferences hosted by CBOS in recent years.
CSR Communications Conference 2024 (CSRCom)
In September 2024, the School of Management hosted the 7th international CSRCom conference.
The Global Research Conference on Caste, Business and Society
In June 2024, we hosted the 2nd annual conference focusing on caste in the business and work setting.
Crossing Boundaries: The 2023 Business and Modern Slavery Research conference
Hosted in September 2023, this two-day conference offered an opportunity for researchers of forced labour to come together.
International Association for Business & Society 2023 Annual Conference
In June 2023 we hosted the 34th Annual IABS conference, engaging established thought leaders and emerging scholars.
Engaging with society
We seek to make a positive difference through our research to local, national and international communities.
Research4Good podcast
Listen to our Research4Good podcast series, where School of Management academics are interviewed about the positive impact of their work.
Embed Dignity
Embed Dignity is a research initiative founded by Dr Vivek Soundararajan, aimed at embedding dignity in every aspect of an organisation.
The Rebalance Observatory
Prof Andy Crane and Dr Kostas Iatridis are part of this collaborative project seeking to provide insights to foster a rebalancing of capitalism and democracy.
About us
We conduct interdisciplinary, high quality and high impact research on sustainability and business. We work with business, government and the third sector to encourage collaborative research and develop best practice.
Our mission is to:
- rethink the role and responsibilities of business in creating a sustainable society; and
- provide a theoretically and empirically robust evidence base to help get us there
Contact us
Get in touch for more information.