business recovery research topics

Link to Follow us on Twitter
Link to Like us on Facebook
Link to Connect with us on LinkedIn

Ivey Business Journal

The business of recovery.

Share on LinkedIn
Share on googlePlus
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share by email

The COVID-19 outbreak offered businesses around the world a simple choice: adapt or die. Some organizations responded by engaging in digital transformation, while others focused on performing a social role by embracing charity, philanthropy, and other community-based activities. Results have understandably been mixed, and not just because of the unprecedented nature of the disruption created by the pandemic.

Simply put, the traditional tools of crisis management are not enough to maximize a firm’s chances of survival in today’s chaotic environment, which calls for a more holistic strategy. Indeed, in order to overcome the significant challenges introduced by COVID-19 and light up opportunities hidden in the outbreak’s dark tunnel, firms need to embark on a born-again journey of self-discovery and healing similar to the mental health recovery process. This involves accepting the need to engage in a grieving process that shapes a new raison d’être for the firm after rejecting traditional thinking and redefining business practices across the organization.

The conceptualization of deploying a business recovery process to develop a new, sustainable, and profitable business model in response to a crisis follows Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory of human agency, which states that people are agents of their experience and not merely passive respondents to a deterministic environment or automatons driven by neurocognitive processes. Following this logic, firms should engage in a recovery process to proactively face any form of major disruption (digital, environmental, organizational, social, or viral). But deploying a recovery strategy in the corporate world, especially during a pandemic, requires clarity regarding its definition, not to mention how corporate managers should implement the process.

Based on my research and consulting work with clients across numerous industries, this article outlines the logic and stages of the Business Recovery Strategy Framework (see below, and explains how it can help managers organize their thinking and plan innovation while enabling them to adapt their organizations to the emerging behaviours and trends that represent the “new normal.”

Exhibit 1: Business Recovery Strategy Applied to Pandemic Disruption

Battling Inertia and Nostalgia

One of the most commonly accepted realities of business is also one of the most ironic: successful firms with established business practices fail to adapt to unexpected changes in the market. As a result, these companies can experience a tough or easy recovery process depending on their ability to disengage from established organizational and business practices. Disengaging from a firm’s so-called best practices, of course, isn’t easy, since managers associate them with positive outcomes. But this association is based upon previous experiences, and when conditions change, previous best practices may no longer be a suitable driver of success. In fact, when facing a disruption, making decisions based on established best practices can be extremely costly.

Why do managers stick with established modes of thinking when dealing with the unexpected? Blame a combination of corporate inertia and nostalgia.

When facing a fluid external environment, these two factors lead many firms to consider internal change an additional threat. This, in turn, blocks the development of new modes of thinking or actions that can open the door to innovations and dramatically improve competitiveness in a new environment.

In business circles, being blinded by inertia and nostalgia when a disruptive force exposes an opportunity is often described as having a “Kodak moment.” Managers of Eastman Kodak—which filed for bankruptcy in 2012—infamously failed to disengage from established modes of thinking as they oversaw the invention of a technology that led to the company’s demise as an industry leader. As a result, instead of revolutionizing the sector after developing the first digital camera, the company tried using the new technology as a prop to support its existing business model.

As Forbes contributor Chunka Mui noted in a 2012 article on the legendary corporate blunder, the choice “to use digital as a prop for the film business culminated in the 1996 introduction of the Advantix Preview film and camera system, which Kodak spent more than $500M to develop and launch. One of the key features of the Advantix system was that it allowed users to preview their shots and indicate how many prints they wanted. The Advantix Preview could do that because it was a digital camera. Yet it still used film and emphasized print because Kodak was in the photo film, chemical and paper business.”

“Simply put, Kodak managers couldn’t read the writing on the wall because they put products over customers in their thinking. And unfortunately, glorifying established practices is common when businesses face the need to change.”

With management thinking stuck in the past, the photography pioneer simply assumed consumers would want a digital camera that still required them to buy film and pay for prints. And as the company kept investing in its film division, competitors focused on the opportunities created by the industry’s disruption. In 2013, Kodak entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, emerging with a new focus on commercial printing.

Simply put, Kodak managers couldn’t read the writing on the wall because they put products over customers in their thinking. And unfortunately, glorifying established practices is common when businesses face the need to change. This is particularly true among CEOs of large B2B companies, where a mix of melancholy affection and convictions related to previous success prevent established companies from seeing a new context as a suitable period to undo their current business practices and modes of thinking, which are limiting their ability to strategically respond to disruptive forces. But it is a real problem for consumer-focused ventures as well.

Ultimately, corporate inertia and nostalgia will always lead to a loss of competitive advantage. Take, for example, the experience of small furniture businesses that have faced a perfect storm thanks to cheaper Chinese furniture, the advent of giant low-cost competitors such as IKEA, and 3D printing. This is an “adapt or die” situation. But many of these companies ironically, and firmly, believe that their previous path to success is part of their DNA even when that path is no longer profitable.

Whenever our normal is altered by a major disruption such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, fear and resistance are inevitable as we are hit with a flood of unanswered questions: Will the economy tank? Should our firm fire people? Should we cancel business and innovation projects? Can we develop better business practices than our pre-crisis practices? Is survival even possible?

This is a natural response. However, based on fear and resistance, this way of thinking tends to idealize pre-crisis situations. And as my academic research and years of consultancy work with small and large companies in multiple different sectors has shown, the “it-was-better-before mindset” doesn’t provide the foundation required for forming a relevant adaptation strategy that generates new business opportunities during a crisis. Instead, it leads to putting innovation on hold, which prevents the activation of a creative and proactive process that can expose new opportunities generated by changes in the market and competitive landscape.

Deploying a Business Recovery Strategy

Defining and implementing a business recovery strategy counters the natural inclination to idealize established business practices and modes of thinking when facing any major disruption, including a pandemic. But effectively deploying the framework to overcome inertia and nostalgia and emerge as an industry leader requires understanding that the process is a three-stage journey of self-discovery, reinvention, and goal setting that takes place in the context of a “new normal.”

STAGE ONE —Undergoing the disabling power of disruption: When first impacted by an event like the COVID-19 pandemic, firms are thrust into a state of unawareness, where they are suddenly dependent on others for context and ideas about how to react. At this stage, decision-making is driven by either hope or a feeling of powerlessness, while management strives to engage in actions that reduce employee stress and maintain stakeholder confidence. Measures taken often include policy changes affecting the entire organization or targeted departments such as human resources, sales, communications, and finance. A firm, for example, might move to enable employees to express their fears along with how the sudden disruption has affected their personal life and workplace productivity.

STAGE TWO —Change possible, but time limited: As a disrupted firm develops situational awareness, it becomes less dependent on external forces for context and ideas. In this stage of developing self-responsibility, management’s focus shifts toward exploring possibilities in the disruptive environment. During this “let’s-try-something” stage, interaction with employees can move beyond making sure everyone is coping as individuals by bringing employees from different departments together to creatively reflect on how to best move forward and manage three main priorities—clients, suppliers, and employees—in the new context. And by empowering employees to participate in the firm’s business recovery, management opens the door to creating a new sense of purpose across the entire organization.

STAGE THREE —Commit and act for change: Once aware of its situation and self-dependent, a firm can move to make logical changes that positively address—and even take advantage of—disruptions in both the workplace and market. After accepting the need to change and proactively engaging employees in the process, management exposes the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel by focusing on helping departments identify their new strengths and needs while redefining best practices for the new normal. During this stage, leadership generally knows what needs to happen and can express these needs to employees and external collaborators as they move to reinvent operations to thrive in the “new normal.”

Redefining Business Practices for a “New Normal”

The business world as we knew it just a few months ago will not survive the pandemic. But as tough as the coronavirus outbreak has been to manage, there is no question that the chaos created has presented businesses with an excellent opportunity to step back and reinvent themselves in ways that simply would not have been considered voluntarily under non-crisis conditions.

Indeed, thanks to COVID-19, it has never been easier to justify attacking deeply rooted convictions and established business practices.

But successfully navigating the business recovery process requires all concerned to like “the new me.” To help stakeholders appreciate the reinvented firm, managers should take the following actions to align key business practices with the new normal:

BUSINESS STRATEGY: When facing a “new normal,” a firm’s strategic review process should be demystified. Instead of being exclusively led by top managers, strategy development in times of major crisis should take a holistic and multidisciplinary approach.

ORGANIZATION: In a “new normal” context, firms should set up a committee charged with anticipating possible future disruption in order to maintain a readiness to quickly adapt to unexpected and dramatic changes in the competitive landscape or market conditions.

FINANCE: In a “new normal” situation, firms should engage in relevant cost reduction strategies while creatively sourcing the funding necessary to avoid cutting key employees and budgets.

HUMAN RESOURCES: When social distancing needs subside and reduce the need for remote working, employers should consider a hybrid path forward instead of a return to previous workplace practices. This path forward should be based on both the productivity results achieved during the pandemic period as well as the needs and feelings of employees.

CUSTOMER: In the post-pandemic era, companies should ensure they understand exactly how customers coped with the crisis along with the related new customer needs and behaviours that the crisis created. This requires shifting from traditional market research tools (e.g., surveys and big data) to more immersive and ethnographic methods to collect richer insights and data.

MARKETING. In the “new normal,” companies should implement a more bottom-up marketing strategy. Thinking needs to shift from a product-centric to a more customer-centric logic as well as from traditional marketing—based on the 4Ps or 7Ps of Kotler (Kotler, 2003; Kotler et al., 2001)—to the new experiential marketing and its 7Es (Batat, 2019).

COMMUNICATION AND BRANDING: Moving forward, companies should focus more on value and consider empathic communication and branding strategies. Consumers need to know that brands care and are active as social actors.

DIGITAL: This pandemic crisis has highlighted both the positive and negative sides of digital transformation, presenting an opportunity for a rethink. Companies should consider strategies that are more of a combination of the physical and digital, or “phygital” (Batat, 2019). This can help companies better connect their physical spaces to their digital spaces, offering more positive and productive experiences to employees and customers.

Cutting budgets, firing people, freezing projects, or canceling events is not the only way to respond when challenged by the unexpected. Whether the crisis at hand is technological, social, economic, political, or viral, the holistic recovery process outlined above can help firms move beyond comfort zones and emerge from any disruption as a faster and stronger competitor by developing new modes of thinking and acting.

But a successful recovery will always depend on how well business leaders understand what exactly enables the process to work. In other words, failing to disengage from established practices and ways of thinking will never help management regain control of a disrupted firm’s fate—it will only ensure the business remains a passive victim of the unexpected.

REFERENCES:

Atkinson and M. Hammersley, “Ethnography and Participant Observation,” in N. K. Denzin and Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of Qualitative Research (London, UK: Sage, 1994), 248–261.

Bandura, “Social Cognitive Theory: An Agentic Perspective,” Annual Review of Psychology 52 , no. 1 (2001): 1–26.

Batat, Experiential Marketing: Consumer Behavior, Customer Experience, and The 7Es (London, UK: Routledge, 2019).

P. Bate, “Whatever Happened to Organizational Anthropology? A Review of the Field of Organizational Ethnography and Anthropological Studies,” Human Relations 50 , no. 9 (1997): 1147–1175.

Collins and S. Crowe, “Research, Recovery and Mental Health: Challenges and Opportunities,” Mental Health and Social Inclusion 20 , no. 3 (2016): 174–179.

Easterby-Smith and D. Malina, “Cross-Cultural Collaborative Research: Toward Reflexivity,” The Academy of Management Journal 42 (1999): 76–86

Kotler, Marketing Management , 11th Ed. (Prentice Hall International Editions, 2003).

Kotler, G. Armstrong, J. Saunders, and V. Wong, Principles of Marketing , 3rd European Ed. (Prentice Hall, Pearson Education Limited, 2001).

Methods and lessons for business resilience and recovery surveys

Download paper, additional citation formats.

Google Scholar

Link copied

COVID-19: Twelve insights to help build your business recovery roadmap

Multidisciplinary professional services organization

Show resources

The most essential insights from ey teams to help your organization move to the next phase of recovery from the impact of covid-19..

As COVID-19 continues to impact people and economies around the world, we expect to see a saw-toothed recovery, posing fresh challenges for business strategy.
While there are short-term pressures during reopening, there is also a historic opportunity to reimagine business models for the long term.
Even if a long-term vision seems difficult amid uncertainty, all businesses need to bake flexibility into their business models to enhance their resilience.

A fter the storm comes rebuilding. And there’s a lot to do. COVID-19 has profoundly affected the norms of business across every industry and geography. From new ways of going to work (or not), long-lasting shifts in customer psychology and behavior, and radically transformed operational networks and business portfolios, the world in the second half of 2020 is very different from the start of the year, for better as well as for worse.

The only thing that’s certain about the recovery is that there’s still a huge amount of uncertainty about what form and how long it will take, with different countries – even different regions within countries – continuing to be impacted in different ways, and no certain cure for COVID-19 yet in sight. Here, EY teams have collected some of the leading thinking around what the working world should expect from the pandemic recovery period, and steps organizations and individuals need to take not just to get back up and running, but become stronger and more resilient in the process.

Re-open, reboot

The realities of restarting a business post-COVID-19.

1. Reimagine and transform

The world is slowly adapting to the impact of COVID-19. The world is slowly waking up from the nightmare of COVID-19. But getting back up and running requires more than just business as usual. It’s a two-geared process, a balancing act between transitioning safely into new working world, and taking steps to engage in the transformation of working conditions and practices that COVID-19 has unleashed. Read more: A two-geared approach to reopening and transforming your business .

Global Consumer Index

of global consumers indicate they would be more likely to do grocery shopping online as a result of the pandemic.

2. Address customer anxiety

The behavior and decisions of consumers are what keep the business world ticking. But COVID-19 has dealt a massive – and potentially permanent – blow to the way they interact with businesses. As just one example, 44% of global consumers indicate they would be more likely to do grocery shopping online as a result of the pandemic. Firms looking to survive will understand this and other realities, and adapt accordingly. Read more: How to serve the ‘Anxious Consumer’ after COVID-19 .

3. Rethink the workplace

Some businesses have been able to opt to continue remote working practices for the foreseeable future, but for many others a swift return to work is vital to remain financially viable. In order to do this safely for their staff and customers. Organizations need to prioritize cooperation, communication and accountability, and supplement with cutting-edge technologies and working processes, including crowdsourcing, risk apps and collaboration platforms. Read more: COVID-19: How to crowdsource risk assessment for a safer return to work.

4. Maximize your people’s potential

Concern for the wellbeing of your workforce isn’t just about duty of care – it's a business imperative. Led by an integrated CHRO response, rebuilding will mean effectively engaging with the workforce, understanding and reacting to employee expectations of the care provided by employers and the ability to match workforce capability to financial and risk considerations. Read more: How does a stronger workforce drive a stronger recovery?

5. Identify legal issues

Even if the worst of the crisis may seem to be over, with interim regulatory measures still in place in much of the world, the full aftermath is yet to hit. As the world moves on from the peak of the crisis, from cancelled contracts to employee class actions, COVID-19 is likely to leave a range of legal turmoil in its wake. Modelling potential outcomes, identifying potential risks, and capturing relevant data is critical for businesses looking to weather an anticipated storm of litigation. Read more: How do you remain resilient against a wave of COVID-19 claims?

6. Learn lessons from those a few weeks ahead

When re-opening, it can be instructive to look at what has happened during reopening elsewhere – both in other industries and markets. China was the first country affected, and at the beginning of May, it became one of the first to re-open. Here we look at key lessons from its experience, from assessing supply chains to preparing for future virus spikes.

Capital and strategy

How companies need to think, plan, and respond in the wake of the pandemic.

7. Adapt operations, increase resilience

Even before COVID-19, business was facing pressure to act more responsibly, and the crisis will only accelerate that. As we look to an uncertain recovery, likely to be more saw-toothed than smooth, the pandemic presents us with a chance as much as a challenge. With such a significant economic and social impact, radical changes in how we operate are not just possible, but necessary. This is a chance to segue from a growth economy to a value-based one, prioritizing long-term value and resilience and the needs of multiple stakeholders over short-term growth. Flexibility has always been a business advantage, but it will now be critical to survival. Julie Teigland, EY EMEIA Area Managing Partner, Read more: COVID-19: What critical choices should businesses make next?

Flexibility has always been a business advantage, but it will now be critical to survival.

8. Forecast more effectively

Making smart financial decisions post-COVID-19 is critical and, in such a radically changed world, only companies with effective forecasting and scenario planning strategies can do so with any confidence. However, in a webcast survey by EY, only 9.2% of respondents were very confident in these areas. This article looks at practical steps to build more robust forecasting and planning capabilities. Read more: Three ways to improve your forecasting and scenario planning .

9. Adapt to shifting expectations

For good or ill, what consumers expect of companies is changing. The EY Future Consumer Index found customers had a fresh focus on affordability and healthcare concerns, with 70% saying they’ll be more health-conscious long-term. As we move from crisis to whatever comes next, businesses need to be ready to adapt to changing customer attitudes and needs: reshaping their portfolios for new business realities, creating new and responsive digital customer journeys, and taking the right steps to ensure transparency moving forwards. Read more: As consumers keep adapting, how will your business keep changing with them?

How EY can help

Scenario planning and strategic forecasting.

Prolonged uncertainty and macroeconomic issues have upended customer demand, supply chains and historical forecasting methods. Companies often lack the processes and tools to make rapid decisions to address these changes.

10. Identify the right divestments

In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, firms proactive about reviewing and strategically divesting their portfolio outperformed their peers. The same may well prove true of the COVID-19 aftermath. Indeed, in an EY survey, 64% of APAC firms indicated that the pandemic meant they would need to reduce debt through divestment measures. We dive deeper into these stats and ask how firms should prepare. Read more: Intent to divest remains high as APAC companies look beyond the crisis .

11. Encourage inward investment in your region

COVID-19 hit Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) hard, but this study, originally published in May 2020, indicated the enthusiasm of foreign investors for European assets was not quite dry, despite the region still being in the midst of the lockdown. While 23% of investors surveyed indicated an intention to delay investment plans entirely, 51% expected minor delays in FDI plans. This article examines the details and what firms can do to address these challenges – and make the most of opportunities. Read more: How can Europe reset the investment agenda now to rebuild its future.

12. Stabilize the economy

Reassuring and supporting individual customers in the immediate crisis is one thing, and something all businesses can work toward. But banks will have a particularly important role to play in the longer-term post-crisis stabilization of the global economy. This will mean finding ways to recapitalize key companies, engage with asset protection schemes, and deal with the impact of potential government-established asset management companies. Businesses will need to build close relationships with their banks to manage the inevitable risks of an uncertain environment and secure ongoing access to the capital that will be essential for their long-term recovery and growth.

Direct to your inbox

Stay up to date with our Editor's Picks newsletter.

In the next phase of the COVID-19 crisis, a saw-toothed recovery will present significant challenges. As businesses reopen and focus on increasing their resilience, there is a window of opportunity to strategically reimagine how they operate – with a stronger focus on ensuring long-term value through increased flexibility, fairness and sustainability.

About this article

Connect with us

Our locations

Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Legal and privacy

Accessibility

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.

EY | Assurance | Consulting | Strategy and Transactions | Tax

EY is a global leader in assurance, consulting, strategy and transactions, and tax services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EYG/OC/FEA no.

This material has been prepared for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be relied upon as accounting, tax, or other professional advice. Please refer to your advisors for specific advice.

Welcome to EY.com

In addition to cookies that are strictly necessary to operate this website, we use the following types of cookies to improve your experience and our services: Functional cookies to enhance your experience (e.g. remember settings), and Performance cookies to measure the website's performance and improve your experience . , and Marketing/Targeting cookies , which are set by third parties, allow us to execute marketing campaigns, manage our relationship with you, build a profile of your interests and provide you with content or service offerings in accordance with your preferences.

We have detected that Do Not Track/Global Privacy Control is enabled in your browser; as a result, Marketing/Targeting cookies , which are set by third parties that allow us to execute marketing campaigns, manage our relationship with you, build a profile of your interests and provide you with the content or service offerings in accordance with your preferences are automatically disabled.

You may withdraw your consent to cookies at any time once you have entered the website through a link in the privacy policy, which you can find at the bottom of each page on the website.

Review our cookie policy for more information.

Customize cookies

I decline optional cookies

US small-business recovery after the COVID-19 crisis

The unique nature of the COVID-19 crisis poses a new set of challenges for US small businesses as they claw their way toward recovery. Many face muted demand, new customer expectations, and operational challenges because of health and safety restrictions. Recovery will take time. After the 2008 recession, larger companies recovered to their precrisis contribution to GDP in an average of four years, while smaller ones took an average of six. 1 Kathryn Kobe and Richard Schwinn, Small business GDP: 1998–2014 , US Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, December 2018, advocacy.sba.gov. How long it takes in the current recession will depend on both economic vulnerability to the COVID-19 response and the prevailing macroeconomic outlook in their respective industries. Across all businesses, that could take five years or longer under two scenarios that McKinsey Global Institute and Oxford Economics have modeled and that more than half of global executives surveyed see as the most likely to unfold (Exhibit 1). 2 McKinsey survey of 2,174 global executives, June 1–5, 2020. Among small businesses, recovery is again likely to take even longer. Many may never reopen.

Many small businesses in the United States will need to make extreme changes to survive. The broad themes are, by now, familiar and generally the same as with most large businesses: protecting the health and safety of employees and customers, adapting business models, investing in talent and technology, and adjusting staffing models and labor practices. But like Ginger Rogers, who danced the same steps as Fred Astaire, only backward and wearing high heels, small businesses will need to make all these changes at greater relative cost and with less working capital. Small businesses with slim margins have little room to invest in the business models and technologies that they will need to survive. It will take collaboration across the economy to keep them afloat.

This article covers the unique challenges and opportunities for recovery in three critical sectors: manufacturing, retail, and restaurants. Taken together, these sectors account for approximately 30 percent of small-business jobs in the United States. And while these sectors have distinct characteristics, much of their experience can be extrapolated to other sectors.

Facing pressure on already-slim margins

Many small businesses across sectors came into the COVID-19 crisis with low financial resilience . Among respondents to our survey, close to a third were operating at a loss or breaking even prior to the crisis. 3 McKinsey COVID-19 US Small and Medium-Size Business Financial Pulse Survey, May 5–12, 2020. The sample of 1,004 respondents covers a representative range of industries (North American Industry Classification System 2) and states. This article focuses on employer small businesses with at least one but fewer than 500 employees. EBITDA 4 Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. margins are typically below 5 percent for small retailers selling staples, such as groceries, and below 10 percent for those selling discretionary items. Balance sheets for small businesses in manufacturing, retail, and restaurants also lack flexibility, since a significant portion of the costs for small businesses in those three sectors are relatively fixed. Occupancy costs, for example, are especially so for smaller businesses, which often lack the market power to renegotiate the terms of their leases. Along with fixed occupancy costs, small retailers have less flexibility in managing the material amount of cash tied up in maintaining inventory. It isn’t uncommon for clothing stores to carry 90 days’ worth of sales in inventory, which creates significant pressure on margins when inventory is seasonal, inventory has an expiration date, and customer demand is volatile.

Many small businesses across sectors came into the COVID-19 crisis with low financial resilience.

Small manufacturers, whose working capital tied up in inventory often adds up to 20 percent of sales, also have the added cost of servicing their debt. They tend to rely heavily on financing for their investment and working-capital needs—and indebtedness is high. Our survey of more than 1,000 small businesses suggests that the cost of servicing their debt is, on average, 30 percent of revenue for small manufacturers, 11 percentage points higher than for more financially resilient industries, such as high-skilled professional, scientific, and technical services. The overall sector could take longer than five years to recover to precrisis GDP levels, depending on the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. And their experience could be illustrative for other industries with high capital intensity, such as transportation, warehousing, or natural-resource extraction.

Restaurants, too, face margin challenges. A shift to a more off-premises world—delivery or carryout—is likely to erode their profitability by increasing packaging costs and hindering their ability to sell high-margin items, such as alcohol and desserts. And many small businesses were already vulnerable before the crisis. Nearly 40 percent of small businesses in the restaurant sector operate at a loss or just break even, according to our survey. And any increased costs for accommodating changed expectations would come with a bigger hit on relatively slim operating margins (Exhibit 2).

In manufacturing, retail, and restaurants, the added cost of complying with new hygiene and safety protocols could be onerous. The cost of cleaning supplies and disinfectant wipes—which more than half of restaurant customers now expect to be provided—are less likely to be negotiable for smaller businesses, which are less likely to qualify for the bulk-pricing discounts available to larger ones. The same is true for smaller retailers and, more generally, for most customer-facing small businesses in other industries, including arts, educational services, entertainment, and recreation. Small groceries would need to invest approximately 1 percent of their revenues to cover the cost of additional labor and cleaning products. And space constraints will make it harder for independent retailers than larger retailers to carry out required physical distancing.

Revenues, too, are at risk. A weekly survey conducted by the US Census Bureau found that nearly 50 percent of manufacturing companies are reported to have experienced a decrease in revenue in the first week of June 2020. In a recessionary environment, we anticipate consumers to curb their spending on nonessential goods and services: the same US Census Bureau survey found that two-fifths of retail companies experienced a decline in revenue at the start of June. For restaurants, capacity is a particular issue. In many states, such as California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, and Texas, official return-to-work guidelines for food-service establishments require tables to be separated by at least six feet of physical distance. The smaller the restaurant, the more significantly such restrictions will limit the number of customers that can be served. Even an average medium-size restaurant typically needs to operate at 75 percent capacity to break even. And while some cities are cutting red tape to allow restaurants to set up tables on sidewalks and public squares, such moves aren’t always welcome by the neighbors and may affect local tax revenues.

Adapting new business and operating models

Navigating the current crisis and thriving in the next normal will require significant changes in business and operating models for all businesses. Since early in the COVID-19 crisis, around 60 percent of restaurants in the country have added curbside pickup, and more than a third of consumers who have ordered food for in-store or curbside pickup were first-time users of the service. Independent retailers have also innovated rapidly to adapt to the new environment. Retailers that were deemed essential, especially grocers, began offering curbside pickup, limiting the number of customers in their stores, adjusting their hours, and sometimes creating special time slots to cater to the most vulnerable populations. To further maintain physical distance, many experimented with new payment methods and apps. Retailers that were deemed nonessential—those selling apparel, for example—experimented by rapidly uploading products to their e-commerce websites, offering free delivery, and extending return policies.

Yet sustaining such actions in the medium term could be difficult, especially for small businesses. Large restaurants can make changes to operating procedures and marketing techniques to return to stability—but such changes can be onerous to smaller ones. Operationally, small restaurants and retailers alike could adapt by increasing promotional activities, offering temporary price reductions, adjusting their product mix or menus to focus on high-value items, and potentially renegotiating terms with their suppliers to preserve their margins. That, too, will be easier for larger chains with deeper marketing resources and the ability to run data-driven promotions. Larger retailers may be able to increase promotional activities and take a margin hit to attract and retain customers, clear their inventory, and free up working capital. In apparel, for example, our analysis suggests that 56 percent of available products at US fashion retailers at the end of April 2020 was offered at a discount, nine percentage points higher than the same time in 2019. But smaller retailers, which have less financial flexibility, may not be able to compete on price and promotions.

Factories will also need to adapt to address the operational challenges of meeting health and sanitation requirements. To protect employees, the manufacturing floor must be rethought to allow distance between workers. Factories may need to experiment with a “pod” system , assigning operators to fewer machines but giving them greater responsibility for tasks within their work areas. Such a system can reduce contact with staff and equipment outside the pod. Both modified physical infrastructure and optimized operating procedures that limit the number of individuals each employee must interact with will help meet physical-distancing guidelines. In many cases, workers will also require additional personal protective equipment and regular health testing, including temperature checks prior to entering the building.

For small retailers, a refreshed business model could help with adapting to changing consumer behaviors. Millions of consumers are up for grabs. Disruption in the marketplace, whether driven by supply-chain challenges or by changes in shopping behaviors, have led 15 to 20 percent of consumers to switch stores. About half of those who switched report that they are planning to continue using their new store, according to our US Consumer Pulse Survey . But customer behaviors may also put small retailers at greater risk: customers are taking fewer trips but increasing the size of their baskets. That favors one-stop shops, such as big-box stores, and could be detrimental to smaller retailers that offer a more limited selection of products. To compete, smaller companies may need to find new ways to differentiate their value proposition: focusing on “hyperlocal” demand trends, competing on service quality instead of price, or building customer loyalty through marketing campaigns that engage the local community.

Tracking US small and medium-sized business sentiment during COVID-19

Adopting new technologies.

The most effective way for small businesses to meet new hygiene and safety expectations is to design effective contactless experiences. For example, the restaurants that have fared better since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis have often turned to their digital capabilities and investments in technology to reset their channel mixes to increase takeout and delivery, build loyalty by enabling customers to order through their first-party apps, and increase the flexibility of their supply chains. An international restaurant group managed to keep a majority of its US restaurants open during the crisis by serving food through drive-through, delivery, and takeout channels. New menu items even drove a net increase in sales for some of its brands in the first quarter of 2020.

Among retailers, too, those that have performed well since the beginning of the crisis were those that leveraged their superior digital capabilities. Target, for example, saw comparable store sales grow by more than 10 percent in the first quarter of 2020, reflecting a 141 percent increase in digital sales, while physical-store sales rose less than 1 percent. While the barriers to sell online are low, competition from large retailers is also fierce. Software-as-a-service tools and platforms such as Amazon, Etsy, and Instagram make it relatively simple to reach customers and sell online. Even those digital options come at a cost to operating expenses, such as the expense of taking professional product photographs, as well as the costs of strong back-end order processing, seamless logistics for delivery and returns, and high standards of customer experience.

For many small businesses, adopting new technology will require significant changes. In manufacturing, for example, the scale of the necessary digital shift is massive. Between 40 and 50 percent of US manufacturing assets will require upgrading for digital readiness—and the transition may come sooner now that the COVID-19 crisis has disrupted the sector. Additionally, other tech investments, including digital training courses for workers and digital floor walks and performance-management tools to reduce in-person check-ins, may become necessary. Because smaller, lower-tier supplier businesses are the least technologically enabled today, much of the potential gains from digital adoption in the sector lies with them.

Searching for solutions

One thread that runs through all of the challenges is that smaller businesses seldom have the resources to make significant investments, which all solutions are likely to require. Even if business-model changes and new technologies offer small businesses an avenue toward survival in the post-COVID-19 world, many lack the capital, people, and access to technology that their larger counterparts enjoy. It will take innovation and participation from across the economy to help small businesses thrive.

Here again, small businesses are challenged compared with their larger counterparts. Less able to invest in equipment and facility upgrades, small and medium-size manufacturing companies have about 40 percent lower productivity relative to large businesses. Operational modifications are costly—particularly when significant changes to a factory layout are required—and small businesses have limited cash on hand to invest in such changes. For those that are unable to fund necessary safety modifications immediately, operating at partial capacity, which carries its own cash-flow implications, may be the only viable option. Among small manufacturers, two decades of revenue growth at roughly one-fifth the pace of larger manufacturers make smaller businesses less attractive than larger ones to investors (Exhibit 3). Without capital inflow, small manufacturers will find it difficult to fund the upgrades needed to bring their production lines into the modern era of tech-enabled manufacturing.

Some market-based solutions already exist. For example, independent restaurants might digitize their businesses by using aggregators to increase their visibility, reach potential diners, and outsource their delivery. Factories might use tech-enabled “digital twins” to simulate factory operations under changing operating conditions. Upskilling workers via digital curriculums to give them the capacity to flex into more roles can also help mitigate risk. New innovations could go even further to help small manufacturers build out their digital lean tools or to help retailers digitize their call centers. Aggregators, for example, often charge a commission of up to 30 percent for independent restaurants, while some national chains have been able to negotiate a much lower commission of 5 to 7 percent.

Beyond small businesses’ ingenuity to adapt to newer business models, they may find support elsewhere. Large companies can play a significant role in supporting small suppliers, customers, and service providers. Large tech companies might, for example, offer free online-advertising credit. Aggregators might help by offering additional onboarding support or spotlighting small, independent restaurants on their platforms. Large manufacturing businesses may find that they are well positioned to provide demand guarantees to smaller companies, assist in technology and productivity diffusion, and deliver capital financing. Large companies often depend on small businesses as lower-tier suppliers, so financial fragility constitutes a longer-term supply-chain risk for large manufacturers. Bringing US small businesses into the digital age would be valuable to all parties, as it would improve efficiency and strengthen the domestic supplier base.

There may also be a role for public administrators. Some cities, such as Boston and Detroit, are already identifying business and financial resources for small businesses online and facilitating collective-buying arrangements for personal protective equipment. Regulators may also play a role in ensuring fair business practices and guarding against predatory pricing and other moves that threaten the market share of small and independent retailers. Some combination of public and private aid may also be necessary for small restaurants, especially offering technical and financial support they’ll need to compete with larger ones that can build contactless solutions at scale.

In manufacturing, regulators might also play a role in ensuring that US small businesses have access to international markets, both as a source of demand and a way to reduce costs through imports. At the end of May 2020, two-fifths of respondents to our global Manufacturing and Supply Chain Pulse Survey believed that manufacturing in Asia will recover within two to three months. Ensuring that smaller companies have access to those markets, particularly in a regions that are ahead on the path to recovery, can benefit smaller manufacturers with a limited domestic market.

The survival of US small businesses across the economy will require new business models and technology solutions that few have the resources to finance. The COVID-19 crisis has exposed financial frailties that have built over time, and the next normal could impose additional burdens. Adapting to such challenges will require that small businesses find new business and operating models and accelerate the adoption of new technologies. But those solutions will not be easy and will require an economy-wide effort to provide financing, restore demand, and improve small businesses’ capability and resilience.

André Dua is a senior partner in McKinsey’s Miami office; Deepa Mahajan is a partner in the San Francisco office, where Lucienne Oyer is a consultant; and Sree Ramaswamy is a partner in the Washington, DC, office.

The authors wish to thank Austin Baker, Rushan Guan, Neha Jain, John Moran, Steve Noble, Dave Rosin, Jake Silberg, Yohann Velasco, and Kumar Venkataraman for their contributions to this article.

This article was edited by Dennis Swinford, a senior editor in the Seattle office.

Explore a career with us

Which small businesses are most vulnerable to COVID-19—and when

COVID-19’s disproportionate effect on US jobs at small businesses

COVID-19’s effect on jobs at small businesses in the United States

COVID-19’s effect on minority-owned small businesses in the United States

Tracking the robust recovery in the business sector since 2020

Subscribe to the economic studies bulletin, mitchell barnes and mitchell barnes former research analyst - the hamilton project wendy edelberg wendy edelberg director - the hamilton project , senior fellow - economic studies @wendyedelberg.

September 1, 2022

A Hamilton Project analysis of the business sector over the COVID-19 period finds that, despite initial fears of widespread failure, existing businesses and new entrepreneurship have defied earlier expectations, ending 2021 with nearly 450,000 more establishments in operation than prior to the pandemic.

Underneath these aggregate results, patterns across industries reveal evidence of considerable economic restructuring. A large share of new business creation has occurred in the industries most exposed to the pandemic downturn, primarily face-to-face services like restaurants. Other new business activity, such as online retail and data services, reflect new opportunities in the transition to a more remote environment. This report also traces the employment implications of this churn to uncover the impacts of initial employment losses and recent recovery across businesses of varying sizes. While questions remain around the contribution of these new dynamics to job creation and productivity, the persistence of these shifts and the resiliency of small businesses will play key roles in determining the path of the recovery moving forward.

Business survival

While an unprecedented number of businesses shut down amid early COVID lockdowns, new data suggest that a surprising majority of those businesses were eventually able to reopen.

While an unprecedented number of businesses shut down amid early COVID lockdowns, new data suggest that a surprising majority of those businesses were eventually able to reopen. This was largely due to the abrupt nature of the downturn and reopening of the economy, and in part to the fiscal support that sustained household spending. Unlike past recessions, business exits were concentrated in the service sector, accounting for almost 90 percent of total exits through March of 2021. And certain industries bore the brunt of those impacts, with businesses in leisure and hospitality as well as education and health services experiencing nearly 70 percent more establishment exits in the first half of 2020 than through mid-2019.

New business creation

Applications for new businesses began to surge in early 2020, a trend consistent with the link between entrepreneurship and unemployment during economic downturns. However, through 2021, those applications had translated to near-record levels of new business creation. Patterns of new entrepreneurship suggest considerable economic restructuring induced by the pandemic. Many sectors seeing new business activity are similar to areas where existing businesses experienced severe declines in revenue and elevated establishment exits in 2020, including restaurants and personal services. Other new businesses, including in online retail and data services, reflect new opportunities in the transition to a more remote environment.

Employment impact

While labor markets were initially jolted by the early wave of business closures, 86 percent of jobs lost in the second quarter of 2020 stemmed from contractions among businesses that remained open. Those payroll contractions were mainly driven by larger firms with over 50 employees. In fact, the largest firms have been slower to recover their prior employment levels, ending 2021 having recovered 71 percent of prior levels compared to 96 percent for smaller firms. In total through 2021, BED data suggest that nearly 450,000 more establishments had opened than closed since the beginning of 2020, and that these new businesses had contributed a net 500,000 jobs to the recovery. In particular, new business creation has been a key driver of the employment recovery, where new establishment births created an average of 1 million new jobs in each of the final three quarters of 2021.

While the report reveals strong momentum in the business sector, future job creation and productivity growth will depend on the persistence of pandemic-related work and lifestyle shifts and the ability of these new businesses to remain viable.

500+ Business Research Topics

Business research is an essential component of any successful organization, as it allows companies to make informed decisions based on data-driven insights. Whether it’s market research to identify new opportunities, or analyzing internal processes to improve efficiency, there are a vast array of business research topics that companies can explore. With the constantly evolving business landscape, it’s critical for organizations to stay up-to-date with the latest research trends and best practices to remain competitive. In this post, we’ll explore some of the most compelling business research topics that are currently being studied, providing insights and actionable recommendations for businesses of all sizes.

Business Research Topics

Business Research Topics are as follows:

The impact of social media on consumer behavior
Strategies for enhancing customer satisfaction in the service industry
The effectiveness of mobile marketing campaigns
Exploring the factors influencing employee turnover
The role of leadership in organizational culture
Investigating the relationship between corporate social responsibility and financial performance
Assessing the impact of employee engagement on organizational performance
The challenges and opportunities of global supply chain management
Analyzing the effectiveness of e-commerce platforms
Investigating the impact of organizational culture on employee motivation
The role of corporate governance in ensuring ethical business practices
Examining the impact of digital marketing on brand equity
Strategies for managing diversity and inclusion in the workplace
Exploring the effects of employee empowerment on job satisfaction
The role of innovation in business growth
Analyzing the impact of mergers and acquisitions on company performance
Investigating the impact of workplace design on employee productivity
The challenges and opportunities of international business expansion
Strategies for managing talent in the knowledge economy
The role of artificial intelligence in transforming business operations
Examining the impact of customer loyalty programs on retention and revenue
Investigating the relationship between corporate social responsibility and brand reputation
The role of emotional intelligence in effective leadership
The impact of digital transformation on small and medium-sized enterprises
Analyzing the effectiveness of green marketing strategies
The role of entrepreneurship in economic development
Investigating the impact of employee training and development on organizational performance
The challenges and opportunities of omnichannel retailing
Examining the impact of organizational change on employee morale and productivity
The role of corporate social responsibility in attracting and retaining millennial talent
Analyzing the impact of employee motivation on organizational culture
Investigating the impact of workplace diversity on team performance
The challenges and opportunities of blockchain technology in business operations
Strategies for managing cross-functional teams
The role of big data analytics in business decision-making
Examining the impact of corporate social responsibility on customer loyalty
Investigating the relationship between corporate social responsibility and employee engagement
The impact of social media marketing on customer engagement and brand loyalty.
The effectiveness of AI in improving customer service and satisfaction.
The role of entrepreneurship in economic development and job creation.
The impact of the gig economy on the labor market.
The effects of corporate social responsibility on company profitability.
The role of data analytics in predicting consumer behavior and market trends.
The effects of globalization on the competitiveness of small businesses.
The impact of e-commerce on traditional brick-and-mortar retail.
The role of emotional intelligence in leadership and team management.
The effects of workplace diversity on employee productivity and satisfaction.
The role of corporate culture in employee retention and satisfaction.
The impact of employee training and development on company performance.
The effectiveness of performance-based pay structures on employee motivation.
The impact of sustainability practices on company reputation and profitability.
The effects of artificial intelligence on job displacement and the future of work.
The role of innovation in the growth and success of small businesses.
The impact of government regulations on business operations and profitability.
The effects of organizational structure on company performance and efficiency.
The role of emotional labor in service industries.
The impact of employee empowerment on job satisfaction and retention.
The effects of workplace flexibility on employee productivity and well-being.
The role of emotional intelligence in negotiation and conflict resolution.
The impact of branding on consumer behavior and purchase decisions.
The effects of customer experience on brand loyalty and advocacy.
The role of storytelling in marketing and advertising.
The impact of consumer psychology on pricing strategies and sales.
The effects of influencer marketing on consumer behavior and brand loyalty.
The role of trust in online transactions and e-commerce.
The impact of product design on consumer perception and purchasing decisions.
The effects of customer satisfaction on company profitability and growth.
The role of social entrepreneurship in addressing societal problems and creating value.
The impact of corporate governance on company performance and stakeholder relations.
The effects of workplace harassment on employee well-being and company culture.
The role of strategic planning in the success of small businesses.
The impact of technology on supply chain management and logistics.
The effects of customer segmentation on marketing strategies and sales.
The role of corporate philanthropy in building brand reputation and loyalty.
The impact of intellectual property protection on innovation and creativity.
The effects of trade policies on international business operations and profitability.
The role of strategic partnerships in business growth and expansion.
The impact of digital transformation on organizational structure and operations.
The effects of leadership styles on employee motivation and performance.
The role of corporate social activism in shaping public opinion and brand reputation.
The impact of mergers and acquisitions on company performance and stakeholder value.
The effects of workplace automation on job displacement and re-skilling.
The role of cross-cultural communication in international business operations.
The impact of workplace stress on employee health and productivity.
The effects of customer reviews and ratings on online sales and reputation.
The role of competitive intelligence in market research and strategy development.
The impact of brand identity on consumer trust and loyalty.
The impact of organizational structure on innovation and creativity
Analyzing the effectiveness of virtual teams in global organizations
The role of corporate social responsibility in crisis management
The challenges and opportunities of online marketplaces
Strategies for managing cultural diversity in multinational corporations
The impact of employer branding on employee retention
Investigating the impact of corporate social responsibility on investor behavior
The role of technology in enhancing customer experience
Analyzing the impact of social responsibility initiatives on customer satisfaction
Investigating the impact of supply chain disruptions on business performance
The role of business ethics in organizational decision-making
The challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence in customer service
Strategies for managing employee burnout and stress in the workplace.
Impact of social media on consumer behavior and its implications for businesses.
The impact of corporate social responsibility on company performance.
An analysis of the relationship between employee satisfaction and customer loyalty.
The effect of advertising on consumer behavior.
A study on the effectiveness of social media marketing in building brand image.
The impact of technological innovations on business strategy and operations.
The relationship between leadership style and employee motivation.
A study of the effects of corporate culture on employee engagement.
An analysis of the factors influencing consumer buying behavior.
The effectiveness of training and development programs in enhancing employee performance.
The impact of global economic factors on business decision-making.
The role of organizational communication in achieving business goals.
The relationship between customer satisfaction and business success.
A study of the challenges and opportunities in international business.
The effectiveness of supply chain management in improving business performance.
An analysis of the factors influencing customer loyalty in the hospitality industry.
The impact of employee turnover on organizational performance.
A study of the impact of corporate governance on company performance.
The role of innovation in business growth and success.
An analysis of the relationship between marketing and sales performance.
The effect of organizational structure on employee behavior.
A study of the impact of cultural differences on business negotiations.
The effectiveness of pricing strategies in increasing sales revenue.
The impact of customer service on customer loyalty.
A study of the role of human resource management in business success.
The impact of e-commerce on traditional brick-and-mortar businesses.
An analysis of the relationship between employee empowerment and job satisfaction.
The effectiveness of customer relationship management in building brand loyalty.
The role of business ethics in corporate decision-making.
A study of the impact of digital marketing on consumer behavior.
The effect of organizational culture on employee turnover.
An analysis of the factors influencing employee engagement in the workplace.
The impact of social media on business communication and marketing.
A study of the relationship between customer service and customer loyalty in the airline industry.
The role of diversity and inclusion in business success.
The effectiveness of performance management systems in improving employee performance.
The impact of corporate social responsibility on employee engagement.
A study of the factors influencing business expansion into new markets.
The role of brand identity in customer loyalty and retention.
The effectiveness of change management strategies in organizational change.
The impact of organizational structure on organizational performance.
A study of the impact of technology on the future of work.
The relationship between innovation and competitive advantage in the marketplace.
The effect of employee training on organizational performance.
An analysis of the impact of online reviews on consumer behavior.
The role of leadership in shaping organizational culture.
The effectiveness of talent management strategies in retaining top talent.
The impact of globalization on small and medium-sized enterprises.
A study of the relationship between corporate social responsibility and brand reputation.
The effectiveness of employee retention strategies in reducing turnover rates.
The role of emotional intelligence in leadership and employee engagement.
The impact of digital marketing on customer behavior
The role of organizational culture in employee engagement and retention
The effects of employee training and development on organizational performance
The relationship between corporate social responsibility and financial performance
The impact of globalization on business strategy
The importance of supply chain management in achieving competitive advantage
The role of innovation in business growth and sustainability
The impact of e-commerce on traditional retail businesses
The role of leadership in managing change in organizations
The effects of workplace diversity on organizational performance
The impact of social media on brand image and reputation
The relationship between employee motivation and productivity
The role of organizational structure in promoting innovation
The effects of customer service on customer loyalty
The impact of globalization on small businesses
The role of corporate governance in preventing unethical behavior
The effects of technology on job design and work organization
The relationship between employee satisfaction and turnover
The impact of mergers and acquisitions on organizational culture
The effects of employee benefits on job satisfaction
The impact of cultural differences on international business negotiations
The role of strategic planning in organizational success
The effects of organizational change on employee stress and burnout
The impact of business ethics on customer trust and loyalty
The role of human resource management in achieving competitive advantage
The effects of outsourcing on organizational performance
The impact of diversity and inclusion on team performance
The role of corporate social responsibility in brand differentiation
The effects of leadership style on organizational culture
The Impact of Digital Marketing on Brand Equity: A Study of E-commerce Businesses
Investigating the Relationship between Employee Engagement and Organizational Performance
Analyzing the Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility on Customer Loyalty and Firm Performance
An Empirical Study of the Factors Affecting Entrepreneurial Success in the Technology Sector
The Influence of Organizational Culture on Employee Motivation and Job Satisfaction: A Case Study of a Service Industry
Investigating the Impact of Organizational Change on Employee Resistance: A Comparative Study of Two Organizations
An Exploration of the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Supply Chain Management
Examining the Relationship between Leadership Styles and Employee Creativity in Innovative Organizations
Investigating the Effectiveness of Performance Appraisal Systems in Improving Employee Performance
Analyzing the Role of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership Effectiveness: A Study of Senior Managers
The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Employee Motivation and Job Satisfaction in the Healthcare Sector
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Talent Management Strategies in Enhancing Organizational Performance
A Study of the Effects of Customer Relationship Management on Customer Retention and Loyalty
Investigating the Impact of Corporate Governance on Firm Performance: Evidence from Emerging Markets
The Relationship between Intellectual Capital and Firm Performance: A Case Study of Technology Firms
Analyzing the Effectiveness of Diversity Management in Improving Organizational Performance
The Impact of Internationalization on the Performance of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: A Comparative Study of Developed and Developing Countries
Examining the Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance: A Study of Listed Firms
Investigating the Influence of Entrepreneurial Orientation on Firm Performance in Emerging Markets
Analyzing the Impact of E-commerce on Traditional Retail Business Models: A Study of Brick-and-Mortar Stores
The Effect of Corporate Reputation on Customer Loyalty and Firm Performance: A Study of the Banking Sector
Investigating the Factors Affecting Consumer Adoption of Mobile Payment Systems
The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Attracting and Retaining Millennial Employees
Analyzing the Impact of Social Media Marketing on Brand Awareness and Consumer Purchase Intentions
A Study of the Effects of Employee Training and Development on Job Performance
Investigating the Relationship between Corporate Culture and Employee Turnover: A Study of Multinational Companies
The Impact of Business Process Reengineering on Organizational Performance: A Study of Service Industries
An Empirical Study of the Factors Affecting Internationalization Strategies of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
The Effect of Strategic Human Resource Management on Firm Performance: A Study of Manufacturing Firms
Investigating the Influence of Leadership on Organizational Culture: A Comparative Study of Two Organizations
The Impact of Technology Adoption on Organizational Productivity: A Study of the Healthcare Sector
Analyzing the Effects of Brand Personality on Consumer Purchase Intentions: A Study of Luxury Brands
The Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Customer Perceptions of Product Quality: A Study of the Food and Beverage Industry
Investigating the Effectiveness of Performance Management Systems in Improving Employee Performance: A Study of a Public Sector Organization
The Impact of Business Ethics on Firm Performance: A Study of the Banking Industry
Examining the Relationship between Employee Engagement and Customer Satisfaction in the Service Industry
Investigating the Influence of Entrepreneurial Networking on Firm Performance: A Study of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
The Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility on Employee Retention: A Study of High-tech Firms
The impact of workplace communication on employee engagement
The role of customer feedback in improving service quality
The effects of employee empowerment on job satisfaction
The impact of innovation on customer satisfaction
The role of knowledge management in organizational learning
The effects of product innovation on market share
The impact of business location on customer behavior
The role of financial management in business success
The effects of corporate social responsibility on employee engagement
The impact of cultural intelligence on cross-cultural communication
The role of social media in crisis management
The effects of corporate branding on customer loyalty
The impact of globalization on consumer behavior
The role of emotional intelligence in leadership effectiveness
The effects of employee involvement in decision-making on job satisfaction
The impact of business strategy on market share
The role of corporate culture in promoting ethical behavior
The effects of corporate social responsibility on investor behavior
The impact of sustainability on brand image and reputation
The role of corporate social responsibility in reducing carbon emissions.
The effectiveness of loyalty programs on customer retention
The benefits of remote work for employee productivity
The impact of environmental sustainability on consumer purchasing decisions
The role of brand identity in consumer loyalty
The relationship between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction
The impact of e-commerce on traditional brick-and-mortar stores
The effectiveness of online advertising on consumer behavior
The impact of leadership styles on employee motivation
The role of corporate social responsibility in brand perception
The impact of workplace diversity on organizational performance
The effectiveness of gamification in employee training programs
The impact of pricing strategies on consumer behavior
The effectiveness of mobile marketing on consumer engagement
The impact of emotional intelligence on leadership effectiveness
The role of customer service in consumer loyalty
The impact of technology on supply chain management
The effectiveness of employee training programs on job performance
The impact of culture on consumer behavior
The effectiveness of performance appraisal systems on employee motivation
The impact of social responsibility on organizational performance
The role of innovation in business success
The impact of ethical leadership on organizational culture
The effectiveness of cross-functional teams in project management
The impact of government regulations on business operations
The role of strategic planning in business growth
The impact of emotional intelligence on team dynamics
The effectiveness of supply chain management on customer satisfaction
The impact of workplace culture on employee satisfaction
The role of employee engagement in organizational success
The impact of globalization on organizational culture
The effectiveness of virtual teams in project management
The impact of employee turnover on organizational performance
The role of corporate social responsibility in talent acquisition
The impact of technology on employee training and development
The effectiveness of knowledge management on organizational learning
The impact of organizational structure on employee motivation
The role of innovation in organizational change
The impact of cultural intelligence on global business operations
The effectiveness of marketing strategies on brand perception
The impact of change management on organizational culture
The role of leadership in organizational transformation
The impact of employee empowerment on job satisfaction
The effectiveness of project management methodologies on project success
The impact of workplace communication on team performance
The role of emotional intelligence in conflict resolution
The impact of employee motivation on job performance
The effectiveness of diversity and inclusion initiatives on organizational performance.
The impact of social media on consumer behavior and buying decisions
The role of diversity and inclusion in corporate culture and its effects on employee retention and productivity
The effectiveness of remote work policies on job satisfaction and work-life balance
The impact of customer experience on brand loyalty and revenue growth
The effects of environmental sustainability practices on corporate reputation and financial performance
The role of corporate social responsibility in consumer purchasing decisions
The effectiveness of leadership styles on team performance and productivity
The effects of employee motivation on job performance and turnover
The impact of technology on supply chain management and logistics efficiency
The role of emotional intelligence in effective leadership and team dynamics
The impact of artificial intelligence and automation on job displacement and workforce trends
The effects of brand image on consumer perception and purchasing decisions
The role of corporate culture in promoting innovation and creativity
The impact of e-commerce on traditional brick-and-mortar retail businesses
The effects of corporate governance on financial reporting and transparency
The effectiveness of performance-based compensation on employee motivation and productivity
The impact of online reviews and ratings on consumer trust and brand reputation
The effects of workplace diversity on innovation and creativity
The impact of mobile technology on marketing strategies and consumer behavior
The role of emotional intelligence in customer service and satisfaction
The effects of corporate reputation on financial performance and stakeholder trust
The impact of artificial intelligence on customer service and support
The role of organizational culture in promoting ethical behavior and decision-making
The effects of corporate social responsibility on employee engagement and satisfaction
The impact of employee turnover on organizational performance and profitability
The role of customer satisfaction in promoting brand loyalty and advocacy
The effects of workplace flexibility on employee morale and productivity
The impact of employee wellness programs on absenteeism and healthcare costs
The role of data analytics in business decision-making and strategy formulation
The effects of brand personality on consumer behavior and perception
The impact of social media marketing on brand awareness and customer engagement
The role of organizational justice in promoting employee satisfaction and retention
The effects of corporate branding on employee motivation and loyalty
The impact of online advertising on consumer behavior and purchasing decisions
The role of corporate entrepreneurship in promoting innovation and growth
The effects of cultural intelligence on cross-cultural communication and business success
The impact of workplace diversity on customer satisfaction and loyalty
The role of ethical leadership in promoting employee trust and commitment
The effects of job stress on employee health and well-being
The impact of supply chain disruptions on business operations and financial performance
The role of organizational learning in promoting continuous improvement and innovation
The effects of employee engagement on customer satisfaction and loyalty
The impact of brand extensions on brand equity and consumer behavior
The role of strategic alliances in promoting business growth and competitiveness
The effects of corporate transparency on stakeholder trust and loyalty
The impact of digital transformation on business models and competitiveness
The role of business ethics in promoting corporate social responsibility and sustainability
The effects of employee empowerment on job satisfaction and organizational performance.
The role of corporate governance in mitigating unethical behavior in multinational corporations.
The effects of cultural diversity on team performance in multinational corporations.
The impact of corporate social responsibility on consumer loyalty and brand reputation.
The relationship between organizational culture and employee engagement in service industries.
The impact of globalization on the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The effectiveness of performance-based pay systems on employee motivation and productivity.
The relationship between innovation and corporate performance in the pharmaceutical industry.
The impact of digital marketing on the traditional marketing mix.
The role of emotional intelligence in leadership effectiveness in cross-cultural teams.
The relationship between corporate social responsibility and financial performance in the banking sector.
The impact of diversity management on employee satisfaction and retention in multinational corporations.
The relationship between leadership style and organizational culture in family-owned businesses.
The impact of e-commerce on supply chain management.
The effectiveness of training and development programs on employee performance in the retail sector.
The impact of global economic trends on strategic decision-making in multinational corporations.
The relationship between ethical leadership and employee job satisfaction in the healthcare industry.
The impact of employee empowerment on organizational performance in the manufacturing sector.
The relationship between corporate social responsibility and employee well-being in the hospitality industry.
The impact of artificial intelligence on customer service in the banking industry.
The relationship between emotional intelligence and employee creativity in the technology industry.
The impact of big data analytics on customer relationship management in the telecommunications industry.
The relationship between organizational culture and innovation in the automotive industry.
The impact of internationalization on the performance of SMEs in emerging markets.
The effectiveness of performance appraisal systems on employee motivation and retention in the public sector.
The relationship between diversity management and innovation in the pharmaceutical industry.
The impact of social entrepreneurship on economic development in developing countries.
The relationship between transformational leadership and organizational change in the energy sector.
The impact of online customer reviews on brand reputation in the hospitality industry.
The effectiveness of leadership development programs on employee engagement in the finance industry.
The relationship between corporate social responsibility and employee turnover in the retail sector.
The impact of artificial intelligence on the recruitment and selection process in the technology industry.
The relationship between organizational culture and employee creativity in the fashion industry.
The impact of digital transformation on business models in the insurance industry.
The relationship between employee engagement and customer satisfaction in the service industry.
The impact of mergers and acquisitions on organizational culture and employee morale.
The effectiveness of knowledge management systems on organizational performance in the consulting industry.
The impact of social media marketing on brand loyalty in the food and beverage industry.
The relationship between emotional intelligence and customer satisfaction in the airline industry.
The impact of blockchain technology on supply chain management in the logistics industry.
The relationship between corporate social responsibility and employee engagement in the technology industry.
The impact of digitalization on talent management practices in the hospitality industry.
The effectiveness of reward and recognition programs on employee motivation in the manufacturing industry.
The impact of industry 4.0 on organizational structure and culture in the aerospace industry.
The relationship between leadership style and team performance in the construction industry.
The impact of artificial intelligence on financial forecasting and decision-making in the banking sector.
The relationship between corporate social responsibility and customer loyalty in the automotive industry.
The impact of virtual teams on employee communication and collaboration in the pharmaceutical industry.
The impact of remote work on employee productivity and job satisfaction
The effects of social media marketing on customer engagement and brand loyalty
The role of artificial intelligence in streamlining supply chain management
The effectiveness of employee training and development programs on organizational performance
The impact of diversity and inclusion initiatives on organizational culture and employee satisfaction
The role of corporate social responsibility in enhancing brand reputation and customer loyalty
The effects of e-commerce on small businesses and local economies
The impact of big data analytics on marketing strategies and customer insights
The effects of employee empowerment on organizational innovation and performance
The impact of globalization on the hospitality industry
The effects of corporate governance on organizational performance and financial outcomes
The role of customer satisfaction in driving business growth and profitability
The impact of artificial intelligence on financial forecasting and risk management
The effects of corporate culture on employee engagement and retention
The role of green marketing in promoting environmental sustainability and brand reputation
The impact of digital transformation on the retail industry
The effects of employee motivation on job performance and organizational productivity
The role of customer experience in enhancing brand loyalty and advocacy
The impact of international trade agreements on global business practices
The effects of artificial intelligence on customer service and support
The role of organizational communication in facilitating teamwork and collaboration
The impact of corporate social responsibility on employee motivation and retention
The effects of global economic instability on business decision-making
The role of leadership styles in organizational change management
The impact of social media influencers on consumer behavior and purchasing decisions
The effects of employee well-being on organizational productivity and profitability
The role of innovation in driving business growth and competitive advantage
The impact of digital marketing on consumer behavior and brand perception
The role of strategic planning in organizational success and sustainability
The impact of e-commerce on consumer privacy and data security
The effects of corporate reputation on customer acquisition and retention
The role of diversity and inclusion in organizational creativity and innovation
The impact of artificial intelligence on customer relationship management
The effects of customer feedback on product development and innovation
The role of employee job satisfaction in reducing turnover and absenteeism
The impact of global competition on business strategy and innovation
The effects of corporate branding on customer loyalty and advocacy
The role of digital transformation in enhancing organizational agility and responsiveness
The effects of employee empowerment on customer satisfaction and loyalty
The role of entrepreneurial leadership in driving business innovation and growth
The impact of digital disruption on traditional business models
The effects of organizational culture on innovation and creativity
The role of marketing research in developing effective marketing strategies
The impact of social media on customer relationship management
The effects of employee engagement on organizational innovation and competitiveness
The role of strategic partnerships in promoting business growth and expansion
The impact of global trends on business innovation and entrepreneurship

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

200+ Funny Research Topics

500+ Sports Research Topics

300+ American History Research Paper Topics

500+ Cyber Security Research Topics

500+ Environmental Research Topics

500+ Economics Research Topics

Research Topics & Ideas: Business

50+ Management Research Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

Finding and choosing a strong research topic is the critical first step when it comes to crafting a high-quality dissertation, thesis or research project. If you’ve landed on this post, chances are you’re looking for a business/management-related research topic , but aren’t sure where to start. Here, we’ll explore a variety of research ideas and topic thought-starters for management-related research degrees (MBAs/DBAs, etc.). These research topics span management strategy, HR, finance, operations, international business and leadership.

NB – This is just the start…

The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps . In this post, we’ll kickstart the process by sharing some research topic ideas within the management domain. This is the starting point, but to develop a well-defined research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , along with a well-justified plan of action to fill that gap.

If you’re new to the oftentimes perplexing world of research, or if this is your first time undertaking a formal academic research project, be sure to check out our free dissertation mini-course. In it, we cover the process of writing a dissertation or thesis from start to end. Be sure to also sign up for our free webinar that explores how to find a high-quality research topic.

Overview: Business Research Topics

Business /management strategy
Human resources (HR) and industrial psychology
Finance and accounting
Operations management
International business
Actual business dissertations & theses

Strategy-Related Research Topics

An analysis of the impact of digital transformation on business strategy in consulting firms
The role of innovation in transportation practices for creating a competitive advantage within the agricultural sector
Exploring the effect of globalisation on strategic decision-making practices for multinational Fashion brands.
An evaluation of corporate social responsibility in shaping business strategy, a case study of power utilities in Nigeria
Analysing the relationship between corporate culture and business strategy in the new digital era, exploring the role of remote working.
Assessing the impact of sustainability practices on business strategy and performance in the motor vehicle manufacturing industry
An analysis of the effect of social media on strategic partnerships and alliances development in the insurance industry
Exploring the role of data-driven decision-making in business strategy developments following supply-chain disruptions in the agricultural sector
Developing a conceptual framework for assessing the influence of market orientation on business strategy and performance in the video game publishing industry
A review of strategic cost management best practices in the healthcare sector of Indonesia
Identification of key strategic considerations required for the effective implementation of Industry 4.0 to develop a circular economy
Reviewing how Globalisation has affected business model innovation strategies in the education sector
A comparison of merger and acquisition strategies’ effects on novel product development in the Pharmaceutical industry
An analysis of market strategy performance during recessions, a retrospective review of the luxury goods market in the US
Comparing the performance of digital stakeholder engagement strategies and their contribution towards meeting SDGs in the mining sector

Topics & Ideas: Human Resources (HR)

Exploring the impact of digital employee engagement practices on organizational performance in SMEs
The role of diversity and inclusion in the workplace
An evaluation of remote employee training and development programs efficacy in the e-commerce sector
Comparing the effect of flexible work arrangements on employee satisfaction and productivity across generational divides
Assessing the relationship between gender-focused employee empowerment programs and job satisfaction in the UAE
A review of the impact of technology and digitisation on human resource management practices in the construction industry
An analysis of the role of human resource management in talent acquisition and retention in response to globalisation and crisis, a case study of the South African power utility
The influence of leadership style on remote working employee motivation and performance in the education sector.
A comparison of performance appraisal systems for managing employee performance in the luxury retail fashion industry
An examination of the relationship between work-life balance and job satisfaction in blue-collar workplaces, A systematic review
Exploring HR personnel’s experiences managing digital workplace bullying in multinational corporations
Assessing the success of HR team integration following merger and acquisition on employee engagement and performance
Exploring HR green practices and their effects on retention of millennial talent in the fintech industry
Assessing the impact of human resources analytics in successfully navigating digital transformation within the healthcare sector
Exploring the role of HR staff in the development and maintenance of ethical business practices in fintech SMEs
An analysis of employee perceptions of current HRM practices in a fully remote IT workspace

Topics & Ideas: Finance & Accounting

An analysis of the effect of employee financial literacy on decision-making in manufacturing start-ups in Ghana
Assessing the impact of corporate green innovation on financial performance in listed companies in Estonia
Assessing the effect of corporate governance on financial performance in the mining industry in Papua New Guinea
An evaluation of financial risk management practices in the construction industry of Saudi Arabia
Exploring the role of leadership financial literacy in the transition from start-up to scale-up in the retail e-commerce industry.
A review of influential macroeconomic factors on the adoption of cryptocurrencies as legal tender
An examination of the use of financial derivatives in risk management
Exploring the impact of the cryptocurrency disruption on stock trading practices in the EU
An analysis of the relationship between corporate social responsibility and financial performance in academic publishing houses
A comparison of financial ratios performance in evaluating E-commerce startups in South Korea.
An evaluation of the role of government policies in facilitating manufacturing companies’ successful transitioning from start-up to scale-ups in Denmark
Assessing the financial value associated with industry 4.0 transitions in the Indian pharmaceutical industry
Exploring the role of effective e-leadership on financial performance in the Nigerian fintech industry
A review of digital disruptions in CRM practices and their associated financial impact on listed companies during the Covid-19 pandemic
Exploring the importance of Sharia-based business practices on SME financial performance in multicultural countries

Free Webinar: How To Find A Dissertation Research Topic

Ideas: Operations Management

An assessment of the impact of blockchain technology on operations management practices in the transport industry of Estonia
An evaluation of supply chain disruption management strategies and their impact on business performance in Lithuania
Exploring the role of lean manufacturing in the automotive industry of Malaysia and its effects on improving operational efficiency
A critical review of optimal operations management strategies in luxury goods manufacturing for ensuring supply chain resilience
Exploring the role of globalization on Supply chain diversification, a pre/post analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic
An analysis of the relationship between quality management and customer satisfaction in subscription-based business models
Assessing the cost of sustainable sourcing practices on operations management and supply chain resilience in the Cocao industry.
An examination of the adoption of behavioural predictive analytics in operations management practices, a case study of the
Italian automotive industry
Exploring the effect of operational complexity on business performance following digital transformation
An evaluation of barriers to the implementation of agile methods in project management within governmental institutions
Assessing how the relationship between operational processes and business strategy change as companies transition from start-ups to scale-ups
Exploring the relationship between operational management and innovative business models, lessons from the fintech industry
A review of best practices for operations management facilitating the transition towards a circular economy in the fast food industry
Exploring the viability of lean manufacturing practices in Vietnam’s plastics industry
Assessing engagement in cybersecurity considerations associated with operations management practices in industry 4.0 manufacturing

Research Topic Kickstarter - Need Help Finding A Research Topic?

Topics & Ideas: International Business

The impact of cultural differences in communication on international business relationships
An evaluation of the role of government import and export policies in shaping international business practices
The effect of global shipping conditions on international business strategies
An analysis of the challenges of managing multinational corporations: branch management
The influence of social media marketing on international business operations
The role of international trade agreements on business activities in developing countries
An examination of the impact of currency fluctuations on international business and cost competitiveness
The relationship between international business and sustainable development: perspectives and benefits
An evaluation of the challenges and opportunities of doing business in emerging markets such as the renewable energy industry
An analysis of the role of internationalisation via strategic alliances in international business
The impact of cross-cultural management on international business performance
The effect of political instability on international business operations: A case study of Russia
An analysis of the role of intellectual property rights in an international technology company’s business strategies
The relationship between corporate social responsibility and international business strategy: a comparative study of different industries
The impact of technology on international business in the fashion industry

Topics & Ideas: Leadership

A comparative study of the impact of different leadership styles on organizational performance
An evaluation of transformational leadership in today’s non-profit organizations
The role of emotional intelligence in effective leadership and productivity
An analysis of the relationship between leadership style and employee motivation
The influence of diversity and inclusion on leadership practices in South Africa
The impact of Artificial Intelligence technology on leadership in the digital age
An examination of the challenges of leadership in a rapidly changing business environment: examples from the finance industry
The relationship between leadership and corporate culture and job satisfaction
An evaluation of the role of transformational leadership in strategic decision-making
The use of leadership development programs in enhancing leadership effectiveness in multinational organisations
The impact of ethical leadership on organizational trust and reputation: an empirical study
An analysis of the relationship between various leadership styles and employee well-being in healthcare organizations
The role of leadership in promoting good work-life balance and job satisfaction in the age of remote work
The influence of leadership on knowledge sharing and innovation in the technology industry
An investigation of the impact of cultural intelligence on cross-cultural leadership effectiveness in global organizations

Business/Management Dissertation & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a business-related research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various management-related degree programs (e.g., MBAs, DBAs, etc.) to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

Sustaining Microbreweries Beyond 5 Years (Yanez, 2022)
Perceived Stakeholder and Stockholder Views: A Comparison Among Accounting Students, Non-Accounting Business Students And Non-Business Students (Shajan, 2020)
Attitudes Toward Corporate Social Responsibility and the New Ecological Paradigm among Business Students in Southern California (Barullas, 2020)
Entrepreneurial opportunity alertness in small business: a narrative research study exploring established small business founders’ experience with opportunity alertness in an evolving economic landscape in the Southeastern United States (Hughes, 2019)
Work-Integrated Learning in Closing Skills Gap in Public Procurement: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study (Culver, 2021)
Analyzing the Drivers and Barriers to Green Business Practices for Small and Medium Enterprises in Ohio (Purwandani, 2020)
The Role of Executive Business Travel in a Virtual World (Gale, 2022)
Outsourcing Security and International Corporate Responsibility: A Critical Analysis of Private Military Companies (PMCs) and Human Rights Violations (Hawkins, 2022)
Lean-excellence business management for small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in Kurdistan region of Iraq (Mohammad, 2021)
Science Data Sharing: Applying a Disruptive Technology Platform Business Model (Edwards, 2022)
Impact of Hurricanes on Small Construction Business and Their Recovery (Sahu, 2022)

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are quite specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. This is an important thing to keep in mind as you develop your own research topic. That is to say, to create a top-notch research topic, you must be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

Fast-Track Your Topic Ideation

If you’d like hands-on help to speed up your topic ideation process and ensure that you develop a rock-solid research topic, check our our Topic Kickstarter service below.

You Might Also Like:

Topic Kickstarter: Research topics in education

Great help. thanks

Hi, Your work is very educative, it has widened my knowledge. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much for helping me understand how to craft a research topic. I’m pursuing a PGDE. Thank you

Effect of Leadership, computerized accounting systems, risk management and monitoring on the quality of financial Reports among listed banks

May you assist on a possible PhD topic on analyzing economic behaviours within environmental, climate and energy domains, from a gender perspective. I seek to further investigate if/to which extent policies in these domains can be deemed economically unfair from a gender perspective, and whether the effectiveness of the policies can be increased while striving for inequalities not being perpetuated.

healthy work environment and employee diversity, technological innovations and their role in management practices, cultural difference affecting advertising, honesty as a company policy, an analysis of the relationships between quality management and customer satisfaction in subscription based business model,business corruption cases. That I was selected from the above topics.

Research topic accounting

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Print Friendly

Moral Recovery and Ethical Leadership

Original Paper
Published: 22 October 2020
Volume 175 , pages 485–497, ( 2022 )

Cite this article

John G. Cullen ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7292-573X 1

13k Accesses

12 Citations

19 Altmetric

Explore all metrics

Research on ethical leadership generally falls into two categories: one celebrates individual leaders and their ‘authentic’ personalities and virtuous stewardship of organizations; the other decries toxic leaders or individuals in positions of power who exhibit ‘dark’ personality traits or dubious morals. Somewhere between these extremes, leadership is ‘done’ by imperfect human beings who try to avoid violating their own ethical standards while at the same time navigating the realities of social and organizational life. This paper discusses the concept of ‘Moral Recovery’ as an ethical leadership process that begins in moral failure, but enables eventual personal, organizational, and social change. It builds on the concept of ‘Moral Injury’ from the work of the psychiatrist Johnathan Shay and refers to the experiences of armed service personnel traumatized by experiences where either they, or their leaders, violated their own values. ‘Morally injured’ parties recover their sense of wellbeing through engaging with restorative communal actions which address the social causes of unethical practices. The process of Moral Recovery requires restorative communal actions which address the social causes of unethical practices. This paper will outline the concept of ‘Moral Recovery’ as a form of practical ethical leadership and change. It will illustrate its relevance to ethical leadership practice with reference to one high-profile case; Ray Anderson of Interface. As this paper is primarily conceptual, avenues for future research are identified, and implications for teaching practice are discussed.

Dear Mental Health Practitioners, Take Care of Yourselves: a Literature Review on Self-Care

Kirsten Posluns & Terry Lynn Gall

Leadership in healthcare education

Christie van Diggele, Annette Burgess, … Craig Mellis

What Is Leadership?

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

Introduction

The idea of being ‘sick’ or becoming ‘injured’ as a critical step in personal, organizational, and transformational leadership has received little treatment in the ethical leadership literature. Instead of assuming that leaders are either ethical or destructive, this article proposes that the process of realizing that one has unintentionally violated personal ethical standards and caused injury or harm to another individual, or group of individuals, can be recovered from by creating social, organizational, or environmental benefits. The theoretical foundation for this process, ‘Moral Recovery,’ builds on the work of the American psychiatrist Johnathan Shay. Shay described armed service personnel traumatized by experiences where either they, or their leaders, violated their own values as being ‘Morally Injured.’ Morally Injured people can recover their sense of wellbeing through engaging with restorative communal actions which address the social causes of unethical practices.

This paper proceeds as follows. First, reviews of research on the concept of ethical leadership are discussed. Although ‘being ethical’ is often discussed as a key component of leadership, the body of published research on the components of and practice of ethical leadership is actually smaller than expected, and research reviews demonstrate how it is studied and theorized in a way that is largely quantitative and positivistic. Research on ethical leaders tends to valorize them as inherently moral beings, while ‘dark’ or ‘toxic’ leaders exploit follower weaknesses for their own ends. The self-doubt associated with possessing ‘neurotic’ personality traits, for example, is seen as being inconsistent with being an ethical leader. Although there are accounts of leaders who overcome challenges and undergo personal transformation through ‘crucible experiences,’ less attention has been afforded to those who suffer guilt and shame as a result of their own moral failings and the organizational and social benefits which emerge from the process of recognizing one’s moral failures.

Next, it provides some detail on the concept of Moral Injury and its growth as a concept in the field of military studies and clinical psychology. Then the concept of Moral Recovery is introduced and Raymond C. Anderson’s experience of recovery from Moral Injury through introducing environmentally progressive changes to the organization he founded (Interface Inc.) is outlined. Finally, as this model is primarily conceptual, the limitations of the model and avenues for future research are suggested.

Reviews of Research on Ethical Leadership

Ethics is often declared to be at the ‘heart’ of leadership, but only small amount of peer-reviewed research publications have been found at the intersection between the two fields (Ciulla 2014 ; Cullen 2018 ). Although there are numerous definitions of ethical leadership (Ko et al. 2018 ), Brown and Trevino’s ( 2005 ) definition of ethical leadership is most frequently cited: “the demonstration of normatively appropriate conduct through personal actions and interpersonal relationships, and the promotion of such conduct to followers through two-way communication, reinforcement, and decision-making” (120).

Articles on ethical leadership often mention trends in the literature (Voegtlin 2016 ) but only a small number have attempted to systematically analyze this body of work. Brown and Trevino ( 2006 ) saw ethical leadership as an emerging concept and compared it to related approaches found in the literature on spiritual, transformative, and authentic leadership. They also identified two main sources of ethical leadership (situational antecedents and individual characteristics) and suggested a 16-point research agenda which urged further exploration of moral traits and practices, and the ethical behaviors of leaders, mentees, followers, and the context in which they worked. Bedi et al ( 2016 ) analyzed the literature on the outcomes of ethical leadership from the perspective of social learning and social exchange theory and found positive relationships between ethical leadership and an array of attitudes and behaviors. Ko et al ( 2018 ) reported that, despite the growth of interest in the field of leadership and ethics, ethical leadership studies remain a highly fragmented field. Like Brown and Trevino ( 2006 ) they also analyzed the literature on antecedents and individual characteristics, but also considered 'moderators' such as the characteristics of the leader, their followers, and the organizations they lead as well as relationships between leaders and followers, environmental situations, organizational cultures, workplace conditions, etc.

Ko et al ( 2018 ) note a tendency to use of survey instruments in the field of ethical leadership research (particularly Brown et al.’s [ 2005 ] ELS instrument). Commenting that the majority of empirical research has utilized convenience samples which primarily focused on middle managers as a unit of analysis they note that 'qualitative studies on ethical leadership are relatively scarce' and are primarily conceptual in nature which has resulted in 'limiting our knowledge of the application and longitudinal development of ethical leadership in authentic, real-life contexts' (126).

Finally, Lemoine et al’s ( 2019 ) integrative review of ethical, authentic, and servant leadership unearths the connections of each style with distinct philosophical frameworks. Ethical leadership is grounded in deontological approaches and is concerned with complying with normative standards. Authentic leadership theory arises from Virtue Ethics and focuses on the leader’s sense of self-awareness and self-concordance. Servant leadership is consequentialist and focuses on serving multiple stakeholders.

Like ethical leadership, its polar opposite, ‘toxic’ or destructive leadership has been primary studied from a positivistic perspective which attempts to identify certain leadership traits, behaviors, and personality types (Padilla et al. 2007 ; Pelletier 2010 ; de Vries 2014 ). Toxic leadership has been defined as ‘leader behaviors leading to negative outcomes’ (Yavas 2016 ) for organizations, followers, stakeholders, and society in general. Perhaps the key difference between studies of the dark and light side of leadership is based on how they research ‘followership’; ethical leadership research tends to study the positive impact of that having a moral leader has on the work-lives and wellbeing of followers (Bedi et al. 2016 ), whereas studies of the followers of toxic leaders examine the reasons why individuals feel they must follow them (Tourish and Vatcha 2005 ; Lipman-Blumen 2006 ; Thoroughgood et al. 2012 ).

This largely positivistic focus on (relatively) fixed traits and behavioral styles in the ethical and destructive leadership literature (Fraher 2016 ) may account for the limited amount of studies on processes of ethical change in organizations (Cullen, 2020 ). Alvesson and Einola ( 2019 ) have warned about the limitations of studying authentic, ethical, spiritual, and servant-based models as these approaches can result in depictions of leadership which are removed from the realities of contemporary organizational experiences. They advise against the contemporary trend of ‘excessive positivity in leadership studies’ (383), which provide an overly simplistic picture of leadership in organizations.

One of Brown and Trevino’s ( 2006 ) research propositions, for example, is that ‘Neuroticism is negatively related to ethical leadership.’

Neuroticism reflects the leader's tendency to experience negative emotions such as anger, fear, and anxiety. Neurotic leaders are thin-skinned and hostile toward others. From a social learning standpoint, thin-skin and hostility are hardly the qualities that one associates with attractive and credible models. By contrast, ethical leaders are exemplary models who care about and maintain positive relationships with their subordinates. Therefore, we propose that neuroticism is negatively related to ethical leadership (603).

The idea that leaders who experience ‘negative emotional states’ such as fear and anxiety are more likely to be unethical has been challenged by both popular and critical leadership scholarship. Popular accounts of leadership often discuss how it develops through overcoming significant challenges or obstacles. Studies variously discuss leadership as something learned through ‘crucible’ experiences: “intense, often traumatic, always unplanned experiences that had transformed them and had become the sources of their distinctive leadership abilities” (Bennis and Thomas 2002 , p. 40). Mainstream accounts of the painful learning experiences of leaders are often framed as heroic narratives where the individual overcomes misfortune by channeling inner reserves of strength, resolve, or resilience.

Critical scholars such as Bell et al ( 2012 ), for example, applied William James’ concepts of ‘healthy-mindedness’ and ‘sick souls’ ( 1906 [1902]) to organizational contexts. ‘Healthy mindedness’ assumes a benevolent cosmological framework where individuals acknowledge the positive elements of life. People with ‘sick souls,’ on the other hand, are conscious that all is not well with the world and there is much to be fearful or anxious about. However, because sick souls acknowledge, and are aware of, the negative aspects of existence, they have a greater capability to be critical and to engage in initiatives to elicit change. James’ perspective aligns with Freud’s proposal that moral systems exist to assist people to develop and maintain social bonds, rather than acting on their instinctual selfish desires (Freud 1930 /2001). Whereas Aristotle and the Virtue Ethicists propose that being ethical will lead to personal flourishing, James and Freud clarify that living an ethical life necessitates suffering (Lear 2015 ). Rather than seeing negative or ‘sick’ emotional states as incompatible with ethical leadership, James posits that they can facilitate critical thinking and pro-social change.

Moral Injury

The term ‘Moral Injury’ was coined by the psychiatrist, Jonathan Shay ( 1994 , 2002 , 2014 ) who spent decades working with traumatized Vietnam War veterans. Moral Injuries emerge when an individual commits an act that violates their deeply held moral values. These values can be so deeply held that the individual who violates them may not be aware that they have done so until the act has been committed. Strong, debilitating, feelings of guilt, shame, and anger can manifest for many years during the individuals experience of being morally injured. Shay based his original definition of MI (1994) on a combination of his patients’ narratives and the representation of Achilles’ story in Homer’s Iliad .

Although the role of leaders is emphasized in Shay’s work, other scholars point out that Moral Injuries can arise when individuals violate their own ethical codes by participating in or failing to prevent acts that transgress their value systems (Litz et al. 2009 ; Allen 2014 ). Unlike Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is often a response to exposure to terrifying incidents, Moral Injuries result from feelings of guilt and shame that arise after one has transgressed one’s ethical norms (Alford 2016 ; Maguen and Litz nd). PTSD typically results from exposure to a traumatic experience and symptoms include aggression or hyper-arousal (‘a state of constant vigilance, the feeling that danger may strike at any moment’ (Alford 2016 ), etc. Moral Injury results from ‘knowing’ that one has violated an important personal moral belief rather than ‘witnessing’ it and symptoms include a sense of a loss of meaningfulness and depression (Matthews 2014 ). Two examples of Moral Injury are discussed below and both of these refer to situations where individuals unintentionally violated communal moral frameworks that they were unaware that they shared, by following the instructions of others. Both morally injured individuals experienced guilt, shame, meaninglessness, and depression. These experiences differ significantly from the PTSD which typically results from a trauma experienced by an individual. PTSD involves re-experiencing the event through flashbacks and recurring dreams, avoidance of anything associated with the trauma, insomnia, and being easily startled or angered (van Velsen 2009 ). Clohessy and Ehlers ( 1999 ) study of ambulance service workers, for example, found that emergency services personnel can development PTSD as a result of exposure to traumatic incidents. Symptoms commonly experienced by these workers included intrusive memories (in 49% of the survey population), insomnia, and detachment from others. While PTSD is related to Moral Injury, Kalkman and Molendjjk ( 2019 ) point out that ‘with the concept of moral injury, researchers generally do not aim to replace the concept of PTSD, but bring forward a concept that captures moral suffering’ (4).

The development of the concept of the Moral Injury has introduced the idea that service personnel undergoing profound distress at what they may have done or witnessed, may not always be suffering from PTSD; they may also be experiencing ethical distress at a result of violating their moral framework. One of the key differences between Moral Injury and other forms of psychological trauma is the impact which it has on the character of the person experiencing it. Indeed, the sub-title of Shay’s Achilles in Vietnam ( 1994 ) is ‘Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character.’ In the introduction to the work, Shay states his principal concern in writing the work was ‘to put before the public an understanding of the specific nature of catastrophic war experiences that not only case lifelong disabling psychiatric symptoms but can ruin good character’ (xiii). The idea that character, as well as the psyche, can be traumatized or injured as a result of actions perceived, observed, or experienced that violate one’s values is one that speaks directly to the practice of ethics.

It is important to differentiate between characters, as it is generally understood in psychological and ethical terms. According to Silverman and Byrne ‘Psychoanalytically, character refers to a persons’ habitual mode of overcoming inner conflict (or failure to do so) and the consequences this has for thinking, perceiving, and feeling about the world in addition to the way in which behavior is expressed overtly’( 2009 ). Shay’s discussion of character is based on understandings of the concept from moral philosophy which have been central to discussions of living ethically from Ancient Classical thought. Hall ( 2018 ) mentions that Aristotle used the word ethika to denote character. Aristotle wrote that individual character could be developed through the practice of virtues that eventually lead to a happy life through flourishing (Aristotle and Thomson 1976 ). The more we practice virtues (or vices) the greater the likelihood that they will become habits which constitute our character. Shay offers that what has been violated in cases like this is an awareness ‘what’s right,’ or its Homeric equivalent, thémis . Carol Gilligan describes thémis as ‘a sense of an inner moral compass we carry with us, which alerts us when we’ve lost our way or are doing something we know in our hearts is wrong’ ( 2014 , p. 92). Shay explains a violation of ‘what’s right’ or thémis by referring to an incident in the first book of the Iliad where Achilles, the war hero, has his war prize (his beloved concubine Briseis) appropriated by his king Agamemnon. This violation of ‘what’s right’ subsequently becomes a major incident for both characters story in the Iliad.

To demonstrate how character can be morally injured, two brief examples are shared. The first is from one of the earliest accounts provided in Shay’s first book on the topic, Achilles in Vietnam ( 1994 , pp. 3–4). A veteran recalled an experience during the Vietnam War where his unit received information from a Reconnaissance Patrol that three boats were unloading weapons in a bay. His unit opened fire on the boats but subsequently found out that they had killed unarmed civilians. Despite his senior officer’s lack of concern for this fatal mistake, the veteran still felt ‘deeply dishonored by the circumstances of its official award for killing unarmed civilians on an intelligence error’ (4).

Because Moral Injuries result from the violation of ethical standards and values, rather than the direct experience of trauma, activities such as providing authorization to shoot enemies remotely (over radio communication, for example), the knowledge that one has played a role in a death from a distance can result in extreme distress (Conan 2012 ). Matthews ( 2014 ) writes that little work has been done on the experiences of personnel who operate Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Military Drones or UAVs). Press ( 2018 ) profiles a young man who came from a family with a proud military tradition, who chose to work for military contractors, particularly in the field of airborne image analysis. In his late 20s, the man suddenly underwent a physical and mental breakdown and was plagued with nightmares of being forced to watch innocent people being killed and maimed. Eventually, he completely re-evaluated his belief in the rationale for the counter-terrorist activities, the national security organizations and defense contractors who employed him, and indeed the logic of the military industrial context itself.

Although there has been a steady increase in the number of articles on Moral Injury, since the first was published in 2001, most are in the fields of military studies, psychiatric and clinical psychology. The majority of research work has been conducted on veterans and serving military personnel and those who provide support services to these. This is the first paper to discuss Moral Injury (and Moral Recovery) in the context of business ethics or ethical leadership.

Moral Recovery

‘Our society lacks any real understanding of what's needed for purification after battle. We need rituals, we need liturgies, we need narratives, we need artworks that – and the point here is that it's not something you say to a veteran. "You, Mr. Veteran, you need to clean yourself up". It's that we all need to clean ourselves up after war. These people went on our behalf and in our name, and we need to purify as a community, not just as just say to this returning veteran “you need purification”' Shay In (Conan 2012 ).

Although there are many approaches to treating PTSD, Shay warns against ‘medicalizing’ recovery from Moral Injury and insists that ‘recovery happens only in community’(Shay 2002 ) rather than on an individual basis. Alford ( 2016 ) suggests that attempts to medicalize Moral Injury is political; it places the injury at the level of the individual (the soldier) and not the senior officers and political leaders who put them in the situation where they were morally wounded in the first place.

Shay discusses the benefits of medical–psychological therapies to help veterans live with guilt, he also outlines how engagement with the arts and service is a way to restore the bonds which have been broken between the veteran and their communities. Shay ( 2014 ) writes that Moral Injury changes a person as follows: ‘It deteriorates their character; their ideals, ambitions and attachments begin to change and shrink’ (186). The final stage of recovery from these psychological injuries and restoring character and social trust involves addressing these elements through ‘reconnecting with people, communities, ideals and ambitions’ (Shay 2002 , p. 168). In summary, Moral Recovery does not simply involved noticing that something has gone wrong ethically, and then fixing it. Instead, it involves engaging with the significance of what one has done, or allowed to happen, and subsequently working to create change that generates more sustainable and responsible benefits for societies, industries, and organizations.

Gerard ( 2020 ) proposes that this desire to make reparation can be amplified in care-based organizations such as those providing youth, education, or health services. It is not possible to completely resolve health and social problems, the resources required to do are often lacking. As a result of this orientation, a caring organization can exacerbate the extent to which individual workers (such as social workers and nurses) experience personal guilt for not being able to actually help people. This becomes generative of more guilt, which makes the employee work even harder and suffer greater levels of guilt, and as result ‘compassion fatigue and burnout.’ This article is not concerned guilt and reparation as repressed unconscious conditions, but rather with the effects on character of violating one’s own moral frameworks. However, the article will later return to the idea of reparation as a concept which can contribute to the conceptualization of Moral Recovery.

An example of Moral Recovery is outlined below.

Ray Anderson

The key resource used for this section is Anderson’s account of founding and running Interface Ltd, which is also a manifesto for businesses to lead the fight against the destruction of the natural world, Mid-Course Correction ( 1998 ). Although Anderson’s account is often very honest about his emotional life, it cannot considered an autobiography. However, it offers some indications of his personal value system and entrepreneurial motivations.

Anderson, an industrial engineer, had worked for a major textile manufacturer in his native Georgia and had expected to rise to the top of the corporation. When he was passed over for promotion to the head of an operating division in his late 30s, he recounted feeling that this disappointment led him to begin on the path to realize his own entrepreneurial ambitions. He had been impressed with the carpet tile innovation pioneered by a company in the UK and developed a joint venture to bring the technology to the U.S. Following some initial teething problems, Anderson founded Interface in 1973 and in the following years it grew to be one of the largest producers of modular floor coverings in the world. In the prologue to Mid-Course Correction Anderson states that despite the company prospering beyond his expectations, that it experienced two significant setbacks. The first of these occurred in 1984 when office construction in the US collapsed as a result of a deep global recession. Interface diversified into renovations and other market segments and locations. The second challenge occurred in the early 1990s when the ‘downsizing’ trend impacted Interface’s core markets. Anderson credits the company’s survival to a dynamic new management team.

Anderson’s experience of Moral Injury happened shortly after this. Just as Boltanski and Chiapello ( 2005 ) theorized how ‘capitalism’ sustains itself by absorbing and accommodating societal problems, particularly in the aftermath of crises, Carroll ( 1999 ) demonstrated that corporate social responsibility is an evolving concept which develops in line with societal concerns and expectations of business. Many theorists have tracked the emergence of a growing mainstream interest in environmental sustainability to the mid-1990s (Bell et al. 2012 ) which includes the corporate sector (Parr 2009 ; Cullen 2018 ). Interface’s customers were no different and had begun to ask what the organization were doing for the natural environment. The research division of the company organized a task force made up of the company’s international representatives to develop a response to this question. Anderson was invited to make an address to initiate the first meeting of the taskforce, and admits to not being initially interested in the question beyond the level of legal compliance.

In preparing to deliver this address, he read Paul Hawken’s The Ecology of Commerce ( 1993 ) which details the huge amount of irreparable damage which industrial processes inflict on the natural world. Anderson described its impact as a life altering moment in injurious terms: “Hawken’s message was a spear in my chest that is still there” ( 1993 , p. 40). Anderson’s description of the impact of this knowledge, and his investigations in the damage that his own company was doing to the natural world, are full of the language of sickness. For example, near the beginning of Mid-Course Correction he writes that learning the amount of material extracted from the earth “made me want to throw up” (p. 4).

Anderson’s ‘spear in the chest’ analogy has been described by him and others (e.g., Bakan 2004 ) as an ‘epiphany,’ but this paper posits that it might be better described as a moral injury. Epiphanies are “sudden and abrupt insights and/or changes in perspective that transform the individual’s concept of self and identity through the creation of new meaning in the individual’s life” (McDonald 2007 , p. 90). Epiphanies result in an individual changing their pre-existing idea of who they are, or what their life means. “The experience of epiphany involves an often sudden realization by an individual that they have been living their lives according to a framework that has not served them or others well, and a shift to another which is more positive” (Bell et al. 2012 , p. 190). Epiphanies, however, “are preceded by periods of anxiety, depression, and inner turmoil” (McDonald 2007 , p. 98). Moral Injuries, on the other hand produce mental anguish rather than preceding it. Prior to his engagement with questions of what damage being done the natural environment by Interface’s operations, Anderson initially “never ‘gave a thought to what we were taking from the earth or doing to the earth in the making of our products’” (Bakan 2004 , p. 71).

MIs result from the unintentional violation of one’s values. Anderson does not state what these values are, but shares brief personal insights. Although this information is too brief to give a detailed sketch of his moral system, Anderson makes some clear statements about his key experiences and learnings. For example, he clearly identifies one experience as a “defining moment” for him (p. 25). At the age of 13, his coach played him above his age in football practice and he suffered a head injury and decided to quit the sport. His coach phoned his father in work who found Anderson and castigated him for quitting. Although still hurting from the injury, Anderson returned to football practice and eventually secured a scholarship to college. Although he resented his father and hated his coach at the time, he later saw the lesson of never quitting despite setbacks as instrumental to his and Interface's success.

Throughout the text, he expresses distress at his own role in not being aware of the extent to which industrialists like him had externalized the damage done to the natural world; for example, “My God! Am I a thief too?” (p. 6). Anderson’s father left school early to work to support his younger siblings through school and college and he describes this as a waste. However, Anderson felt that this awareness of intellectual waste made his father determined to ensure that his sons lives were not wasted and they all received college educations. Anderson often refers to Interface as his third ‘child’ through Mid-Course Correction . He sacrifices much for the company, including his marriage. His first spouse was strongly opposed to him leaving a steady job to set up Interface, and this disagreement eventually led to them divorcing. “In the midst of a heated argument with Sug one night, while the whole process was still unsettled, I stormed into an adjacent room and fell to the floor in abject anguish, wrestling with myself: To do it or not to do it? I got up form that floor and shouted aloud to no one but myself, ‘By God! I’m going to do it!’ It was the hardest decision of my life up to then” (pp. 34–35). Just as Anderson’s father wished for his children to achieve their destiny, Anderson wished for his ‘precious child,’ for which he had sacrificed so much, to achieve its destiny.

This belief in destiny is reflected in his Anderson’s realization that he had begun to reflect on the meaning his eventual retirement would have for him and Interface.

Later, I came to realize that it [Hawken’s book] had touched me for another reason. At age 60, I was beginning to look ahead subconsciously to a day that would come soon enough when I would be looking back at the company I would be leaving behind. What would my creation, this third child of mine, be when it grew to maturity? I was looking, without realizing it, for that vision too. A child prodigy in its youth, would it become a virtuoso. What would that mean? These were and are strategically important questions to me, personally, as well to interface, Inc. – in the highest sense of the word, strategic. I’m talking about ultimate purpose . There is no more strategic issue than that (p. 40).

The reference to ‘ultimate purpose’ is a defining element of Moral Injury. While PTSD results in heightened anxiety and helplessness, one of the results of MI is loss of meaningfulness, or in Anderson’s terms ‘ultimate purpose.’ However, the recovery path from MI also depends on restoring this meaningfulness, not just for oneself, but at an organizational and social level.

Moral Injuries occur when individuals suffer as a result of their value system being violated as a result of something a leader or a person in legitimate authority has done or ordered, or, when an individual betrays their own values intentionally or unintentionally (Carey et al. 2016 ). It differs from PTSD in that it impacts on the individual’s character , rather than on their psychological makeup. This paper proposes that Moral Recovery becomes possible when individuals work to create systems or organizational processes that help address the causes or source of their Moral Injury. The process of Moral Recovery shares some of aspects of reparation in that it consists of good work that makes amends with others we may have hurt (Hirschhorn 1988 ), but differs in how it attempts to alleviate guilt through changing a social system or practice, rather than making reparations with specific individuals, which Gerard ( 2020 ) articulates may ultimately sustain unhealthy work cultures without changing them. Indeed Gerard suggests that this can be changed by moving away from guilt (which is experienced at an individual level) to shared concern , which is a collective response to sharing moral and structural burdens.

However, ‘shared concern’ is not the same thing as organizational or systemic change. How then might the experience of recovering from a Moral Injury impact on a broader system? Ray Anderson helds an influential position in Interface and as the founder of his firm could design and implement a broad set of initiatives designed to impact on the organization strategy and operations, which then went on to influence the pro-environmental behaviors of staff at all levels in the firm (Bakan 2004 ; Werbach 2009 ). Other leaders may not have the same amount of ‘centrality’ or resources as Anderson who experienced his Moral Injury at a time of rising public and legislative concern about Climate Chance; Jagannathan and Rai ( 2017 ) demonstrate how a sense of a lack of time to question and discuss the ethics of a manufactured ‘terrorist’ crisis resulted in a killing with devastating effects on an officer who sought to prevent it, who then had deal with the emotional, organizational, and political implications that followed. Like Shay’s army veterans the moral foundation of the officer was violated, so what options are available to him to introduce change to a system where broader societal and political discourses have warped the ethical environment in which he has found himself? Islam ( 2020 ) writes that psychological research on business ethics.

should examine how actors work within the spaces available to them and attempt to construct new spaces of action, balancing competing motivations to live within imperfect worlds, while shaping those words when moments of opportunity arise (2).

The police officer who resisted the ‘cold blooded murder’ (Jagannathan and Rai, 2017 p. 725) was side-lined, tacitly punished and transferred, yet perhaps the act of speaking of his experiences with academic researchers on his experience functions of as a way of working with the limited ethical space available. Islam ( 2020 ) comments that when the state sanctioned ideology changes to one that was based on right-wing nationalism, the ethical climate of the police force changed which made murder moral. In discussing his anguish at being unable to prevent the killing in an analysis that would later be published in an internationally regarded business ethics journal, he opened up a new space of action which challenged an emerging social doctrine.

The literature on Moral Injury has been written primarily from the perspective of care providers (particularly in the context of military services), psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. This article attempts to extend this literature beyond the field of military studies and demonstrate how Moral Recovery can initiate responsible organizational change, proactive environmental measures, and progressive social activities. In doing so, it attempts to make a contribution to the literature on ethical leadership which still has a largely positivistic and normative orientation.

However, there are a number of difficulties with bringing a concept developed in one research context into another. Shay’s Moral Injury concept emerged from extensive practice-based fieldwork with veterans in one clinical locale. Finding similar cases in the business literature to test the idea that Moral Injuries might be ‘cured’ through adopting a form of proactive, extraordinary responsibility might prove difficult due to a lack of business leaders or managers willing to share distressing experiences or moments radical self-doubt. The example provided in this article is short and based entirely on secondary research materials. This approach is not uncommon in psychoanalytic theorizing or in non-medical conceptualizations of MI (Allen 2014 ; Hook 2018 ). Developing the concept in the context of ethical business and organizational leadership may prove to be a ‘hard-to-reach’ area due to the personal profiles of research participants, and institutional research ethics committees may understandably be unwilling to sanction research projects where individuals could be asked to reflect on painful experiences.

Secondary accounts where individuals discuss a reluctance to violate their own personal values (which they might not have been aware of at the time) may be a potential source of data. For example, Stieg Larsson is best known for being the best-selling author of the ‘Millennium Trilogy’ of novels: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2005); The Girl Who Played with Fire (2006), and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (2007). Larsson died from a heart attack prior to the publication of the novels which then won international accolades, were a global commercial success and were adapted for the cinema in both Sweden and the US. Larrson was a prolific writer of fiction and journalism, and early in his career became active in a range of socially progressive and left-wing causes.

Following his death, Larsson’s partner and friends recounted that much of his feminism had resulted from a Moral Injury in his mid-teenage years when he witnessed a 15-year-old girl being gang-raped by three of his friends at a camp site. Larsson did not help her despite her pleas to him (out of a sense of loyalty to his friends). He asked for her forgiveness some days later, which she refused. He was haunted by guilt as a result of his passivity for years and became an active advocate for social causes and against violence against women.

He established an organization which investigated racist and far-right extremist groups in his native Sweden and co-founded and edited its magazine, Expo until his death. Larsson became a committed feminist who used the Millennium Trilogy to raise awareness of the extent of misogyny in society. Throughout The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo , statistics about violence against women are printed in capital letters as a way to commence each section, such as ‘18% OF THE WOMEN IN SWEDEN HAVE AT ONE TIME BEEN THREATENED BY A MAN’ (Thomas 2012 ). He named the central character of Millennium Trilogy’ after the young girl he let down; Lizbeth.

Accounts of Moral Injury and Recovery such as Anderson’s and Larsson’s are uncommon, so additional cases are required to assist in the development of the concept in organizational cases. The difficult of accessing appropriate date may be overcome by analyzing other organizational ethical experiences, such as whistleblowing. Alford’s groundbreaking study on whistleblowing, Whistleblowers: Broken Lives and Organizational Power ( 2001 ) asserts that whistleblowers recount five types of stories for why they spoke truth to power. The first of these narratives is “an imagination for consequences” (p. 66) for other individuals who have been or could impacted by the action they speak up for. In attempting to speak truth to protect others, they prevent Moral Injury.

This is not the only way in which accounts of the experience of whistleblowing are of utility in theorizing Moral Injury. More recently, Alford ( 2016 ) has written that whistleblowers, themselves, are examples of morally injured individuals. Alford’s Whistleblowers ( 2001 ) challenges the myth of the heroic whistleblower who is rewarded and celebrated for their courage, and instead reports that many find themselves financially and professionally ruined. The impact on personal lives are often worse: “Most are in some way broken, unable to assimilate the experience, unable, that is, to come to terms with what they have learned about the world. Almost all say that they wouldn’t do it again…” (p. 1). Whistleblowers, according to Alford ( 2016 ) are morally injured because they demonstrated naivety when speaking up because they believed that the world is, despite everything, just and moral. They are morally injured because they have been first-hand witnesses to the lack of a common moral narrative which they believed to be ubiquitous.

The idea that there is a largely shared common moral narrative or thémis provides another opportunity for exploring the concept of Moral Recovery. The latter years of the second decade of the twenty-first Century have seen a worrying rise in a form of populism in wealthy, liberal democratic states “which threatens undo what many considered long-delayed positive changes toward a kinder, more compassionate society” (Brenner 2018 , p. 547). The result of the 2016 Presidential Election in the United States and the ‘Brexit’ referendum in the United Kingdom were often experienced as ‘spears in the chest’ to individuals. In late 2016, an op-ed in the New York Times asked if American’s were experiencing collective trauma (Gross 2016), and the journal Psychoanalytic Dialogues invited its editorial board to report on their experiences as therapists and psychoanalysts with patients in direct aftermath of Trump’s election as “for many of us, the current situation has felt even more disorienting and threatening” (Seligman et al. 2017, p. 112) than the 9/11 attacks.

The election of Trump has been the discussed as a ‘collective moral injury’ (Brenner 2018 ) where beliefs about the goals of democracy and inclusion have been challenged by a form of populism which seeks to build walls, undermine the media, befriend tyrants, violate the natural environment, and normalize racism and misogyny. Trump’s election has resurfaced traumas suffered by individuals; one of Corbett’s ( 2017 ) patients commented that his bragging about groping women caused the trauma of her own experience of being sexually assaulted to re-emerge.

In a more general sense, the disquiet which has been felt by large proportions of populations in countries where far-right or xenophobic parties have come to play some role in the government of their country is a form of collective moral injury. Alford ( 2016 ) refers to Primo Levi’s discussion of why prisoners in Auschwitz experienced shame. Levi ( 1966 ) wrote that this stemmed from witnessing a crime and becoming remorseful because of a complete helplessness in being able to do anything about it. The fact that one is constrained and completely ill-equipped to do something about an atrocity that one is witnessing, and is a victim of, does not negate the knowledge that a wrong has still been done to another. The powerlessness felt by many in society helps may result in Moral Injury, but it also clarifies ones’ individual values and more broadly shared moral frameworks. Carol Gilligan ( 2014 ) has outlined the many connections which she feels the MI concept is related to the ‘ethic of care’ which highlights the precedence of relationships over abstract normative moral precepts as determining our ethical choices (Gilligan 1982 ). Islam ( 2020 ) has outlined how psychology has the potential to make multi-level contributions to the study of business ethics and presented a multi-level framework that demonstrates the interplay between individual, interpersonal, and social systems which demonstrates that potential for individual processes to influence larger economic, social, or political discourses. Psychosocial and systems psychodynamics research, thus have a strong potential to contribute to further theorizing of how Moral Recovery might be enacted in organizations and this is discussed more in the Research Agenda section of this paper.

If the idea of Moral Injury, then, has become prevalent outside clinical settings, it is deserving of more studies in the context of the workplace, where the majority of adults spend most of their time. Many of the high-profile accounts of ethical failures in organizations include the voices of senior figures and employees who were morally injured as a result of what they had perceived happening in their organizations and these are likely sources of data which will lead to additional contributions to emerging theory in relation to ethical leadership theory. Alford ( 2016 ), for example, expresses concern about “the power of professionals to diagnose, categorize, and attach labels to people” (p. 13). This, of course is not new and significant management thinkers such as Henry Mintzberg ( 2004 ) and Sumantra Ghoshal ( 2005 ) warned of the dangers of teaching business students analyzing business organizations from the perspective an economized, disconnected rationality. Karen Ho’s ethnography of investment banking practices on Wall Street, Liquidated ( 2009 ) provides a timely reminder, not just of the volatility that such thinking produces in markets, but of the instability it generates among workforces. Increasingly, theories have reiterated that Moral Recovery occurs through listening to the voices of the injured and developing cures at the level of community rather than the individual, suggests that recovery paths from moral injury must involve concrete ethical actions that require social and organizational activities to restore what has been broken and prevent such damage from happening again (Shay 1994 ; Shay 2002 ; Gilligan 2014 ; Shay 2014 ; Alford 2016 ; Brenner 2018 ). Although this has been well-researched in military psychology, there is a need to identify how it can effectively happen in non-military organizations.

Moral Injury has just begun to appear in papers submitted to management journals. Kalkman and Molendijk ( 2019 ) have highlighted the role that high-level organizational practices such as strategic ambiguity have in creating conditions which lead the moral disorientation at lower level employees which subsequently contributes to Moral Injury. Although this article addresses normative and positivistic models and theories of ethical leadership but proposing that distressing psychological experiences and ethical violations can produce pro-social and pro-environmental activities, it is important that future studies of Moral Recovery in the workplace incorporate critical approaches which are not overly celebratory of the ‘crucible experiences’ which Moral Injury can produce. For example, Stein ( 2016 ) theorized that trauma does not only produce of feelings of helplessness and anxiety, but can also generate over-optimistic ‘fantasy of fusion’ responses where ‘intense fears of an enemy are replaced by the exaggerated embracing of it, in the absence of a more considered relation to it’ (p. 932).

Discussing experiences of Moral Recovery is potentially a new way of exploring ethical leadership in a manner that differs from the majority of studies which assume that leaders are consciously ethical in their practices. Prior to his experience of being morally injured, there is no sense that Ray Anderson aligned his leadership practice with any of the theories outlined at the start of this article. This is not to say that he was in any way an unethical person, and it is likely that he (perhaps like most people) believed that he was living a moral life. However, the unexpected distress he felt at a relatively late stage of his success and career eventually resulted in some of the most pro-social, pro-environmental actions ever achieved by a single industrialist and the company he founded. Unlike ethical leadership theories which presume a conscious and deliberate moral practice on behalf of the leader, this article proposes that genuine ethical leadership can commence following the distressful realization that one has violated, or has been responsible for, the violation of moral frameworks that were previously hidden from oneself or others.

Research Agenda

The limitations of this conceptual paper point to a number of potential questions which might be asked to challenge and develop the contribution which the Moral Recovery concept might make to the ethical leadership literature.

There is a distinct lack of cases from the non-military (and especially business leadership) field. More examples of Moral Injury and Recovery are required to deepen investigation into the concept. In particular, research which differentiates between military and business leaders experience is required. Kalkar and Molendjik ( 2019 ) have recently proposed that there is more than one path to becoming morally injured and have called for more research on these, and on the various ways in which individuals cope with their injuries.

There is a strong need to understand the systemic nature of Moral Recovery. Kalkar and Molendjjk ( 2019 ) have demonstrated how border guards develop coping strategies when faced with Moral Injury. Some undertook ‘undercover’ humanitarian work to mitigate the poor treatment of migrants that was part of their orders. A key element of this work is to understand how organizational practices might create the conditions in which employees can be morally injured. These are not only limited to management practices such as ‘strategic ambiguity’ but can also relate to job design and HR procedures for helping employees. Nurses, social workers, police officers, educators, and clinicians have all been identified as occupations (Kalkman and Molendijk, 2019 ; Corley 2002 ) which are open to ‘moral distress’: a position where an individual is constrained from doing what is right by management directives, organizational policies, or legal instruments. Awareness of the ethically compromised environment of financial (Ho 2009 ) and ‘Big Tech’ firms (Zuboff 2019 ) continues to grow, but the experiences of lower level employees who must make decisions at the ‘moral coalface’ of such firms require more investigation. The impact of making decisions from a distance which will significantly impact the lives of people one does not know has been discussed above in relation to the pilots of military drones, but Ho ( 2009 ) and Taylor ( 2006 ) discuss the damage that making ‘disconnected’ investment decisions can have on communities, society, and employees alike. Content moderators at social media companies, for example, report experiencing personal distress as a result of the violent, racist, sexist, and abusive content that they have to review as part of their work (Hern 2018 , 2019 ). More generally, middle managers and professionals frequently face having to make, or implement, decisions which violate their ethical norms as part of their employment conditions (Molinsky and Margolis 2005 ; Margolis and Molinsky 2008 ; Prottas 2013 ; Karanikola et al. 2014 ), and there are many opportunities to discuss how these occupational groups experience and navigate moral recovery that can help developed a more nuanced understanding of the process.

For example, psychosocial and systems psychodynamic approaches have been used to research the dissonance felt by nurses who experience anxiety as a result of their need to balance the provision of compassionate care and values with securing a professional position or meeting the requirements of senior management (Dashtipour et al. 2020 ; Wright et al. 2020 ). Systems psychodynamics is an approach which is based on open systems theory (which sees organizations as constantly changing eco-systems where norms and practices change in relation to the challenges that he organization faces in its own environment) and psychodynamic studies of organizations which applies concepts from psychoanalysis to understanding the unconscious forces that underpin what happens when groups of people try to work together to a (reasonably) shared goal. Indeed, psychosocial and psychodynamic approaches to studying organizations tend to think of them as being close to families with their bonds of love, resentments, and micro-aggressions (Casey 1999 ; Gabriel 1999 ). Petriglieri and Petriglieri ( 2020 ) identify the four key principles of research based on systems psychodynamics approaches as: ‘a consideration of how unconscious forces affect human functioning, a focus on the interaction between individual and collective levels of analysis, a participative stance toward the production of theory and change in the field, and a subversive intent, both of the authority of detached scientists and that of repressive leaders and bureaucratic organisations’ (pp. 413–414). Social research approaches based on psychoanalysis (such as Systems Psychodynamics or Psychosocial research) do not shy away from the more difficult areas of organizational life. Indeed guilt, conflict and anxiety are viewed and analyzed in a way that is both dispassionate and respectful of them when they arise in research processes. A leader does not suffer a moral would intentionally, but the act of attempting to understand the unconscious causes of their injury can shed light on the social, economic, or organizational discourses which caused them to transgress their own value system. When the harmful potential of these discourses are exposed, the leader can then take action to address them so they will not harm others.

In the absence of existing cases, and cognizant of the fact that researching Moral Injury and Recovery is difficult due to the personal and potentially sensitive nature of the disclosures required, new methodological innovations will be required. The concept of Moral Recovery may potentially be researched through secondary analysis of rich qualitative data used to research ethical issues in organizational contexts, such as whistleblowing.

The COVID-19 pandemic produced a variety of responses from political leaders, with some actively locking their countries down, others procrastinating, and some referring to pseudo-scientific theories and xenophobic reasoning. When faced with decisions by leaders which did not prioritize public health and welfare, communities actively bonded together in order to protect themselves and implement initiatives which sought to heal the damage done by irresponsible leaders. Research on the possibility of Moral Recovery at a societal level may be possible through analyzing the extent of social movements which resist the rise of extremist political parties and institutional passivity toward racism, anti-migrant sentiment, sexism, and climate change denial (Foroughi et al. 2019 ; Just and Muhr 2019 ).

The response of organizations and leaders who have been disgraced or censured as a result of recent corporate scandals could be studied through the lens of Moral Recovery in order to deepen theoretical understandings of how the concept can be applied and understood in context.

The examples which are provided in this article (Anderson and Larrson) are male. There is a danger that the study of Moral Recovery may become mired in narratives of ‘great men’ who redeemed themselves through saving their organization morally. This can be addressed by exploring if and how the experience of Moral Recovery differs according to gender, race, ability, sexual identity or orientation, religious identity, etc.

Moral Recovery is a new theory in the business ethics and ethical leadership field, so nothing has been written about how to introduce it to students in leadership or business ethics classes. Like many psychodynamic ideas which have been applied in the various realms of business and organization studies, MI emerged as a concept used in psychoanalytic or therapeutic contexts. Although an array of psychoanalytic/psychodynamic theories have been applied in various organizational studies (Gabriel and Carr 2002 ; Gabriel 2016 ), only a very small proportion of these have been discussed in relation to management and business education and learning.

Taylor ( 2017 ) recalls a colleague informing him that a psychoanalytically oriented leadership development program in his institution had acquired two reputations: Some students enjoyed and engaged with it, but others resented 'looking inside' and expressed feeling that it was inappropriately intrusive. Clancy and Vince (2018) recount delivering a similar module and experiencing an angry and abusive response from a student which left the professor feeling attacked and brutalized. Asking students to engage with the unconscious, even in a way that will equipped them to handle the all-too-often unexplored emotional elements of organizational life, can often produce uncomfortable learning experiences that are resisted and inhibit learning. It goes without saying that students should not be asked to reflect on personal or familial experiences of being morally injured, as they are expressly concerned with the experience of being deeply traumatized.

In my teaching I briefly foreground the emergence of the theory from Shay's practice. It is rare to encounter anybody who is not aware of the strong critique which exists of attempts to glamourize the soldier’s experience of war. Most generations have their anti-war movements, songs, plays and/or films, and the mainstreaming of critical analysis of contemporary warfare was one of the central logics of the Counter Culture movement of the 1960s. Although Shay's work contains graphic and horrifying accounts from morally injured veterans, he also provides us with a way to circumvent these details which have the potential to be upsetting to students. Shay used Homer's Iliad and Odyssey as a way to explicate to soldier’s (and non-soldier’s) traditional wisdom about the experience of being in war and returning to society, and what society needs to understand about the veteran’s experiences. These myths are well known, colorful, and easily demonstrate the reality of war. The lessons of moral injury and its realities can be taught at a safe distance through an Homeric lens. The use of stories is important, as their key teachings are often easily remembered and accessed long after the student has graduated.

The greatest focus, however, should be given to high-profile business leadership examples, such as Ray Anderson, to help to explicate the ethical leadership context of discussing Moral Injuries. Students often share examples from that they have encountered in their reading of leaders they believe were morally injured. I have heretofore been reluctant to set assignments that would explore cases of Moral Injury as I believe that the focus of these should be on how the recovery process creates positive social and/or environmental change. It is hoped that this article may stimulate the publication of these cases, as well as explorations of how they can be successfully taught in the leadership or business ethics class.

Alford, C. F. (2001). Whistleblowers: Broken lives and organizational power, Ithaca . London: Cornell University Press.

Google Scholar

Alford, C. F. (2016). Depoloticizing moral injury. Journal of Psycho-Social Studies, 9 (1), 7–19.

Allen, T. E. (2014). Life of Pi and the moral wound. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 62 (6), 965–982.

Alvesson, M., & Einola, K. (2019). Warning for excessive positivity: Authentic leadership and other traps in leadership studies. Leadership Quarterly, 30 (4), 383–395.

Anderson, R. C. (1998). Mid-course correction: Toward a sustainable direction; the interface model . Atlanta: Peregrinzilla Press.

Aristotle & Thomson, J. A. K. (1976) The ethics of Aristotle : the Nicomachean ethics , Revised ed./revised with notes and appendices by Hugh Tredennick. ed., Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Bakan, J. (2004). The corporation: The pathological pursuit of profit and power . London: Constable.

Bedi, A., Alpaslan, C. M., & Green, S. (2016). A meta-analytic review of ethical leadership outcomes and moderators. Journal of Business Ethics, 139, 517–536.

Bell, E., Taylor, S., & Driscoll, C. (2012). Varieties of organizational soul: The ethics of belief in organizations. Organization, 19 (4), 425–439.

Brown, M. E., & Trevino, L. K. (2006). Ethical leadership: A review and future directions. Leadership Quarterly, 17 (6), 595–616.

Brown, M. E., Trevino, L. K., & Harrison, D. A. (2005). Ethical leadership: A social learning perspective for construct development and testing. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 97 (2), 117–134.

Bennis, W. G., & Thomas, R. J. (2002). Crucibles of leadership. Harvard Business Review , 80 (9), 39–45.

Boltanski, L., & Chiapello, E. (2005). The new spirit of capitalism . London: Verso.

Brenner, G. H. (2018). Considering collective moral injury following the 2016 election. Contemporary Psychoanalysis , 53 (4), 547–560.

Carey, L. B., Hodgson, T. J., Krikheli, L., Soh, R. Y., Armour, A. R., Singh, T. K., et al. (2016). Moral injury, spiritual care and the role of chaplains: An exploratory scoping review of literature and resources. Journal of Religion & Health , 55 (4), 1218–1245.

Carroll, A. B. (1999). Corporate social responsibility: Evolution of a definitional construct. Business & Society , 38 (3), 268–295.

Casey, C. (1999). “Come, Join Our Family”: Discipline and Integration in Corporate Organizational Culture. Human Relations, 52 (2), 155–178.

Ciula, J. (2014). Ethics: The heart of leadership . anta Barbara, CA: Praeger.

Clohessy, S., & Ehlers, A. (1999). PTSD symptoms, response to intrusive memories and coping in ambulance service workers. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38, 251–265.

Corbett, K. (2017). Trump trauma. Psychoanalytic Dialogues , 27 (2), 117–118.

Conan, N. (2012). Moral Injury: The Psychological Wounds Of War. Talk of the Nation [podcast]. Retrieved January 24, 2019.

Corley, M. C. (2002). Nurse moral distress: A proposed theory and research agenda. Nursing Ethics, 9 (6), 636–650.

Cullen, J. G. (2018). Moral Injury & Ethical Leadership. In International Studying Leadership Conference , Lancaster University.

Cullen, J. G. (2020). Varieties of responsible management learning: A review, typology and research agenda. Journal of Business Ethics, 162 (4), 759–773.

Dashtipour, P., Frost, N., & Traynor, M. (2020). The idealization of 'compassion' in trainee nurses' talk: A psychosocial focus group study. Human Relations , Forthcoming, 1–24.

de Vries, M. (2014). Coaching the toxic leader. Harvard Business Review, 92 (4), 100.

Fraher, A. L. (2016). A toxic triangle of destructive leadership at Bristol Royal Infirmary: A study of organizational Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Leadership, 12 (1), 34–52.

Foroughi, H., Gabriel, Y., & Fotaki, M. (2019). Leadership in a post-truth era: A new narrative disorder? Leadership, 15 (2), 135–151.

Freud, S. (1930/2001). Civilization and its discontents. In Strachey, J. (Ed.) The Future of an Illusion, Civilization and its discontents and other works: The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud. Vol XXI (pp. 64–145). London: Vintage/The Hogarth Press.

Gabriel, Y. (1999). Beyond Happy Families: A critical reevaluation of the control-resistance-identity triangle. Human Relations, 52 (2), 179–203.

Gabriel, Y. (2016). Psychoanalysis and the study of organization. In R. Mir, H. Willmott, & M. Greenwood (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to Philosophy in Organization Studies (pp. 212–225). Oxford: Routledge.

Gabriel, Y., & Carr, A. (2002). Organizations, management and psychoanalysis: an overview. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 17 (5), 348–365.

Ghoshal, S. (2005). Bad management theories are destroying good management practices. Academy of Management Learning & Education , 4 (1), 75–91.

Gerard, N. (2020). Reparation compulsion: Theorizing the pitfalls of guilt-driven labor. Organization Studies, 41 (5), 621–639.

Gilligan, C. (1982). In a different voice: Psychological theory and women's development . Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.

Gilligan, C. (2014). Moral injury and the ethic of care: Reframing the conversation about differences. Journal of Social Philosophy , 45 (1), 89–106.

Hall, E. A. (2018). Aristotle’s way: How ancient wisdom can change your life . London: The Bodley Head.

Hawken, P. (1993). The ecology of commerce: A declaration of sustainability . New York, N.Y.: HarperCollins.

Hook, D. (2018). Melancholic psychosis—A Lacanian approach. Psychoanalytic Dialogues , 28 (4), 466–480.

Hern, A. (2018). Facebook moderators tell of strict scrutiny and PTSD symptoms. The Guardian . Retrieved from January, 1, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/26/facebook-moderators-tell-of-strict-scrutiny-and-ptsd-symptoms .

Hern, A. (2019). Revealed: catastrophic effects of working as a Facebook moderator. The Guardian . Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/sep/17/revealed-catastrophic-effects-working-facebook-moderator .

Hirschhorn, L. (1988). The workplace within . Cambridge: MIT Press.

Ho, K. Z. (2009). Liquidated: An ethnography of Wall Street . Durham: Duke University Press.

Islam, G. (2020). Psychology and business ethics: A multi-level research agenda. Journal of Business Ethics, 165 (1), 1–13.

Jagannathan, S., & Rai, R. (2017). Organizational wrongs, moral anger and the temporality of crisis. Journal of Business Ethics, 141 (4), 709–730.

James, W. (1906). [1902]) The varieties of religious experience: A study in human nature . London: Longman.

Just, S. N., & Muhr, S. L. (2019). “Together we rise”: Collaboration and contestation as narrative drivers of the Women’s March. Leadership, 15 (2), 245–267.

Kalkman, J. P, & Molendijk, T. (2019). The role of strategic ambiguity in moral injury: A case study of Dutch Border guards facing moral challenges. Journal of Management Inquiry , Forthcoming, 1–14.

Karanikola, M. N. K., Albarran, J. W., Drigo, E., Giannakopoulou, M., Kalafati, M., Mpouzika, M., et al. (2014). Moral distress, autonomy and nurse-physician collaboration among intensive care unit nurses in Italy. Journal of Nursing Management, 22 (4), 472–484.

Ko, C., Ma, J. H., Bartnik, R., Haney, M. H., & Kang, M. G. (2018). Ethical leadership: An integrative review and future research agenda. Ethics & Behavior, 28 (2), 104–132.

Lear, J. A. (2015). Freud (2nd ed.). Abingdon: Routledge.

Lemoine, G. J., Hartnell, C. A., & Leroy, H. (2019). Taking stock of moral approaches to leadership: An integrative review of ethical, authentic, and servant leadership. Academy of Management Annals, 13 (1), 148–187.

Levi, P. (1966). If this is a man, translated by Woolf, S., London: Bodley Head.

Lipman-Blumen, J. (2006). The allure of toxic leaders: why we follow destructive bosses and corrupt politicians and how we can survive them . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Litz, B. T., Stein, N., Delaney, E., Lebowitz, L., Nash, W. P., Silva, C., & Maguen, S. (2009). Moral injury and moral repair in war veterans: A preliminary model and intervention strategy. Clinical Psychology Review, 29 (8), 695–706.

Maguen, S., & Litz, B. (nd) Moral injury in the context of war . Retrieved January 24, 2019, from https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/cooccurring/moral_injury.asp .

Margolis, J. D., & Molinsky, A. (2008). Navigating the bind of necessary evils: Psychological engagement and the production of interpersonally sensitive behavior. Academy of Management Journal, 51 (5), 847–872.

Matthews, M. D. (2014). Stress among UAV Operators: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Existential Crisis, or Moral Injury? Ethics and Armed Forces: Controversies in Military Ethics & Security Policy, 1 (1), 53–57.

McDonald, M. G. (2007). The nature of epiphanic experience. Journal of Humanistic Psychology , 48 (1), 89–115.

Mintzberg, H. (2004). Managers not MBAs: A hard look at the soft practice of managing and management development . New Jersey: Pearson Education.

Molinsky, A., & Margolis, J. (2005). Necessary evils and interpersonal sensitivity in organizations. Academy of Management Review, 30 (2), 245–268.

Parr, A. (2009). Hijacking sustainability, Cambridge, Mass . London: MIT.

Padilla, A., Hogan, R., & Kaiser, R. B. (2007). The toxic triangle: Destructive leaders, susceptible followers, and conducive environments. Leadership Quarterly, 18 (3), 176–194.

Pelletier, K. L. (2010). Leader toxicity: An empirical investigation of toxic behavior and rhetoric. Leadership, 6 (4), 373–389.

Petriglieri, G., & Petriglieri, J. L. (2020). the return of the oppressed: A systems psychodynamic approach to organization studies. Academy of Management Annals, 14 (1), 411–449.

Press, E. (2018). The Wounds of the Drone Warrior. New York Times Sunday Magazine (June 17 2018), p. 30.

Prottas, D. J. (2013). Relationships Among Employee Perception of Their Manager’s Behavioral Integrity, Moral Distress, and Employee Attitudes and Well-Being. Journal of Business Ethics, 113 (1), 51–60.

Shay, J. (1994). Achilles in Vietnam: Combat trauma and the undoing of character . Oxford, New York: Maxwell Macmillan International, Atheneum.

Shay, J. (2002). Odysseus in America : combat trauma and the trials of homecoming . New York: Scribner.

Shay, J. (2014). Moral Injury. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 31 (2), 182–191.

Silverman, D. K., & Byrne, S. (2009). Character. In R. M. Skelton (Ed.), The Edinburgh international encyclopaedia of psychoanalysis (p. 79). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Stein, M. (2016). Fantasy of fusion' as a response to trauma: European leaders and the origins of the Eurozone crisis. Organization Studies , 37 (7), 919–937.

Taylor, S. (2017). Forming character in business school leadership education: Rejoinder to “The Development of Leader Character Through Crucible Moments”. Journal of Management Education , 42 (2), 301–305.

Taylor, M. (2006). Rationality and the ideology of disconnection . New York, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Thomas, B. (2012). ’Kicking the hornet’s nest: The rhetoric of social campaigning in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy. Language and Literature, 21 (3), 299–310.

Thoroughgood, C. N., Padilla, A., Hunter, S. T., & Tate, B. W. (2012). The susceptible circle: A taxonomy of followers associated with destructive leadership. Leadership Quarterly, 23 (5), 897–917.

Tourish, D., & Vatcha, N. (2005). Charismatic Leadership and corporate cultism at Enron: The elimination of dissent, the promotion of conformity and organizational collapse. Leadership, 1 (4), 455–480.

van Velsen, C. (2009). Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In R. M. Skelton (Ed.), The Edinburgh International Encyclopaedia of Psychoanlysis (p. 372). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Voegtlin, C. (2016). What does it mean to be responsible? Addressing the missing responsibility dimension in ethical leadership research. Leadership, 12 (5), 581–608.

Werbach, A. (2009). Strategy for sustainability: A business manifesto . Boston, London: Harvard Business School Press, McGraw-Hill.

Wright, A. L., Irving, G., & Thevatas, K. S. (2020). Professional values and managerialist practices: Values work by nurses in the emergency department. Organization Studies , Forthcoming, 1–22.

Yavas, A. (2016). Sectoral differences in the perception of toxic leadership. Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences, 229, 267–276.

Zuboff, S. A. (2019). The age of surveillance capitalism: The fight for a human future at the new frontier of power . London: Profile Books.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to express his gratitude to Chelsea Green publishers who are the distributors of the version of Mid-Course Correction cited in this article for their permission to use and quote from the text. He also wishes to thank Dr. Scott Taylor (University of Birmingham), Professor Amy Fraher (Southampton Business School), and to the anonymous reviewers for their advice and assistance in developing the paper.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Maynooth University School of Business, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland

John G. Cullen

You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to John G. Cullen .

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest.

The author declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by the author.

Additional information

Publisher's note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cullen, J.G. Moral Recovery and Ethical Leadership. J Bus Ethics 175 , 485–497 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04658-3

Download citation

Received : 07 February 2019

Accepted : 15 October 2020

Published : 22 October 2020

Issue Date : January 2022

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04658-3

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Moral recovery
Ethical leadership
Moral injury
Communal responses
Social action
Find a journal
Publish with us
Track your research

470 Business Research Topics & Good Ideas

18 January 2024

last updated

Business research topics include a multi-faceted discipline, offering many intriguing themes. Some areas highlight concepts, like strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) study or political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental (PESTLE) analysis. Innovation and entrepreneurship topics explore how novel ideas can disrupt industries, focusing on startup culture, tech advancements, and societal impacts. Organizational behavior studies the human side of the business, covering employee motivation, leadership styles, and workplace culture. Finance and economics topics dissect fiscal decisions, market trends, investment strategies, financial risk management, and economic forecasting. These business research topics reflect the complexity of modern business operations, providing a rich background for academic inquiry and practical application.

Simple Business Research Topics

Influences on Consumer Spending
Green Initiatives in Small Businesses
Customer Loyalty Program Effectiveness
Remote Work vs. In-Person: Productivity Analysis
Digital Marketing vs. Traditional Advertising
Employee Motivation and Performance
Implications of Social Media for Business
Online Security and Customer Trust
Startup Success Factors
Importance of Organizational Culture
Benefits of Diversity in the Workplace
Balancing Ethics and Profitability
Exploring Retail vs. Online Shopping Preferences
Strategies for Effective Business Communication
Crowdfunding as a Business Finance Option
Disaster Preparedness in Business Operations
Freelancing and the Changing Work Landscape
Trends in Customer Service Technology
Businesses and Corporate Social Responsibility

Interesting Business Research Topics

Corporate Governance and Ethical Conduct
Sustainability Trends in Business Models
Decoding Consumer Behavior in E-Commerce
Digital Transformation in Traditional Businesses
Effectiveness of Branding Strategies
Future of Cryptocurrencies in Business
Impact of Automation on Employment
Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
Innovation in Customer Retention Strategies
Virtual Reality and Its Business Applications
Analysis of Franchising vs. Startups
Influence of Celebrity Endorsements on Sales
Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain Management
Corporate Social Responsibility in the Fashion Industry
Machine Learning Applications in Business
Business Strategy in Gaming Industry
Green Marketing and Consumer Preferences
Economic Resilience in Small Businesses
Big Data in Decision-Making Process
The Intersection of Technology and Business Ethics

Business Research Topics for College Students

Exploring Business Startups in the Digital Age
Influential Factors in Consumer Buying Behavior
Correlation Between Corporate Culture and Employee Retention
Green Marketing Strategies and Sustainability
Disruption Caused by Digital Transformation in Businesses
Workplace Diversity and Organizational Success
Significance of Emotional Intelligence in Business Leadership
Social Media Marketing in Small-to-Medium Enterprises
Exploring Ethical Considerations in Advertising
Study of Successful Branding Strategies in Retail
Effects of Globalization on Local Businesses
Impacts of Automation on the Manufacturing Industry
Growth Strategies in Family-Owned Businesses
Customer Loyalty Programs and Consumer Behavior
Understanding the Role of AI in Business Operations
Strategies for Effective Crisis Management in Business
Intersection of Business Ethics and Profitability
Significance of Supply Chain Management in E-Commerce
Importance of Innovation in Sustaining Business Growth
Exploring the Economics of Renewable Energy Businesses

Business Research Topics for University

Incorporating Blockchain Technology in Business Processes
Effectiveness of Different Leadership Styles in Organizational Development
Digitalization and Its Influence on the Banking Sector
Implementing Corporate Social Responsibility in Modern Enterprises
Artificial Intelligence and Its Potential in Retail Industry
Evaluating the Success of Viral Marketing Strategies
Determining Factors in Venture Capital Decision-Making
Gender Equality in Leadership Positions: Case Studies
Merger and Acquisition Strategies in Competitive Business Landscapes
Augmented Reality: Potential Applications in Business
Data-Driven Decision Making: Benefits and Challenges
Understanding Cryptocurrency and Its Effects on E-Commerce
Exploration of Effective Time Management Techniques in Business
Influence of Work Environment on Employee Productivity
Business Strategy Development in an Era of Global Economic Changes
Determining the Factors Affecting Employee Job Satisfaction
Impact of Market Orientation on Business Performance
Online PR Management in the Age of Social Media
Sustainability and Profitability: Achieving a Balance in Business

Business Research Topics for Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Diverse Workforce: Implications for Organizational Success
Cybersecurity Practices in E-Commerce Businesses
Consumer Behavior Analysis in the Age of Digital Marketing
Globalization and Its Influence on Supply Chain Management
Corporate Governance: Case Studies of Successful Models
Applying Machine Learning to Financial Forecasting
Assessing the Efficiency of Inventory Management Systems
Examining the Effect of Organizational Culture on Innovation
Real Estate Market Analysis: Opportunities and Challenges
Sustainable Supply Chain Management: Challenges and Solutions
Entrepreneurship and Risk Management: A Detailed Analysis
Strategic Management in Non-Profit Organizations
Ethical Leadership and Corporate Success: A Correlation Study
Crisis Management Strategies in Hospitality Industry
Exploring Emerging Market Opportunities in E-Business
Project Management Efficiency in IT Industry
Influence of Branding on Consumer Purchase Decisions
Establishing Effective Communication Systems in Virtual Teams
Cross-Cultural Management in Multinational Companies

Small Business Research Topics

Small Business Survival: Strategies During Economic Recession
Growth Challenges Faced by Family Businesses
Sustainability Practices for Small-Scale Enterprises
Small Business Marketing in the Digital Age
Rural Small Businesses: Opportunities and Constraints
Exploring Innovation Capability of Micro Enterprises
Access to Finance for Small Businesses: A Case Study
E-Commerce Adoption by Small Retail Businesses
Franchising as a Growth Strategy for Small Businesses
Cross-Cultural Challenges in Small Business Management
Examining Business Succession in Small Family Firms
Barriers to Small Business Internationalization
Efficiency of Outsourcing in Small Business Operations
Exploring Business Ethics in Small Enterprises
Small Business Adaptation to Climate Change
Supply Chain Management in Small Manufacturing Businesses
Workforce Diversity in Small Business Environment
Influence of Organizational Culture on Small Businesses
Impact Assessment of Government Policies on Small Businesses
Small Businesses and Corporate Social Responsibility: Case Studies

Medium Business Research Topics

Medium-Sized Business Expansion: International Perspectives
Digital Transformation in Medium-Sized Businesses
Economic Sustainability of Medium-Scale Industries
Diversity and Inclusion Within Medium-Sized Enterprises
Supply Chain Optimization in Medium Business Operations
Green Business Practices for Medium Enterprises
Knowledge Management in Medium-Sized Companies
Succession Planning in Medium Family-Owned Firms
Financing Options for Medium Business Growth
Organizational Culture Shifts in Medium Businesses
Innovation Strategies of Medium-Sized Enterprises
Talent Management and Retention in Medium Firms
Examining Corporate Governance in Medium Enterprises
Mergers and Acquisitions in Medium-Sized Businesses
Medium-Sized Businesses and Global Market Entry
Cybersecurity Measures for Medium Business Enterprises
Public Policy Effects on Medium-Sized Businesses
Corporate Social Responsibility in Medium Enterprises
Strategic Planning in Medium Business Enterprises
Medium-Sized Enterprises in Emerging Markets: Opportunities and Challenges

International Business Research Topics

Multicultural Leadership in Global Companies
Foreign Direct Investment Effects on Host Economies
Understanding International Business Negotiation Styles
Crisis Management in Global Corporations
International Financial Reporting Standards: A Comparative Study
Corporate Social Responsibility in Global Supply Chains
Global Innovation Clusters: Opportunities and Challenges
Mergers and Acquisitions in the Global Business Landscape
Expatriate Management and Success Factors in International Assignments
Emerging Markets and Their Significance in Global Business
International Business Strategies in Digital Era
International Human Resource Management Practices
Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges in Multinational Corporations
Political Risk Assessment for International Businesses
Corporate Governance Variations Across Different Countries
Foreign Market Entry Strategies: A Comparative Study
Economic Implications of Brexit on International Business
Exchange Rate Volatility and Its Effect on International Trade
Global Business Ethics: A Critical Analysis

Business-to-Business (B2B) Research Topics

Understanding the Value Proposition in B2B Markets
Digital Transformation Strategies in B2B Commerce
B2B Pricing Models: An Analytical Study
Influence of Social Media on B2B Relationships
Comparative Analysis of B2B and B2C Marketing Strategies
Trust and Relationship Building in B2B Sales
Customer Retention Tactics in B2B Marketplaces
Strategic Alliances in B2B Sectors: A Critical Analysis
B2B E-Commerce: Opportunities and Challenges
Personalization Techniques in B2B Marketing
Data-Driven Decision-Making in B2B Industries
Exploring B2B Content Marketing Strategies
Consumer Behavior Analysis in B2B Marketing
Corporate Social Responsibility in B2B Companies
B2B Sales Performance Metrics and Key Indicators
Adapting SEO Strategies for B2B Businesses
B2B Branding: Strategies and Best Practices
Innovation Management in B2B Sectors
Ethical Considerations in B2B Marketing
Cybersecurity Measures in B2B Organizations

Business-to-Consumer (B2C) Research Topics

Customer Experience Management in B2C Industries
Harnessing the Power of Social Media in B2C Marketing
Strategies for Building Trust in B2C E-Commerce
Influence of Artificial Intelligence on B2C Transactions
B2C Content Marketing: A Critical Analysis
Exploring Loyalty Programs in B2C Markets
Data Privacy and Security in B2C Digital Platforms
Mobile Marketing Strategies in B2C Businesses
Customer Journey Mapping in B2C Environments
Emerging B2C E-Commerce Trends and Their Implications
Personalization Techniques in B2C Marketing
Psychological Triggers in B2C Advertising: An Analysis
Analyzing Online Review Culture in B2C Markets
Comparative Study of B2C and B2B Marketing Tactics
Customer Relationship Management in B2C Companies
Sustainability Practices in B2C Businesses
Conversion Rate Optimization Techniques in B2C Marketing
B2C Branding: An Examination of Successful Strategies
Influence of Augmented Reality on B2C Shopping Experiences
Analyzing Customer Retention Strategies in B2C Industries

Modern Business Research Topics

Disruptive Innovations and Their Influence on Business Models
Cryptocurrency’s Place in Modern Business Transactions
Navigating the Implications of Remote Work for Businesses
Addressing Cybersecurity Concerns in the Era of Digital Business
Sustainability Strategies in Contemporary Business Practices
Artificial Intelligence and Its Contribution to Business Automation
Blockchain Technology’s Application in Modern Business Transactions
E-Commerce and Its Changing Face in Modern Business
Agile Management: A New Norm in Business Operations
Big Data Analytics: A Game Changer for Modern Business
Corporate Social Responsibility in Contemporary Business Ethics
Influence of Social Media Marketing on Modern Business
Digital Transformation Strategies in Modern Business Environments
Exploring the Gig Economy and Its Effect on Modern Business
Cloud Computing Adoption in Modern Business Infrastructure
Virtual Reality and Its Commercial Implications for Businesses
Embracing Diversity and Inclusion in Modern Corporate Culture
Analyzing the Rise of FinTech in Modern Business
Internet of Things (IoT) in Streamlining Business Operations

Startup Research Topics

Startup Valuation Methods: An In-Depth Analysis
Leadership Styles for Successful Startup Management
Strategic Funding Approaches for Emerging Startups
Survival Strategies: Navigating Startups Through Economic Downturns
Influence of Organizational Culture on Startup Success
Entrepreneurial Psychology: A Key to Startup Resilience
Investor-Startup Relations: A Critical Examination
Disruptive Startups: The Driving Force of Market Transformation
Crowdfunding as an Innovative Financing Model for Startups
Examining the Startup Ecosystem in Emerging Economies
Determining Factors for Startup Failure: A Comprehensive Study
Analyzing the Influence of Incubators and Accelerators on Startup Growth
Green Startups: A Study on Sustainability in Entrepreneurship
Gender Dynamics in Startup Leadership
Innovation Management Strategies in Tech Startups
Exploring the Gig Economy’s Influence on Startup Culture
Frugal Innovation: An Emerging Trend in Startup Practices
Intellectual Property Rights in Startup Development
A Comparative Study of International Startup Policies
Remote Work Culture: A New Trend in Startup Environments

Business Project Management Research Topics

Influence of Leadership Styles on Project Success
Techniques for Conflict Resolution in Project Management
Agile Project Management: Adaptation in Business Environments
Strategic Risk Assessment Techniques in Project Management
Efficacy of Project Management Software in Modern Business
Remote Project Management: Challenges and Solutions
Importance of Cross-Cultural Competence in International Project Management
Influence of Emotional Intelligence on Project Management Effectiveness
Sustainable Practices in Business Project Management
Project Portfolio Management: Optimization Techniques
Examining the Effects of Employee Motivation on Project Outcomes
Balancing Quality, Scope, and Budget in Project Management
Adapting Project Management Approaches for Small Businesses
Determinants of Successful Change Management in Business Projects
Artificial Intelligence Applications in Project Management
Implications of Ethical Considerations in Project Management
Organizational Resilience: A Critical Factor in Project Management
Managing Business Projects in Multidisciplinary Teams
Influence of Corporate Governance on Project Management

Business Management and Administration Research Topics

Organizational Behavior and Employee Satisfaction
Cybersecurity Measures in Business Administration
Modern Approaches to Leadership Development
Human Resource Management: Strategies for Talent Retention
Optimizing Supply Chain Management for Competitive Advantage
Cross-Cultural Communication in Business Administration
Influence of Corporate Culture on Organizational Performance
Strategic Decision-Making in Dynamic Business Environments
AI Applications in Business Management
Sustainable Business Models for Green Enterprises
Examining Ethics in Corporate Governance
Improving Employee Productivity Through Workplace Design
The Efficiency of Remote Work in Business Administration
Social Entrepreneurship and Its Contribution to Society
Influence of Digital Transformation on Business Administration
Corporate Social Responsibility: An Analysis of Its Effect on Brand Reputation
Change Management Techniques in Modern Enterprises
Influence of Organizational Structure on Innovation
Risk Management Strategies in Global Business Operations
SMEs and Their Adaptation to E-Commerce Platforms

Business Managerial Economics Research Topics

Strategic Pricing Mechanisms in the Global E-Commerce Market
Balancing Profitability and Sustainability: Green Initiatives in Modern Business Models
Network Effects and Digital Platform Economics: Unexplored Frontiers
Behavioral Economics in Corporate Decision-Making: A Deeper Insight
Examining Income Inequality: Corporate Pay Structures and Economic Implications
Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and Their Effect on Labor Markets
Investigating Market Power: A Study on Tech Giants and Antitrust Regulations
Economic Resilience in Supply Chain Management During Crises
Cryptocurrency Adoption and Its Transformative Influence on Business Transactions
Diverse Workforce Benefits: An Economic Perspective
Risks and Returns: Examining Stock Market Behavior for Corporate Investment Decisions
Unraveling Consumer Psychology: Neuromarketing and Purchasing Behavior
Operational Efficiency Through Lean Management: An Economic Analysis
Predictive Analytics in Strategic Business Planning: Current Landscape and Future Prospects
Corporate Social Responsibility and Its Economic Justifications
Revisiting Game Theory in Modern Business Negotiations
Adoption of Renewable Energy: Cost Implications and Profitability for Businesses
Knowledge Economy and Intellectual Property Rights: Striking a Balance
Exploring Regional Trade Agreements and Their Implications on Business Operations

Business Organizational Behavior Research Topics

Intricacies of Transformational Leadership: A Behavioral Approach
Cultural Diversity in Organizations: An Analysis of Communication Patterns
Ethical Decision-Making Processes in Contemporary Businesses
Effective Conflict Resolution Strategies and Their Influence on Organizational Cohesion
Application of Positive Psychology to Enhance Employee Well-Being in the Workplace
Examining Organizational Silence: Barriers to Open Communication and Their Repercussions
Emotional Intelligence as a Determinant of Leadership Success in Organizations
Workplace Motivation Strategies: An In-Depth Study of Non-Monetary Incentives
A Comparative Study of Hierarchical vs. Flat Organizational Structures
Remote Work and Organizational Culture: Analyzing the Shifts in Team Dynamics
Understanding the Influence of Job Design on Employee Satisfaction
Navigating Through Organizational Politics: A Study on Power and Influence
A Behavioral Analysis of Cross-Functional Team Dynamics in Businesses
Unpacking the Complexity of Knowledge Sharing in Multinational Corporations
Organizational Citizenship Behavior: A Study on Discretionary Workplace Behavior
Virtual Teams and Collaboration: Exploring Challenges and Solutions
Perceived Organizational Support and Employee Commitment: A Correlation Study
Interrogating the Relationship Between Workplace Stress and Employee Productivity
Mindfulness Practices in the Workplace: An Examination of Outcomes and Adoption Barriers
Decision-Making Styles and Organizational Performance: A Comparative Study

Business Communication Research Topics

Harnessing the Power of Storytelling in Corporate Communication
Crisis Communication Strategies: A Critical Analysis of High-Profile Corporate Cases
Understanding the Dynamics of Interpersonal Communication in Virtual Teams
Exploring Non-Verbal Communication in Business Negotiations
Multimodal Communication in Business: Emerging Trends and Practices
Cross-Cultural Business Communication: Navigating Language and Cultural Barriers
Communication Clarity and Its Effect on Organizational Decision Making
Influence of Organizational Structure on Internal Communication Mechanisms
Leadership Communication Styles and Employee Engagement: A Correlation Study
Privacy and Security Concerns in Corporate Digital Communication
Addressing Workplace Miscommunication: Strategic Tools and Techniques
Corporate Communication in Mergers and Acquisitions: Challenges and Best Practices
Influence of Artificial Intelligence on Business Communication Processes
Visual Communication in Business: An Analysis of Infographics and Data Visualization
Analyzing Gender Differences in Business Communication Styles
Exploring Ethics in Business Communication: A Review of Best Practices
Corporate Apologies and Public Relations: Crafting Effective Messages
Investigating the Adoption and Use of Chatbots in Customer Communication
Employee Perception of Top-Down Communication in Hierarchical Organizations

Business Economics Research Topics

Macroeconomic Indicators and Their Influence on Business Investment Decisions
Exploring Economic Policies: Implications for Small Business Growth
Consumer Behavior in Digital Markets: An Economic Analysis
Economic Resilience: A Study on Businesses Adapting to Climate Change
Collaborative Economy and Business Models: A Paradigm Shift
Foreign Direct Investment and Its Effect on Domestic Industries
Cryptocurrency and Blockchain: A New Frontier in Business Economics
Market Structures and Pricing Strategies: A Comparative Analysis
A Deep Dive Into Global Trade Dynamics: Business Opportunities and Challenges
Analyzing Economic Cycles: Business Strategies for Volatile Economies
Inequality in Wealth Distribution: Examining Corporate Compensation Policies
Sustainable Development: Business Practices and Economic Implications
Dynamic Pricing in Online Retail: An Economic Perspective
Microfinance and Entrepreneurship: Opportunities and Economic Challenges
Econometrics in Business: Advanced Methods for Decision Making
Corporate Governance and Economic Efficiency: A Cross-Industry Study
Intellectual Property Rights in a Digital Age: Economic and Business Perspectives
Inflation Dynamics and Business Strategy: Navigating Economic Instability
Business Strategies in Emerging Economies: Opportunities and Risks
Merger and Acquisition Trends in the Global Economy: A Business Perspective

International Economics and Business Research Topics

International Trade Agreements and Their Implications for Domestic Businesses
Financial Market Integration and Business Opportunities in Emerging Economies
Trends in Foreign Direct Investment: Business Strategies and Policy Implications
Navigating Exchange Rate Fluctuations: A Guide for Multinational Enterprises
Cultural Considerations in International Business: A Comparative Study
Understanding the Intricacies of International Monetary Systems and Their Effect on Business
Globalization and Its Effect on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Climate Change Policies and International Business: Challenges and Opportunities
The Power of International Financial Institutions: An Analysis of World Bank and IMF Policies
Digitalization of Global Trade: Trends, Opportunities, and Challenges
International Tax Policies and Corporate Profit Shifting: A Global Perspective
Brexit: Consequences and Challenges for International Business and Economics
Global Value Chains and Business Models: Dynamics and Shifts
Technology Transfer in International Joint Ventures: An Economic Perspective
Global Economic Governance: Understanding WTO Policies and Implications
Sustainable Development Goals and International Business: Synergies and Conflicts
Investigating Global Inequality: Business Practices and Economic Implications
Strategic Business Alliances in the International Marketplace: A Comparative Study
Influence of International Trade Disputes on Business Strategies and Operations
Examination of Outsourcing Trends: Impact on International Business and Economy

Business Finance Research Topics

Financial Decision-Making in Startups: A Comparative Analysis
Understanding the Dynamics of Venture Capital Financing
Cryptocurrency and Business Financing: Opportunities and Challenges
Fintech Disruption: Transformation of Traditional Business Finance
Behavioral Finance and Corporate Investment Decisions: A Deeper Insight
Risk Management in Global Financial Markets: Strategies for Businesses
Impact of Merger and Acquisition Activity on Corporate Financial Health
Sustainable Finance and Green Investments: Business Strategies and Outcomes
Exploring the Influence of Corporate Governance on Financial Performance
Financial Innovations in the Sharing Economy: A Study on Crowdfunding
The Link Between CSR and Financial Performance: An Analytical Study
Efficacy of Financial Derivatives in Business Risk Management
Examining the Efficiency of Stock Markets: Implications for Business Investment
Modern Portfolio Theory in Business Finance: Relevance and Applications
Implications of Exchange Rate Fluctuations on International Business Finance
Machine Learning and Predictive Analytics in Corporate Finance
Microfinance and Entrepreneurship: A Study on Financial Inclusion
Economic Recession and Business Financial Strategies: A Comparative Analysis
Bankruptcy and Financial Distress: Strategies for Business Recovery

Marketing Business Research Topics

Embracing Artificial Intelligence in Modern Marketing Strategies
Social Media and Customer Relationship Management
Leveraging Big Data for Precision Marketing: A Case Study Approach
Exploring the Power of Influencer Marketing in the Digital Era
Understanding Consumer Psychology in Sustainable Product Marketing
Neuromarketing: Unveiling the Secret to Effective Advertising
Integrated Marketing Communications: A Study on Successful Branding Strategies
Ethics in Advertising: A Study on Deceptive Marketing Practices
Personalization in E-Commerce: An Examination of Customer Segmentation Techniques
Viral Marketing and Online Engagement: An Analysis of Social Media Campaigns
Augmented Reality in Marketing: An Investigation Into Consumer Interaction
Experiential Marketing: A Study on Creating Memorable Customer Experiences
Blue Ocean Strategy: A Novel Approach to Market Segmentation and Penetration
Brand Loyalty in the Age of E-Commerce: Challenges and Opportunities
Exploring the Influence of Mobile Technology on Consumer Buying Behavior
Application of Blockchain Technology in Digital Marketing
Comparative Study of B2B and B2C Marketing Strategies in the Tech Industry
Analyzing the Effectiveness of Content Marketing in Building Brand Authority
Value Co-Creation in Service Marketing: A Study on Consumer Participation
Customer Experience Management: Key to Retention in the Digital Marketplace

Business Law Research Topics

Interpreting Intellectual Property Rights in the Digital Era
Ethics in Corporate Governance: Legal Perspectives and Challenges
Examining Legal Implications of Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions
Understanding Contract Law in International Business Transactions
Corporate Social Responsibility: A Legal Analysis
Unpacking the Legalities of Bankruptcy and Financial Distress in Businesses
Dispute Resolution Mechanisms in International Business: An Analytical Review
Legal Framework of Crowdfunding in Startup Financing: A Comparative Study
Investigating Data Privacy Laws in Online Businesses
Tax Evasion and Corporate Law: An Analysis of Legal Repercussions
Exploring Antitrust Laws in Global Business Practices
Banking Law and Financial Regulation: Implications for Businesses
Cyber Law and E-Commerce: Legal Challenges and Solutions
Legal Dimensions of Environmental Sustainability in Business
Examining Employment Laws in Gig Economy
Adapting Trademark Laws for Brand Protection in the Digital Age
International Trade Law and Its Influence on Business Practices
Legal Aspects of Corporate Restructuring: A Comprehensive Analysis
Comparative Analysis of Consumer Protection Laws in E-Commerce

Business and Taxes Research Topics

Tax Compliance and Corporate Governance: An Analytical Study
Exploring the Implications of International Tax Treaties on Businesses
Understanding the Effects of Value-Added Tax on Consumer Behavior
Corporate Tax Planning Strategies: A Comparative Analysis
Navigating Taxation in E-Commerce: Opportunities and Challenges
Investigating the Impact of Carbon Taxes on Corporate Sustainability Strategies
Effect of Transfer Pricing on Multinational Corporation Taxation
Small Business Taxation: A Study on Policy Impact and Compliance
Cryptocurrency and Taxation: Unveiling the Legal and Financial Implications
Analyzing the Influence of Sales Tax on Retail Business Practices
Examining the Impact of Excise Duties on Consumer Goods Businesses
Corporate Tax Avoidance: Strategies and Legal Consequences
Indirect Taxes and Their Effect on Business Operations
Tax Incentives and Their Influence on Startup Ecosystems
Tax Policy Reform: Implications for Business Investment Decisions
Understanding the Dynamics of Property Taxation in Real Estate Businesses
Evaluating the Impact of Payroll Taxes on SMEs
Taxation of Digital Economy: Challenges and Prospects
Effect of Double Taxation Treaties on International Business Operations
Investigating Taxation Laws for Offshore Business Operations

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

351 abortion essay topics & research ideas, 476 evaluation essay topics & good evaluative ideas.

SUGGESTED TOPICS
The Magazine
Newsletters
Managing Yourself
Managing Teams
Work-life Balance
The Big Idea
Data & Visuals
Reading Lists
Case Selections
HBR Learning
Topic Feeds
Account Settings
Email Preferences

Lessons from the Bud Light Boycott, One Year Later

Jura Liaukonyte,
Anna Tuchman,
Xinrong Zhu

Six factors that make a brand more susceptible to consumer backlash.

Why did the Bud Light boycott affect the beer brand’s sales when many other boycotts have only marginal or short-term impact? An analysis of sales data confirms that Bud Light suffered a sustained downturn in sales, more pronounced in Republican-leaning counties in the U.S. And it explains several factors that determine how vulnerable a brand is to a boycott. Boycotts can have a bigger impact when a product is more substitutable, when it is more visible, and when consumers feel psychological “ownership” over it.

Taking a social stance has become a rite of passage for contemporary brands that are hoping to resonate with younger, more socially-conscious audiences. In April 2023, Bud Light tried its hand at this strategy, collaborating with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney on a social media promotional post. This sparked backlash from several prominent conservatives , leading many conservative figures and groups to call for a boycott of Bud Light.

Jura Liaukonyte is an Associate Professor at Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business. Her research focuses on quantifying the effects of advertising, information, and social media movements on consumer choice.
Anna Tuchman is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Her research addresses economic questions related to advertising, pricing, and public policy.
Xinrong Zhu is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Imperial College London Business School, specializing in quantitative marketing, retail analytics, and the causal impact of policy changes, marketing activities, and politics on consumer behavior.

Partner Center

IMAGES

(PDF) BUSINESS RECOVERY STRATEGY
140 Business Research Topics to Impress Your Professors
💐 Business research project examples. 120 Business Research Topics to
10 Infographic Ideas for Post-Pandemic Business Recovery Plan
Developing positive action for business recovery
💄 Business topics for research paper. 80+ Business Topics for Research

VIDEO

Considerations for Addressing Substance Use Disorder in Emerging Adults
LDPC data recovery
The 01581: Let's Talk
Falling Into Problematic Drug Use: Tim Leighton
What Works: Tim Leighton

COMMENTS

Business Recovery
Business Recovery. Business recovery: Refers to the short-term (less than 60 days) restoration activities that return the business to a minimum acceptable level of operation or production following a work disruption. From: Introduction to Security (Tenth Edition), 2019. Add to Mendeley. About this page.
Business recovery: an assessment framework
Abstract. This paper presents a Business Recovery Assessment Framework (BRAF) to help researchers and practitioners design robust, repeatable, and comparable studies of business recovery in various post-disruption contexts. Studies assessing business recovery without adequately considering the research aims, recovery definitions, and indicators ...
Business recovery from disaster: A research update for practitioners
World Bank (2021) states that "competition can boost corporate productivity to support a sustainable recovery". In addition, there is research that suggests that competition will push businesses ...
The Business of Recovery
Exhibit 1: Business Recovery Strategy Applied to Pandemic Disruption. Battling Inertia and Nostalgia. One of the most commonly accepted realities of business is also one of the most ironic: successful firms with established business practices fail to adapt to unexpected changes in the market. As a result, these companies can experience a tough ...
Leading into the Post-Covid Recovery
Leading into the Post-Covid Recovery. by. Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg. August 11, 2020. Joe Raedle/Getty Images. Summary. Every crisis has three phases: the emergency, a regression, and, finally, a ...
Business Recovery from Disasters: Lessons from Natural Hazards and the
Abstract This paper compares economic recovery in the COVID-19 pandemic with other types of disasters, at the scale of businesses. As countries around the world struggle to emerge from the pandemic, studies of business impact and recovery have proliferated; however, pandemic research is often undertaken without the benefit of insights from long-standing research on past large-scale disruptive ...
Post-disaster business recovery: An entrepreneurial marketing
This paper investigates how Entrepreneurial Marketing (EM) is enacted in post-disaster settings to facilitate speedy business recovery. We examined the post-quake experiences of small business entrepreneurs by using inductive research and adopting a 'theories-in-use' approach.
Business Resilience
The emerging resilients: Achieving 'escape velocity'. October 6, 2020 -. Industry perspectives. This collection of articles explores facets of business resilience. In the face of a crisis or economic slowdown, resilient organizations ride out uncertainty instead of being overpowered by it.
Business disruption and COVID-19 recovery
The consumer demand recovery and lasting effects of COVID 19 on prospects for consumer demand found that online grocery shopping, virtual healthcare visits, and home nesting were likely to stick. On the other hand, people would likely return to prepandemic patterns, or close to them, when it came to leisure air travel, live entertainment, and ...
Methods and lessons for business resilience and recovery surveys
Abstract. Surveys are important tools in business resilience and recovery research because of their ability to capture disaggregated economic information; however, they can be difficult and costly due to business operational dynamics and the larger challenges of disaster research. The COVID-19 pandemic serves as a recent example where demand ...
Business Recovery in Emerging Markets
The chapters take both a micro and macro approach, surveying the topic from both organizational and national perspectives. Divided into sections on public policy, innovation, and social responsibility, this work explores the parameters of business and economic perspectives for the construction of effective models to pursue an effective recovery.
[PDF] Strategies for Business Turnaround and Recovery: A Review and
Strategies for Business Turnaround and Recovery: A Review and Synthesis. Richard Schoenberg, N. Collier, C. Bowman. Published 10 November 2013. Business, Economics. European Business Review. Purpose - Against a backdrop of continued weak economic conditions and with many firms experiencing declining financial performance, this paper presents ...
COVID-19: Twelve insights to help build your business recovery roadmap
7. Adapt operations, increase resilience. Even before COVID-19, business was facing pressure to act more responsibly, and the crisis will only accelerate that. As we look to an uncertain recovery, likely to be more saw-toothed than smooth, the pandemic presents us with a chance as much as a challenge. With such a significant economic and social ...
Five Strategic Steps Toward Business Recovery
Here are five ways to help your business recover and thrive as we move forward in these trying times. Embody grit. According to Merriam-Webster, grit is the "firmness of mind or spirit ...
Small Business Recovery after Covid-19 by Patrick A. McLaughlin, Tyler
Abstract. The COVID-19 pandemic is precipitating an unprecedented economic downturn, and small businesses are likely to bear the brunt of it. The US government has taken some steps to lessen the damage to small businesses, but these steps impose large costs on the federal government (and taxpayers), and depending on how long the pandemic lasts, these steps may not be enough to keep many small ...
US small-business recovery after the COVID-19 crisis
Recovery will take time. After the 2008 recession, larger companies recovered to their precrisis contribution to GDP in an average of four years, while smaller ones took an average of six. 1 Kathryn Kobe and Richard Schwinn, Small business GDP: 1998-2014, US Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, December 2018, advocacy.sba.gov.
Business recovery: an assessment framework
Abstract. This paper presents a Business Recovery Assessment Framework (BRAF) to help researchers and practitioners design robust, repeatable, and comparable studies of business recovery in various post-disruption contexts. Studies assessing business recovery without adequately considering the research aims, recovery definitions, and indicators ...
Tracking the robust recovery in the business sector since 2020
Contact. Marie Wilken. [email protected] 202-540-7738. A Hamilton Project analysis of the business sector over the COVID-19 period finds that, despite initial fears of widespread failure ...
500+ Business Research Topics
Business Research Topics are as follows: The impact of social media marketing on customer engagement and brand loyalty. The effectiveness of AI in improving customer service and satisfaction. The role of entrepreneurship in economic development and job creation. The impact of the gig economy on the labor market.
MBA Research Topics In Business (+ Free Webinar)
Here, we'll explore a variety of research ideas and topic thought-starters for management-related research degrees (MBAs/DBAs, etc.). These research topics span management strategy, HR, finance, operations, international business and leadership. NB - This is just the start…. The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps.
Moral Recovery and Ethical Leadership
Ethics is often declared to be at the 'heart' of leadership, but only small amount of peer-reviewed research publications have been found at the intersection between the two fields (Ciulla 2014; Cullen 2018).Although there are numerous definitions of ethical leadership (Ko et al. 2018), Brown and Trevino's definition of ethical leadership is most frequently cited: "the demonstration of ...
Factors Impacting SME Business Resilience Post-COVID-19
The ability of an organization to respond to a crisis with agility is vital for business leaders to maintain business continuity. Our paper examined how business owners responded to the challenges caused by the pandemic. Using online surveys for data collection, we investigated a critical agility issue of supply chain risks through understanding the interrelationship of various business ...
470 Business Research Topics & Good Ideas
Top Business Research Topics. Emerging Markets and Business Opportunities. Diversity and Inclusion in Leadership Positions. Cybersecurity Challenges in Modern Businesses. Influence of AI on Business Decision Making. Effective Crisis Management in the Covid-19 Era. CSR and Its Effects on Brand Perception.
FD
November 2022 Trade Gap is $61.5 Billion. The U.S. monthly international trade deficit decreased in November 2022 according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau. The deficit decreased from $77.8 billion in October (revised) to $61.5 billion in November, as imports decreased more than exports.
Lessons from the Bud Light Boycott, One Year Later
Boycotts can have a bigger impact when a product is more substitutable, when it is more visible, and when consumers feel psychological "ownership" over it. Taking a social stance has become a ...

Ivey Business Journal

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Methods and lessons for business resilience and recovery surveys

COVID-19: Twelve insights to help build your business recovery roadmap

Show resources

Re-open, reboot

1. Reimagine and transform

2. Address customer anxiety

3. Rethink the workplace

4. Maximize your people’s potential

5. Identify legal issues

6. Learn lessons from those a few weeks ahead

Capital and strategy

7. Adapt operations, increase resilience

8. Forecast more effectively

9. Adapt to shifting expectations

How EY can help

10. Identify the right divestments

11. Encourage inward investment in your region

12. Stabilize the economy

Direct to your inbox

Related articles

Welcome to EY.com

US small-business recovery after the COVID-19 crisis

Facing pressure on already-slim margins

Adapting new business and operating models

Tracking US small and medium-sized business sentiment during COVID-19

Searching for solutions

Explore a career with us

Which small businesses are most vulnerable to COVID-19—and when

COVID-19’s effect on jobs at small businesses in the United States

COVID-19’s effect on minority-owned small businesses in the United States

Tracking the robust recovery in the business sector since 2020

Business survival

New business creation

Employment impact

500+ Business Research Topics

Business Research Topics

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

You may also like

200+ Funny Research Topics

500+ Sports Research Topics

300+ American History Research Paper Topics

500+ Cyber Security Research Topics

500+ Environmental Research Topics

500+ Economics Research Topics

Research Topics & Ideas: Business

Overview: Business Research Topics

Strategy-Related Research Topics

Topics & Ideas: Human Resources (HR)

Topics & Ideas: Finance & Accounting

Ideas: Operations Management

Topics & Ideas: International Business

Topics & Ideas: Leadership

Business/Management Dissertation & Theses

Fast-Track Your Topic Ideation

You Might Also Like:

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Moral Recovery and Ethical Leadership

Cite this article

Similar content being viewed by others

Dear Mental Health Practitioners, Take Care of Yourselves: a Literature Review on Self-Care

Leadership in healthcare education

What Is Leadership?

Introduction

Reviews of Research on Ethical Leadership

Moral Injury

Moral Recovery

Ray Anderson

Research Agenda

Acknowledgements

Author information

Corresponding author

Ethics declarations

Ethical Approval

Additional information

Rights and permissions

About this article

Share this article