About

Research with Real-World Impact

As one of the few Schools in the Asia-Pacific region with well-respected multidisciplinary research in both Business and Law, we develop and disseminate new and innovative knowledge that helps us to address questions and challenges that can benefit business and the legal system.

The research in the Graduate School of Business and Law is recognized as a fast-rising centre of excellence in terms of research quality and impact. In an open and collaborative intellectual environment, our culturally diverse academics stand at the frontiers of interdisciplinary knowledge creation that is both rigorous and relevant.

GSBL pursues a strategy based on teamwork and co-authorship, well suited to the multidisciplinary nature of the fields of business and law. GSBL's partners are organisations operating in a range of different sectors and across Australia, the Asia Pacific, and the world. 

Creativity and imagination, together with Design Thinking driven approaches, are in the DNA of all we do. The School uses strategic design capabilities to create new knowledge and tools to help business and government innovate and transform. Our approach focusses on co-creation with key stakeholders and is centred around empowering human creativity and applying interdisciplinary teams to transform processes but also redefining the way organisations create value and what social, environmental, and economic goals are important to pursue.

The School houses the MBA, Executive MBA, Juris Doctor and undergraduate law programs that support a life-long learning approach. The School has state of the art resources and access to creative spaces that assist us to develop world leading knowledge creation, application and implementation. Our teaching programs are closely linked to our research efforts. We teach students the same techniques that we use to help solve the most complex problems related to business and innovation strategy, cross cultural and ethical leadership, access to justice, digital transformation, people and work, and the protection of vulnerable groups in all layers of society. 

The key themes are: Social and Environmental Sustainability; Design Thinking and Problem Solving for Innovation; Leadership; Innovative Justice; Business and Human rights; Law and Technology; Dispute Resolution; Labour Law; Health Law; Corporate Law; Governance, Accountability and the Law. Our goal is to create real world impact and use our resources in ways that support high quality outputs in a range of impactful outlets, including top academic journals, but most importantly that creates pathways to change lives for the better. We also focus on actively translating our research outcomes for industry, business and government end-users.

Staff of GSBL have published in leading academic journals, including the Journal of Management, Research Policy, Marketing Science, Stanford Journal of International Law, Journal of Product Innovation Management, The Lancet Psychiatry, Journal of Industrial Relations, Journal of World Business, Journal of Business Research, and they appear in all major law journals in the Australasia region such as the Federal Law Review, Melbourne University Law Review, Sydney Law Review, UNSW Law Journal, Griffith Law Review and Monash University Law Review. Staff in the school have won ‘best book’ in the College of Business awards at RMIT on many occasions and staff have received both College and university research awards.

The School hosts interdisciplinary seminars that include the Business, Society and Law series, Brown bag meetings, Industry chats @Emily, Asia@RMIT (together with the School of Media and Communication and the School of Global Studies, Urban and Social Studies), and the Qualitative Research Interest Group meetings. Aligned with our school is the successful Centre for Innovative Justice (CIJ) which provides cutting edge expertise in therapeutic, restorative and other innovative justice strategies and through research, publications and clinical education contributes to addressing the issues that bring people into contact with the justice system.

Research Committee

The GSBL Research Committee comprises the Deputy Head, Research and Innovation as well as the HDR Coordinator and a number of academic staff representing the various disciplines of the school. Two HDR student representatives, one Business and the other Law, ​are also members. The committee meets quarterly.    

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.