U of A's Management Faculty Rank Among Nation's Best for Research Productivity

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The Sam M. Walton College of Business at the U of A has earned national recognition in the newly released TAMUGA (Texas A&M/University of Georgia) Rankings of Management Department Research Productivity.

“The Department of Management has outstanding research faculty, and publishing impactful research in the top outlets has been a goal and priority of the department for many years,” said John Delery, professor, John H. Tyson Chair and chair of the Department of Management. “It is nice to see that these efforts and the resources supporting them have resulted in such success. To be ranked in the top 20 of U.S. management departments is quite an accomplishment, especially given our relatively small size - and to be in the top 10 when accounting for size is such a strong sign of the incredible success of our research faculty.”

In the 2020–2024 five-year ranking, the Walton College’s management and strategy faculty ranked No. 20 nationally in total research publications across 10 top-tier academic journals and an impressive No. 10 in publications per faculty member. The rankings reflect both the volume and impact of faculty research and include a total of 144 U.S. business schools that met minimum publishing thresholds.

“Our strategic management faculty are not just contributing to the field, they are helping define its direction,” said Jason Ridge, chair for the Department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship & Venture Innovation. “Being ranked 10th in elite research productivity per faculty is clear evidence of the high-quality, impactful research within which our faculty engage and positions our department among the most elite research institutions globally.”

This year's update also introduced a key methodology change by including the Journal of Management—a widely respected management science publication—expanding the journal list and better capturing the full range of academic research across management and strategy disciplines.

The rankings, compiled annually by Texas A&M University and the University of Georgia, are based purely on peer-reviewed research output in elite journals and serve as a trusted benchmark for academic performance in the field of management. Notably, the rankings do not separate traditional management faculty from strategy or organizational behavior faculty, instead evaluating departments based on macro and micro contributions collectively.

About the Sam M. Walton College of Business: Founded in 1926, the Sam M. Walton College of Business stands as one of the largest colleges at the University of Arkansas, serving over 9,800 students across undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs. The college holds AACSB accreditation and consistently ranks among the top business schools in the United States. Walton College ranks 25th for its undergraduate business program among public colleges in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 national rankings. In addition, its undergraduate supply chain management program is recognized as the No. 1 program in North America by Gartner. In 2024, The Princeton Review included Walton’s MBA program in its Best Business Schools list for On-Campus MBA Programs. 

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy  through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.