Abstract

Business school research is assessed predominantly through citation metrics, which insufficiently capture its educational, societal, and policy contributions. This study develops and validates an integrated framework for evaluating long-term research impact across four interconnected domains: academic influence, pedagogical transformation, societal contribution, and policy engagement. Drawing on knowledge transfer, research utilization, stakeholder theory, and responsible research and innovation, the framework conceptualizes impact as a dynamic process extending beyond scholarly visibility. A mixed-methods design combines bibliometric analysis, longitudinal impact tracing, expert Delphi validation, and qualitative inquiry involving academics, educators, policymakers, industry leaders, and accreditation experts. The framework integrates citations, altmetrics, curriculum integration, policy uptake, media visibility, practitioner adoption, and societal engagement. Its application is illustrated through a longitudinal dataset of publications from international business schools spanning twenty years. The findings indicate that citation performance provides an incomplete representation of research influence, systematically overlooking pedagogical and societal contributions. The integrated framework captures research diffusion and utilization across educational systems, organizational decision making, and public policy settings. Results also reveal temporal differences in how impact dimensions emerge, accumulate, and interact, highlighting the limitations of short assessment windows.The study advances research impact theory through a multidimensional, stakeholder-oriented perspective and contributes an integrated measurement approach. It offers business schools, accreditation agencies, ranking organizations, and policymakers a basis for broader research assessment. By recognizing delayed and indirect contributions, the framework supports responsible scholarship, public value creation, and a more comprehensive understanding of management research’s long-term societal relevance.