Henley Business School
Encyclopedia
The Henley Business School at the University of Reading
is an English
triple accredited business school
, and the first business school to be established in the United Kingdom. It was formed by merging the previously independent Henley Management College, formerly the Administrative Staff College, with the existing business school of the University of Reading. As a result of the merger with the University of Reading, it now occupies two sites: Greenlands Campus
, near the town of Henley on Thames in south Oxfordshire
, the original site of the Henley Management College, and Whiteknights Campus in Reading
.
1945-1981: During World War II, the idea that of leadership as a natural gift was questioned thanks to the experiences of a number of businessmen. Thus, the Administrative Staff College was set up in 1945 at Henley-on-Thames as the civilian equivalent of the Military Staff Colleges. At that time this was an appropriate title because administration was defined as the highest form of management. Over the years, it has become known as Henley. As the first business school in the UK, it offered short courses in problems of advanced management. The College was offered the use of Greenlands by the 3rd Viscount Hambledon in 1946, and was bought outright from the family in 1952. In its formative years, the College was influenced by the management consultant and writer Lyndall Urwick
, the academic Hector Hetherington
, and the businessman Geoffrey Heyworth (later Baron Heyworth
); its curriculum was designed by its first Principal, Noel Hall
. From the beginning, its intention was to bring together executives from the civil service, private business and nationalised industries to help develop their skills for promotion to senior management. The success of the College led to the establishment of several administrative staff colleges around the world. By the early 1960s, a network of staff colleges modelled on Henley had been transplanted to Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua and New Guinea, and later to Bangladesh, Ghana and the Philippines.
1981-2008: In 1981, the College changed its name from its original title to Henley - The Management College. This was changed again to the Henley Management College when it was awarded a Royal Charter in 1991. By 2002, the College was also one of the very few in the world to achieve triple accredited status (AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS). The historic campus of the College has been located since its inception on the banks of the river Thames at Greenlands, on the outskirts of Henley-on-Thames
. A former home of the WH Smith family, the Greenlands campus is part of a country estate, and continues to serve as the home to the Henley MBA and corporate learning activities after the College's merger with the University of Reading.
2008-date: In 2008, the Henley Management College merged with the University of Reading to form the Henley Business School as one of the world’s largest full-service business schools. It consists of: the School of International Business and Strategy; School of Organisation and Behaviour; School of Marketing and Relationships; School of Business Informatics, Systems and Accountancy which includes the Informatics Research Centre; the School of Real Estate & Planning; the ICMA Centre
; and Executive Education Programmes. While the Henley MBA and corporate learning activities are offered from the Greenlands campus, all undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD courses of the Henley Business School are offered from the Whiteknights campus of the University of Reading. A former country estate of the Marquis of Blandford, the 130 hectare Whiteknights campus is made of conservation meadows, rare tree collection and a large lake. Since 2009, the School functions out of a new purpose-built building in Whiteknights, with facilities for lectures, conferences and visitors.
The Henley Business School offers its undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD programmes from its Whiteknights campus. 30 different programmes for undergraduates (BA/BSc) and postgraduates (MA/MSc) are offered in economics, finance and investment, management, and real estate and planning. It also offers PhD and DBA programmes in all these areas.
(AACSB) as well as the European Quality Improvement System
(EQUIS). Its MBA and DBA programmes are also accredited by the Association of MBAs
(AMBA), making these programmes triple accredited
since 2002. The School's predecessor Henley Management College was awarded a Royal Charter in 1991 in recognition of its quality, and the Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2006 recognition of its international activities.
As the largest triple accredited supplier of MBA education in the world, and the third largest overall, Henley is a leading international business school, consistently ranked among the very best MBA providers. For instance, the flexible and full-time MBA programmes have been ranked in the world's top 10 and 20 programmes respectively by the Economic Intelligence Unit (2008). The executive MBA programme has been ranked top 5 in the UK and top 50 worldwide by the Financial Times (2008). In terms of career progression, the Financial Times has ranked it first in the UK and fifth in the world.
's well known research on team roles was originally conducted at the College upon students attending courses there. In recent years, Henley has been consistently rated among the UK's top business Schools based on research output and performance. Henley's over 150 full-time and associate faculty members include some of the globe's foremost experts spanning a broad range of fields within business and management, from HRM to marketing, strategic management to international business.
Post-merger, the newly formed Henley Business School has been reported to have reduced its dependence on executive education and corporate business, and increased its research emphasis and scope. Income from these executive/corporate programmes, reported to be about £10m a year, is currently only a quarter of the new business school's income, so the significant additional income and investment from the University of Reading are being used to strengthen its academic research activities. Currently, the School attracts PhD candidates and research associates from over 30 countries, and is in fact the largest producer of DBA graduates in Europe.
Henley has several affiliate campuses around the world. Each local campus could vary in what it offered, with each having some local customisation. A number of countries have a full local campus, with local teaching staff and local accreditation (the Henley Management College, South Africa
, for example). A number of others, which Henley lists as countries they serve, have an office without local instructors. Students in those countries must either travel abroad or use the distance learning mode to complete their degrees.
University of Reading
The University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
triple accredited business school
Business school
A business school is a university-level institution that confers degrees in Business Administration. It teaches topics such as accounting, administration, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, information systems, marketing, organizational behavior, public relations, strategy, human resource...
, and the first business school to be established in the United Kingdom. It was formed by merging the previously independent Henley Management College, formerly the Administrative Staff College, with the existing business school of the University of Reading. As a result of the merger with the University of Reading, it now occupies two sites: Greenlands Campus
Greenlands
Greenlands is a country house situated by the River Thames in Buckinghamshire, just outside Henley-on-Thames. Built in the nineteenth century, it now forms the core of Greenlands Campus of the University of Reading, and is used by their Henley Business School as the base for its MBA and corporate...
, near the town of Henley on Thames in south Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, the original site of the Henley Management College, and Whiteknights Campus in Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
.
History and Growth
Lyndall Urwick
Lyndall Fownes Urwick was an influential business management consultant and thinker in the United Kingdom. He is recognized for integrating the ideas of earlier theorists like Henri Fayol into a comprehensive theory of management administration. He wrote an influential book called The Elements...
, the academic Hector Hetherington
Hector Hetherington
Professor Sir Hector Hetherington GBE DL was a Scottish philosopher, who was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool from 1927 to 1936, and Principal of the University of Glasgow until 1961.-Early life:...
, and the businessman Geoffrey Heyworth (later Baron Heyworth
Baron Heyworth
Baron Heyworth, of Oxton in the County Palatine of Chester, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 25 July 1955 for the industrialist Sir Geoffrey Heyworth. The title became extinct on his death on 15 June 1974....
); its curriculum was designed by its first Principal, Noel Hall
Noel Frederick Hall
Noel Frederick Hall was a economist and academic who was one of Britain's earliest post-war specialists in business theory and education...
. From the beginning, its intention was to bring together executives from the civil service, private business and nationalised industries to help develop their skills for promotion to senior management. The success of the College led to the establishment of several administrative staff colleges around the world. By the early 1960s, a network of staff colleges modelled on Henley had been transplanted to Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua and New Guinea, and later to Bangladesh, Ghana and the Philippines.
1981-2008: In 1981, the College changed its name from its original title to Henley - The Management College. This was changed again to the Henley Management College when it was awarded a Royal Charter in 1991. By 2002, the College was also one of the very few in the world to achieve triple accredited status (AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS). The historic campus of the College has been located since its inception on the banks of the river Thames at Greenlands, on the outskirts of Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
. A former home of the WH Smith family, the Greenlands campus is part of a country estate, and continues to serve as the home to the Henley MBA and corporate learning activities after the College's merger with the University of Reading.
2008-date: In 2008, the Henley Management College merged with the University of Reading to form the Henley Business School as one of the world’s largest full-service business schools. It consists of: the School of International Business and Strategy; School of Organisation and Behaviour; School of Marketing and Relationships; School of Business Informatics, Systems and Accountancy which includes the Informatics Research Centre; the School of Real Estate & Planning; the ICMA Centre
ICMA Centre
The ICMA Centre is a centre of higher education based in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. It offers undergraduate, postgraduate and executive education tailored to the capital markets industry....
; and Executive Education Programmes. While the Henley MBA and corporate learning activities are offered from the Greenlands campus, all undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD courses of the Henley Business School are offered from the Whiteknights campus of the University of Reading. A former country estate of the Marquis of Blandford, the 130 hectare Whiteknights campus is made of conservation meadows, rare tree collection and a large lake. Since 2009, the School functions out of a new purpose-built building in Whiteknights, with facilities for lectures, conferences and visitors.
Academics
At its Greenlands campus, the Henley Business School offers its flagship Henley MBA for executive managers, in addition to corporate and executive education programmes which attract programme members from approximately 100 countries. The Henley MBA targets experienced, practicing managers hoping to enhance their leadership skills or prepare for a senior management position; the average age of programme members is 38 years. It is offered in full-time (12 months), executive (2 years) and distance learning (3 years) modes to suit the needs and time commitment of each programme member. The Henley Executive MBA in Project Management is only offered under the distance learning mode.The Henley Business School offers its undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD programmes from its Whiteknights campus. 30 different programmes for undergraduates (BA/BSc) and postgraduates (MA/MSc) are offered in economics, finance and investment, management, and real estate and planning. It also offers PhD and DBA programmes in all these areas.
Reputation
The Henley Business School is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of BusinessAssociation to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business was founded in 1916 to accredit schools of business worldwide. The first accreditations took place in 1919. The stated mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation and thought leadership. It is regarded...
(AACSB) as well as the European Quality Improvement System
European Quality Improvement System
The European Quality Improvement System is a school accreditation system. It specializes in higher education institutions of management and business administration, run by the European Foundation for Management Development...
(EQUIS). Its MBA and DBA programmes are also accredited by the Association of MBAs
Association of MBAs
The Association of MBAs is a London-based international organization that accredits postgraduate business programs at business schools worldwide. The Association is one of the three main global accreditation bodies in business education and styles itself "the world's impartial authority on...
(AMBA), making these programmes triple accredited
Triple accreditation
Triple Accreditation is the accreditation awarded to 55 business schools worldwide by the three largest and most influential business school accreditation associations:...
since 2002. The School's predecessor Henley Management College was awarded a Royal Charter in 1991 in recognition of its quality, and the Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2006 recognition of its international activities.
As the largest triple accredited supplier of MBA education in the world, and the third largest overall, Henley is a leading international business school, consistently ranked among the very best MBA providers. For instance, the flexible and full-time MBA programmes have been ranked in the world's top 10 and 20 programmes respectively by the Economic Intelligence Unit (2008). The executive MBA programme has been ranked top 5 in the UK and top 50 worldwide by the Financial Times (2008). In terms of career progression, the Financial Times has ranked it first in the UK and fifth in the world.
Research
Historically, the Henley Management College has been very strong in management research and curriculum development. For instance, Meredith BelbinMeredith Belbin
Meredith Belbin is a British researcher and management theorist, best known for his work on management teams. He is a visiting professor and Honorary Fellow of Henley Management College in Oxfordshire, England.-Early Life and Work:...
's well known research on team roles was originally conducted at the College upon students attending courses there. In recent years, Henley has been consistently rated among the UK's top business Schools based on research output and performance. Henley's over 150 full-time and associate faculty members include some of the globe's foremost experts spanning a broad range of fields within business and management, from HRM to marketing, strategic management to international business.
Post-merger, the newly formed Henley Business School has been reported to have reduced its dependence on executive education and corporate business, and increased its research emphasis and scope. Income from these executive/corporate programmes, reported to be about £10m a year, is currently only a quarter of the new business school's income, so the significant additional income and investment from the University of Reading are being used to strengthen its academic research activities. Currently, the School attracts PhD candidates and research associates from over 30 countries, and is in fact the largest producer of DBA graduates in Europe.
Alumni and Affiliates
At any given time, Henley has around 7,000 students and programme members from more than 140 countries (directly or through its affiliates), ranging from the UK and Europe to Asia and Africa, from North and South America to Australasia. As the oldest business school in the UK, its growing alumni network features over 35,000 members.Henley has several affiliate campuses around the world. Each local campus could vary in what it offered, with each having some local customisation. A number of countries have a full local campus, with local teaching staff and local accreditation (the Henley Management College, South Africa
Henley Management College, South Africa
Henley Management College, South Africa, in the Sunninghill suburb of Johannesburg, is the local campus of the British-based Henley Management College. The South African institution shares international accreditation with its parent and is also locally accreditted in South Africa. The South...
, for example). A number of others, which Henley lists as countries they serve, have an office without local instructors. Students in those countries must either travel abroad or use the distance learning mode to complete their degrees.
See also
- See Henley's official list of all countries served
- Henley Management College, South AfricaHenley Management College, South AfricaHenley Management College, South Africa, in the Sunninghill suburb of Johannesburg, is the local campus of the British-based Henley Management College. The South African institution shares international accreditation with its parent and is also locally accreditted in South Africa. The South...
, one of the affiliates of Henley - The Henley College, a sixth form collegeSixth form collegeA sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
not to be confused with the business school - University of ReadingUniversity of ReadingThe University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...