Pepperdine Graziadio to Host Global Engaged Management Scholarship Conference Featuring Leading Business Thought Leaders

MALIBU, California — Pepperdine University’s Graziadio Business School will host the 15th Annual Engaged Management Scholarship (EMS) Conference, Sept. 11–13, 2025, in collaboration with the Executive DBA Council (EDBAC). The conference convenes universities that offer doctorates in business administration to exchange ideas and advance research. Taking place at Pepperdine’s Malibu campus, the conference’s theme is “Waves of Impact in Business and Society.”

The conference will feature keynote speakers:

• Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President and CEO of SHRM, which represents over 340,000 HR professionals globally.
• Dr. Cristina Gibson, Dean’s Distinguished Professor of Applied Behavioral Science at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. Editor-in-Chief of the Academy of Management Annals.

“We are honored to welcome global leaders and scholars to Pepperdine Graziadio for the EDBA Council’s annual conference,” said Deborah Crown, dean of the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. “This gathering reflects our commitment to advancing applied research that solves real-world challenges while cultivating values-centered leadership.”

The conference provides a platform to share practice-oriented, evidence-based research and to foster collaboration among scholar-practitioners from Executive DBA and Executive PhD programs worldwide. This year’s conference chair is Nelson Granados, Academic Director of Pepperdine Graziadio’s Executive DBA.

“This conference represents the best of what engaged management scholarship stands for—bridging rigorous research and real-world practice,” said Dr. Cristina Gibson, Dean’s Distinguished Professor of Applied Behavioral Science at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. “This is the hallmark of our EDBA program at PGBS. We are proud to host such a dynamic exchange of ideas at Pepperdine, where our scholarship aims for  global impact.”

Conference highlights:

• Doctoral Consortium (September 11): A pre-conference event for doctoral students to receive feedback from top scholars on their research proposals.
• Conference Sessions (September 12–13): Presentations, panel discussions, and poster sessions on DBA research findings.
• Dinner and Award Ceremony (September 12): An evening to celebrate achievements and network among attendees.

“It is an honor to serve as president of the Executive DBA Council. Having attended nearly every EMS Conference since its inception—first as a student, then alumna/researcher, and now as faculty director of the DBA program at Penn State—I have seen firsthand how EMS showcases groundbreaking research by DBA students and alumni worldwide,” said Jeanette Miller, President of EDBAC. “It is inspiring to witness the tangible impact DBA research is making on organizations and industries, and the EMS Conference continues to stand at the forefront of this transformation.”

For more information about the Engaged Management Scholarship Conference, visit: https://edbac.org/ems2025. Please note: registration for the 2025 conference is now closed due to full capacity.

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About Pepperdine University Graziadio Business School

For more than 50 years, the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School has challenged individuals to think boldly and drive meaningful change within their industries and communities. Offering a comprehensive range of BSM, MBA, MS, executive, and doctoral degree programs grounded in integrity, innovation, and entrepreneurship, the Graziadio School advances experiential learning through small classes with distinguished faculty that stimulate critical thinking and meaningful connection. Students and working professionals are inspired to realize their greatest potential as values-centered leaders. Follow Pepperdine Graziadio on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

 

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