About SAMS

Grigor McClelland, CBE – Founder 

Professor William Grigor McClelland, CBE, was a pivotal figure in the development of management studies in the UK. He founded the Society for the Advancement of Management Studies (SAMS) in 1963, with the first edition of the Journal of Management Studies (JMS) being published in 1964. His efforts provided a platform for a relatively new field in the UK, significantly advancing management research and education.  

McClelland held the first Fellowship in Management Studies at Balliol College, Oxford University, and was the founding director of Manchester Business School. His leadership at Laws Stores and his extensive charitable work, inspired by his Quaker faith, had a profound impact on many lives.  

Early Life and War Service 

Grigor McClelland was deeply rooted in the trades from childhood, gaining hands-on experience in his family's grocery business, Laws Stores. His academic talents earned him a Ruskin Scholarship to study Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Balliol College, Oxford University.  

However, World War II interrupted his plans. As a conscientious objector and devout Quaker, he joined the Friends Ambulance Unit, serving in North Africa and Europe. After the war, he continued his service as a Quaker relief worker in Germany, experiences that deeply influenced his values and later work. 

Return to Academia 

After the war, McClelland returned to England and completed his degree at Balliol College, University of Oxford, achieving a first-class degree in two years. He spent the next decade working for the family business before returning to academia in the 1960s as the first Fellow in Management Studies at Balliol College. It was during this time that he formulated his plans for the Journal of Management Studies, aiming to create a respectable platform for management scholarship in the UK. 

The Founding of the Journal of Management Studies (JMS) 

At Balliol, McClelland secured corporate sponsorship for the Journal and began approaching academics for contributions. Despite early challenges with sponsors, he aimed to publish material that was both academically respectable and helpful for practicing managers.  

As the Editor, he also became the founding Chair of SAMS, sourcing prominent academics for the journal's editorial board. His professional and developmental approach helped JMS secure influential papers from its inception, including Herbert Simon's seminal work on business schools. 

At the Forefront of the Development of Management Studies in the UK 

In 1965, McClelland was appointed as the founding Director and Professor of Business Administration at Manchester Business School.  

He favoured an innovative, multidisciplinary approach to management education, known as the Manchester Experiment. This approach aimed to avoid professional silos and emphasised the school's responsibility to society. Despite initial challenges, the Manchester Experiment was successful and laid the foundation for the Manchester Method, a practical approach to management education that remains at the core of the School's MBA programme today. 

A Pioneer in Business  

McClelland's leadership extended beyond academia. He steered Laws Stores for 24 years, introducing modern self-service supermarkets, checkout scanning, and advanced logistics systems.  

Even after selling Laws Stores in 1985, he remained involved in local business, Chairing the Washington New Town Development Corporation and playing a key role in bringing Nissan to Sunderland in 1986. 

Leading Charitable Works in the North-East of England 

The sale of Laws Stores allowed McClelland to focus on charitable works. He set up the Millfield House Foundation to tackle deprivation in the North-East and served as a trustee and chair of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.  

Despite facing accusations of Communist sympathies, his charitable efforts were driven by his Quaker roots and a philosophy of social change. Awarded a CBE for his services to charity, McClelland returned the award in protest against the Iraq war, reflecting his strong moral convictions. 

A Life of Contrasts 

McClelland's achievements as an academic were significant. He was a widely published scholar and served as an advisor to government bodies. Even after retirement, he remained engaged with management education, the Society for the Advancement of Management Studies and the Journal of Management Studies.  

His innovative approaches to management scholarship and education have had a lasting impact on the field. The Journal of Management Studies continues to honour his legacy with the annual Grigor McClelland Doctoral Dissertation Award.