Kellogg launches UK’s first award for excellence in employee ownership research
Kellogg College and the trustees of the Nigel Mason Bequest are proud to announce the launch of the Nigel Mason Award, a prestigious new accolade designed to celebrate and advance employee ownership research.
This annual award is in honour of the late Nigel Mason, a passionate multi-talented advocate and innovator of mutual and co-owned business structures.
Nigel Mason
The award launch took place in Cardiff on 19 September 2024 at an event organised by the Welsh Government and Cwmpas to celebrate the growth of employee ownership in Wales.
Employee ownership is the UK’s fastest-growing business model. It has created a £30 billion sector with a wide range of significant benefits for employees, businesses and communities. The growth in employee ownership is also happening internationally and yet employee ownership in the UK and internationally is relatively under investigated.
This new award is the UK’s only dedicated prize for employee ownership research. The award will be presented annually to an individual, for the most significant individual contribution to employee ownership.
Nomination for the Nigel Mason Award is open to researchers from any background. A distinguished panel of industry experts will choose the winning submission and the inaugural winner will be announced at a ceremony held at Kellogg College in Summer 2025. The award offers a cash prize of £2,000 and provides the winner with publicity for their research, reaching academics, practitioners, and the business community. Additionally, the winner will receive support to further develop their research on employee ownership.
Professor Jonathan Michie, President of Kellogg College and Director of the University of Oxford’s Centre for Mutual and Co-owned Business, highlighted the significance of the award, saying “Nigel Mason was a visionary who deeply believed in the power of mutual and co-owned business models to foster economic democracy and resilience. This award is a fitting tribute to his legacy, celebrating those who continue to push the boundaries of what these business models can achieve.”
Judging Panel member, Beyster Distinguished Professor Joseph Blasi, who is Director of the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing, Rutgers University, and a Visiting Fellow at Kellogg College, said: “All too often only established conventions are recognised. The Nigel Mason Award is meant to feature and lift up the work and the dedication of brilliant scholars who study business forms that address wealth inequality and other important policy outcomes through employee ownership”
James de le Vingne, Chief Executive of the UK’s Employee Ownership Association (EOA) and member of the Award Committee said: “We have developed a strong evidence base showing how giving employees a stake and a voice in their company impacts individuals, businesses, communities, and the broader economy. This provides valuable opportunities to explore further how employee ownership could contribute to improved livelihoods and a more sustainable, resilient economic future. New evidence is essential to deliver on the EOA’s purpose to unlock the potential of the economy and society through employee ownership. A purpose and goal that Nigel Mason not only shared but significantly advanced through his bold contributions to developing ownership models and resulting insights – a legacy we anticipate being progressed through the entries and winners of the Nigel Mason Award.”
Call for submissions
Submissions are now invited for the inaugural Nigel Mason Award for employee ownership research. Please see the Nigel Mason Award website pages for information on the award and how to submit. Submissions must be made by 31 May 2025.
About Nigel Mason: Nigel Mason (1959-2021) was a key figure in the mutual and co-owned business community. He was an entrepreneur, business leader, innovator, policy specialist, statistician, analyst and researcher. His work has had a lasting impact, influencing policy, practice, and the lives of countless employees and business owners.
About the judging panel: The judging panel comprises Dr Aneesh Banerjee, Professor Joseph R Blasi, Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, Rose Marley, Professor Jonathan Michie OBE and Graeme Nuttall OBE
About the Nigel Mason Bequest: This award is funded by the Nigel Mason Bequest and additional donations to achieve Nigel Mason’s aim of, in Nigel’s own words: “promoting quality research and analysis into the employee ownership sector.
With thanks to the award committee and supporters: The Nigel Mason Award is administered by an Award Committee comprising members of Kellogg College, the Nigel Mason Bequest trustees and representatives of Nigel’s family and the employee ownership sector and is supported by the Employee Ownership Association, Ownership at Work, and share plan advisers RM2.
About the Centre for Mutual and Co-owned Business: The Centre for Mutual and Co-owned Business at Kellogg College, Oxford, is a leading academic hub dedicated to the study and promotion of mutual, cooperative, and employee-owned business models. The Centre conducts research, hosts events, and fosters collaboration among scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to advance understanding and practice in this vital area of the economy.