Professor Malcolm Warner, Former Co-editor of Asia Pacific Business Review

Professor Chris Rowley

It is with great sadness that I am writing this. My friend, esteemed colleague and journal co-editor for many years since the 1990s, Professor Malcom Warner, sadly passed away on 3 October 2018 after a sudden, short illness. His well-attended memorial service was held on 15 October 2018 in Golders Green, London.

Malcolm was born on 10 May 1937. He was awarded his MA and PhD from the University of Cambridge and held appointments at the London Business School and Brunel University-Henley Management College and also as a visitor at Cass Business School, City, University of London. He returned to the University of Cambridge, becoming a Fellow of Wolfson College in 1987 and then joining the Judge Business School as it is now. Here he remained for the rest of his career, becoming Emeritus Professor and Fellow.

Malcolm’s interests, thirst for knowledge and academic work was diverse in breadth and scope. He researched and wrote widely across the fields of Industrial Sociology, Industrial Relations, Organisational Behaviour, Management Studies, International Management, Human Resource Management and Chinese Studies. This range of interests can be seen in his work as Editor-in-Chief of the huge multi-volume series International Encyclopaedia of Business and Management and more recently with his Oxford handbook of management theorists (2013). He also came to have for many years a particularly keen interest in Asia, especially China. Indeed, Malcolm went into the ‘field’ before China’s ‘opening’ and its current academic fashionability and popularity. As a famous Sinologist his output never ceased, as can be seen in recent books on Asian business networks (2016), Western economic ideas in Asia and leadership in Asia (both 2017).

Malcolm leaves an extraordinarily rich legacy of fieldwork, research and analysis, with a total of about 800 publications over a period of nearly 50 years, from 1970 to 2018 (for example, see, inter alia, Warner 1970, 1973, 2017a, 2017b). Not only was this a continuous stream of output, but was, increasingly unusually nowadays, across a wide variety of topics and in top academic journals and books with international impact. Subjects ranged widely across trade union democracy, comparative industrial relations, management and training to management thought, culture, society and Confucianism, etc. Importantly, these themes were often examined in an all too rare – especially nowadays – comparative, sociological and historical perspective and grounding to add depth for more meaningful findings and analysis. As such, Malcolm will continue to have a lasting impact on future generations of scholars in the social sciences. With this approach and evidence in mind, I can state that we simply do not see Malcolm’s like anymore coming through in an increasingly narrow, ahistorical, silo-based business academia overly-focused on contested journal rankings.

Malcolm also wrote over the years with a broad range of people internationally, not only the ‘great and the good’, including John Child, George Strauss, Arndt Sorge, Michael Poole, amongst many others, but also PhD students and early career academics. In this endeavour, along with the countless conferences he attended, he developed a huge network of diverse contacts globally. As such he inspired and influenced the thoughts and careers of so many colleagues and students he came into contact with throughout the world. Malcolm was dynamic until the end. Even when in hospital he was prolifically emailing and replying to requests! His work meant so very much to him and he loved the journal.

Therefore, it is no surprise that I was sent so many notes of condolence and fond memories and anecdotes from numerous academics around the world. These included people who had only briefly met Malcolm both a long time ago or recently, and even had not met him personally at all. All of them had been touched by Malcolm by reading his influential and path-breaking works or had interactions with him on visits or through his work on the journal. Their common theme was Malcolm’s unstinting generosity of time, kindness and niceness as a person. He always dealt with matters and people with good grace and civility and with much wit and good humour.

I am sure one esteemed colleague will not mind me sharing a more humous memory: ‘I remember seeing him as a small but substantial figure emerging from a minute three-wheel car in Belsize Park (?), one where the driver lifts up the front of the car to get out (I don’t know the name of the car, probably Italian). A memorable personality.’

Finally, a personal note, I first met Malcolm in the early 1990s at the old Hong Kong airport as we were both, by sheer coincidence, passing through on different research trips. This was my very first visit to Asia and at the start of my academic career while to me the éminence grise and famous Professor Warner seemed an ‘old China hand’. He was continuously there for me ever since then, stretching across all of my formal academic career, always willing to help out, examine my PhD students, collaborate and offer a plethora of useful suggestions and sage advice. For example, when he joined me at the journal he was integral in its evolution and development, improving its quality, reach, impact and achieving its crucial SSCI status. In short, I learned so much from Malcolm. I will miss him so very much.

Over the years, Malcolm worked with many different colleagues at Routledge, both on APBR and on his various book projects. Many staff found that working with Malcolm was both a rewarding and entertaining experience. His vast array of knowledge and good sense of humour made every conversation an interesting one. We would like to offer our condolences to Malcolm’s family, friends and colleagues. He will be missed.