MSM conducts applied research and policy advocacy in order to promote sustainable development and business in five research focus areas:
- Educational Development
- Entrepreneurship and Employability
- Inclusive Business
- Leadership
- Value Chains and Partnerships
- Private Sector Development
These focus areas are supported by the Research and International Projects and Consultancies Departments.
To increase the uptake of our research by decision-makers various dissemination and policy advocacy initiatives are undertaken including annual conferences and workshop events, publication of journal articles, books, working papers, occasional papers and business briefs. Various research fellows write their own blogs.

Educational Development
MSM’s Educational Development research addresses inter alia subjects such as student satisfaction in higher education. Research on new public universities’ achievements and challenges.

Entrepreneurship and Employability
MSM’s Entrepreneurship and Employability research addresses inter alia subjects such as impacts of motivation on venture growth. Different strokes of the 4th industrial revolution and Future work of Africa.

Inclusive Business
MSM‘s Inclusive Business research addresses inter alia subjects such as migration by improving the economic development in countries of origin. Overcoming gender inequalities in education, business and public service.

Leadership
MSM’s Leadership research addresses inter alia subjects such as effective leadership in challenging times. Designing organizational capacity assessment tools for enhanced leadership and management.

Value Chain & Partnerships
MSM’s Value Chain & Partnerships research addresses inter alia subjects such as Success factors for community business wildlife tourism partnerships in Tanzania, Dairy clustering in Kenya and The triple Helix as a Model for Economic Development.

Private Sector Development
A dynamic and competitive private sector is vital for promoting economic growth in emerging markets. The private sector also plays an important role in shaping the sustainability of such growth.