Lost in translation: from B‐school to business

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this brief article is to describe the chasm between academic research and management practitioners and to call for assistance in closing the divide.

Design/methodology/approach

Using journal literature and inductive observation from our experiences we offer our conceptual understanding by way of an opinion/viewpoint piece.

Findings

If we are to truly lessen the gulf between organizational researchers and practitioners, movement must occur from both directions. Not doing so will result in a continuing myopic focus on the divide itself instead of fundamental discussions of the more crucial elements that influence organizational performance and productivity.

Practical implications

We outline the relevant implications of our thinking for academics and practicing managers and offer recommendations that, if implemented by all involved, could narrow this gap and enhance the effectiveness of researchers and managers.

Originality/value

The distinctive contribution of this article is that it provides a resolute call for practicing managers to become part of the solution with respect to the relevance of management and organizational research.

Citation

Humphreys, J., Oyler, J., Pryor, M. and Haden, S. (2010), "Lost in translation: from B‐school to business", Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 31 No. 2, pp. 13-17. https://doi.org/10.1108/02756661011025026