Enhancing the Practical Relevance of Research

Abstract

T his article seeks to encourage scholars to conduct research that is more relevant to the decisions faced by managers and policymakers, and addresses why research relevance matters, what relevance means in terms of a journal article, and how scholars can increase the relevance of their research. I define relevant research papers as those whose research questions address problems found (or potentially found) in practice and whose hypotheses connect independent variables within the control of practitioners to outcomes they care about using logic they view as feasible. I provide several suggestions for how scholars can enhance research relevance, including engaging practitioners in on-campus encounters, at managerial conferences, and at crossover workshops; conducting site visits and practitioner interviews; working as a practitioner; and developing a practitioner advisory team. I describe several ways that scholars can convey relevant research insights into practitioners, including presenting at practitioner conferences, writing for practitioners in traditional crossover journals and in shorter pieces like op-eds and blogs, and attracting the interest of those who write columns, blogs, and articles about research for practitioners. I conclude by describing a few ways that academic institutions can encourage more relevant research, focusing on journals, professional societies, and doctoral programs.

Strategy and organization research in operations management

“…Based on the definition of rigor presented above, and consistent with similar observations made by Toffel (2016), Gallien et al (2016), andVan Mieghem (2013), we believe there is no compromise between rigor and relevance. However, to make a contribution, research must not only be rigorous in the above-defined sense but have findings that further the field's understanding of the phenomenon under study (Davis, 2015).…”

Threats to the Validity of Logistics and Supply Chain Management Research

“…Mentzer (2008) suggested that SCM/L researchers need to achieve both rigor and relevance and that one cannot be sacrificed for the other. More recently, academic researchers from a number of different fields are questioning the relevance of academic research (Hoffman 2015;Toffel 2016). Zinn and Goldsby (2017) recently questioned the relevance of SCM/L research, suggesting that the discipline is straying from its tradition of being closely tied to SCM/L practitioners.…”

Operations in Space: Exploring a New Industry

“…There is also the purely practical point about how to know what is relevant and important. As pointed out by Toffel (2016), there is an important difference between conducting research that could be relevant and that which is relevant-and getting as close as possible to the realities that exist in the workplace should be the goal. While it is not likely that any of us will make it onto the International Space Station as an initial research step, creating opportunities to learn and ask questions of those who are in the space industry is invaluable.…”

“…Just as there were valuable internal questions to assess then, the expansion of the private space industry presents a whole new set of questions related to development, operations, and coordination for current practitioners. By way of Toffel's (2016) frameworks, the practical relevance of research in the new space industry offers the ability for researchers to directly impact outcomes that (at a minimum) are relevant and important in an exciting, new field and (at most) help determine the fate of humanity.…”