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The Importance of Bridging Theory and Practice
When talking about bridging theory and practice, one thinks mainly about how academics reach out to practitioners, offering rigorous, evidence-based tools and ideas to understand, analyze, and resolve real-world organizational problems. In return, the knowledge gained can be further analyzed and shared through journals, conferences, and other forums to other academics as new or refined theories. Not all theory has to be practical — there is a professional need to theorize at greater levels of abstraction as well, as Abbott (1989) tells us (see Episode 67). But ultimately, the bridge between theory and practice needs to be sustained. Professionals need clients, and organizations and their leaders are the clients in this case. As the classics of organization studies show (Rack BA), the whole field is grounded in the needs of managers and leaders to make their organizations better. Some organization scholars will serve those needs directly as consultants or trainers and educators, while others will do so more distantly, but gravity tends to pull toward the direction of practice.
Here are some benefits to building and sustaining the bridge between theory and practice.
Networking and Expanding the Research Community. Outreach efforts, such as hosting webinars, organizing conferences, and publishing newsletters, help raise awareness of the field of organizational research. By highlighting the latest research trends, theories, and applications, outreach ensures that the work of scholars reaches a broader audience, including students, early-career researchers, and professionals who may not yet be connected to the research community. This helps to expand the community by attracting new members, collaborators, and stakeholders.
Participating in the research community—through membership in professional associations, attending events, or contributing to collective research projects—can attract new scholars to the field (also see Rack DC). Effective outreach and management consulting facilitate knowledge sharing and the dissemination of best practices within the research community. By promoting a culture of knowledge sharing, researchers can learn from one another’s experiences, leading to enhanced research quality and relevance, enhancing understanding of complex organizational dynamics requires insights from various disciplines and perspectives.
Creating Opportunities for Collaboration. Strategic communication is essential for establishing and maintaining collaborative networks among researchers. Lock et al. (2019) argue that a strong communication perspective rooted in communication science can enhance the relevance of strategic communication in academia. By employing strategic communication practices, organization researchers can create platforms for collaboration, such as conferences, workshops, and online forums, where they can share ideas, methodologies, and best practices. These collaborative networks are vital for fostering innovation and advancing knowledge in organization studies, as they enable researchers to leverage diverse perspectives and expertise.
By organizing networking events and virtual communities, outreach efforts can facilitate meaningful interactions between researchers, leading to new research partnerships, mentorship opportunities, and career advancement. Conferences and specialized workshops, often promoted through strategic communication, become venues where researchers can meet, exchange ideas, and build long-term academic relationships.
Outreach can help researchers identify common research interests or geographic areas, leading to the formation of research clusters or collaborative groups. For instance, a group of scholars focusing on organizational change could form a research cluster that facilitates joint publications, research proposals, and grant opportunities. By identifying synergies between different research projects and communities, strategic communication plays a key role in facilitating such formations.
Fostering Inclusivity, a Sense of Belonging, and Shared Identity. Outreach and management consulting can also play a critical role in fostering inclusivity and diversity within the organizational research community. By actively communicating opportunities for engagement and participation to underrepresented groups (whether based on gender, race, geography, or other factors), the community can be made more diverse, enriching the research landscape and leading to a broader range of perspectives in organizational studies.
These efforts aid in making visible both the research and the researchers themselves. By engaging with various stakeholders, including practitioners, policymakers, and the public, researchers can disseminate their findings more broadly. Effective communications can connect researchers with relevant audiences, facilitating a two-way dialogue that enriches both the research community and the stakeholders involved (Gulbrandsen & Just, 2016). Through such efforts, a shared sense of purpose and identity can be cultivated among researchers in organizational studies, and likewise across interdisciplinary or emerging areas through building a larger, cohesive community with shared values and goals.
Making Things Better. But let’s face it — all the above sounds great but the proof is in the results — Organizations performing better! Workers more effective and committed! Workplace conflict decreased! Customers and stakeholders are happier and more satisfied! Barriers to all these benefits are identified and removed! That’s what makes organization studies relevant.
Challenges of Bridging Theory and Practice in Organization Studies
Despite its importance, bridging theory and practice is not without its difficulties. These challenges arise due to differences in priorities, language, and methodologies between the academic and practitioner worlds.
Academic Rigidity vs. Practical Flexibility. Scholars in organization studies often focus on developing abstract theories that aim to offer universal principles or explanations. These theories are often complex and designed to fit a variety of organizational contexts. However, practitioners typically deal with situated, context-specific problems that may not align neatly with generalized theoretical frameworks. As a result, theories may seem disconnected from the everyday realities of organizations.
Practitioners, on the other hand, often seek quick, practical solutions to specific organizational challenges. Theoretical models that require rigorous testing or have a long-term focus may not seem immediately applicable to practitioners who are trying to address urgent issues. The need for concrete, actionable insights can conflict with the abstract nature of many academic theories.
Differences in Language and Communication. The language used in academic research can be highly technical, filled with jargon and complex concepts that may not be easily understood by practitioners. Conversely, the language used by practitioners tends to be more straightforward and focused on real-world outcomes. This communication gap can make it difficult for scholars to convey their findings in a way that resonates with or is actionable for practitioners.
Translating academic research into accessible, actionable formats that are useful to non-academic audiences is a significant challenge. Research findings often need to be simplified or reframed to be useful to managers and other practitioners who may not have the time or interest to engage deeply with academic papers.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Focus. Practitioners often focus on short-term goals such as quarterly results, annual targets, or urgent organizational challenges. They may not have the patience or resources to engage with research that takes years to develop or requires longitudinal studies. On the other hand, academic research often explores long-term processes and theoretical principles, which may not provide immediate solutions. Academics tend also to be incentivized to publish in high-impact journals, often focusing on theoretical contributions, while practitioners are primarily concerned with achieving business outcomes and resolving immediate issues. This misalignment in incentives can make it challenging to find common ground for collaboration.
Difficulty in Applying Theories to Practice. Organizational theories may not always be directly applicable across different types of organizations, industries, or cultural contexts. A theory that works well in one organization may not be applicable in another with different challenges, structures, or market conditions. This context-specificity makes it difficult to generalize or directly apply theoretical insights in practice. This is because organizations are complex systems, influenced by multiple variables such as culture, history, leadership, politics, and technology. Theories that attempt to distill organizational dynamics into simple models often fail to account for this complexity, making them harder to implement in practice.
Limited Collaboration Between Academics and Practitioners. Historically, there has often been a divide between academic research and business practice. Many academic researchers work in isolation from industry, with little interaction with practitioners who could benefit from their work. Similarly, practitioners may be unaware of the latest research or may not see how academic theories can address their immediate needs. Universities and academic institutions may not prioritize applied research or may be slow to engage with industry or organizations. Business leaders may also be skeptical of academic research, viewing it as too theoretical or disconnected from their practical needs.
Funding and Resources. Despite the benefits, outreach efforts may face challenges, such as resource constraints, lack of institutional support, and resistance to change. Practitioners may have limited time, financial resources, or expertise to engage with academic research or to implement complex theories. Moreover, their organizations may lack the infrastructure to support evidence-based decision-making or long-term research initiatives. But the real downside is the potential for members of the organization to pin the failure to change on the consultants rather than to their own organization or themselves. This is one way that organizations begin to build cynicism toward change or toward the utilization of consultants.
Strategies to Bridge Theory and Practice
While the challenges are significant, several strategies can help bridge the gap between theory and practice in organization studies:
Practical Case Studies. Incorporating case studies into academic curricula or research can help connect theoretical concepts to real-world applications, providing a more tangible way for practitioners to engage with academic work.
Action Research. This methodology involves collaboration between academics and practitioners to address real-world problems while generating new knowledge. Action research allows scholars to test and refine theories in actual organizational contexts.
Collaborative Partnerships. Academic institutions and businesses can form partnerships to create mutually beneficial research initiatives, such as projects where scholars and practitioners work together. This can help align theoretical insights with practical challenges.
Knowledge Translation. Scholars can make an effort to translate their research into formats that are accessible to practitioners, such as executive summaries, white papers, industry reports, or blogs. Universities and business schools can also offer executive education programs that blend academic theory with practical application.
Consulting and Advisory Roles. Academics can serve as consultants or advisors to organizations, helping them implement research findings while also gaining insights into how those theories perform in practice. This helps create a feedback loop that benefits both parties.
Areas of Active or Potential Research
Contemporary research into the efficacy and improvement of academic outreach and management consulting encompasses several key areas. These areas focus on enhancing the impact of research, fostering collaboration, and improving the dissemination of knowledge within and beyond academic communities.
Enhancing Research Impact through Better Communication. One area of research is how best for academics to communicate their capabilities, opportunities, and results effectively to diverse audiences–including practitioners, policymakers, and the general public. By developing tailored communication strategies and improving their oral and written communication skills, researchers can ensure that their work reaches relevant stakeholders and contributes to informed decision-making.
Community Engagement and Outreach Initiatives. Another area of focus is analyzing outreach initiatives that engage communities and stakeholders. For example, Chanthes (2022) discusses how university outreach can foster improved collaboration among academia, industry, and government. By actively engaging with external partners, researchers can enhance the relevance of their work and promote knowledge transfer. This engagement not only benefits the researchers but also addresses community needs, thereby reinforcing the societal impact of academic research (see Rack CS)
Leveraging Digital Platforms for Knowledge Dissemination. The use of digital platforms for outreach and communication is a rapidly evolving area of research (also see Rack CD). The increasing reliance on social media, webinars, and online publications allows researchers to disseminate their findings more widely and engage with a global audience. That’s what the Talking About Organizations Podcast is all about!
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Outreach Programs. Evaluating the effectiveness of outreach programs is challenging and a worthy research topic. Strategic planning and outreach are naturally difficult and complex endeavors for any organization and require systematic evaluation to ensure and improve program effectiveness (e.g., Dlamini, 2019). Through consultation or investigation into outreach initiatives, researchers can help identify best practices and areas for improvement.
Foundational Works in Academic Outreach and Strategic Communication
This is not intended to be an exhaustive list but it presents some of the seminal works for those interested in learning more about academic outreach and strategic communication. There is plenty of room for other suggestions, which we welcome.
Schön, D.A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Routledge.
Experiential learning is a tool available for bridging theory and practice, and the work of Schön is an example. This work emphasizes the importance of reflection and communication in professional practice. He discusses how practitioners can bridge the gap between theory and practice through reflective communication, which is essential for effective decision-making in organizations. Waks (2001) described him as a “displaced philosopher” working in a management consulting firm who “spoke from philosophy and design to professional practice” (p. 41). Management consulting is an example of professional work that benefits from reflective practice as consultants typically teach themselves the art of consulting in the course of doing it, but also reflect and theorize on their experiences outside of practice
Lippitt, G. & Lippitt, R. (1986). The consulting process in action. Pfeiffer & Company.
There are many books on how to consult, but this is one of the classics and is fairly easy to read and follow. The conversational tone of the book mirrors the engaging discourse that the reader would wish to replicate with their client organizations. Includes snippets of personal experiences of the authors.
Scott, B. & Barnes, B. K. (2011). Consulting on the inside: A practical guide for internal consultants. ASTD Press.
Not all consulting is external. Members of an organization are frequently in positions where they can effect change in their own organizations. This is certainly true of academics who are looked upon to lead change within their broader education programs. But there are risks and challenges to doing it. This book is one resource for those seeking to make changes from the inside–how to do it in a way that mitigates against the organization’s internal politics and ensures leadership and member buy-in.
Related TAOP Episodes, Events, and Notes
115: Sociology of Science — Robert K. Merton
69: Our 5th Anniversary Special!
51: The Tyranny of Light — Hari Tsoukas
50: Celebrating 50 Episodes! What Have We Learned?
37: Socrates on Management – Oeconomicus by Xenophon
Reflections on the “Process and Practice Perspectives” Workshop at the University of Queensland Business School
Available Resource Pages
Aisle D – Professional Community
Rack DA – The Scholarly Journey
Rack DB – Business Schools and Management Education
Rack DC – Communities of Practice and Associations
Rack DK – Professional Knowledge and Expertise
Rack DT – Bridging Theory and Practice
References
Abbott, A. (1989). The system of professions: An essay on the division of expert labor. University of Chicago Press.
Chanthes, S. (2022). University outreach in the triple helix model of collaboration for entrepreneurial development. Journal of Educational Issues, 8(2), 178. https://doi.org/10.5296/jei.v8i2.20086
Gulbrandsen, I. and Just, S. (2016). In the wake of new media: connecting the who with the how of strategizing communication. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 10(4), 223-237. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118x.2016.1150281
Hargie, O. (1986). The handbook of communication skills. Routledge.
Harwell, M., Molleda, J., Jackson, C., & Sharpe, L. (2020). Establishing a common framework for strategic communications in ecosystem-based management and the natural sciences., 165-188. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45843-0_9
Heide, M., Platen, S., Simonsson, C., & Falkheimer, J. (2018). Expanding the scope of strategic communication: towards a holistic understanding of organizational complexity. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 12(4), 452-468. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118x.2018.1456434
Lippitt, G. & Lippitt, R. (1986). The consulting process in action. Pfeiffer & Company.
Lock, I., Wonneberger, A., Verhoeven, P., & Hellsten, I. (2019). Back to the roots? the applications of communication science theories in strategic communication research. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 14(1), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118x.2019.1666398
OpenAI. (2024). What the roles of outreach and strategic communication in fostering a professional community of organization researchers. ChatGPT (November 2022 version) [Large Language Model].
Schön, D.A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books.
Scott, B. & Barnes, B. K. (2011). Consulting on the inside: A practical guide for internal consultants. ASTD Press.
Varelas, S. and Apostolopoulos, N. (2020). The implementation of strategic management in Greek hospitality businesses in times of crisis. Sustainability, 12(17), 7211. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12177211
Waks, L. J. (2001). Donald Schon’s philosophy of design and design education. International Journal of Technology & Design Education, 11(1).
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Portions of the above text were initially drafted using OpenAI queries including “What the roles of outreach and strategic communication in fostering a professional community of organization researchers?” The inclusion of external links is for informational purposes only, and does not necessarily constitute endorsement by TAOP or any of its members.
Rack DZ (TAOP and Podcasting): Using Podcasting and Other Public Scholarship | How We Have Evolved
Aisle D (Professional Education): Main Page | Scholarly Journey (DA) | Business Schools & Education (DB) I Communities of Practice & Associations (DC) | Knowledge & Expertise (DK) | Outreach & Bridging Theory and Practice (DT) | The TAOP Podcast (DZ)
Resources: Main Page | Research Methods (A) | Major Theories (B) | Issues and Contemporary Topics (C) | Professional Education (D)