Building a bridge from the other bank: This issue's focus on research methods and tools for hospitality management

Abstract

General managers, restaurant managers, and corporate officers may have little enough time to stop and consider what kind of research projects in which to partake. After all, such research often yields only an incremental advance in theory, which is of seemingly limited managerial value. Nevertheless, a major component of the mission of many academic institutions is to conduct research, and to interpret and disseminate the findings. Many efforts have been made to bridge the divide between researchers and practitioners. This has included special research issues devoted to examples of researcher-practitioner collaboration, papers providing insights for enhancing the effectiveness of teaching organizational sciences, and books targeted at academics and intended to increase the practical nature of research. Notably missing, however, is work aimed at building the bridge from the other bank of this chasm. The strengthening of ties between researchers and practitioners requires effort on the part of both parties to create a successful partnership.