Is the Problem Only Ours? A Question of Relevance in Management Research

Abstract

Academics do not turn to managers for inspiration for their research and managers do not consult academics on theories to develop models and strategies. The resulting issue of the non‐relevance of research in this field is so controversial that it could limit the development of management studies. The problem, however, cannot be eliminated by simply calling for research on more relevant topics or hoping for greater collaboration between researchers and managers. The absence of a solution to this problem is not due to the unwillingness or lack of intelligence of researchers, but because science must be closed to external demands and therefore also to the managerial world. In this paper, I argue that the solution is not in opposing this closure, but incorporating it within a research and practice eco‐system that sets out from the fact that non‐relevance is not only a problem of the scientific community, but also of the managerial world: they have a problem too.