ABSTRACT
Apprehension about the contribution that academic research should make to practice has been repeatedly voiced in the academic literature. This concern has been expressed in special issues in leading academic journals, editors’ forums and conference themes, by scholars in fields in which there are both researchers and practitioners (Rynes et al. 2001, Van de Ven and Johnson 2006, Shapiro et al. 2007). More specifically, recent research assessment exercises, particularly in Australia and the UK, have pressured academics and universities to deliver more relevant outcomes in their external engagement by linking research to practice (Parker et al. 2011).
