Action research: alternative paths for the transformation of management academic research to practice

Purpose This study aims to let researchers sort out the past, look to the future and boost further management research. Design/methodology/approach This paper takes the exploration of the application of AR in the field of management research as the starting point. Through the combing and induction of AR literature to accurately grasp the essential characteristics of AR, this paper analyzes the application prospects and possible difficulties of AR in the field of management research in China, puts forward specific suggestions and explores the specific path of the transformation of management academic research to practice from the perspective of research methods. Findings In research methods, empirical research and case studies have become the mainstream research methods, but there is a passive research limitation of “study what happens.” Action research is different from the standpoint of empirical research that is independent of the research object. It no longer simply treats managers as the “object of information acquisition,” but as the subject of participating in the research. Management should be oriented towards the transformation of practice, and action research (AR) that can organically integrate researchers and practitioners is just a “bridge” to break the gap between academia and business circles to establish a cooperative relationship. Originality/value This paper takes the exploration of the application of AR in the field of management research as the starting point. Through the combing and induction of AR literature to accurately grasp the essential characteristics of AR, this paper analyzes the application prospects and possible difficulties of AR in the field of management research in China, puts forward specific suggestions and explores the specific path of the transformation of management academic research to practice from the perspective of research methods.

Roadmaps for Reflection: Implementation Drivers to Bridge the Research-to-Practice Gap in Early Childhood Intervention

Training alone will not enable early childhood practitioners to operationalize evidence-based practices. When newly learned practices do not immediately work as intended, the temptation to return to old ways can be great. Moving an innovation from research to practice may require the use of implementation drivers. The field of implementation science informs us of the need for ongoing support during the implementation process. Implementation guides using a flow chart design may assist practitioners to implement evidence-based practices with fidelity immediately after training. This article provides a framework for developing implementation guides to move quickly from knowledge to utilization after a training occurs as well as a means to consider the usefulness of flowcharts for driving implementation efforts.

Considering the corporeal to facilitate research to practice transitions

PurposeThe authors suggest that the research-to-practice gap, such as that found in evidence-based management, is due in part to a lack of attention to embodied knowledge. The recommendation is for change agents to bring attention to embodied knowing when implementing change based on research. The purpose of the paper is to address the research-to-practice gap.Design/methodology/approachThis is a conceptual paper that considers limitations of the predominant approach to considering the research-to-practice gap. The literature on phenomenology, feminist theory, and learning theory form the basis for exploring these challenges as well as possible solutions for transcending the research-to-practice gap.FindingsStrategic opportunities for introducing increased corporeal understanding are advanced. The suggestions address the research-to-practice gap at three critical stages of research-based change initiatives. These include making embodied knowledge integral to change initiatives in framing research, reducing resistance, and increasing acceptance. Among the specific strategies discussed are attending to tacit knowledge when considering the change, embracing the embrained body including attending to kinesthetic resistance and starting with the body to increase acceptance when implementing change.Originality/valueThere has been very little previous attention to the corporeal in management research and practice, including in the organizational change literature. This paper not only increases this discussion significantly but also provides suggestions for how to move forward in practice.

International Research-to-Practice Conference “The Culture of Peace and Non-Violence among the Younger Generation: Interpretation Perspectives and Pedagogical Conditions for Development” (Kursk, October 29–30, 2020)

The international research-to-practice conference addressed current issues of social well-being in the adolescent and youth environment. The participants of the conference included public figures, students, postgraduate students and teachers of universities, heads and teachers of educational organizations of general and additional education from Russia, neighboring and non-CIS countries.