Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • September 2016
  • Article
  • Production and Operations Management

Enhancing the Practical Relevance of Research

By: Michael W. Toffel
  • Format:Print
ShareBar

Abstract

This article seeks to encourage scholars to conduct research that is more relevant to the decisions faced by managers and policymakers and addresses why research relevance matters, what relevance means in terms of a journal article, and how scholars can increase the relevance of their research. I define relevant research papers as those whose research questions address problems found (or potentially found) in practice and whose hypotheses connect independent variables within the control of practitioners to outcomes they care about using logic they view as feasible. I provide several suggestions for how scholars can enhance research relevance, including engaging practitioners in on-campus encounters, at managerial conferences, and at crossover workshops; conducting site visits and practitioner interviews; working as a practitioner; and developing a practitioner advisory team. I describe several ways that scholars can convey relevant research insights to practitioners, including presenting at practitioner conferences, writing for practitioners in traditional crossover journals and in shorter pieces like op-eds and blogs, and attracting the interest of those who write columns, blogs, and articles about research for practitioners. I conclude by describing a few ways that academic institutions can encourage more relevant research, focusing on journals, professional societies, and doctoral programs.

Keywords

Research Questions; Relevance; Rigor; Practice-based Research; Research; Communication; Media; Education Industry

Citation

Toffel, Michael W. "Enhancing the Practical Relevance of Research." Production and Operations Management 25, no. 9 (September 2016): 1493–1505. (Sparked a Working Knowledge article about research relevance.)
  • SSRN
  • Read Now

About The Author

Michael W. Toffel

Technology and Operations Management
→More Publications

More from the Author

    • 2021
    • Faculty Research

    Do Management System Standards Indicate Superior Performance? Evidence from the OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Standard

    By: Kala Viswanathan, Matthew S. Johnson and Michael W. Toffel
    • December 2021
    • Faculty Research

    Intenseye: Powering Workplace Health and Safety with AI

    By: Michael W. Toffel and Youssef Abdel Aal
    • December 2021
    • Faculty Research

    Intenseye: Powering Workplace Health and Safety with AI – PowerPoint Supplement

    By: Michael W. Toffel and Youssef Abdel Aal
More from the Author
  • Do Management System Standards Indicate Superior Performance? Evidence from the OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Standard By: Kala Viswanathan, Matthew S. Johnson and Michael W. Toffel
  • Intenseye: Powering Workplace Health and Safety with AI By: Michael W. Toffel and Youssef Abdel Aal
  • Intenseye: Powering Workplace Health and Safety with AI – PowerPoint Supplement By: Michael W. Toffel and Youssef Abdel Aal
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College