Anchoring research in the field: threading beads together

The DBA student has a dual objective: to create scientifically valid knowledge and to produce knowledge of value to practitioners. This leads to a balancing act between the world of managerial practices and the world of science. Drawing on the metaphor of threading beads together, this chapter describes how to weave a thread between these two worlds based on a specific management research project carried out in collaboration with a major French building firm. It analyzes the processes undertaken during the project and provides recommendations to help DBA students anchor their research in the field.