Creating value in organizational research: a relational view

We develop the perspective that doing research that is of value to practice is a social activity among academics and practitioners, our respective institutions, and the many intermediary actors and interests in the knowledge value stream. In today's world, organizations are faced with many sources of information about how to improve their practice, and they see much academic research as irrelevant to helping them solve their problems. To generate knowledge that can contribute to effective action, we must engage with practitioners and understand how they learn and make sense of their world. And, we must find ways to move knowledge from research to organizations in a form that can be absorbed and incorporated into practice. The chapter describes the multi-directional communication, influence, and knowledge sharing that underlies both the development and dissemination of theory and practice knowledge. Knowledge networks transcend particular institutions and countries, and are largely self-organizing. Different venues and pathways are described along with ways that researchers can intentionally position themselves in an ecosystem for organizational knowledge production, dissemination, and absorption into practice.