The application of research is a big topic in marketing and academics and managers would be well served by acting together more.
Is Useful Important?
We debate whether we are useful or relevant. And then we debate whether we should care about whether we are useful or relevant. I think of myself as an academic who values ideas that matter outside universities. (Indeed, I like that we occasionally get a reality check).
That said, an academic’s role is not to be solely “applied”. I’ve seen talks that would make fantastic consulting presentations. Still, I wondered why an academic did them. If the finding only applies to a single firm on a single occasion the firm should pay for the advice. Who else cares? As John Deighton (2007, page 281) says, “… analysis has to rise above the specific context and map onto a broader theoretical issue.” Good point.
But Deighton continues… “However, the race to abstraction may have been overdone.” This makes sense to me given decisions are made in context, excess abstraction can be a problem. Theory may need context. What does a context-less theory mean?
Still, clamouring for context, which I cautiously endorse, does generate its own problems. Academics panic and feel they should apply their work. Things often go wrong here. This happens if the idea wasn’t developed with the application in mind and the application is shoehorned in. Academics often do this shockingly badly. People who would scream if you violated psychological theory abuse marketing ideas in marketing papers. Many academics merely sprinkle the managerial implication at the end. Presumably the idea is to trick readers into thinking the idea has immediate application. (I’ve seen academic advice that says don’t sell extended warranties on electronics at point of sale. Theory suggests people will be more responsive at home. Really?)
Quality Matters To Academics And Managers
The important thing is that work is of high quality. Some research will have no obvious “use”. Managers should acknowledge that basic research matters. Someone will eventually find a use for good work. Similarly, I’d advise academics to ensure that every word they write is high quality. We should recognize that generating meaningful managerial implications is at least as hard as testing a new psychological theory. All will not be good at everything. It is better to have no implications in a paper than claim incorrect, or even silly, managerial implications. Reviewers should, at a minimum, insist upon the removal of weak managerial implications. Managers have a right to expect that academics understand what they opine about. Academics should aim for quality work. They should not try to trick people into thinking the work they were planning to do anyhow is somehow “useful”.
Best say nothing rather than force something that isn’t there.
For more on academia see here, here, and here.
Read: John Deighton, 2007, From the Editor* The Territory of Consumer Research: Walking the Fences, Journal of Consumer Research, 34, 3.