The debate about the relevance of management scholarship is not new (Nicolai & Seidl, 2010). Many would attest to our societal impact through our manifold activities: teaching, consulting, outreach—and our research on topics such as grand challenges. Yet, when we look at, say, economists, they have more visibility and impact. Clearly, there is room for improvement. How then can we as management scholars organize ourselves better to collectively achieve more relevance with our research?
Some may argue that our research does not have to be relevant. Good research is good in and of itself. Period. Now, I believe in fundamental research. I also assert that research does not have to be (immediately) applicable, and some will never be. In fact, it may be that we simply cannot anticipate whether certain research has societal relevance. Still, it is good that we do it. Granted.
