Roxanne, allow me to suggest more food for thought.
If we think about the individual work of the researcher, then you are right,
we only contribute with the wheat. But if we think about the collective work
of scholars, we contribute, together, with the bread. Each piece of
research, exposed through published papers, must work together to allow us a
better understanding on specific fields of study.
It seems to me that the science-practice gap is not because we are producing
wheat, but the bread we are producing is not reaching the family. Maybe the
family can't access our bread or the bread is not tasteful for the family.
I think the real gap is within our field. In one hand, while life sciences
are producing drugs, new materials and technologies for the industry, we are
producing very little for very few consulting companies in terms of
effective artifacts and tools for management (and for entrepreneurs). On the
other hand, it is quite impossible to put a small company in a lab,
isolating the variables to understand exactly why a startup becomes
successful. Small businesses are surrounded by so many distinct variables
that affects the overall dynamics of the company that what worked for
Starbucks and Amazon probably will not work for other similar companies.
That's why each case is a distinct case and it is not expected in our field
to generate theories based on empirical facts. In large companies, the
scenario is distinct because large companies have an internal structure that
are similar among them, so it's easier to isolate and generate knowledge and
to propose tools that consulting companies can generalize when applying them
to large companies.
Here in Brazil, entrepreneurship as a field of study is growing with new
researchers publishing about entrepreneurship on their areas: Economists,
psychologists, sociologists, etc, but they are producing papers, not
knowledge. This is another discussion topic.
Marcos Hashimoto
Faccamp - Brazil
-----Mensagem original-----
De: Entrepreneurship Division Listserv [mailto:
ENTREP@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] Em
nome de Stephenson, Harriet
Enviada em: quinta-feira, 12 de novembro de 2015 03:45
Para:
ENTREP@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Assunto: Re: [ENTREP] For discussion: science-practice gap in
entrepreneurship?
Interesting analogies, Roxanne.
Would like to add to your comment about "The Scholar creates new knowledge
and the Practitioner uses it>" It seems to me that the research model that
requires researching everything that has been found before then doing a
current practices study (possibly) which may indicate that times have
changed from when those past studies were done and now it might be that what
is going on indicates a different perspective--a study of the practitioners
who are on the leading edge of things that work begs the chicken and egg
question. The practitioners are showing what works and doesn't
work--creating the "proof" of new knowledge. The scholar is often hot
footing it to reflect what the new knowledge is...especially in
Entrepreneurship...it seems that practice sometimes is out in front a long
ways...am reminded of the Amazon model--no way that could have worked...good
thing Bezos didn't know that. And Starbucks? Whoduthunk it? And, what is
the time frame?
Would the Amazon model (whatever THAT is) work today? Tomorrow?
I'd almost rephrase the comment as "The Scholar observes the Practitioner(s)
and tries to capture the current state of the knowledge of the field in
such a way that it might be useful to other practitioners and Scholars and
students, (other stakeholders/shareholders) and society:-) That capturing
may require us to better specify the circumstances under which it will
work...arghhhh...it keeps changing....exciting times.
Harriet Stephenson
Professor Emeritus
Seattle University
-----Original Message-----
From: Entrepreneurship Division Listserv [mailto:
ENTREP@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU]
On Behalf Of Roxanne Zolin
Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2015 12:49 PM
To:
ENTREP@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Subject: Re: [ENTREP] For discussion: science-practice gap in
entrepreneurship?
Dear Jeff,
My position, as presented at the last Academy of Management
Scholar-Practitioner PDW, is that there is a gap between Scholar and
Practitioner and it is quite normal and to be expected. The Scholar creates
new knowledge and the Practitioner uses it.
It is the same gap as you would find between the Farmer who grows wheat and
the Family who eats bread. And inbetween there is the distribution channel
creating the right products and assortment for the end user.
The challenge occurs when you expect the Scholar to provide a completely
integrated and seamless distribution channel from production to consumption.
That is a lot to ask.
The consumer does not criticise the Farmer for not growing bread. Nor does
the Farmer criticise the Family for not eating raw wheat. So why should we
not understand this gap between Scholar and Practitioner?
Thank you for raising this question because the more we discuss it the
better we will understand the challenges involved for both Scholars and
Practitioners and how to overcome them.
Cheers,
Roxanne
Dr. Roxanne Zolin | Associate Professor | School of Management QUT Business
School | Queensland University of Technology |
www.qut.edu.au/business
Phone: + 61 7 3138 5095 | Mobile: 0433 400 113 | Email:
r.zolin@qut.edu.au
| CRICOS No. 00213J
________________________________________
From: Entrepreneurship Division Listserv <
ENTREP@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU> on
behalf of Jeff Pollack <
jmpolla3@NCSU.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, 12 November 2015 5:08 AM
To:
ENTREP@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Subject: [ENTREP] For discussion: science-practice gap in entrepreneurship?
Dear entrepreneurship colleagues,
A few of my colleagues and I are working on a project exploring the
potential science-practice gap in entrepreneurship. And, we would be
grateful for your thoughts on the following two questions. We would be happy
to summarize responses and email them to anyone interested.
1. Is there a gap between science and practice in the domain of
entrepreneurship-a disconnect between academic research and the practice of
entrepreneurship? What empirical evidence do we have that such a gap might
exist? Any references to articles quantifying this gap would be appreciated.
2. If there is a gap, is this a bad thing? If so, why? If not, why not?
Best regards, Jeff
Jeff Pollack
Assistant Professor
Management, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Department Poole College of
Management NC State University
2801 Founders Drive, Campus Box 7229
jmpolla3@ncsu.edu
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This message is from ENTREP which is sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management.
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