Mapping the Impact Pathways: How Management Research Can Be Relevant? Hazhir Rahmandad Post-doctoral...
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Transcript of Mapping the Impact Pathways: How Management Research Can Be Relevant? Hazhir Rahmandad Post-doctoral...
Mapping the Impact Pathways: How Management Research
Can Be Relevant?
Hazhir Rahmandad
Post-doctoral Associate MIT
Problem:Our Research Is Not Relevant
• A personal experience: AOM 2003• Accepted but not often discussed
– Scott & Shore 1979. Why Sociology Does Not Apply?– Hambrick 1994: What if the Academy Actually
Mattered?
• The side effects are more important than the desired effects:– Ferraro, Pfeffer, & Sutton 2004: Economics
Assumptions– Mintzberg 2005. Managers, not MBAs
How to address the problem?• Writing for practitioners:
– Popular management books– Journals for executives– Translating articles into understandable language
• Working with practitioners:– Action research– Project-based teaching
• Setting up institutions:– Professional chapters– Practice contribution awards
The problem persists Maybe we should first understand it better
Proposed Approach
• Define relevance
• Understand how that relates to day-to-day
activities: mapping impact pathways
• Understand the significance of different
pathways
• Use this model to talk about policy for
improvement
Defining Relevance
I define research to be relevant if it leads to:
“Changing how things get done, through anticipated channels”
The Research-Action link
Action (how, how much)
Research Activity
?
Example: Use of Computers
Computer Use
TechnologicalCapabilities
Available
Individual Abilityto Use
Computer Use
TechnologicalCapabilities
Available
Individual Abilityto Use
User Manuals,Courses, etc
Interfaces
Software,Algorithms
Hardware
SoftwareEngineering
HardwareEngineering
Example: Use of Computers
Computer Use
TechnologicalCapabilities
Available
Individual Abilityto Use
User Manuals,Courses, etc
Interfaces
Software,Algorithms
Hardware
ComputerScience
ElectricalEngineering
MaterialScience
SoftwareEngineering
HardwareEngineeringPhysics
Chemistry
Mathematics
Example: Use of Computers
Carriers of Knowledge ActionBasic Research
Linking Research and Action
Computer Use
TechnologicalCapabilities
Available
Individual Abilityto Use
User Manuals,Courses, etc
Interfaces
Software,Algorithms
Hardware
ComputerScience
ElectricalEngineering
MaterialScience
SoftwareEngineering
HardwareEngineeringPhysics
Chemistry
Mathematics
Mechanisms for Research Impacting Action
• Research creates knowledge and concepts that when understood well, change decision-making– Typical channels for carrying them include
teaching, books, scientific papers, etc
• Research results are embedded in artifacts and processes that change action directly– Typical pathways include technology, tools,
processes of decision-making etc
Carriers of Knowledge ActionResearch
Management Research Link to Action
The impact is through understanding of theories in previous stage
The impact doesn’t require detailed understanding of the previous stage
ManagementResearch
Teaching
Books
Papers
Consulting
Artifacts andProcesses
Individual's ExplicitKnowledge
OrganizationalStructure, Incentives
and Processes
Physical BuildingArchitecture
OrganizationDesign
Decision and Actionin Organizations
Impact of Knowledge Carriers
The Effectiveness of Carrier
Un
it C
ost
of C
arr
ier
Low High
Low
Hig
h
Paper
Book
Teaching
Consulting
Games
Interfaces
Organizational Innovations
Color codes represent relative attention given to the carrier in academic circles
Why resources go to low-impact carriers?
Some Hypotheses:
• Cognitive biases:– Pathways requiring understanding are more
tangible
• Path dependence in incentive structures– Papers have become the main carrier
• Complexity of design of high-impact carriers– The concepts are rarely generalizable enough
Missing Piece: Design
• Design mindset– Management Tools and Processes– Games and simulators– Interfaces– Organizational design
Creating artifacts and processes that embed and carry the knowledge and act as change agents, often through carriers that don’t require complete understanding of the previous stage:
Examples of Design Activity
• Brain-storming as a process
• Games– General: e.g. Beer Game– Specific: e.g. www.wtri.com
• Software (e.g. data-mining, SCM, Finance)
• Interface design
• Organizational Innovations (e.g. PRTM work)
Some Potential Academic Areas
• User interfaces• Individual learning environments• Coordination and decision-making systems• Design of incentive structures and feedback
mechanisms• Information processing systems• Tools and processes for group work• Tools for public policy intervention• Tools for organizational change
Why Design Needs Academia?
• The social design field is in infancy and the markets are not developed
• Intellectual property is not well-established, therefore R&D returns are not appropriable
Why Academia Needs Design?
• Relevance
• Testing theories in Action
• Guiding the focus of theory building (a pragmatic philosophy of science)
Technology has been essential to the growth of science
Opportunities
• Open field with lots of opportunities
• Increasing awareness => funding
• Connection to industry and
therefore flexibility
• Socially valuable contributions
Challenges• Academic Incentives:
–Hard to find a job
–Hard to publish
–Hard to get tenure
• Lack of appropriate training
• Multi-disciplinary