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Building Usable Management Knowledge: A Framework of Bridging Mechanisms Between Research and Practice
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Abstract
This article develops a conceptual framework for how management research becomes usable knowledge for practitioners. While the theory–practice gap has been widely acknowledged, existing discussions have focused primarily on diagnosing the divide rather than explaining the organizational and intellectual mechanisms through which research gains relevance. Integrating insights from organizational theory, knowledge management and institutional analysis, this narrative review identifies three categories of bridging mechanisms—interface mechanisms, interpretive mechanisms and institutional mechanisms—that shape the translation of scholarly insights into actionable managerial understanding. Interface mechanisms structure interaction between researchers and practitioners; interpretive mechanisms facilitate meaning-making across epistemic communities; and institutional mechanisms create the conditions for long-term knowledge integration. Together, these mechanisms provide a structured account of how management knowledge becomes usable without sacrificing conceptual rigor. The framework contributes to ongoing debates on research impact by reframing knowledge relevance as an outcome of organizational design and knowledge governance rather than as a trade-off with rigor. Implications highlight how intentionally structured interfaces and interpretive processes can enhance the strategic value of management research and support evidence-informed decision-making in organizations.
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Date
2025
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Keywords
Management knowledge, Research-practice interface, Knowledge integration, Organizational mechanisms, Usable knowledge, Knowledge governance, Conceptual framework
Citation
Fiorentino, Anna. “Building Usable Management Knowledge: A Framework of Bridging Mechanisms Between Research and Practice.” Journal of Business and Management Studies 7 (9): 17–28. 2025.
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Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International