There is a widely acknowledged gap between academic research and practice. While the field of organizational studies and development has had an impact on management practice in some organizations, it has had only a modest impact on widely accepted management practice or theory. To make a difference, scholar–consultants will have to develop innovative management practices and theories that explain why, when and how their new practices improves organizational outcomes. In this essay, I outline research and development principles that will enable scholar–consultants to have an impact on management practice. I illustrate these principles with my own research and development of the Strategic Fitness Process, a strategic management process, and its underlying theory of organizational effectiveness.
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