Impact and Scholarship: Unlearning and Practising to Co-create Actionable Knowledge

Abstract

This essay explores what is impact, why it matters and how it may be demonstrated through management scholarship that integrates both rigour and relevance. Attention is drawn to the importance of understanding the dynamic nature of practice and practising as critical processes that set important foundations for extending both the questions we ask and the ways in which we ask the questions that shape scholarship. A central message from this analysis is the importance of unlearning asking questions with research users so that the knowledge co-created can be actionable. The author illustrates how these issues can support management scholarship to deliver the impact it can have and highlights the importance of capturing the process of co-creating knowledge and facilitating knowledge integration as two areas for future Management and Organizational Learning scholarship. Possible avenues in which Management Learning can support the demonstration of impactful scholarship are also proposed.