Integrating Research and Practice: Looking Back

Abstract

The Problem The divide between research and practice has long been recognized by both scholars and practitioners in multiple applied fields, including our field of human resource development (HRD). Significant amount of energy has been devoted to identify ways to bridge the gap, yet the divide has remained noticeably wide. Developing scholar-practitioners is considered a viable solution, yet how to prepare them is not quite so clear. The Solution This issue provides an actionable plan by drawing upon the firsthand experiences and real-life examples from those who have successfully crossed the two worlds. By focusing on the how-to, this issue provides a tool box for multiple parties. The Stakeholders Three groups of stakeholders will benefit directly from this issue, scholar-practitioners, practitioners seeking scholarly practice, and scholars desiring to ground their research in practice. This issue will also benefit organizations, intermediaries, and HRD as an applied field.