On Managerial Relevance

The concept of managerial relevance continues to be a significant topic for both research faculty and business schools alike. Despite decades of debate, it is surprising that there is virtually no work on the nature of the concept itself. Thus, the author defines the concept of managerial relevance, makes three specific observations, and discusses research implications for each observation. The key message is that the field needs a much deeper understanding of the marketing roles within the firm, and research programs must be crafted to fit the needs of these particular roles. The author calls this approach “role-relevant” managerial research. With this central thesis in mind, he examines the role of the chief marketing officer (CMO) as an illustrative case study to identify areas of inquiry that are both novel and highly managerially relevant. This analysis reveals that of the seven core tasks of the CMO, three have been lightly investigated. The author concludes with advice to both academics and practitioners on how to increase the role relevance of academic research.