Industry social impact: shifting publish or perish to theory through doing

Purpose Industry social impact (ISI) is needed from academic business research more than any time before. This paper provides an industry practitioners viewpoint of how business academic research must reassert itself towards ISI or face societal irrelevance. Shifting from the publish or perish culture, which produces academic research for academics behind paywalls has pushed business research away from social impact. This viewpoint will discuss how to expedite claiming it back. Design/methodology/approach This is delivered from a first person’s perspective of how a former industry practitioner returned to academia, ignored academic advice to focus on only academic publications, to carve a path with more meaning and prioritise ISI. Findings The idea that business academics must only be observers of business is flipped. Business academic researchers can build “theory through doing” and not just settle with building “theory in use”, by focusing on a specific industry for impact. Business academics can help solve social issues and create greater social impact. To wait for an updated key performance indicator, may be too late. Originality/value Few senior business practitioners cross over to business academic research, so this paper provides an insightful and direct perspective of wrestling institutional rules and norms to achieve ISI.