Not everyone will read your research: a reflexive typology of business engagement and the elusive nature of social impact

Purpose Social impact has become a central expectation in business research, yet the pathways through which research generates influence are often fragmented, unpredictable and difficult to evidence. This paper aims to develop a reflexive typology that explains how business audiences engage with academic research in ways that enable, constrain or obscure social impact. Design/methodology/approach This study uses reflexive autoethnography, drawing on a decade of attempts to share business research with practitioners and policy actors. Field notes, digital traces and journals were iteratively analysed to identify patterns of reception, silence and uptake. Through reflective coding and vignettes, a 2 × 2 typology of social impact engagement was developed from lived experience. Findings The analysis reveals four distinct engagement conditions: recognised and collaborative impact, where research is used and acknowledged; unacknowledged impact use, where research informs decisions without attribution; structurally disengaged engagement, where research remains unseen or inaccessible; and latent but unmobilised engagement, where relevance is recognised but action does not follow. The findings highlight that social impact in business research is often partial, informal, delayed or invisible − shaped by access barriers, organisational logics, credibility hierarchies and recognition practices rather than research quality alone. Originality/value This paper offers a new, engagement-focused typology of social impact in business research. The typology is grounded in reflexive autoethnographic analysis. By focusing on engagement conditions rather than outcomes, this study challenges common linear and metrics-driven models of impact. It offers insights for researchers, institutions and impact systems seeking more inclusive, realistic and ethically aware approaches to social impact in business research.