Multiple Orientations for the Conduct of Marketing Research: An Analysis of the Academic/Practitioner Distinction

A distinction often is made in marketing between academic and practitioner-oriented research. That distinction has been used to justify one type of research by highlighting the limitations of the other. The authors use a validity network schema developed by Brinberg and McGrath to characterize academic and practitioner orientations in research. Three extended examples (research using the Fishbein theory of reasoned action, causal modeling, and consumer satisfaction/complaining behavior) illustrate the use of both academic and practitioner orientations. The authors argue that both are necessary for understanding marketing problems.