Embracing Translational HRD Research for Evidence-Based Management: Let's Talk About How to Bridge the Research-Practice Gap

In recent years, the debate about the purpose of Universities is increasingly visible in public fora. Universities are more frequently asked by government bodies and the public to ‘account for themselves’. Evidence is demanded in answer to such questions as: ‘if public funding is poured into university research, what does the public get for its money?’ (Simons, 2010); how do specific pieces of research inform policy problems? (Lauder, 2014); or what is the value for money and impact of scientific research projects for the economy and society? (Science Foundation Ireland). The benefits of university research are asserted to be wide and influential and include innovation, new knowledge, improved business strategies and productivity and contributions to policy, among others (Khazragui & Hudson, 2015). However, such claims are insufficient without supporting evidence in a time of public debt and pressure to reduce spending (de Campos, 2010; Khazragui & Hudson, 2015). This debate now influences public policy in the UK where universities, for the first time in 2014, must demonstrate, under the Research Excellence Framework (REF), how faculty research impacts the economy and society (see Khazragui & Hudson, 2015 for a review).