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Knowledge that counts: an examination of the theory practice gap between business and marketing academics and business practitioners examined in respect of their respective epistemic stances Item Type Thesis or dissertation Authors Ash, Malcolm Publisher University of Derby Download date 25/09/2021 15:36:19 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10545/333867 UNIVERSITY OF DERBY KNOWLEDGE THAT COUNTS: AN EXAMINATION OF THE THEORY PRACTICE GAP BETWEEN BUSINESS AND MARKETING ACADEMICS AND BUISNESS PRACTITIONERS EXAMINED IN TERMS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE EPISTEMIC STANCES. Malcolm R Ash Programme Title Year Doctor of Education 2014 Acknowledgements My grateful and heartfelt thanks to my wife whose support has been so essential and without whose inspiration this would never have been finished. And to my supervisor David Longbottom whose wise and sound advice has been irreplaceable. Abstract Abstract This work examines and presents evidence for the existence of a gap in epistemological views between academic and practice marketers. Few if any academics would seem to challenge the ‘gap’ premise but the importance of any gap and its nature are issues about which little agreement exists. The intractable nature of the academic practitioner gap has a long history of interesting and diverse debate ranging from Dewey’s argument about the true nature of knowing to contributions based on epistemic adolescence, ontological differences and more pragmatic suggestions about different tribes. Others include the rigour versus relevance issue, failures in curriculum or pedagogy and a clash between modernist and postmodernist epistemologies. Polanyi’s description of tacit versus explicit knowledge further extends the debate as do issues of knowledge creation and dissemination in particular through Nonaka. Irrespective of approach actual evidence for a gap was largely based on argument rather than empirical proof. This work address that lack. The intractability of the gap suggests that it is at root, epistemic. To identity the existence of a gap in such terms a domain specific epistemic questionnaire developed by Hofer was used. A factor analytic process extracted a common set of factors for the domain of marketers. Five epistemic factors were identified. Three of these showed significant difference in orientation between practitioners and academics confirming that the theory practice gap is tangible and revealing an indication of its nature Broadly results from factor analysis with interpretation informed by factor item structure and prior theoretical debate suggests that academics and practitioners views on knowledge and how they come to know share similarities and differences. Academics are more likely to see knowledge as stable, based on established academic premise legitimized from academy. Practitioners are more likely to see knowledge as emerging from action, as dynamic and legitimised by results. Other significant findings included the emergence of dialogue as a means of closing the gap, and the emergence of i a group of academics with significant practice experience termed here as, hybrids, who are located in the Academy but mostly share their epistemic views with practitioners. Correlation analysis showed that academic propensity to engage in dialogue with practice moved academic factor scores towards practitioners. This shows that dialogue has a clear role in both perpetuating the gap in its absence or reducing it. Fundamentally dialogue plays a clear role in bridging the two epistemologies and in providing for additional epistemic work. Finally a solution to bridging the gap has been proposed. The model called dialogic introspection melds dialogue and introspection to create epistemic doubt, the volition to change and a means of resolution. The model avoids prescription of what form knowledge should take but instead adopts a stance similar to more mature disciplines like medicine in which the status of academic work is enhanced in line with its relevance to practice which itself is embodied in dialogue. This approach recognises the centrality of epistemology as shaping the conditions necessary for recognising epistemologies as hierarchies in which the epistemology most capable of additional epistemic work is the most desirable. Such an epistemology would have the capacity to add epistemic work and reinforces Nonaka’s call for epistemology to be recognised as central to knowledge creation. ii Table of Contents Table of Contents List of tables viii List of figures xi Chapter 1 – Introduction 1 1.0 Background 2 1.1 The scope and issues addressed 6 1.2 Statement of the problem 6 1.3 Research questions and objectives 8 1.3.1 Objectives 9 1.3.2 Justification 9 1.4 Significance of the study 10 1.5 Methodological approach 10 1.6 Clarification of terms and assumptions 11 1.7 Limitations 11 Chapter 2 – Review of the Literature 12 2.0 Introduction 12 2.1 Evidence for the academic practitioner divide in business 14 2.1.1 Perspectives on the academic practitioner gap 14 2.1.2 Early criticisms of business teaching and the 22 scientific model 23 2.1.3 Business School Research – the relevance versus rigour debate 25 2.1.4 Academic Journal Disassociation 31 2.1.4.1 Critique of the textbook 34 2.1.5 Two cultures argument - social forces of division 36 2.1.6 Marketing knowledge in academy 42 2.1.6.1 Teaching and the Theory Practice Gap 42 2.1.6.2 Educational aims 44 2.1.6.3 Curricula 46 2.1.6.4 Perverse incentives 51 iii Table of Contents 2.1.6.5 Academic contributions to practice 53 2.1.6.6 Marketing Theory in Academy 58 2.1.7 Discussion 61 2.2 Modernist epistemic underpinnings of the gap, knowledge creation and transfer 64 2.2.1 A critique of traditional epistemology and postmodern alternative epistemologies 67 2.2.2 Multiple Realities 68 2.2.3 Group normative structure as a post modernist framework 69 2.2.4 Epistemic communities of practice 71 2.2.5 Consolidation of major arguments and Conclusion 72 2.3 An Epistemology of Practice - Practice knowledge and knowledge for theory 73 2.3.1The prevailing paradigm of professional knowledge - a critique 74 2.3.1.1 Reflection in action 76 2.3.1.2 Dewey’s Epistemology of Practice and experience-warrented assertions 78 2.3.1.3 Tacit knowing 79 2.3.2 Knowledge Creation and Management 81 2.3.2.1 Modes 1 and 2 Knowledge Production 81 2.3.2.2 Knowledge Creation 83 2.3.2.3 Epistemic work - adding value to knowledge 84 2.4 Consolidation of major arguments and conclusions 89 2.4.1 Reflection 89 2.4.2 Bridging the gap 93 Chapter 3 Research Philosophy and Methodology 99 3.1 Approaches to measuring Philosophy and Methodology 99 3.1.1 The significance of personal epistemology 101 3.1.1.1 Perry’s CLEV 102 3.1.1.2 Schommers EQ 103 3.1.1.3 Schraw, Bendixen and Dunkle EBI 104 iv Table of Contents 3.1.1.4 Hofer’s DEBQ 104 3.1.1.5 Other Scales and Overlapping Definitions 106 3.1.2 Critical reflection of epistemological issues in Management Studies 108 3.1.3 Summary of argument for selection of instrument. 109 3.2 Research Philosophy and Methodology 110 3.2.1 Interpretivism versus Positivism 110 3.2.2 Research Philosophy – Inductive versus Deductive Analysis 113 3.2.2.1Summary 114 3.3 Research Strategy 115 3.3.1 Justification for stategy adopted 115 3.3.2 Sample 117 3.3.3 The Research Instrument 121 3.3.3.1Tailoring of Research Instrument 122 3.3.4 Primary Data Collection Method 125 3.3.5 Procedure 126 3.3.6 Ethical Considerations 128 3.3.7 Analysis 128 3.3.7.1 Principle approaches to analysis 128 3.3.7.2 Factor Analysis – method 129 3.3.7.3 Factor analysis – reliability and factor extraction 130 3.3.7.4 Parametric or Non parametric tests for the gap between domains (academics and practitioners) 134 Chapter 4 Results 135 4.1 Respondent analysis 135 4.2 Exploratory Factor Analysis 139 4.2.1 Reliability analysis 140 4.2.2 Factor extraction 140 4.2.3 First order factor extratction 141 4.2.4 Identtifying the number of factors to retain 143 4.2.5 Second Order Factor Analysis, factors extracted 145 v Table of Contents 4.2.6 Factors Extracted – item structure 146 4.2.7 Second Group of Factors – knowledge and dialogue 148 4.2.7.1 Explanatory Factors extracted - item structure 150 4.2.8 Definitions of factors extracted 152 4.3 Reliability Analysis - An examination of the data underpinning the factors extracted 156 4.3.1 Reliability measures - Distribution of the data underpinning the factors extracted 156 4.3.2 Kilmogorov-Smirnov test 159 4.4 Examining for difference between academic and practitioner groups 159 4.4.1 Examining for difference between academic and practitioner groups using One Way ANOVA 160 4.4.2 Error bar analysis of differences between groups 164 4.4.3 Range and variation within the factor data 168 4.4.4 Conclusions 169 4.5 Correlations between primary epistemic factors and explanatory dialogue factor 6 172 4.5.1 Descriptive Data and Results 172 4.5.2 Factor 1 Correlation with dialogue factor 6 173 4.5.3 Factor 2 Correlation with dialogue factor 6 174 4.5.4 Factor 3 Correlation with dialogue factor 6 175 4.5.5 Factor 4 Correlation with dialogue factor 6 176 4.5.6 Factor 5 Correlation with dialogue factor 6 177 4.5.6.1 Correlation conclusions 177 4.5.7 Correlations with classification variables 178 4.5.8.Analysis by group 180 Chapter 5 Discussion, Conclusions and Recommendations 181 5.1 Conclusions 181 5.2 Final Discussion 189 5.3 Recommendations 195 5.3.1 Implications for Theory 195 5.3.2 Implications for Practice 199 vi Table of Contents REFERENCES 203 APPENDICES Appendix 1 Epistemic beliefs questionnaire used in the study