What Business Schools Can Do to Bridge the Theory-practice Gap: An Overview and Discussion

Abstract

Aligning management knowledge and practice has become a ‘persistent and difficult problem' for management scholars and educators. In scholarship, more specifically, increasing attention is paid to a ‘gap' between theory and practice in many professional fields worldwide. In this paper, we aim to address the conceptual space between theory and practice in management education by providing an overview of relevant techniques and practices used by business schools, namely, collaborative research, MBA programmes, and ethical education. We further reflect on issues highlighted in this overview and discuss its wider implications for management teachers, scholars, and practitioners, shedding light on future empirical research.