Mind the Gap: DBA students, knowledge generation, transfer and impact
Journal article
Authors | Foster, C., Kirk, S., Kougiannou, N and Scurry, T |
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Abstract | Increasingly higher education institutions are expected to demonstrate their contribution to academia, society, and the economy. This is pertinent for business schools as a key purpose for them is to provide education that enhances management practice, with Doctorates in Business Administration (DBAs) being the highest-level qualification offered in pursuit of this goal. Yet there is scant research that captures the impact of DBAs beyond the individual and academia. This paper focuses on the important role of DBAs in generating and transferring knowledge from academia to practice and in creating wider impact in society and the economy. Based on 36 semi-structured interviews with DBA students and alumni, our research shows how DBA students are able to generate and exchange knowledge between academia and business, enabling a wide range of impacts to be achieved. We show how knowledge transfer is the outcome of a learning process in which DBA students and their supervisors learn to speak each other’s language, enabling two-way communication. Facilitated by the power and associated credibility and legitimacy of the DBA students as practicing senior managers, the knowledge can then be transferred. Personal development in the form of analytical skills and increased confidence gained through the learning process results in a personal impact that acts as the precursor to other forms of impact, such as improved organisational performance and broader societal benefits. Research generated by DBAs is thus well-placed to offer opportunities for impact and contribute substantially to the research-practice conversation in higher education. |
Keywords | Professional Doctorates; DBA; knowledge exchange; impact |
Year | 2023 |
Journal | Studies in Higher Education |
Journal citation | pp. 1-16 |
Publisher | Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group |
ISSN | 1470-174X |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2247437 |
Web address (URL) | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03075079.2023.2247437 |
Accepted author manuscript | License File Access Level Open |
Output status | Published |
Publication dates | |
Online | 01 Sep 2023 |
Publication process dates | |
Accepted | 08 Aug 2023 |
Deposited | 04 Sep 2023 |
https://repository.derby.ac.uk/item/q022q/mind-the-gap-dba-students-knowledge-generation-transfer-and-impact
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Accepted author manuscript
SHE paper UDORA Mind the Gap.docx | ||
License: CC BY 4.0 | ||
File access level: Open |
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