Management Research as a Design Science: Articulating the Research Products of Mode 2 Knowledge Production in Management

Abstract

The relevance problem of academic management research in organization and management is an old and thorny one. Recent discussions on this issue have resulted in proposals to use more Mode 2 knowledge production in our field. These discussions focused mainly on the process of research itself and less on the products produced by this process. Here the focus is on the so‐called field‐tested and grounded technological rule as a possible product of Mode 2 research with the potential to improve the relevance of academic research in management. Technological rules can be seen as solution‐oriented knowledge. Such knowledge may be called Management Theory, while more description‐oriented knowledge may be called Organization Theory. In this article the nature of technological rules in management is discussed, as well as their development, their use in actual management practice and the potential for cross‐fertilization between Management Theory and Organization Theory.