Working with Practitioners in Operations Management

Problem definition: Collaborations between researchers and practitioners in operations management are becoming more common, and they can bridge the gap between theory and real-world application. This paper explores the process of managing such collaborations, emphasizing the importance of mutual trust, stakeholder management, and the alignment of academic rigor with practical value. Methodology/results: Drawing on experience and previous operations management literature, the study describes the operational steps of working with practitioners. It outlines a five-phase framework that can guide successful practitioner collaboration research: relationship building, stakeholder management, study design, study implementation, and poststudy management. The framework illustrates how rigorous research methods can be embedded in partner relationships that are governed by trust and ethical sensitivity, the success of which may sustain long-term academic-practitioner collaborations. Managerial implications: This paper offers a five-step road map for academics to undertake collaborations with practitioners that can generate theoretically sound as well as impactful research outcomes.