How Does Organizational Culture Influence the Adoption of Research Evidence by Management Practitioners?

Abstract

Using the best available evidence from multiple sources can lead to more effective management practice. However, management practitioners often make decisions based on limited evidence, mostly from personal experience and judgment. Values, beliefs, and practices may conflict with a manager’s ability to use research evidence in practice. This systematic review suggests that an integration of the diffusion of innovations (Rogers, 1995) and planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991) theories may be used to explain the influence of values, beliefs, and practices on the adoption of research evidence by management practitioners. These cultural influence factors may be conceptualized as moderating the effects of innovation diffusion efforts on research evidence adoption behavior. Viewing evidence-based management (EBMgt) as an innovation, organizational managers may employ innovation diffusion strategies to influence values, beliefs, and practices conducive to using research evidence in management practice. This review presents recommendations for both practitioners and scholars to facilitate EBMgt. Practitioners can promote a culture that enables evidence-based practice, use tact when presenting evidence to a skeptical audience, and form partnerships with scholars. Leaders can promote the use of evidence in their organizations, provide evidence-based practice tools and training, and use human resource practices to ensure key positions are proficient in research skills. Scholars can publish more practitioner-friendly evidence and teach business and management students research skills.