Page 8 - Journal of Management Inquiry, July 2018

760723 JMIXXX10.1177/1056492618760723Journal of Management InquiryNair et al.
research-article2018
Generative Curiosity

Journal of Management Inquiry
Journal of Management Inquiry
Let’s Perform and Paint! The Role 2018, Vol. 27(3) 301
2018, Vol. 27(3) 301 –308 –308
© The Author(s) 2018
© The Author(s) 2018
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DOI: 10.1177/1056492618760723
https://doi.org/10.1177/1056492618760723
https://doi.org/10.1177/1056492618760723
https://doi.org/10.1177/1056492618760723
Management Research Representation DOI: 10.1177/1056492618760723
jmi.sagepub.com
journals.sagepub.com/home/jmi
Lakshmi Balachandran Nair 1 , Pauline Fatien Diochon 2 ,
3
Reka Anna Lassu , and Suzanne G. Tilleman 4
Abstract
The limited reach of management research results in missed opportunities to support the decision-making processes of
business professionals and policy makers. To strengthen the impact of management research and overcome barriers posed
by text-heavy representation, we advocate for the use of creative mediums (e.g., collage, film, poetry) to showcase the
product of an inquiry, either alone or as a supplement to traditional reporting. We provide a rationale for how these
mediums trigger interest, foster a multisensory experience, convey complex meaning, and spark contemporary, inclusive
dialogues. Each of the four rationales is discussed by showing an example of previous use, and explaining how the respective
barrier to research representation is overcome. We finally offer recommendations for how management researchers can
employ creative mediums to enhance the fertility of their work.

Keywords
creativity, innovation, communication

Research Raison d’Etre 1 Simplification for broadening the audience,
Engagement through participation
Nothing can make society interested in academic
research All of that is beyond fathom
And you cannot tell me that And you can never change my mind and make me agree
that
It is possible to bridge this academic-practitioner divide
Interactions are the key to contemporary knowledge
Because, when we academics get into research mode,
exchange.
Can our aim be building rapport with the audience too?
A theory might spark contemporary societal interest Introduction
But
As management scholars, our research lacks an obvious, unani-
Building inclusive dialogue is something we don’t mous, or concise raison d’être (Hughes, Bence, Grisoni,
prioritize.
O’Regan, & Wornham, 2011); we are not bound by an equiva-
And some might say that lent of the “Hippocratic oath” (Hughes et al., 2011; Romme
The problem is how we communicate it et al., 2015) that would outline a clear purpose and determine
Because our obligations toward society. Consequently, our research is
often only circulated inside our own academic community with
Science can be more interesting to society
Only if research is presented in a more personal and
relatable way 1 Utrecht University, The Netherlands
2
That just won’t work! 3 Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
University of Central Florida, Orlando, USA
It is unimaginable that 4 University of Montana, Missoula, USA
A picture or a play Corresponding Author:
A dance or a sculpture Suzanne G. Tilleman, Department of Management and Marketing,
University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
Would make bystanders co-creators Email: suzanne.tilleman@umontana.edu