Abstract
The research-practice gap (the gap) in HRD remains a significant challenge, hindering the application of academic research to practice and the integration of workplace challenges into research efforts. It is critical for HRD research to address the gap to develop evidence-based solutions for learning and organizational performance. The purpose of this study was to explore how HRD scholars and scholar-practitioners define, motivate, address barriers to, and recommend strategies for bridging the gap in HRD. Building on the study by Moore and Cho (2024) from the perspective of HRD practitioners, we investigated the perspectives of HRD scholars and scholar-practitioners to examine whether there are any critical differences in their perspectives through 29 interviews. In a thematic analysis, we identified four key themes: defining the gap, motivations, barriers, and strategies for bridging the gap. Participants emphasized the need for participatory action research, the co-creation of research agendas, and practitioner engagement from the early stages of research to enhance the relevance and applicability of the findings. A surprising study finding was the influential role of HRD scholar-practitioners, who serve as translators between academic research and workplace applications, leveraging their dual roles to co-create usable knowledge. We provide actionable recommendations for narrowing the gap, stressing the role of HRD in diverse organizations by fostering collaboration and integrating academic rigor with practical applications.
Description
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. © 2026 The Author(s). Human Resource Development Quarterly published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Publisher
Wiley
Date of publication
3-2026
Language
english
Persistent identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/5194
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Moore, Kelly and Cho, Yonjoo, "What Are We Learning About the Research-Practice Gap From HRD Scholars and HRD Scholar-Practitioners?" (2026). Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations. Paper 77.
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/5194