Adopting An Evidence-Based Management Approach In Teaching: Perspectives, Barriers And Enablers Among Academics In Business And Management
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61007/QdC.2025.2.382Keywords:
Evidence-Based Management, Business education, Barriers, Enablers, Central EuropeAbstract
This study investigates how business and management instructors in Central Europe comprehend and apply Evidence-Based Management (EBM) in their classrooms, the obstacles they face and the resources they require to adopt an EBM approach in their teaching. Thirty academics from three HEIs in Prague, Zagreb, and Opole answered a supervised, semi-structured questionnaire. Results showed that their view of EBM frequently differs from the mainstream definition, with a predilection for case studies, qualitative research, and readily available sources. Time constraints, a lack of instructional resources, and inadequate institutional support were salient obstacles. Access to resources, professional development, peer support, and local language content were critical facilitators. The findings are discussed, and the study provides practical recommendations to improve EBM integration in business and management education.
References
Barends, E., Rousseau, D. M., & Briner, R. B. (2014). Evidence-Based Management: The Basic Principles. Center for Evidence-Based Management.
Barends, E., Rousseau, D. M., & Briner, R. B. (2017). Evidence-Based Management: How to use evidence to make better organizational decisions. Kogan Page.
Briner, R. B., Denyer, D., & Rousseau, D. M. (2009). Evidence-based management: Concept cleanup time? Academy of Management Perspectives, 23(4), 19–32.
Cassar, V., Tracz-Krupa, K., & Bezzina, F. (2024). The influence of culture, competence, and style of decision-making on the perceived adoption of evidence-based management sources among Polish managers. Central European Management Journal, 33(1), 3-19.
Cranley, L. A., Cummings, G. G., Profetto‐McGrath, J., Toth, F., & Estabrooks, C. A. (2012). Facilitation of clinician engagement in planning and implementing evidence‐based practice. Worldviews on Evidence‐Based Nursing, 9(4), 199–206.
Feigenblatt, O.F. von, 2015. Integrating theory and practice in business education: An interdisciplinary approach. Academia.edu. https://www.academia.edu/52559850/Integrating_Theory_and_Practice_in_Business_Education.
Financial Times, 2023. Business schools debate theory versus practice. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/8a354695-0ed9-44eb-bd22-b017a4f1cbbe.
Gilson, L. L., Maynard, M. T., & Bergiel, E. B. (2023). Understanding the implications of AI in management education. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 22(1), 123–137.
Javed, R., & Bhaumik, A. (2024). Bridging the gap between theory and practice: A comparative study of competency-based and traditional training in management sciences. Küresel Ekonomi ve Yönetim Dergisi, 14(2), 45–60.
Kolb, D. A. (2015). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development (2nd ed.). Pearson Education.
Learmonth, M., & Harding, N. (2006). Evidence-based management: The very idea. Public Administration, 84(2), 245–266.
Neville, L., Heery, E., & Watson, T. (2020). Barriers to pedagogical innovation in higher education: Lessons from a multi-institutional study. Teaching in Higher Education, 25(6), 678–692.
Nutley, S., Walter, I., & Davies, H. T. O. (2007). Using Evidence: How Research Can Inform Public Services. Policy Press.
Pfeffer, J., & Sutton, R. I. (2006). Hard facts, dangerous half-truths, and total nonsense: Profiting from evidence-based management. Harvard Business Press.
Rousseau, D. M. (2020). Closing the evidence-based management gap. In A. Wilkinson, S. J. Armstrong, & M. Lounsbury (Eds.), The Routledge companion to management information systems (pp. 373–386). Routledge.
Rousseau, D. M., & Barends, E. (2023a). An updated definition of evidence-based management. In E. Barends & D. M. Rousseau (Eds.), Handbook of Evidence-Based Management (pp. 3–15). Oxford University Press.
Rousseau, D. M., & Barends, E. (2023b). What evidence-based management is, and why it matters. Center for Evidence-Based Management. https://www.cebma.org/resources-and-tools/what-is-ebmgt/
Rousseau, D. M., & Gunia, B. C. (2016). Evidence-based practice: The psychology of EBP implementation. Annual Review of Psychology, 67, 667–692.
Rousseau, D. M., & McCarthy, S. (2007). Educating managers from an evidence-based perspective. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 6(1), 84–101.
Rynes, S. L., Colbert, A. E., & Brown, K. G. (2001). HR professionals’ beliefs about effective human resource practices: Correspondence between research and practice. Human Resource Management, 40(4), 363–380.
Rynes, S. L., Rousseau, D. M., & Barends, E. (2014). From the guest co-editors: Change the world: Teach evidence-based practice! Academy of Management Learning & Education, 13(3), 305–321.
Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence‐informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207–222.
Varma, A. and Dixit, V., 2012. Bridging the theory-practice gap in business education: Insights from the Indian context. Journal of Contemporary Management Research. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381531061_Bridging_the_Theory-Practice_Gap_in_Business_Education_Insights_from_the_Indian_ContextAnker, R., Chernyshev, I., Egger, P. & Ritter, F. (2003), Measuring Decent Work with Statistical Indicators, International Labour Review, 142(2),147-77.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Community Notebook. People, Education and Welfare in the Society 5.0
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
