This Point–Counterpoint debate examines the Responsible Research in Business and Management (RRBM) movement, a growing initiative aimed at advancing credible and useful knowledge for a better world. Contributors provide a critical assessment of RRBM’s potential pitfalls, questioning whether its strong emphasis on “social” problems risks sidelining the core challenges of business and management scholarship. At the same time, they applaud RRBM’s commitment to use-inspired research and scientific rigor, while stressing that true progress requires a careful balance between scientific freedom and scientific responsibility. The debate also explores practical solutions to bridge the research–research gap (the disconnect between our scholarly ideals and everyday research practices) inviting readers to reflect on how management research can best combine relevance, rigor, and responsibility.
Will your Study Make the World A Better Place?
Introduction by Gideon D. Markman
Understanding Scientific Freedom and Scientific Responsibility in Business and Management Research
Point by Anne S. Tsui & Peter McKiernan
Let’s Fix Our Own Problem: Quelling the Irresponsible Research Perfect Storm
Counterpoint 1 by Herman Aguinis, Estelle E. Archibold & Darryl B. Rice
Two Cheers for RRBM, Pasteur’s Quadrant, and an Application of RRBM to the Commercialization of Science and Technology Transfer
Counterpoint 2 by Donald S. Siegel
