Managing tensions in activism-oriented business research for social impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce activism-oriented business research as a necessary and highly rewarding form of impact scholarship that has emerged amid growing global social and environmental challenges. Activism-oriented research can be integral to advancing social justice and can help meet the growing expectations of business schools to deliver research with tangible societal impact. However, its tensions and challenges are not well understood. This paper illuminates these with a view to encouraging better support and strategies for conducting activism-oriented research. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the authors’ experiences engaging with community, industry and policy, this paper conceptualises how activism-oriented research operates in practice and identifies the tensions scholars face in personal, institutional and academic contexts. Findings Three types of activism-oriented business research are presented spanning community-focused activism, industry-focused activism and policy-focused activism. Across these examples, this paper highlights shared tensions and challenges, including researcher well-being and safety; uncertain pathways, practices and rewards; and devaluation and discouragement. Practical implications The authors present an agenda, setting out institutional supports and scholar strategies for navigating tensions and achieving impactful and rewarding activism-scholarship in business research. The authors also provide a practical checklist to support researchers in planning, conducting and reflecting on activism-oriented business research. Originality/value This work advances understanding of how business research can contribute to transformative social impact.