Applied Research in Managerial Communication: the Critical Link between Knowledge and Practice

Excerpt] Why are some of your colleagues more successful than others? Why do some managers seem to make all the right decisions while others flounder? You might at first assume the successful ones are lucky, or can attribute their success to intelligence, personality, or even the environment in which they grew up. What might not be readily apparent is that successful practitioners have acquired specific knowledge that contributes to their high performance. While requisite knowledge can be gained in a number of ways—experience, training, and education, for instance—powerful insights and reliable guidance for hospitality leaders come from applied research in hospitality management. Principles drawn from research constitute a reliable knowledge base that enables practitioners to gain competitive advantage. Findings from applied research in the field of managerial communication, as I explain in this article, facilitate the application of principles from all management disciplines to drive high performance.