Not Everything That Can Be Counted Counts, And Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted”: Widening Gap between Scholars and Industry Practitioners in Nigeria

Abstract

It is now a song in Nigeria’s academic world to either published or perish”. it drives all faculty members and lecturers towards research and publication in reputable peer-reviewed “A” journals, Most especially in the universities. where the value of the publication is respected when it is in refereed “A” (4-star journals, preferably those which have achieved a very high reputation. This paper is to examine the extent to which academic research papers must inform, educate, contribute to knowledge and entertain the practitioners who are engaged in practicals, in either management or business work (industry practitioner). There is evidence in the western world of Europe, America, and Australiasia especially, and in Africa that our management and business journals are neither read nor recognized by the industry practitioners. This paper is a literature review and practical Research work which, recommends that continuous practical interaction between the lecturers and practitioners is more rewarding, and let the Academic research works of lecturers be used by industry practitioners and vice versa. Do the practitioners and government officials even read or consult management journals in Nigeria?. The consequence for academics and other writers is that if our papers are not read by practitioners in the subject area then there is no need to write them. We can use the research papers for professional career promotion in their place of employment, but should this be the only reason?. We must try to write and publish our papers to meet the demands of academically related journals and publications, which will further our careers, and also to use other outlets that are likely to be read by the industry practitioners. It is a somewhat difficult, but not an impossible task. The evidence from this paper especially from the United Kingdom will lay semblance to what is obtainable in Nigeria. The readership of academic work most likely is disappointingly exclusive to those in academia. That if a lecturer’s research writings must be useful, it must involve practical facts relevant to management managers, or industry practitioners who will invariably alter their reading habits to accommodate research writings. Managers must also contribute to research papers and journal articles, to make the journals attractive to bridge the marriage between the town and gown.