Using social policy research for reducing social problems: an empirical analysis of structure and functions.

Investigating three samples of social policy research in The Netherlands, the authors analyzed the conditions and functions influencing utilization (impact). Interorganizational context, intergroup relations, and role interaction were found to relate to utilization. The impact of social policy research upon organizational decisions is cognitive, communicative, and diagnostic. The cognitive function correlates negatively with publishing for scholarly audiences. Of the communicative function, six feedback strategies were evaluated with targeting scoring highest on impact. In the diagnostic function, creating consensus among decision-making groups has the greatest impact on decision making. The results suggest the latent operation of a professional paradigm of social policy research, distinct from the disciplinary social science paradigm.