Using our earlier definition of research it would seem sensible to define business and
management research as undertaking systematic research to find out things about busi-
ness and management.
Easterby-Smith et al. (2002) argue that three things combine to make business and
management a distinctive focus for research:
■ the way in which managers (and researchers) draw on knowledge developed by other
disciplines;
■ the fact that managers tend to be powerful and busy people. Therefore, they are
unlikely to allow research access unless they can see personal or commercial advantages;
■ the requirement for the research to have some practical consequence. This means it
either needs to contain the potential for taking some form of action or needs to take
account of the practical consequences of the findings.