Is the current, and perhaps future, trajectory of research in INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL psychology inevitable? We think not, but the necessary change in course is clear. Researchers can make conscious choices now to understand current and emerging human capital issues more deeply, as well as the contextual constraints that managers face and the needs of organizational members, and to use their wellhoned research skills to conduct research that addresses those trends and informs the debate over the relative merits of alternative positions (Zedeck & Goldstein, 2000). However, the changes needed are more than simply motivational. Certainly the incentive structure of academic research is unlikely to be altered substantially in the near future, which could be a big impediment for change, given that performance management systems can shape the culture and orientation of organizations and entire professions (Aguinis, 2009). More worrisome, however, are our results concerning the demise of the practitioner author and the disconnection from applied settings—both of which reduce opportunities for academics to bring their considerable research skills to bear in solving real organizational problems.