CROSSROADS—Designing Institutions for Applied Impact: Lessons from Engineering for Organizational Research
Charles Eric Eesley, Elizabeth M. Gerber · Organization Science · 2025
Organizational researchers increasingly call for applied impact, yet institutional structures continue to privilege theoretical novelty over practical relevance. In contrast, engineering fields have built mechanisms that legitimize rigorously validated, usable contributions—often publishing proven solutions before fully developed theories. Drawing on our experiences in both engineering and organizational research, we examine how institutional design—not just individual motivation—shapes what counts as legitimate scholarship. We identify structural levers that support applied impact across three institutional pillars: cognitive (what counts as knowledge), normative (what confers prestige), and regulative (what gets published and rewarded). By analyzing how engineering disciplines use diverse publication formats, evaluation rubrics, and inclusive authorship norms, we outline feasible reforms for organizational research. We propose a framework for institutional redesign that expands the definition of scholarly value while preserving rigor. History: This manuscript is part of the five-piece crossroads collection "Organization Research as an Applied Science," edited by Gokhan Ertug and Stephen Zhang. The companion pieces are Zhang and Ertug (2025) , Croson and Croson (2025) , Berry (2025) , and Yoeli and Rand (2025) . Funding: E. Gerber gratefully acknowledges funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF). C. Eesley gratefully acknowledges funding from the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP).