ASP, The Art and Science of Practice: Getting the R in contact

Business schools increasingly pressure faculty members to prepare MBA students to immediately contribute to their employers' bottom lines. Many academics have had little or no business experience themselves, and administrators are encouraging them to acquire it to improve their classroom effectiveness. My guidelines to help faculty get involved with the business community concern handling the initial contact with a company, developing a proposal, managing the project, and following up to ensure successful implementation. I seek to help the faculty member get the r in the word contact, to convert it into contract. I focus on operations management and management science, and my intent is to start a process of sharing ideas that encourages others to add to the set.