Advancing the Social Impact of Work and Organizational Psychology Through Qualitative Abductive Research (QAR)

This paper critically engages with the “actionable insights” derived by Arnold, Dries & Gabriel (2021) from a special issue demonstrating how W/OP scholars can generate real world impact. We propose qualitative abductive research (QAR) as a solution to the tension between producing high quality theoretical insights and usable knowledge. We present principles and guidelines for adopting QAR. We demonstrate how these principles might be applied through examples from our own research, including how this approach can enable social impact. Our commentary also seeks to extend our impact ambitions through the critical lens of responsible research (Bal et al, 2019). We consider what voices are privileged in impact research and argue for making conducting impactful research more accessible and respected. We debate the barriers to conducting impact-oriented research, including academic work overload which we argue limits more creative and impactful research. In conclusion we advocate for the legitimation of QAR and other alternative approaches in W/OP.