Translating academic research into practitioner-oriented insights is a crucial but often challenging task. Researchers generate valuable knowledge yet making these insights accessible and actionable for business leaders, policymakers, and other non-academic audiences requires thoughtful communication strategies. In this article, we explore how to bridge this gap effectively, drawing on the expertise of Linnea Lind, CeFEO Coordinator at Jönköping International Business School (JIBS). Linnea plays a key role in facilitating the translation of research findings into formats that practitioners can engage with and apply in their work. Through her insights, we uncover best practices for ensuring that research reaches the right audience in a meaningful and impactful way.
Thank you for accepting our invitation. Do you want to start by providing a little background on your professional profile?
Sure! My name is Linnea Lind—a very Swedish name. I have studied here at JIBS in a Swedish program called the Civilekonom program. I worked in the marketing department of a global company in the eyewear industry, primarily focusing on eyewear and sunglasses in a very B2B-oriented marketing role.
However, I didn’t want to limit myself to just marketing. So I came back to JIBS. At first, I split my time, working 50% as an external relations coordinator and 50% as a CeFeo coordinator. My role has since evolved, and today, I am the CeFEO coordinator as well as the coordinator for one of our other research centers here at JIBS.
What do you think is the reason for academics to reach out and have an impact?
I think what brings researchers together is that they often start by approaching a problem from a theoretical perspective. The real challenge, then, is building a bridge back to practice. Even when you deeply understand a phenomenon, you tend to take it from practice, move it into theory, and analyze it in an abstract way. But translating those insights back into practical applications—that’s where struggle resides. Formulating insights that companies can actually benefit from is difficult. Sometimes, we try to do this by giving a presentation at the end of a research project, where we share our results. But then companies ask, "So, what now?"—and often, our response is, "Well, that’s for you to decide."
Our academic training typically focuses on developing theoretical contributions, and translating complex and abstract concepts into practical, actionable insights isn’t always straightforward. How do you approach this process?
The first question to ask is: Who are you communicating with? If you’re speaking to fellow researchers, you can use complex academic language because they understand it. But if you're addressing a manager in Småland, in the middle of Sweden, for example, they don’t have that background, so they might not be familiar with that language. You need to adapt your communication to ensure your message is clear and accessible to them.
In relation to this, I think that it’s also interesting to consider new platforms. Take TikTok, for example. Some influencers essentially act as research translators—they present insights in a different way. A sports influencer, for instance, might base their recommendations on scientific studies, citing two or three academic articles. It’s a completely different outlet, reaching a different audience..
You highlighted that a key point is to identify the target audience. Can you elaborate on it?
Absolutely, I think the most important thing to consider is: Who is my target audience? Who am I trying to reach with this communication piece? For example, here at CeFEO, we have different target groups—academics and the research community, practitioners, and policymakers. Each of these groups speaks a different "language," so the way we communicate needs to be tailored accordingly. Once you identify your audience, you need to truly understand them—their needs, how they communicate, what interests them, and what will capture their attention. If they don’t find the text—or even just the title—compelling, they won’t engage with it.
And maybe that’s exactly why this process is so challenging. The deeper we immerse ourselves in research, the more disconnected we become from these audiences. This is part of an ongoing discussion—people often talk about researchers being in an "ivory tower." Maybe it’s not always an ivory tower; it could also be a glass box, where we can see outside but still struggle to cross the boundary. That’s what makes it feel difficult.
I also wonder how our efforts to communicate research are perceived. Do people outside of academia truly understand us when we try to bridge that gap? At CeFEO, for example, we have an external advisory board made up entirely of practitioners, alongside internal faculty members. Their consistent feedback is that we need to communicate more like them—to use language that is accessible and relevant to their world. The biggest challenge is that academic language is inherently complex, and in academic papers, it’s supposed to be. But when we step outside of that context, we need to adapt.
Can you provide some practical suggestions on how to overcome these challenges?
One thing I find particularly interesting is the use of storytelling whenever possible. As a research center, we’re focusing on telling the story of our research—not just looking back at what has happened over the past 20 years but also looking ahead to the future. So, in that sense, we’re both reflecting on the past and envisioning what’s next. Storytelling can be a powerful way to communicate research, making it more engaging and accessible. However, I don’t have a concrete example of applying storytelling to a specific academic paper—that’s a bit more challenging. But in a broader sense, it’s an approach we use to share research in a compelling way.
I think case studies are a great example of this. When we justify a case study, we need to dive deep into the context and the story of the family business. That’s often what first captures our attention as researchers. And it makes sense as a starting point for translating research into practice because real examples tend to engage practitioners as well. A case study serves as both an illustration and an amplification of a broader phenomenon, making complex concepts more tangible and relatable.
Absolutely. I think many families face similar challenges, and when they come across something that reflects their own experiences—when they recognize, Oh, that’s exactly what we’ve been through or That’s the challenge we’re dealing with right now—it makes it easier for them to engage. It also makes them more eager to read and learn more.
To conclude, do you want to share any final remark?
I think the most important thing is to consider who you are communicating with and who you want to reach with this piece of research. The work itself is important, of course, but as a researcher, you don’t always have a clear idea of your target audience. That’s why it’s crucial to take a step back and ask yourself: Who am I trying to reach?
Outreach isn’t just about translating research—it has to be intentional and targeted. Not every form of communication is simply about making research more accessible; it’s about ensuring it reaches the right audience in the right way.
