“Often advances that seem theoretical and esoteric become the basis for best practices in the business world.”

The increase in citations can probably be attributed to two factors: increases in both the quantity and quality dimensions of research productivity of the Walton College faculty. About 62% of the Walton College faculty have joined the College in the last 12 years. In many cases the new faculty were more research productive than their predecessors, so the quantity of research increased. In addition, there has been an increase in the quality and visibility of the journals and other research outlets publishing Walton College faculty research.

The Walton College has made a concerted effort to increase the research productivity of our faculty by adding more research-active faculty and providing a more supportive research environment. The increase in citations is an indication that we are succeeding.

The Walton College encourages excellence in disciplinary and interdisciplinary research in any of the areas encompassing the six disciplines corresponding to our academic departments: accounting, economics, finance, information systems, marketing and logistics, and management. We see an increase in citations in all of these areas.

Currently, there are calls for business research to move away from a theoretical disciplinary focus toward a more practical applied focus. We do not believe that a move to either end of this continuum is in the best interest of advancing knowledge in the field. Often advances that seem theoretical and esoteric become the basis for best practices in the business world. We do see great value in a balanced portfolio of theoretical and applied research in business and economics.

The Walton College has strategic plans for more visible research in retail marketing, supply chain management, and information systems because these areas have been the foundation for a revolution in the operation of the consumer package goods industry. The College benefits from its access to Wal-Mart’s corporate headquarters and the large community of supplier corporations (over 200 of the Fortune 500 have offices in northwest Arkansas to service their Wal-Mart account). Access to these companies has already led to significant research opportunities. For example, the Walton College operates the only accredited university-operated RFID (radio frequency identification) lab in the world. We expect there to be many more opportunities for our faculty to conduct research in these areas in the future.

Dr. William P. Curington
Sam M. Walton College of Business
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR, USA