Taking AIM at Theoretical and Pragmatic Impact: A Call for Actionable, Insightful, and Measurable Research
提出理论贡献与实践影响是独立维度，研究可同时追求可行动、有洞见、可衡量（AIM）的目标，并强调理论情境化和校准能放大研究影响，对学者、编辑和评审者均有启发。
Ongoing debate surrounds the relative importance of theory and practice within supply chain research. Some contend that strong theory is central to knowledge advancement and its application to practice should be a secondary concern. Others argue that emphasizing theory moves the field away from its applied roots and the concerns of managers. We transcend this debate by proposing that theory and practice are separate dimensions rather than opposing concerns. Research projects can thus be strong in terms of both theory and practice, weak on both, or strong on one and weak on the other. We propose that placement within the first category requires scholars to devise research that is AIM — actionable (i.e., it provides a basis for making changes), insightful (it provides new ideas on important issues), and measurable (its effects can be quantitatively assessed). The impact of such research is magnified or dampened by the degree to which scholars achieve theoretical contextualization (i.e., adjusting the theory to reflect the setting under investigation) and theoretical calibration (i.e., alignment between theory and methods). Because “ AIM ing high” can deliver strong value for both scholars and managers, we encourage scholars, editors, and reviewers to embrace it in the development and evaluation of research.