Zhou et al. (Reference Zhou, Campbell and Fyffe2024) deserve praise for providing valuable insights and raising awareness of gaps in applying industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology research and practice to small businesses. The call to action in the focal article is very timely and of significant importance considering the growth and impact of small businesses on the economy and wider society (Grundy, Reference Grundy2024). Furthermore, the insightful discussions put forth by the authors are thought provoking and serve as a catalyst for change and insightful discourse. To address the challenges and add to the literature, I propose organizational-based participatory research (OBPR) as one of many viable solutions to improving practical applicability of I-O research and bridging the science practitioner gap (Williams et al., Reference Williams, Patel and Sachdev2022).
OBPR falls under the umbrella of participatory research, which is a collaborative approach between academic and nonacademic partners in the research process (Bush et al., Reference Bush, Pluye, Loignon, Granikov, Wright, Pelletier, Bartlett-Esquilant, Macaulay, Haggerty, Parry and Repchinsky2017; Williams et al., Reference Williams, Patel and Sachdev2022). Unlike traditional research methods that often operate in silos and not aligned with the realities of organizations, OBPR ensures that organizations have an equal voice, are involved in all stages of the research process, and the research is done in partnership rather than on or in the organization (Rodriguez Espinosa & Verney, Reference Rodriguez Espinosa and Verney2021). Through a rigorous iterative research process and feedback loops to modify practice, the aim of OBPR is to create more sustainable and impactful outcomes for organizations and to enhance practical applicability of research findings (Bush et al., Reference Bush, Pluye, Loignon, Granikov, Wright, Pelletier, Bartlett-Esquilant, Macaulay, Haggerty, Parry and Repchinsky2017; Collins et al., Reference Collins, Clifasefi, Stanton, Straits, Espinosa, Andrasik, Miller, Orfaly, Board, Gil-Kashiwabara, Nicasio, Hawes, Nelson, Duran and Wallerstein2018; Williams et al., Reference Williams, Patel and Sachdev2022).
As indicated by Zhou et al., the disconnect in the applicability of I-O research to small businesses exists because of a lack of involvement in the research process, and small business owners find research too abstract and disconnected from their everyday practices. OBPR can help mitigate these challenges. The following section focuses on the practical applicability of OBPR in small business research. Note that a brief history, holistic approach, and the advantages of conducting OBPR in the field has been documented elsewhere (Williams et al., Reference Williams, Patel and Sachdev2022).
Practical applicability of OBPR in small business research and practice
Much of OBPR and other methods of participatory research (e.g. community-based participatory research [CBPR]) have been done in social justice and mental health research to help reduce health disparities and increase the number of underrepresented minorities in research (Bush et al., Reference Bush, Pluye, Loignon, Granikov, Wright, Pelletier, Bartlett-Esquilant, Macaulay, Haggerty, Parry and Repchinsky2017; Collins et al., Reference Collins, Clifasefi, Stanton, Straits, Espinosa, Andrasik, Miller, Orfaly, Board, Gil-Kashiwabara, Nicasio, Hawes, Nelson, Duran and Wallerstein2018; Rodriguez Espinosa & Verney, Reference Rodriguez Espinosa and Verney2021). Despite that, some of the applicability can still be transferred and applied to organizational research (Williams et al., Reference Williams, Patel and Sachdev2022).
Enhanced relevance and practicality
Small business owners, employees, and customers are actively involved in all stages of the research process from generating research questions or ideas to dissemination and implementation of results. This ensures that research questions are tailored to specific needs, which will lead to more meaningful and impactful outcomes. Furthermore, OBPR provides actional solutions that are easier to implement, which unlike traditional research methods moves beyond theoretical insights to deliver more evidence-based tangible outcomes.
Increased stakeholder engagement buy-in
Involving small business stakeholders from the start of this collaborative process and giving them equal say in developing research questions, survey design, and measures enhances stakeholder buy-in. This means that small businesses are more likely to be committed to implementing and accepting interventions as they have a vested interest in outcomes. In a systematic analysis exploring the benefits of OBPR, researchers found that extra benefits (defined as positive outcomes beyond those of the intended scope of the research project) were quadrupled when organizations initiated the research study, compared to when an academic or both an academic and organization initiated the research study. This is because the research was more tailored to the interest and outcomes of the organization and thus more practical (Bush et al., Reference Bush, Pluye, Loignon, Granikov, Wright, Pelletier, Bartlett-Esquilant, Macaulay, Haggerty, Parry and Repchinsky2017).
Empowerment and capacity building
OBPR offers small business stakeholders a seat at the table and opportunity to be equipped with research skills for implementing and sustaining evidence-based solutions. At the same time, it offers academics practical experience that may otherwise be lacking due to being in the “ivory tower” (Williams et al., Reference Williams, Patel and Sachdev2022). Furthermore, the research skills that small business stakeholders acquire through this process can be vital in ensuring sustainability improvements in business far beyond research. For example, in one research study utilizing CPBR to implement health promotional practices in small businesses, researchers were able to tap into a hard-to-reach population (e.g. low-wage immigrant workers), whereas small business stakeholders utilized the expertise of academics to design a tailored health promotion program to improve safety for employees (Fetherman et al., Reference Fetherman, McGrane and Cebrick-Grossman2021). The same benefits can be attained by utilizing OBPR in I-O-based research on small businesses.
Contextual relevance and adaptability
Interventions designed during the OBPR process are specifically tailored to meet the needs of small businesses (Bush et al., Reference Bush, Pluye, Loignon, Granikov, Wright, Pelletier, Bartlett-Esquilant, Macaulay, Haggerty, Parry and Repchinsky2017). OBPR involves a continuous loop of building, testing, implementing, and evaluating interventions in real-world settings (Collins et al., Reference Collins, Clifasefi, Stanton, Straits, Espinosa, Andrasik, Miller, Orfaly, Board, Gil-Kashiwabara, Nicasio, Hawes, Nelson, Duran and Wallerstein2018). Feedback from pilot testing and evaluations are implemented and refined to improve solutions ensuring that interventions remain relevant and effective while at the same time being responsive to emerging challenges faced by small businesses in a rapidly evolving environment. In one study on safety interventions for Hispanic employees in small construction businesses, researchers utilized CBPR to design and adapt interventions (Marín & Roelofs, Reference Marín and Roelofs2018). Based on research findings, researchers were able to tailor interventions that targeted the predisposing factors that led to injury disparities. Some of those targeted approaches included outreach via a marketing strategy on Spanish-based media and Spanish “promoters” to discuss safety initiatives (Marín & Roelofs, Reference Marín and Roelofs2018). Previous research in medicine that has utilized CBPR has shown that interventions are more successful when recruiters and promoters share similar cultural and ethnic background with the targeted population (Pekmezaris et al., Reference Pekmezaris, Williams, Pascarelli, Finuf, Harris, Myers, Taylor, Kline, Patel, Murray, McFarlane, Pappas, Lesser, Makaryus, Martinez, Kozikowski, Polo, Guzman, Zeltser, Marino, Pena, DiClemente and Granville2020).
Strengthening relationships and building trust
A key tenet of OBPR is that it offers equality and inclusivity in all aspects of research regardless of expertise and cultural and educational background of small business stakeholders and academics (Collins et al., Reference Collins, Clifasefi, Stanton, Straits, Espinosa, Andrasik, Miller, Orfaly, Board, Gil-Kashiwabara, Nicasio, Hawes, Nelson, Duran and Wallerstein2018; Hamzeh et al., Reference Hamzeh, Pluye, Bush, Ruchon, Vedel and Hudon2019). For small businesses, this means being offered a voice and opportunity to shape research. Moreover, transparency in decision-making allows accountability and builds trust between academic and nonacademic partners, something that may be lacking in traditional research methods (Bush et al., Reference Bush, Pluye, Loignon, Granikov, Wright, Pelletier, Bartlett-Esquilant, Macaulay, Haggerty, Parry and Repchinsky2017; Rodriguez Espinosa & Verney, Reference Rodriguez Espinosa and Verney2021). In a recent systematic analysis of OBPR, Hamzeh et al. (Reference Hamzeh, Pluye, Bush, Ruchon, Vedel and Hudon2019) found that trust was significantly high between academics and nonacademics. Not surprising because trust is integral to the success of OBPR.
Effective dissemination and implementation
With OBPR research, findings will be disseminated beyond academic journals and on platforms that are relevant and easily accessible to small business stakeholders. Similarly, academics can conduct workshops and other training sessions to assist with the transfer of knowledge and translate research findings into practice and implementation for small business stakeholders (Fetherman et al., Reference Fetherman, McGrane and Cebrick-Grossman2021; Marín & Roelofs, Reference Marín and Roelofs2018). Previous research that explored OPBR in healthcare settings reported increased knowledge and awareness of research findings due to extensive dissemination across various settings beyond the walls of academic research and medicine (Bush et al., Reference Bush, Pluye, Loignon, Granikov, Wright, Pelletier, Bartlett-Esquilant, Macaulay, Haggerty, Parry and Repchinsky2017). For example, dissemination of research by key stakeholders in healthcare (e.g. healthcare practitioners, pharmaceutical representatives, and health disparity experts) showed an increase in patient knowledge and satisfaction as well as infection control (Bush et al., Reference Bush, Pluye, Loignon, Granikov, Wright, Pelletier, Bartlett-Esquilant, Macaulay, Haggerty, Parry and Repchinsky2017; Fetherman et al., Reference Fetherman, McGrane and Cebrick-Grossman2021; Pekmezaris et al., Reference Pekmezaris, Williams, Pascarelli, Finuf, Harris, Myers, Taylor, Kline, Patel, Murray, McFarlane, Pappas, Lesser, Makaryus, Martinez, Kozikowski, Polo, Guzman, Zeltser, Marino, Pena, DiClemente and Granville2020).
Conclusion
The focal article by Zhou, Campbell, and Fyffe underscores the critical gaps in the science practitioner model of I-O research for small businesses. OBPR is presented as a viable solution to help mitigate those gaps. OBPR ensures a strong partnership between academics and nonacademics that fosters trust, inclusivity, and equitability throughout the research process. By engaging key stakeholders of small businesses in the research process, co-creating research agendas, testing, and implementing tailored interventions, OBPR serves as a framework to address the unique needs and challenges of small businesses. Although relatively nascent in psychological research, previous applications of OBPR (and similarly CBPR) in social justice, mental health, and healthcare research have demonstrated multiple benefits as well as sustainable and impactful outcomes that are quadrupled when initiated by the organization. Transferring this knowledge and applying such principles within I-O research in small businesses can help drive meaningful change in innovation and growth.
