1. WRITING FOR THE LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY: ACASE STUDY ON HOW TO GET THOUSANDS OF PEOPLETO READ YOURWORK BYWRITING FOR ALOCAL/REGIONAL NEWSPAPERA FIVE YEAR TRACK RECORD- LESSONS LEARNEDDr. Don DaakeOlivet Nazarene University

2. In Vancouver, B.C. at CBFA 2012A brief conversational encounterabout Research & Publication 3. I felt a little like ProfessorHarold Hill of the Music ManWhat do talk, walk da ya talk; what da ya talk..I felt like I was being labeled as when it comes to scholarship.He doesnt know the territory! 4. Topic: Writing a business columnfor a local newspaper column 5. An Overview of Session Traces 5 five year process of developing workingrelationship with a local/regional daily newspaper-theKankakee Daily Journal Began with Don Daake & Ed Piatt writing an occasionalarticle (about 20 articles, per year, combined), in the DailyJournals monthly business magazine B2B Has evolved into a weekly column in the business section.The paper is a mid-size publication, with a circulation ofover 23,000 copies and 50,000 potential readers. 6. An Overview Opportunity to share a wide variety of practical yet academically sound,business-related ideas with thousands of people each week is asubstantial privilege. Initially written in conjunction with Edward Piatt co authoredapproximately 120 articles together over 2 years a potentialreadership of 6.0 million readers (in marketing parlance- grossimpressions). Since November 2011- October 2014- Bi weekly column writtenadditional 75 articles with potential of 3.75 million readers Purpose today is to provide a road map of how university businessprofessors can significantly expand their influence by writing for theircommunity 7. Initial Cumulative PotentialReadership- first Phase 8. Initial Likely Cumulative Readership @Conservation 20% 9. Some conservative estimatesupdated 10. Updated 2014 Numbers 11. LITERATURE REVIEWGAP BETWEEN THEORY &APPLICATIONACROSS THE LAST THIRTY YEARS, THE ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT HAVESTRUGGLED WITH THE BALANCE BETWEEN DOING BASIC RESEARCH ANDAPPLIED RESEARCH AND WRITING THAT CAN BE UTILIZED BY PRACTITIONERS. 12. Concern in the Academy has beenlong-standing but Cyclical 1908, Henri Fayol asked, Is there a betterway to learn to manage other than byexperience? Raelin (2007) argues that by merging theoryand practice we will end up with bettertheory, better practice, and better learningthat will prepare us for both. 13. Concern about this problemwidespread The literature reveals concern regarding the gapthat exists between theory and application (Starkey& Madan, 2001; Van de Ven & Johnson, 2006;Vermeulen, 2005; Aram & Salipante, 2003;Anderson et al., 2004; Rynes, Bartunek, & Daft,2001; Salipante & Aram, 2003; Baldridge, Floyd, &Markoczy, 2004) 14. Cyclic concern about this problem Former AOM President Cummings says thatforging closer links between research andpractice is key 15. Who is playing this game? Two key players (often opposing teams)researchers VS business practitioners They arent speaking to each other. Why not? The purpose of research (general vs. specific) The nature of management research (messy!) The nature of knowledge (explicit, tacit) 16. Build a bridgeand get over it! Strengthen the LINKS connecting the two mainplayers Favorite LINKS: Scholarly papers & journals Academic conferences University classrooms & textbooks Trade publications & professional newsletters National, regional, and local newspapers !!! 17. Most of us in our types ofinstitutions dont spend our livesin research, but we can providean important service to ourcommunities by taking the ideasto the streets, by writingcareful, thought-provokingcommunications. 18. So where does that leave us Those of us who have published in peer-reviewedjournals, understand theimportance of writing. Academic scholarship is difficult and verytime consuming. Most of us dont have thetime or resources to publish in tier one or tiertwo journals; however, we still do haveimportant ideas to communicate. 19. So where does that leave us Even if we are fortunate enough to publish injournals (which require, in some cases, yearsof work) the work is only read by a fewhundred or at best a few thousand people. For example, the premiere Academy ofManagement Journal, considered one of thetop five academic business journals in theworld, has a circulation of only 18,100. 20. Actually it may be moredismal than that!!! The Smithsonian Magazine has reportedsome rather stunning conclusions aboutreadership of academic articles. While it maya bit deflating to those of us who labor in theacademic peer-reviewed world, here are fewkeys points. One estimate indicates there areabout 1.8 million articles published each yearin approximately 28,000 journals. 21. Actually it may be moredismal than that!!! Of those papers, half of them are read onlyby their authors and journal editors. A 2007study contends that 90 percent of paperspublished are NEVER cited. According to the2007 study in some cases academiasincentive structure may make it better topublish something rather than nothing, evenif that something is only read by you andyour reviewers. 22. Actually it may be moredismal than that!!! As more journals come online, the articlesreferenced are more recent, and fewerjournals and articles are cited. Source: www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/half-academic-studies-are-never-read-more-three-people-180950222/#ZlMySP1BCFUhyXa2.99 23. Others Citing your work is a bit oftrip 24. While no comparison to peerreviewed journals So many writers in newspaper have to do,writing at a dumbed- down level Tend to focus on the negative in ourcommunities 25. By writing a newspaper column We integrate cutting-edge writing and research in a positivehelpful fashion. And it actually gets read and adds value to the newspaperand the community. We have the chance to introduce current cutting edge ideasas well as the ideas of classic thinkers such as Porter, Kanter,Eisenhardt, Kotter, Goleman, Simon, Collins, Mintzberg, andseveral other prominent seminal thinkers to our readers. 26. Increasing opportunity to integratescripture and Christian ideals.. It comes naturally it is appreciated by readers Fits our mission and my mission For many readers probably the only timethey are exposed to scripture- so never doneheavy handed. 27. Increasing opportunity to integratescripture and Christian ideals.. Remember Kurt Lewins Nothing is sopractical as good theory For us nothing is so common sense inmanagement as the scripture! 28. Benefits to Multiple Stakeholder Groups Cultivating a close relationshipwith local media, can yieldimportant benefits for multiplestakeholder groups. The Community The Newspaper Our Readers Our Students University For Us Too! 29. Engaging in public outreach allows us togive back to our communityCommunity in transitionMany small business ownerswith limited resourcesGrowing professionalcommunityWrite about wide variety oftopics 30. Writing for local media shows our studentsthat we not only expect them to write but thatwe do the same I WANT TO YELL THIS!! Weexpect our students to write-weshould too. Articles serve as real-life realtime points for discussions. We are able to somewhatenact our environment asKarl Weick would say 31. Newspapers are in a crisis The State of the News Media 2013 : Cutbacks in 2012 had the industry down 30per cent since its peak in 2000 Below 40,000 full-time professionals for thefirst time since 1978. Decline of US newspapers continues unabated (2013, Apr 04). Source: Gulf NewsRetrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1323115073. 32. Many papers are moving away fromregional/national coverage to more local1 Papers are needing tofind a new voice2 Local columnists helpretain base3 Frankly - cost cutting deviceaccording to Ken Munjoy 33. Publishing locally opens opportunitiesfor us to speak at public functions Service clubs Professional Groups This opens more opportunities for ourstudents 34. Interacting with local organizations via localmedia provides visibility and opportunities forstudent internships and job opportunities 35. Synthesizing theory and practice increasescredibility for our professors and theinstitution Other local columnist are much more focusedon stories and anecdotes Also increases credibility for the paper 36. It is our goal to make our writingboth enlightened &proactive New ideas Old ideas recast Not talking down to our readers But yet make assessable to broad base ofreaders So we write within a appropriate BandWidth 37. Being appropriate 38. Sample Articles 39. Some recent articlesAlso posted on Blog 40. But at times we feel like prophets notaccepted in our own country Lots of feedback from community Much less from our colleagues In one case some outright right hostility But hey you deal with academics and maybeyoull agree for some professors theiropening position is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29E6GbYdB1c&safe=active 41. B2BWeeklyco-writingFirstAuthor/SecondauthorUsingOutsideAuthorsMoreDirect onPurposeFUTUREINCLUDESYOU? 42. We each started out writing a monthly orbi- monthly for Illinois Business ToBusiness (B2B) Limited circulation of about 4000 Very difficult to get enough ideas Eventually B2B was expanded to Will County and thenclosed Transferred to a monthly column in the newspaper But at that point we hand contacts and experience Were urged to write McDonalds conversation 500word column 43. Change of B2B to Daily Journal 44. We wanted to call the columnThe Village Idiots In deference to the Motley Fools Stamping out idiocy one article at a time The Village Idiots (ultimately led to website- http://www.viassociates.org/ Well it is closed down now. 45. Big Concern -How can we come upwith ideas for every week? 46. Ideas- they are every where!! Books- for me Audible Articles Songs Life!! TV, radio and movies Your pets 47. Wordsmithing does notwork as a duet! At one point one of us told the other to godown the hall and come back in 30 minutes From that point on we decided to do aPrimary/Secondary author approach 48. Conversation with Mr. Munjoy, GM of JournalGave Us New Direction His advice tell them what you want to tell, why it isimportant to them, why they should care, andthen summarize what you have just told them. 49. A New Step Forward- In mid-summer 2010 decision it would be helpfuland raise our credibility to bring in an occasional thirdguest author. We asked Kathleen Mays of East Texas BaptistUniversity to join the writing team and participate 4-5times a year. This gave us fresh ideas, e.g. management lessonsfrom the movies. Her articles have been well-received, and we put alocal spin to the article to meet our mandate. Since then I have used about 7 or 8 co-authors 50. Why do it? Personal desire to connect theory & practice Unique opportunity something to offer Fun to write It counts as faculty development and/orscholarship Local celebrity status 51. Two Local Papers Marshallnewsmessenger.com Marshall, TX population approx 25,000 welcome to Marshall city logo web-site News-journal.com Longview, TX population approx 75,000 City logo on website real east texas 52. Tips for you if you want to do this inyour community First establish a track record with reporters Respond FAST 53. Invite newspaper to yourspecial events 54. Work for "Free" The payoff is incredibility profitable in termsof more and more connections Allows me to publish to my Blog www.daakecomments.wordpress.com 55. Start with Letters to the Editors 56. Invite media people to your classes Marketing, Advertising, Journalism, Strategyand many more They liked being asked. We are learning thefine art of doing a favor by asking for afavor 57. Be choosy who you let write with you Keep the CRAZY ONES IN THE CLOSET!! 58. Guests co-writers Have co-written or will in the future with DBA students, graduates Bankers Health Care CEO IT Entrepreneur Psychologist Geographer 59. In the end I consider this opportunitya sacred trust My congregation every two weeks is from5-10 the size of the largest church inKankakee It may be the most important thing I do in myjob! 60. How about you .? Im always looking for co-authors! If you are interested take one of the sheetswith my business card and send me a note.. Looking for another 5-10 co-authors for 2015 Please feel free to freely borrow the articlesfrom my blog www.daakecomments.wordpress.com 61. Uncle Don wants you!! 62. www.daakecomments.wordpress.com 63. In conclusion. If you proceed downthis path You will find itimmensely rewardingfor you, your students,your university and thecommunity. 64. DISCUSSION & QUESTIONS?IF YOU WOULD LIKE A COPY OF THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION YOU CAN E-MAIL ME @DDAAKE@OLIVET.EDUOR FIND IT ON SLIDE SHARE