Impact on Management Practice after Completing the DBA

The contribution of DBA research to management practice after the researcher has completed their thesis requires further investigation. The evidence so far is based on small scale studies, often in the wider field of professional doctorates, rather than being specifically focused on the DBA as a management qualification. A pilot study of five DBA alumni from Sheffield Business School revealed a wide range of different impacts in the workplace, covering changes to their own practice, wider applications in their organisations/work with clients, producing materials for professional bodies/networks, publishing findings for a wider audience and use in teaching at universities or other education bodies. This suggests promising avenues for further research on the impact on management practice after completing the DBA. A large scale, international study does not seem to have been undertaken so far, and would enable a more detailed understanding of the role of the DBA in relation to changes in management practice to be obtained than has been hitherto achieved.