Academics and practitioners: the challenge of collaboration an example from social work and social services in Israel

Although the need to integrate research into the practice world has always been a desire of researchers and practitioners alike, recently there has been growing interest in this collaboration. While studies have explored various aspects of this connection, few have investigated the ‘black box’ of social relations between academics and practitioners. Based on a qualitative study, the current article examines how practitioners and academics perceive this connection. Using Foucault’s perspective and the causes typology of Stone, the findings reveal three meta themes: the descriptive, emotional and functional stories, and identify more nuanced features of the connection between academics and practitioners. Managers should be aware that the connection between academics and practitioners involves functional, descriptive and emotional perceptions. Managers can diminish the relationship between power and knowledge by promoting formal mechanisms that acknowledge the common interests of academics and practitioners. Boundary spanners can be used to create more equal and productive relationships.