Previous studies that have used knowledge utilization scales as their dependent variable have aggregated the stages to construct overall indices of knowledge utilization and they have attempted to identify factors explaining the extent of utilization. In this paper, each stage of the knowledge utilization scale is considered separately and compared to the previous stage in order to find factors explaining that researchers are able to climb up in the ladder of knowledge utilization from the echelon of no transmission to the echelon of transmission, then from the stage of transmission to that of cognition, from cognition to reference, from reference to effort, from effort to influence, and finally, from influence to application. To our knowledge, no prior empirical studies have examined the factors explaining why researchers succeed in climbing up the echelons of the ladder of knowledge utilization. The results suggest that the crucial stage of knowledge utilization is the stage of transmission. Nearly 30% of the scholars fail to climb the echelon of transmission and scholars differ on most of the explanatory variables when attempting to reach the echelon of transmission. Likewise, scholars do not differ on most of the explanatory variables when they try to climb from transmission to the higher echelons of the ladder of knowledge utilization. These results suggest that there are barriers to entry and that these barriers are primarily located between the stage of no transmission and the stage of transmission. These results carry theoretical and policy implications that need to be explored carefully. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting