SABACIREBON. — In Indonesia today, there is still a gap between management theory and practice due to the teaching system, which consists of theories based on textbooks from Western countries. This was the conclusion presented by Prof. Dr. Zulganef, Drs., MM in his scientific speech at his inauguration and appointment as Professor before the open session of the Widyatama University Senate in Bandung on Thursday, February 1, 2024. At the open session of the University Senate, chaired by the Rector of Widyatama University, Prof. Dr. Dadang Suganda, Prof. Zulganef delivered his speech by discussing in depth the importance of “The Role of Higher Education in Reducing the Gap between Management Theory and Practice in Indonesia.”
According to the first professor of Widyatama University, who was born in Bandung on November 21, 1963, science develops through research, and so does management science. According to him, modern management science began with the research of Henry Fayol and Frederick Taylor, who are now known as the fathers of modern management science. Furthermore, the results of Henry Fayol and Frederick Taylor’s research or observations were developed by their colleagues or students, thus forming a body of knowledge.
The development of this knowledge generally arises from the gap between theory and practice. Research is usually developed based on this gap between theory and practice.
Quoting Drucker, according to Prof. Zul, as he is known among his close friends, management development occurs because of innovations in practice, creating a gap between practice and theory. To overcome this gap between management practice and theory, Zulganef believes that it is necessary to develop management theories or concepts that originate from or are sourced from management practices in Indonesia itself.
“To explore management theories that originate from management practices in Indonesia, higher education institutions as providers of management education and management lecturers in Indonesia should conduct more intensive research,” said the professor, who completed his master’s and doctoral degrees at Gadjah Mada University. In relation to the importance of exploring and researching Indonesian management practices more intensively, the father of three children from his marriage to Fenilia binti Jalinus proposed that management lecturers need to be retrained or sent back to school to become independent management researchers.
