Debate has persisted over the raison d'etre of the Information Systems (IS) discipline. There are manyfacets to this complex issue, including two closely linked ones, namely rigour versus relevance, and therelationship between academics and professionals. While there has been much introspection from ISresearchers as to the apparent state of play, there has been no empirical research conducted to illicitthe practitioner perspective. Based on a framework of the current literature, this paper explores thesituation from the practitioner perspective through in-depth interviews. This basis is extended by areflection from academics on the major barriers to the relationship. The findings provide new insightsinto the academic-practitioner relationship, highlighting aspects of the existing understanding andextending it in ways that will prove critical in assisting the resolution of this long-term problem.
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