Refocusing issue management: bridging academic and practitioner perspectives

The central theme in this exegesis is the positioning of issue management across the scholarly and business environments, drawing the best from both, along with the important role of advanced academic research and analysis in refocusing this relationship. The history and development of issue management is explored, new concepts are introduced to define and categorise issues, and innovative tools are presented. Academic publications submitted as part of the thesis are analysed within four broad themes - formal issue management models and processes; new tools for issue management technology; growing NGO/activist use of the discipline; and repositioning issue management in relation to other management disciplines.<br><br>The exegesis concludes that the future of issue management will be played out in both the academic and practitioner spheres and that an effective link between the two elements enhances the value of both. It ends with analysis of key areas for future research, including establishment of a formal theoretical framework; progressing the development of agreed taxonomy, improving issue prioritization tools and better explication of issue management migration into other fields.