How preferable and possible is management research-led teaching impact?

Despite some research-led teaching relying heavily on an individual’s research, we find very few impact cases studies from the United Kingdom’s research excellence framework 2014 which use this mechanism for impact. This article questions this absence, identifies problems and challenges of ignoring it and suggests recognising students as research translators to create change. Using research excellence framework 2014 as a case, we define research-led teaching and use Boyer’s scholarship of application as our pedagogical base arguing that ignoring this impact pathway is unjustifiable, demotivating and a missed opportunity which underrepresents the impact of management research. The article provokes new thinking on research-led teaching impact for faculty, research managers, universities and international impact assessment organisations.