Reflexivity in nonprofit management research: A reflection on the role of self as researcher

Abstract

Drawing on three diverse case studies, the research note illustrates the use of reflexivity as an advantageous research strategy and its implications for nonprofit management and leadership research. Reflexivity is both a product and a process, that highlights a mutuality between researcher and participants in creating collaborative knowledge through intentional information exchange. For nonprofit organizations, reflexivity offers a research method that extends the sector's community‐based participatory approach. On the surface, nonprofit organizations are comfortable with diverse research methodologies. The multifaceted systems, interactions and processes that characterize nonprofit organizations require researchers to incorporate standard methodologies alongside more complex dimensions of participants' lived experiences. This paper highlights why reflexivity is a viable social constructivist research method relevant to the nonprofit management research collaborative approach.