The nature of work-related problems: messy, co-produced and wicked

Abstract

Purpose Work-based research is the applied form of work-based learning (WBL) and has been described as the systematic and methodical process of investigating work-related “problems”. Such problems can either be associated with specific workplaces and domains of practice or may more broadly be described as practical, social or real-world in nature. However, the specific characteristics of work-related problems for organisations and society have yet to be explained, and inadequate problem definition, multiple and competing goals, and lack of agreement on cause-effect relationships have hampered understanding. The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of work-related problems and provides examples from real-world contexts in Australia. Design/methodology/approach The paper provides models and examples of standard and non-standard work-related problems based on prior research and current practice. Findings Research paradigms view work-related problems as either definable and solvable or ill-defined, complex, difficult to describe and not easily rectified. The former view is concerned with “high ground problems” associated with traditional research methods; the latter with “lowland, messy, confusing problems” more frequently associated with the social sciences. Irrespective of orientation and definition, work-related problems have one thing in common: they are typically messy, constantly changing and complex, and many are co-produced and wicked. Originality/value Despite difficulties with identifying and isolating the various types of work-related problem, the paper establishes the importance of doing so for the practitioner. The definition and examination of work-related problems contribute to an evolving formulation of WBL and its application to private organisations, government agencies and work more generally.

The COVID-19 pandemic: a catalyst for creativity and collaboration for online learning and work-based higher education systems and processes

“…As the digital ecosystem drives innovations at an accelerated pace, world economies now must become part of the knowledge society further escalating the role and importance of HEIs (Schwab, 2017). Fundamental to organisational development in the foreseeable future will be responsiveness to WBL and its applied discipline of workbased research to inform policy development and systemic changes at the whole institution level (Fergusson, 2019). For universities in developing contexts, the challenge to support national development plans with a social impact agenda seems to loom in the post COVID-19 era.…”

“…For the purposes of this paper, it is evident that the discipline of work-based learning and research focused on HEIs is primarily from the lens of Western contexts (Altbach et al, 2019). Thus, the approach adopted is mindful of several "messy" and "wicked" problems that must be dealt with at the outset (Fergusson, 2019). This case study (Yin, 2017) of the university recognizes:…”

A degree of recognition across policing: embedding a degree apprenticeship encompassing work-based research

“…As of March 2021 there were slightly over 1,900 new student officers enrolled on PCDA's (Gov.UK, 2021b), this will increase as more PCDA partnerships between police forces and higher education providers are licensed by the College of Policing and begin their co-delivery. Fergusson (2019) details a range of individual benefits for studying such programmes of work-based learning including increased confidence, motivation and competence. Individual benefits such as these can easily be transposed to those studying the PCDA, which is a step towards the recognition of the profession of policing and embedding of apprentice graduatelevel skills across the service.…”

Work, resilience and sustainable futures

“…Such an exploration has led us to ask if a more sustainable future can be considered possible, specifically in relation to identifying solutions to problems associated with work environments. This matter is particularly challenging for organisational researchers and social scientists because work environments have been described variously as unstable, constantly changing, complex and messy (Fergusson, 2019; Smith, 2017), and the problems that occur within them short-lived, making research tricky. Nevertheless, our conceptual plan for describing this effort can be seen in the proto-theoretical model advanced in Figure 1, which not only posits the axis of work environment (A) > resilience (B) > a sustainable future (C) but also describes the proposed relationship between the three themes, along with citations of some of the key literature on them.…”

“…For example, in the UK, 35 percent of all health-related work illnesses and 43 percent of work absences can be attributed to work stress (Black et al , 2017). Elsewhere, such WRPs have been described as ‘wicked’ (Fergusson, 2019), and that working conditions are predicators of the future health and well-being of workers (Black et al , 2017). Kennedy's (2016, p. 23) analysis of solastalgia and the attempt to ‘capture the distress and suffering experienced by people when their place of residence [is] threatened by significant environmental transformation’ contribute to the same discussion.…”