Toward a reframing of action research for human resource and organization development

Abstract

We propose a framework for viewing action research (AR) by considering the level of criticality and the emphasis on methodological process. Specifically, we propose conventional AR, critical AR, and dialogic AR as three broad categories for considering AR. This framework is explored through discussing the philosophical foundations upon which these approaches rest and providing examples of AR studies and conceptual writings in the organizational change and development literature. This literature appears to be dominated by perspectives and discourses close to the conventional AR paradigm, which does not actively acknowledge value stances. A central point of the article is that dialogic AR, informed by pragmatic philosophy and philosophical hermeneutics, represents an emerging, promising perspective. Dialogic AR’s primary concern is to create understanding and mutual learning in and through dialogue while also leading to practical solutions. Practical implications of dialogic AR are also considered, in particular the conditions that need to be present for critical dialogue to flourish and the organizational realities that prevent such dialogue.

Enabling organizational cultural change using systemic strategic human resource management – a longitudinal case study

“…An action research cycle approach was used during the implementation phase, with a total of six 3-monthly cycles undertaken during this period. At the end of each 3 monthly period, a workshop with the implementation team leaders and the project managerswas held to undertake a full review, to reflect and to redesign where necessary, consistent with the action research approach (Fletcher, Zuber-Skerritt, Bartlett, Albertyn and Kearney 2010;Maurer and Githens 2010;Kocher et al 2011). The projects were fully or partly implemented by June 2001, and the outcomes from the projects are explained in the next section.…”

Collaborative research for sustainable learning: the case of developing innovation capabilities at Volvo Cars

“…The collaborative project aimed to create change by creating learning in the client organization and to generate knowledge for the research community, that is, to build a mutual learning system (Maurer and Githens 2009). The research design was aligned to the three key notions of collaborative management research: (i) long-term partnership; (ii) emergent inquiry process; (iii) development of actionable scientific knowledge (Shani, David, and Willson 2004).…”

Reflexive audiovisual methodology: The emergence of “minority practices” among pluriactive stock farmers

“…We shall therefore refer to ourselves in this text as academics when we examine our reflexive interactions with the stock farmers and as researchers when we consider only interactions among researchers. The intervention research model (Hatchuel, 2000;David, Hatchuel et al, 2001;Hatchuel, Le Masson et al, 2002) that we adopted in our film project originates in the dialogic approaches of Maurer's action-research typology (Maurer and Githens, 2010). Maurer's typology stresses the role of professional inquiry (Schwandt, 1997;Reason, 2003) in the vein of such American pragmatists as John Dewey and Richard Rorty.…”