Living on the Edge

Author(s):  
Nils-Petter Augustsson ◽  
Jonny Holmström

This chapter describes the efforts in ensuring research relevance by means of an industrial PhD project. The project is aiming at strengthening the relevance of research and development by educating scientists with an insight into the practical aspects of research and development and by developing networks in which knowledge can be effectively disseminated between industry and university. The project is taking its stand with an empirical and industrial centre with a technical solution called Dynamo, which is delivered by the company Logica. Dynamo, an intelligent portal that seamlessly connects systems, user information, roles and rule sets, and its context will provide a rich and useful empirical source from which to launch the action research process. The project contains two distinct stakeholders–industry and academy–jointly guiding the project and making sure that both worlds get a result that is in line with and contributes to their business. To this end two key stakeholders that have taken on the role as gatekeepers of rigor and relevance respectively. Taking position in the middle of the action is the PhD student who, by living the life of both researcher and consultant, will take on the role of balancing rigor and relevance. The chosen research approach together with the complex implementation context makes it crucial to take on an open minded selection.

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. e166382
Author(s):  
Andréa de Oliveira Gonçalves ◽  
João de Abreu Faria Bilhim ◽  
Ricardo Borges de Rezende ◽  
Rodrigo de Souza Gonçalves

Adopting an action research approach, this study presents the findings of an analysis of accountability and social control processes in place between the local government (Municipal Health Office) and the Anápolis-Brazil Municipal Health Council. The different stages of the action research process entailed: observation of plenary meetings, analysis of the composition of the council, a group interview with council members and the training of council members. The main results were the tabling and approval of a resolution defining a template for accountability reports and the drafting of a handbook with guidelines on how to read and analyze accountability reports. Members of the health council were seen to change their views concerning the process of analyzing the reports, the new emphasis being on their quality and on connecting them with the planning information. In the light of Habermas’s perspective, the authors question the role of training and the intention implicit in the guidelines: are they an opportunity for empowerment/liberation or, on the contrary, an instrument of domination and alienation?


2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emidia Vagnoni ◽  
Chiara Oppi

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on an action research project carried out in an Italian university hospital that was facing a strategic challenge. The role of intellectual capital (IC) for university hospital strategic management is discussed after developing and applying an IC framework to enhance the visualisation of strategic IC elements. Design/methodology/approach – An action research process has been applied in the studied setting based on Susman and Evered’s (1978) definition of the engaged research cycle. Findings – The action research process allowed a gap between theory and practice to be bridged; the strategic control process resulted supported by new measures; a different approach to strategy management was launched, and other organisations perceived the relevance of the IC representation and wished to import it. Research limitations/implications – Research limitations are related to those recognised for the interventionist research approach. Practical implications – The paper contributes to the improvement of managerial and accounting technologies for practitioners managing university hospitals and discusses a university hospital’s strategic goals. Originality/value – The paper represents a methodological contribution related to the interventionist research stream of literature, and enriches the limited studies focused on IC in health care organisations. Furthermore, the paper enables appreciation of the role of academics in the convergence of theory and practice.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. e000378
Author(s):  
Ryohei Goto ◽  
Junji Haruta

ObjectivesTo clarify the process of how caregivers in a nursing home integrate the perspectives of rehabilitation into their responsibilities through working with a physical therapist.DesignThis study was conducted under an action research approach.SettingThe target facility was a nursing home located in Japan. The researcher, a physical therapist, worked at the nursing home once a week from April 2016 to March 2017. During the study period, he created field notes focused on the dialogue and action of caregivers regarding care, responses of caregivers to the physical therapist and reflections as a physical therapist. Caregivers were also given a short informal interview about their relationship with the nursing home residents. For data analysis, two researchers discussed the content based on the field notes, consolidating the findings.ParticipantsThe participants were caregivers who worked at the target facility. Thirty-eight caregivers agreed to participate. Average age was 39.6±11.1 years, 14 (37%) were male and average caregiver experience was 9.8 years.ResultsTwo cycles of action research were conducted during the study period. There were four stages in the process of how caregivers in the nursing home integrated the perspectives of rehabilitation through their work with the physical therapist. First, caregivers resisted having the rehabilitation programme carried out in the unit because they perceived that rehabilitation performed by a physical therapist was a special process and not under their responsibility. However, the caregivers were given a shared perspective on rehabilitation by the physical therapist, which helped them to understand the meaning of care to adapt the residents’ abilities to their daily life. They practised resident-centred care on a trial basis, although with a sense of conflict between their new and previous role, which emphasised the safety of residents’ lives and personhood. The caregivers increased their self-efficacy as their knowledge and skills were supplemented by the physical therapist and his approval of their attempted care. They were then able to commit to their newly conceived specialty of care as a means of supporting the lives of residents.ConclusionsThe process of working with a physical therapist led to a change in caregivers’ perception and behaviours, which occurred in four stages: resistance to incorporation, recapture of other perspectives, conflicts and trials in the role of caregiver and transformation to a resident-centred perspective.


Author(s):  
Kamila Brodzińska ◽  
Agnieszka Szostak ◽  
Beata Jałocha

This chapter aims at presenting the results of the research carried out as part of the action research project concerning knowledge management and knowledge sharing in a public institution. As a research subject, a public cultural institution in Poland was selected. The methods used during the implementation of the research include observations, interviews, questionnaire surveys, and document analysis. The chapter presents the course of the research process, a diagnosis of problems, and challenges of the institution under study as regards project knowledge management, analysis of results, and recommendations. The principal result of the study is the developed action plan that contains an overview description of the proposed change and suggestions for solutions for the diagnosed challenge. It also illustrated that action research is a research approach supporting project management processes in public organizations. The theoretical background for considerations undertaken in the work are the concepts of project knowledge management and sharing knowledge on the implemented projects.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna M. Kelly ◽  
Sheranne Fairley

Purpose Event portfolios promote synergies among events and stakeholders within a destination in order to maximise resources. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of relationships in the creation and maintenance of an event portfolio using the four stages of Parvatiyar and Sheth’s (2000) process model of relationship marketing: formation, management and governance, performance evaluation, and evolution. Design/methodology/approach Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with tourism and government stakeholders involved in the creation and maintenance of an event portfolio within a single destination. Findings The destination outlined clear strategic goals through an event strategy. An Events Board was established to bring together key stakeholders from tourism, events, and government to oversee the development of an event portfolio. The Events Board gave advice to relevant tourism and government stakeholders on which events they should provide funding. Developing relationships was not a stated objective, but the Events Board realised the importance of relationships to create and maintain the destination’s event portfolio. Long-term funding contracts were used as a mechanism to establish relationships and were an impetus for interaction. Relationships were also maintained through dedicated staff who managed the relationships between the destination stakeholders and the events. Practical implications Understanding factors that contribute to the successful creation and maintenance of event portfolios can inform destination stakeholders who are responsible for generating tourism through events. Originality/value Limited research has examined the creation and maintenance of event portfolios. This study provides insight into the central importance of relationships in creating and maintaining an event portfolio.


2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 381-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter McInnes ◽  
Paul Hibbert ◽  
Nic Beech

PurposeThe paper aims to explore the problematics of validity that are inherent to the conduct of an action research project because of the disparate language games of both practitioners and academics.Design/methodology/approachAn exploration is offered of the tensions between different understandings of a research setting at different stages of the research process.FindingsIn each phase of the research there are a number of tensions between different epistemological assumptions about the “reality” of the research setting. Validity is not, therefore, about capturing a singular objective picture of the organisation, but rather it is produced through the negotiation of a temporary intersection of language games.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper provides a framework for understanding the role of the researcher in the research process and the issues underlying validity claims made from different epistemological positions.Practical implicationsThe paper provides insights in to the mechanisms through which practitioners and academics come to understand each other and the limitations of this knowledge.Originality/valueThe article raises awareness of the different normative assumptions at play within a variety of action research contexts.


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 290-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna K Gillett-Swan

Children’s role in the research process is often limited to a passive role as subject, recipient or object of data rather than as active contributor. The sociology of childhood considers children to be competent social actors and advocates for them to be recognised as such. This recognition is yet to filter into mainstream research agendas with children often remaining a passive provider to research that seeks to elicit their perspectives. This article presents an examination of the processes that children use when analysing their own qualitative research data as observed within a qualitative research project. It provides insight into the ability to increase the richness of data obtained when researching with children, by including their perspectives and contributions in the data analysis process. Children’s capacity as capable and competent contributors to research beyond the more passive role of participant is described and the ways that children can have a greater participatory role in qualitative data collection and analysis processes are discussed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy J Hiller ◽  
Danya F Vears

Purpose – It is increasingly common for health care clinicians to undertake qualitative research investigating an aspect of their own profession. Although the additional knowledge and perspective of a clinician might benefit the research, the professional background of the clinician-researcher can be a precipitator for confusion, similar to the therapeutic misconception occurring in quantitative clinical trials research. A significant challenge for the clinician-researcher is managing the misconceptions of participants and others about their role in the research process. The purpose of this paper is to outline these misconceptions and provide insight into how they might be avoided and managed through awareness and reflexivity. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper the authors draw on their experiences as clinician-researchers and memo writing data from their respective qualitative research projects to discuss participant misconceptions. Theories of reflexivity and ethics support the discussion. Findings – Potential misconceptions from participants include feeling obliged to participate, expecting to receive clinical care or feedback and believing they are being judged. This paper promotes reflexivity as a tool to pre-empt, prevent and manage participant misconceptions resulting from misunderstandings about the role of the clinician-researcher. Originality/value – Alerting clinician-researchers to potential misconceptions and providing examples of reflexive thinking in practice can assist researchers to increase the rigor of their qualitative research.


Author(s):  
Imam Subqi ◽  
Ulul Albab

This article discusses two important studies. First, the way the Kalibeber Wonosobo community handles waste. Second, the model of waste management in the Kalibeber Wonosobo group. This research uses a Participatory Action Research approach. This approach involves the Kalibeber community as an object and subject as well as to deal with waste. The results of this study show two important scopes. First, the Kalibeber Wonosobo community has an initiative to deal with waste. The initiative emerged because the community felt the environment was dirty, the river water flow was obstructed, and many sufferers of itching. Second, the waste management model uses decentralization. Waste management is carried out in each sub-area to be able to reuse waste (recycling). This discourse is different from other studies. The most prominent differentiating side is the active role of the community by being able to separate organic and inorganic waste. The community operates independently with a voluntary financing mechanism.Artikel ini membahas dua kajian penting. Pertama, cara masyarakat Kalibeber Wonosobo menangani sampah. Kedua, model pengelolaan sampah kelompok paguyuban peduli sampah Kalibeber Wonosobo. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan Participatory Action Research. Pendekatan ini melibatkan masyarakat kalibeber sebagai obyek dan subyek sekaligus untuk menangani sampah. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukan dua cakupan penting. Pertama, masyarakat Kalibeber Wonosobo memiliki inisiatif untuk menangani sampah. Inisiatif muncul karena masyarakat merasakan lingkungan kotor, aliran air sungai terhambat, dan banyak penderita penyakit gatal-gatal. Kedua, model pengelolaan sampah menggunakan desentralisasi. Pengelolahan sampah ini dilakukan pada setiap sub area untuk bisa memanfaatkan kembali sampah (daur ulang). Diskursus ini berbeda dengan kajian lain. Sisi pembeda yang paling menonjol, antara lain peran masyarakat yang aktif dengan mampu memisahkan sampah organik dan anorganik. Masyarakat bergerak mandiri dengan mekanisme pembiayaan secara sukarela.


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