Action and Case Research in
Management and Organizational
Contexts
AR Leadership: fostering change
from the inside
Action research involves change:
a) Change in a system, process, unit, sub unit;
b) Change in the way people undertake their tasks and
what tasks they may now have to do;
c) Change in how people relate to each other and the
tasks within those systems;
d) Change in the way they relate to you as the ‘leader’,
‘manager’ in that you are now also acting as
‘researcher’ as well;
e) Change in the way they relate to other units/sub
units;
f) Change in…………????
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Fear;
Dislike of the unknown;
Real conflicts of interest;
Low readiness for change.
Leading to the problems in the diagram below,
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Sometimes change should be resisted;
Sometimes it just needs better leadership;
Sometimes it calls for empowerment and
engagement of everyone;
Action research can help here.
Management and Leadership
A manager’s role, a leader’s role, a researcher’s role
Management is the process of achieving organizational objectives, within a
changing environment, by balancing efficiency, effectiveness and equity,
attaining the most from limited resources, and working with and through people.
Leadership is the process of influencing people towards achievement of
organizational goals. [Naylor (2004: p.354)]
Researchers are engaged in the conception or creation of new knowledge,
products, processes, methods and systems. The individual who conducts and
directs the study and carries the primary responsibility for the research. A
practitioner researcher is as much at the centre of the research as the other
stakeholders.
Doctorate in Business Administration
Differences between leaders and managers
Leaders:
An inspirational process;
More personal, active attitude;
Creates excitement, commitment, develops choices;
Empathy with people;
They work in but do not necessarily identify with the
organisation.
(Mullins, 2007)
Leading
Leading is “ influencing, guiding in direction, course, action.
Managers are people who do things right and leaders who do the right
thing with the difference being vision and judgement”.
(Bennis & Nanus,1985)
“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last thing is
to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a
servant and a debtor. That sums up the progress of an artful leader.”
(de Pree,1989)
However what is the position of a researcher,
what style or behaviours should they adopt in tackling change?
Leadership through AR
• Leaders can empower their staff through action
learning sets;
• Staff can empower themselves through action learning;
• Managers can develop themselves as more empathetic
leaders through reflection, 360 degree assessment,
being mentored;
• This style is not for everyone!
What do practitioner/researchers who are leaders and
managers do?
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Leadership;
Communication;
Change management;
Empowerment.
From within!
From below!
From outside the group of those in power!
As the practitioner/researcher are you an insider or
an
outsider?
(Herr & Anderson, 2005)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Empower the weak and resist coercion;
Bring about change;
Resist inappropriate change;
Provide leadership from within;
Provide a voice for stakeholders;
Develop a high readiness for change.
High readiness for change is where staff feel:
• Empowered, listened to, have high ‘self –efficacy’, safe to
criticise, enabled to actively contribute to the solution of
work related problems, high levels of social support.
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
Could you use action research in any of these ways for your dissertation?
References
Bass, B. M. (1990: p.19). Handbook of leadership. New York: Free Press.
Bennis, W.G. and Nanus, B. (1985).The strategy for taking charge. New York:
Harper Row.
DePree, M., (1989). Leadership is an art, New York: Doubleday.
Gallos J (2006) Ed. Organization Development: a reader. San Francisco Jossey –
Bass. Chapters 22 -26 on leadership/change/development.
Gibson J. Ivancevich J., Donnelly J. Konopaske R. (1991). Organization:
Behavior, Structure Processes Harlow Pearson. (12th Ed, 2005 now available)
Herr K. Anderson G. (2005). The Action research Dissertation: A guide for
students and faculty. London Sage.
Naylor J. (2004) 2nd ed. Management Harlow: Prentice-Hall.
Dynamic Administration: The Collected Papers of Mary Parker Follett: Early
Sociology of Management and Organizations, Vol. 3, by Mary Follett, L. Urwick
(Editor); Publisher: Taylor & Francis, Inc. November 2003.