Action Research in OrganisationsThe current orthodoxy is that 'knowledge' is the most powerful resource for organisational success. So how can managers develop the appropriate knowledge base to make their organisations grow? The answer lies in action research. Action research is increasingly perceived and used as a powerful methodology to promote professional awareness and development. However, there are very few texts that demonstrate how this can be utilised to promote management and organisational improvement or that emphasise the reflective nature of improving professionalism. Action Research in Organisations fills this gap. Aimed at both practising managers and university students alike, key features of this title include: * the location of management and organisational theory within a framework * examination of the principles and practice of action research * real-world examples and case studies of people attempting to improve their own situations through action research. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
New theories of discourse | 9 |
Management learning | 16 |
Why am I writing this book and why are you reading it? | 22 |
PART I | 33 |
Learning about learning | 60 |
Learning organisations as good societies 49 | 67 |
9 | 89 |
Interpretive research | 160 |
Understanding my work as a group leader in employment | 173 |
Courage to risk courage to be free | 192 |
Action research | 200 |
PART III | 219 |
New theories of organisation | 242 |
PART IV | 257 |
My epistemology of practice of the superintendency | 274 |
Action research power and control | 95 |
a story of intentional | 115 |
PART II | 125 |
Empirical research | 142 |
Rehabilitating sexual offenders in religious communities | 154 |
How one school is fulfilling the vision of Peter Senges | 285 |
302 | |
323 | |
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Common terms and phrases
action enquiry action learning action research approach aware become Bruce Ferguson challenge Chapter Chomsky colleagues commitment create critical critical theory critique culture deliberative democracy discourses dominant Dublin encourage epistemology example exists experience Falmer focus form of theory free market human ideas implications improve individual influence institutional interpretive Ireland issues kind knowledge learning organisation living London management education management learning McNiff means ment metaphors methodologies nature organisation studies organisation theory organisational contexts paradigm participants personal-social political potential practice practitioners produce professional programmes propositional knowledge questions realise reality recognise reflect relationships Republic of Ireland responsibility rural community development says scholarship Schön situation social renewal Stephen O'Connor stories teachers teaching technical rational theories of organisation things tion tional traditional transformational understand University University of Bath values Waikato Polytechnic Whitehead wider workplace