Phil Johnson

Action research: Explaining the diversity

For nearly 70 years scholars have been discussing the characteristics of action research and it is apparent that there is an increasingly wide range of forms that action research takes in practice. Here we argue that such diversity is not haphazard and that we must be cautious about developing all-embracing standards to differentiate the ‘good’ from the ‘bad’. Rather this diversity is inspired by different philosophical stances, which usually remain tacit in published accounts thereby fuelling ambiguity and controversy about what action research should entail in practice and as to its ‘scientific’ status. The aim of this article is to explain the apparent diversity of action research in the organization studies domain, by clarifying how variable philosophical assumptions systematically lead to the constitution of distinctive forms of action research with their attendant conceptions of social science. This diversity is illustrated, with examples from the relevant literature, in terms of variation in: the aims of action research; its conception of social science; the role of the action researcher and their relations with members; the validity criteria deployed and the internal tensions that arise.

Epistemology and work psychology: New agendas

The aim of this paper is to examine current epistemological debates within psychology and social science generally, and to explicate their significance for the way in which work psychology research is conducted. It is argued that although there have been a number of recent critiques of the epistemological and methodological base of psychology, the research base of work psychology has come in for little such attention. The result has been a lack of reflexivity on the part of work psychologists. One potential challenge to this status quo comes from postmodernism which has had a significant impact on other areas of social science. This paper illustrates some of the key tensions and debates that result from extending these epistemological debates to the realm of work psychology. It is argued that a consideration of epistemology is important for work psychologists; and that different approaches to positivism, such as postmodernism, can provide us with different ways of examining and conducting work psychology research. The importance of epistemological reflexivity is highlighted within the paper: that is the researcher makes explicit, and critically reflects upon, the epistemological assumptions that underlie their own work. Finally, the authors assess the implications of this for work psychology research and practice generally.

The role and status of qualitative methods in management research: an empirical account

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a piece of empirical work that investigates the current role and status of qualitative research within the management field.Design/methodology/approach – The research is based on 45 in‐depth qualitative interviews with members of a range of different stakeholder groups, including: journal editors; qualitative researchers; Doctoral Programme Leaders; practitioners; and those who fund qualitative management research.Findings – The findings suggest that there is considerable variety in definitions of qualitative research; that there are still a number of issues surrounding the status and credibility of qualitative research within the field; and there is a need for greater access to researcher training in this area.Practical implications – The paper is of practical interest to qualitative researchers in that it details some of the issues surrounding publishing qualitative work.Originality/value – The paper presents original empirical work in this field.

Defining qualitative management research: an empirical investigation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of research which explores how the concept qualitative management research is variably constructed and defined by those who have a direct interest in, and influence upon, important aspects of qualitative management research.Design/methodology/approach – Information was gathered through the use of semi‐structured interviews conducted with 44 individuals who were drawn from four observer‐identified types of “expert” informant who were taken to generally represent key groups of stakeholders in the conduct, evaluation and dissemination of qualitative management research. Interview data from these individuals were analysed though an iterative process using the NVivo software package to inductively generate definitional categories and explore aspects of their interrelationships.Findings – From data analysis it was apparent that there are eight different, but often interrelated, ways in which interviewees define qualitative management research. The ph...

Whence Democracy? A Review and Critique of the Conceptual Dimensions and Implications of the Business Case for Organizational Democracy

Predominantly in the USA, the business case for organizational democracy has recently emerged out of new wave management and is characterized by a communitarian challenge to the economic efficiency of hierarchical modes of organizational governance. It presents democratization as a pragmatic remedial device to counter the symptoms of employee alienation and ameliorate the organizational problems associated with destabilized capitalism. This paper outlines the origins and nature of the business case for organizational democracy through a comparison with new wave management; uncovers its underlying rationale in terms of an array of constitutive assumptions that justify and differentiate its prescriptions for the workplace; and considers the implications of using a business case to legitimate the democratization of work organizations. It concludes by outlining the paradoxes inherent in the business case and suggests that, rather than appropriating the business case’s functionalist teleology, it is at the interconnection of politics, ethics and knowledge, together with more consideration of the values and particularism which underpin trust in hierarchy, whence organizational democracy can best gather its rationale and legitimization.

Learning to be a Qualitative Management Researcher

Conducting management research underpins management learning and education—therefore how the management researcher or practitioner learns research skills is an important issue to be addressed. This paper focuses upon the skills, knowledge and practices required to conduct qualitative management research, and the learning processes that go into their development. A total of 45 in-depth interviews were conducted with key stakeholders in the field. From an analysis of the interview data, the types of skills and knowledge required for the production of good qualitative research were identified, and the learning processes and practices associated with those skills were critiqued. It is argued that the processes by which we learn to do qualitative research, and become effective qualitative researchers, involve both the learning of appropriate skills and knowledge and their use and conceptualization through three types of research practice: reflection, reflexivity and phronesis. The implications of the analysis for management learning are presented.

The Rise of Post-Bureaucracy Theorists' Fancy or Organizational Praxis?

Theories of post-bureaucracy point to a breakdown of traditional modes of managerial authority in the face of a range of pressures commonly associated with globalization and technological advance. This may make for a proliferation of alternative practices and/or allow for a genuine sharing of power in the workplace, associated with higher levels of responsible autonomy. Based on the findings of a series of transnational surveys, this article confirms a tendency, over time, for organizations to make greater use of mechanisms to promote responsible autonomy, in a wide range of national contexts. This would seemingly support a central proposition of theories of post-bureaucracy: a tendency for organizations to delegate more power to employees over time, reflecting the breakdown of traditional bureaucratically ordered power relations. At the same time, however, the research highlighted an uneven and contested process of change, reflecting both the persistent effects of national, regional and sectoral modes of regulation, and the non-linear and episodic nature of organizational change.

Contracting in ten English local authorities: preferences and practices

During the 1990s the contract has become a key feature in the restructuring of the UK public sector. Currently available literature demonstrates an awareness that the implementation of contracting must entail new forms of management control and organizational structure which involve new patterns of intra‐ and extra‐organizational relationships. However, there is little consideration of the nature of the relationships which are developing between contractors and clients nor the factors that influence those behavioural processes. This paper reports on research funded by ESRC into contracts in ten local authorities in the UK. Analysis was undertaken to identify the nature of the contracts and the factors which both clients and contractors felt had led them to develop a particular type of relationship. This is followed by an exploration of the literature on partnerships, summarising the implications for the nature of the relationship between the client and contractor, based in particular on the distinction between transactional and relational contracting. It is shown that “textbook” approaches provide a useful heuristic, but do not reflect the subtleties of the interactions which develop during contracts. The overall implications are then considered, and related to theories of fair process and trust. The practical implications for public sector contracting (in particular best value) and for partnership activity are then outlined.

Qualitative methods in management research: An introduction to the themed issue

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to introduce the themed issue about qualitative research in the business and management fieldDesign/methodology/approach – The paper considers some issues about how to define the term “qualitative research”, and then introduces each of the papers in the themed issue.Findings – The contents of this themed issue demonstrate the insights that qualitative research can make into the management field.Originality/value – A large amount of interest was generated in the themed issue. As a consequence, Emerald Publishing Group are launching a new journal which specifically focuses on qualitative research in this field.

Surfacing embedded assumptions: Using repertory grid methodology to facilitate organizational change

This article outlines a 3-year research project that examines the role of performance evaluation and control systems in bringing about change in manufacturing organizations. A key aim of the project was to develop tools and techniques that managers can use to enable them to understand and enact change. As part of an indepth case study methodology, repertory grid interviews were used with both managers and operatives in three companies as a means of identifying commonly held assumptions about a range of work behaviours. The article discusses the use of the grid as a developmental, rather than exploratory technique, thereby focusing on its use as a process through which managers can assess their systems in use and highlight any necessary change issues. It is argued that repertory grid techniques have a useful part to play in diagnosing the key change issues that work and organizational psychologists face when planning organizational change and development interventions.