Research in organisations and communities Tales from the real world

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Research in organisations and communities Tales
from the real world

• Carole Kayrooz and Chris Trevitt
• Published by Allen and Unwin, 2005, pp360

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• In the varied topography of professional
  practice, there is a high, hard ground
  overlooking a swamp.
• On the high ground, manageable problems lend
  themselves to solution through the application of
  research-based theory and technique. In the
  swampy lowland, messy, confusing problems defy
  technical solution.

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• The irony of this situation is that the problems
  of the high ground tend to be relatively
  unimportant to individuals or society at large,
  however great their technical interest may be,
  while in the swamp lie the problems of greatest
  human concern.
• The practitioner must choose.
• Shall he (sic) remain on the high ground where he
  can solve relatively unimportant problems
  according to prevailing standards of rigor, or
  shall he descend to the swamp of important
  problems and nonrigorous inquiry?
• Schon, 1987, Educating the Reflective
  Practitioner, p3.

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Outline

• Research in an applied context
• What do we mean by context?
• Case studies from different contexts
• The book - more than just methods
• Building the whole book
• Insider and outsider perspectives
• Action research and systems model frameworks to
  bring it all together
• Comments and questions

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Research contextual framework

• Researcher
• values, autonomy, accountability, role, position,
  identity, etc
• Site of the research
• values, culture, structure, systems, history,
  future aspirations, stakeholders etc
• Research motivation
• curiosity, funding, institutional backing, power
  and prestige of sponsors, hidden agendas, etc

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A model of context for research in organisations
and communities
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The case studies

• Equity (Carole Kayrooz)
• Internal change (Chris Trevitt)
• Community youth (Barbara Pamphilon)
• Surplus space (Maureen Boyle)
• Community aged care (Corinne Trevitt and
  Elizabeth MacKinlay)
• Business planning (Carole Kayrooz)
• Exemplary proposal (Barbara Chambers and John
  Spriggs)

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The book - more than just methods(or Methods
in context)

• A model of context
• Case studies of inquiry in action
• Research purpose, quality and design
• Methods of inquiry
• Writing reviews and proposals
• Integrating it all

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The book - building the whole

• Started in the middle
• middle hands dirty case studies
• Worked backwards to yield need for model of
  context
• Worked forward to yield colour and real world
  take on methods and approach
• Demanded closure in form of models and synthesis

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Insider and outsider ways of working

• Insiders
• Ensure sufficient time and resources
• Work with a team
• Seek advice(continually)
• Be patient!

• Outsiders
• Get to know the site of research
• Anticipate reaction and reservation
• Promote the idea of the research and its findings

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Action research and systems frameworks

• Insiders
• Participative action research
• pursue both research and action in an integrated
  fashion

• Outsiders
• Systems frameworks
• multiple causes recursively act and interact to
  maintain problems

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Putting the frameworks together

• Situations are dynamic - be malleable
• Changes over a time are to be expected
• Researcher an insider or outsider?
• Research sponsor an insider or outsider?

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Open for discussion

• What contexts do you work in?
• Does our model of context have potential in your
  work?
• Do insider-outsider, action research, or systems
  frameworks apply in your work?
• Any other comments, questions, suggestions?