Action Research-Learning Approach for Social and Organizational Development

Abstract

Education and research play a decisive role in the creation, dissemination, and use of knowledge. They form an important foundation for innovation at all levels. In recent years, a key strategy of most countries has been the promotion of industrial innovation and the governments focus turning to research in the university sector to deliver this innovation. Further, an increase in competition, and the fact that knowledge creation requires time, more organizations prefer acquiring it rather than internally developing. Hence, the chapter addresses a simple question— do action learning and research lead to organizational development? Truly said, research and teaching are synergistic too. Thus, adopting a grounded theory approach and in-depth literature review, the aim of this chapter is to investigate and cultivate a deeper understanding of action learning and research, establish a connection between knowledge and practice and show how this makes organizational development possible apart from proposing a framework for adoption of action research.