Researching Organizational Practice through Action Research: Case Studies and Design Choices

Abstract

This article contributes to an understanding of action research as a phenomenological methodological paradigm for carrying out research into management and organizations. Two case studies of action research are presented. Three areas of choice—overtness, visibility, and riskiness—that emerge out of the cases and that are significant issues in designing action research projects are discussed. Highlighting and explicating these provides a basis for greater rigor and reflexivity in action research.