Spanish University Business Chairs used to increase the deployment of Action Research in Operations Management: A case study and analysis

Abstract

This research identifies Action Research as a methodology that can play an important role in enhancing the contribution of universities to the improvement of business competitiveness through Operations Management research. We propose that a Business Chair, defined as an agreement between a university and a business organization, can be a useful tool in research projects based on Action Research methodology. We analyze a set of Business Chairs in the field of Operations Management in Spanish universities. We draw up a set of research questions aiming to determine the degree to which Action Research methodology is used in the Chairs analyzed, and to define the key factors for the successful implementation of Action Research projects.