Different Ways to Disagree

Abstract

Organizational communication processes are complex, but all too often, researchers oversimplify the study of these processes by relying on a single method. Particularly when scholars and practitioners partner together to solve organizational problems, meaningful results require methodological flexibility and diversity. As an exemplar of the fit between mixed methods research and engaged scholarship, the present project used surveys, observations, and interviews to study the process of dissent in two organizations. Results emphasized that each organization’s mission was a key factor in how employees expressed disagreement and how others responded. Emergent research questions and sequential data collection revealed insights that would have been missed in single method studies and provided more complete insights for the nonacademic practitioners involved in the study.