Action Learning and Action Research Journal

ALARj Vol 30 No 1 Cover and Table of Contents

Shankar Sankaran, Azril Bacal Roij — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700

Cover and Table of Contents for Vol 30 No 1

Editorial

Shankar Sankaran, Azril Bacal Roij — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700

Editorial for Vol 30 No 1

Erik Lindhult Memorial Rune

Osman Aytar, Christer Nygren, Anette Strömberg — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700

This paper is a short memorial for Erik Lindhult by his colleagues at Mälardalen University.

Preface to doctoral thesis Management by Freedom

Erik Lindhult — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700

A dissertation seldom reaches a wider audience since their style is usually highly specialized. This work touches a broad problematic concerning Western modernity, which both neglects, yet strives towards, democratic and efficient management of innovation and change.

Thoughtlet: Systemic Innovation, Action Research and Collaborative Inquiry

Shankar Sankaran — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700

I want to reflect on two important works of Erik and explain how it resonated with my own work and thinking. I hope these reflections are valuable to action researchers and system thinkers who read this journal.

Systemic innovation and industry transformation

Erik Lindhult — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700

Systemic innovation as a concept and theory is still undeveloped for understanding and managing innovation. By a focus on processes where actors innovate systemically, where systems are seen as something constructed by innovators rather than given in reality, systemic innovation adds to leading approaches to managing innovation, like open innovation, triple helix, as well as innovation system and ecosystem, with potentials to be developed into a new paradigm in innovation studies and innovation management. Through conceptual development, literature review and empirical study at three industrial innovation centers focused on industry transformation, a model for systemic innovation is developed. The model aims to contribute to theory of systemic innovation as well as be potential guide for practitioners in innovating systemically.

Dialogue as a Social Research Orientation, Method, and Social Practice

Azril Bacal, Erik Lindhult — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700

Dialogue is proposed in this article as a legitimate and useful research orientation and method in the social sciences. This approach has been successfully applied in problem-solving studies in various disciplines, and in the discovery of innovations in different fields. It challenges, moreover, the elitist and vertical division of labor, that separates researchers from “subjects of research,” herewith regarded as co-researchers. Dialogue is viewed as a central value and theoretical construct to guide the use of participatory action-research. It contributes to the production of scientific and applied knowledge, and also fosters inclusion, mutual learning, creativity, and human development among co-researchers. It also invites researchers cum citizens in the formulation of public policies and strategies of action in real-life situations. This research orientation and methodology requires of participants personal attitudes of humility and openness to learn from each other. This alternative research perspective contributes to knowledge-democracy, by sharing with the knowledge thus produced in collaborative settings, where researchers contribute to knowledge-creation on equal basis. Ontologically, it supports a paradigmatic shift from the reified view that takes “social reality as given,” to a paradigm oriented towards a process-oriented and inter-subjective approach to “constructed realities,” attained via dialogic communication.

Educating for Participation and Knowledge Co-Creation

Mary Brydon-Miller, David Coghlan — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700

As a tribute to Erik Lindhult, this article reflects on the theory and practice of doctoral education in Participatory Action Research, on which the authors collaborated with Erik. It explores the underlying research philosophy and relational skills required in doctoral education, and alternative ways programs may be structured. Central to this reflection is Erik’s description of his vision for his doctoral program.

Wicked theorising: Theory building to address complex problems

Natalie Smith, Shankar Sankaran, Bob Dick — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700

As scholars, many of us aspire to use our research to help solve wicked societal challenges, and believe in the power of theory to do this. However there has long been criticism of the commonly used qualitative and quantitative research methods to make meaningful impact on solving complex problems. There have been a number of scholars spanning many generations of research who have been developing alternative methods, not to replace, but to expand the academic toolkit in situations where the mainstream methods reach their limits. We represent three generations of scholars who have found these methods, with some adaptations, are also well suited to help address complex or wicked problems. The aim of the paper is to outline the challenges in conducting research to address wicked problems, and outline a method we term “wicked theorising”. The intent is to honour the legacy of the scholars who have preceded us, to outline the potential and limitations of wicked theorising, and share the techniques and strategies we have developed to address some of the practical challenges.

ALARA Membership Information

Shankar Sankaran — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700

information about ALARA membership and submissions to the ALARj.