Shifting culture and improving OD practice in a hierarchical context: The power of the action research question ‘What can I and can’t I do?’

Authors

  • Liz Wiggins Ashridge Executive Education, Hult International Business School
  • Carolyn Norgate
  • Carolyn Parker
  • Janet Barker
  • Keith Grieve

Keywords:

Culture change, Meeting norms, Conversational spaces, Sustaining action research

Abstract

This study, part of a three-year Action Research (AR) project exploring shifting culture in the UK Civil Service, provides a collective account, collaboratively written, of learning from exploring micro level moves to create the conditions for conversations rather than meetings. A fruitful line of inquiry emerged from the seemingly simple question of ‘what can I and can’t I do around here,’ enabling the surfacing of assumptions, often viewed as inaccessible in layered models of culture. Disciplined cycles of action and reflection gave rise to ‘actionable knowledge’ (Coghlan, 2011), highlighting the thoughtfulness involved in shifting stuck patterns (Watzlawick, Weakland & Fisch, 2011) constituting culture (Stacey, 2011).

Action Learning and Action Research Journal Volume 27 No 1 front cover

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Published

2021-10-22

How to Cite

Wiggins, L., Norgate, C., Parker, C., Barker, J., & Grieve, K. (2021). Shifting culture and improving OD practice in a hierarchical context: The power of the action research question ‘What can I and can’t I do?’. Action Learning and Action Research Journal, 27(1), 13–35. Retrieved from https://alarj.alarassociation.org/index.php/alarj/article/view/319

Issue

Vol. 27 No. 1 (2021): ALARj October 2021

Section

Articles

License

On submission authors agree to share 50% copyright with Action Learning, Action Research Association Ltd (ALARA). On receipt of payment for public access to papers authors who are members of ALARA will receive 50% of the fee. The remaining 50% will be returned to ALARA.

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