Action Research: …more learning from action and

applying original thinking...

Trevor Wood-Harper

MBS

Overview

‘Story’ of Developing Multiview

ALTAR at/from Britvic

Research Impact

A Post ‘Story’ Rationalisation of an Action Research Project

and Research Process

• Narrative

• Characters

• Plot

Acting and experiencing Data gathering, library work, fieldwork activities undertaken while suspending most other concerns

Reflecting Removal from the situation, analysis of the previous experience w/o additional source of input, formulation of grounded insights

Evaluating (The Meta-Stage) Evaluating the entire cycle in terms of its help in the development of the researcher, the area of concern and the research method

Communicating and Planning Creating closure on what has been learnt, posing new questions, receiving feedback on closure, setting new goals

Integrating Combining reflections with ideas and theories developed elsewhere, sifting, recombining, testing one's set against others, developing new ideas

OR

OROR

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Figure 2: Model of Learning Inquiry

Narrative 1 (‘What’ ) Research Cycles

• AAct 1ct 1: Conceptual comparison and construction of the : Conceptual comparison and construction of the Multiview MethodologyMultiview Methodology

• Act 2: Using this methodology in six action research cases and learn about the methodology, problem solvers and area of concern

• Act 3: Reflection on the theory of Multiview-1 after assimilating the lessons and integrating ideas

Area of Concern

PARTICIPATION

EVOLUTIONARY

DATA ANALYSIS

STRUCTURED ANALYSIS

WATERFALL MODELS

DESIGN

S.A. User

!

CONTINGENCY THEORY

"SOFT"ASPECTS

Comparison of IS Development Methods

The 'Ideal' Methodology

Feature Extraction

Contingency Frameworks

Hypothesis Testing

Meta-Language Creation

Theoretical Investigation Cognitive Psychological Evaluation

Idealised Methodology Real Life Applications

The One Best Solution

Contingency Approach

Critical Theory

SOL BUBENKO BJØRN-ANDERSEN

• Conclusions: Disappointing but 4 views are needed:– Infological

– Datalogical

– Participation

– Contextual

Multiview Framework and Methodology

Human Activity

Technical Specification (TS)

Information Technology

People Technical

Exploration(HA)Human Activity Information

Analysis

Technical Specification

Socio-technical

Exploration

Analysis and

Design

Organisational Aspects

Social Aspects-How will it affect me?

Roleset -Will my job change?

People Tasks

-What will I have to do?

Human-Computer Interface-What inputs and outputs are there?

Database-What data are involved?Database Maintenance

-How do I maintain the system?

Recovery-What happens when it goes wrong?

Monitoring-Is the system performing as specified?

Control-What errors are detected?

Information Retrieval-What information will I get?

Application -What will it do?

Computer Task Requirements Roleset People Tasks

Technical Requirements

Inputs and Outputs necessary for non-application areas

-Will it affect anything else in the computer solution?

(5)

Design Technical

(2)

Analyse Information

(4)Design

Human-computerInterface

Entity Model

(1)

Analyse HumanActivity System

(3)Analyse and Design

Socio-technicalAspects

Function Model

Primary Task Model

Solution

Narrative 2 (‘What’ )

Research Cycles

• Act 1: Conceptual comparison and construction of the Multiview Methodology

• Act 2:Using this methodology in six action research cases and learn Act 2:Using this methodology in six action research cases and learn about the methodology, problem solvers and area of concernabout the methodology, problem solvers and area of concern

• Act 3: Reflection on the theory of Multiview after assimilating the lessons and integrating ideas

Multiview Action Research Cases1. Professional Institute. These cases

represented the initial applications of the methodology in the practical world. Here the methodology was devised and” formalised" in practice.

2. Naive Systems Analysts' Cases. These were used for the education of undergraduate students on a final degree course in Systems Analysis. Establishment of a Spin-Off Company

3. A Distance Learning Unit. This case gives a full implementation by utilising prototyping and fourth generation languages.

Aspects to Derive Findings

ProblemSituation

The political and initial terms ofreference, organisationalclimate, the personalproblems…

Problem SolvingTeam

The analysts (and theirexperience), participation andnon-participation of u sers inthe problem solving process.

MethodologyProducts andProcesses

Documentation of t he workand relating to the phases of theMethodology

Action Results of t he work, theattitudes and satisfaction of theusers in the situation

Theory Which, perspectives reflects onthe use of the Multiviewframework/ methodology andparticipation in terms ofdeveloping an InformationSystem in context.

Action Research Cycle

Theory:- No. 4.

Information System Definition Utilsing an Intellectual Framework as a Synthesis

Problem Context No. 3.

Analysis and Design of Information Systems in Small Organisations Using Systems Analysts and Users as Problem Solvers

Action No 7.

(6Cases)

Tools and Techniques No. 6.

Developing Tools and Techniques

Methodology No. 5.

MVM Methodology

Reflections No. 8.

Lessons

consisting of 4 Views

Narrative (‘What’ )

Research Cycles

• Act 1: Conceptual comparison and construction of the Multiview Methodology

• Act 2: Using this methodology in six action research cases and learn about the methodology, problem solvers and area of concern

• Act 3Act 3: Reflections on the theory of Multiview after : Reflections on the theory of Multiview after assimilating the lessons and integrating ideasassimilating the lessons and integrating ideas

Reflections• Conclusion 1- The

Multiview methodology needed improvements

• Conclusion 2- Defining an Information System was Contingent

• Conclusion 3 - Defining an information system ought to be considered as a social process as well as technical

Stakeholders

ISD Analysts

Information Situation

IS

SociallyConstruct

Communicate

Feedback To Carries Out

Develop

SociallyConstruct

Feedback To

ProcessFraming

Plot (Why)

• Theoretical Explanations of Variations of our ‘Characters’ in Action:

1. a paradigm of assumptions is constructed in practice

2. metaphorical design.

3. another plausible plot is the web model towards Socio-Materialism

Characters (Who)

Situation

TOP

Methodology

Interveners

Multipleperspective

PARTICIPATION

EVOLUTIONARY

DATA ANALYSIS

STRUCTURED ANALYSIS

WATERFALL MODELS

DESIGN

S.A. User

!

CONTINGENCY THEORY

"SOFT"ASPECTS

Overview

‘Story’ of Developing Multiview

ALTAR at/from Britvic

Research Impact

Background to Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd

• Britvic is a leading U.K. manufacturer and distributor of fast-moving consumer goods. – At the time of the project it had over 2700 employees and a turnover in excess of 600 million

GB pounds. It makes and distributes a wide range of ‘household’ branded products.

• Before the AR project began, Britvic had been conducting a study into the use of KM technology and a decision had been made to acquire KM software. – The authors were aware that little academic research had been done to investigate the

application of KM in the manufacturing sector in the U.K. This created the potential for an AR project to ‘fill the knowledge gap’, and the fact that Britvic was already interested in adopting KM software made this a suitable choice of organisation for the AR study.

• Managers at Britvic also felt that the organisation needed to understand the implications of the exploitation of KM and the adoption of KM technology for its existing well-developed IS planning and development strategies.– lacking was an agreed definition of KM, a general understanding within the organisation of the

potential of KM and what was required from KM technologies.

AR in practice – deriving ALTAR• AR has been used with apparent success in a number of projects that have

similar properties to or are in similar domains to the Britvic research.• Recognises the importance of a top-level AR cycle for developing and

managing a collaborative project. • The value of iteration as a way of ‘building learning’ is identified with

apparent success in AR terms.• A version of the action research cycle (Susman and Evered, 1978)

AR in practice – deriving ALTAR• This iteration of cycles can be combined into a series of phases, each with a different purpose,

which makes AR a powerful and flexible methodology for carrying out academic and industrial collaborative research that is proven in practice. It was decided to follow the key strategies aimed at improving the rigour and contribution of AR (Baskerville & Wood-Harper, 1996)

– The ‘paradigm shift’ the University researchers planned to make sure that AR was appropriate for the research domain and that the outcomes and learning would be of interest.

– A formal research agreement was to be drawn up at an early stage to define the ethical guidelines, to ensure that the subject participants gave ‘informed consent’ and that the Terms of Reference would authorise the research team to operate within the organisation.

– A theoretical problem statement was defined as a premise to ensure that the intervention action would be valid as research and to provide a basis for any theories that may emerge from the research.

– Data collection methods were planned as part of the operational level of the AR, including acquiring the technology to record workshops, make transcripts of meetings and to maintain structured diaries ).

– Collaboration and subject learning were promoted at the initiation of the AR project and steps were taken to foster and to maintain collaboration between the researchers and the participating subjects.

– Iterations or cycles of AR were planned, which would continue until the immediate problem situation was explored in sufficient depth and were revealed (and possibly ‘solved’) to a satisfactory level.

– Generalisation of results or theories was expected, but it was recognised that, ‘Generalities must be tempered with an interpretation of the extent of similar settings to which the theory can be expected to apply’ (Baskerville & Wood-Harper, 1996).

Findings from Britvic

1. A ‘paradigm shift’ and change was implicit in the ALTAR process, most participants responded positively to the notion of change, as they felt more involved and ‘useful’ than if the change had been imposed from outside.

2. The formal agreement and work that was done on project initiation was essential in defining in advance and maintaining a management focus for the project. Experience from our research indicates that academic– industrial research collaboration of this nature requires very careful negotiation of exactly what is involved in the project.

3. Academic theories that were informed by the AR process formed the basis of an outcome that was tested rigorously in academic terms (Sharp, 2004). It was clearly possible to differentiate between AR in this case and consultancy (Baskerville, 1999).

Overview

‘Story’ of Developing Multiview

ALTAR at/from Britvic

Research Impact

(Singh and Wood-Harper 2010)

MBS: IS AR Research Impact?(Shah, Wood-Harper & Prichard, CACM

forthcoming) MBS has recognized the importance of

original thinking and the importance of applying that thinking

The focus is not just on the theoretical part but also the practical application of new theoretical ideas

Further MBS recognises that better management theories come from closer interaction between theory and practice

IS as a discipline pervades through the School and is a part of all the divisions of the School (i.e. Strategy and IS, Marketing and IS, Organizations and IS, and Accounting and Financial Information Systems)

Manchester Business School’s recent motto ‘Original Thinking Applied’

Can be reworked to express the relationship between original thinking and practice (Wood-Harper and Shah 2010)

Emphasizing how original thinking can learn from practice while providing opportunities for original thinking to impact practice (Shah, Eardley & Wood-Harper, 2007a, 2007b)

Linking Practice, Theory and Research

IS and organizations are pervasive - need to understand rapidly changing related practices

We have to recognize the role of industry-university collaboration in research

Research must be in partnership with industry and also needs to be able to make sense of social networking driven progress and change

• Important not only for impact but also to give researchers understanding and insight into research and progression that is resulting in practice at a rapid rate

• Research we undertake and the impact that we achieve will be evaluated under future research evaluation frameworks and will therefore affect our funding

• Increasingly recognized by leading Business Schools that publications alone will not be sufficient - research must be applied and therefore needs collaboration with industry in order to achieve our impact aspirations.