Action Research in Inter-Organisational Networks: Impartial Studies or the Trojan Horse? |
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Authors: | René Chester Goduscheit Carsten Bergenholtz Jacob Høj Jørgensen Erik S Rasmussen |
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Institution: | 1. Center for Industrial Production, Aalborg University, Fibigerstr?de 16, 9220, Aalborg, Denmark 2. Department of Management, Aarhus School of Business, Center for Organizational Renewal and Evolution, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark 3. Department of Marketing and Management, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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Abstract: | This article addresses the distinct ethical challenges of action research in inter-organisational projects. Traditionally,
the literature on action research has distinguished between two researcher roles: The problem-solver and the observer. Based
on an action research project in a Danish inter-organisational network, a third role as legitimiser is identified as an ethical
challenge. Potentially, the legitimacy that the researchers carry as academic knowledge-generating actors may be used by a
particular company to involve other companies in the network. Thus, the researchers may be perceived as bringing into the
other organisations a Trojan Horse containing the interests of this particular company. Lack of clarity in defining the role
of the action researcher may thus jeopardise the trustworthiness of the researchers and the action research project. On the
basis of the case study analysis, the article develops a number of preliminary points of ethical consideration for future
research analysis. |
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Keywords: | Action research Ethics Inter-organisational networks Researcher roles |
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