Action Research seeks a more effective method of organizational decision-making involving the whole organization in identifying needs, solving problems, laying out plans, and implementing decisions. Its principal components are an Action Research Group, composed of organizational members, and an Action Researcher-an outside consultant skilled in directing group decision-making and coordinating responsive action. This paper defines the theoretical characteristics of Action Research and the underlying processes by which it is applied.
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References
1.
BELLOW, B. , BLUM, M. L. , et al. Prejudice in Seaside . Human Relations, 1947, 1 (1), 98-110 . This is a report of an action research project on minority group problems.
2.
CARTWRIGHT, D.The nature of group cohesiveness. In Cartwright, D. , & Zander, A. (Eds.) Group dynamics. New York: Harper and Row , 1968. Excellent on Group dynamics.
3.
CHEIN, I.COOK, S. W. , & HARDING, J.The field of action research . American Psychologist, 1948, 3, 2, 43-50 . The best description of the field of action research available, defining and illustrating four basic types: Diagnostic, Participant, Empirical, and Experimental.
4.
CHERNS, A. B.Relation between research institutions and users of research . International Social Science Journal, 1970, XXII, 2, 226-242 . There exists a wide range of actual and potential institutions for different kinds of research. Users of research have many different kinds of needs for different kinds of research.
5.
CHESLER, M. , & FLANDERS, M.Resistance to research and research utilization: The death and life of a feedback attempt . Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 1967, III, 4, 469-487 The paper explores some of the problems scientists encounter in making their feedback of research findings relevant and useful to practitioners.
6.
COREY, S. M.Action research by teachers and the population sampling problem . Journal of Educational Psychology, 1952, 43, 6, 331-338 . Corey gives us a good definition of Action Research before describing analyzing the application of AR to education.
7.
COREY, S. M.Action research to improve school practices. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University , 1953. Of Corey's many articles and works on action research in curriculum development, this book is the most comprehensive, discussing in detail the application of action research methods to a specific problem and in the process laying general guidelines for the use of action research in a variety of settings.
8.
COREY, S. M. , & PAREEK, U.The in-service training action research workshop . Journal of Education and Psychology, 1967. Describes a workshop design for training participants in the skills necessary to carry out action research projects. The design emphasizes the acquisition of skills necessary to work productively in small groups.
9.
CULBERT, S. A.Using research to guide an organization development project . Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 1972, 8, 2, 203-205 . This case study describes how research was used to augment consultation and training and to bring to both consultant and management a more accurate perspective of the organization's problems.
10.
CURLE, A.A theoretical approach to action research . Human Relations, 1949, II, 3, 269-280 . This paper is devoted to an analysis of the basic formulations which Curle used in a study. The theory which he derives is drawn principally from that branch of anthropology which is concerned with structural analysis of society, and from psychoanalytically oriented psychology.
11.
FESTINGER, L. , & ARONSON, E.Arousal and reduction of dissonance in social contexts. In Darwin Cartwright & Alvin Zander, Group dynamics. New York: Harper and Row , 1968.
12.
FRENCH, W.Organizational development: Objectives, assumptions and strategic. In Newton Margulies & Anthony P. Raia, Organizational development: Values, process, and technology. New York: McGraw-Hill , 1972.
13.
FOSHAY, A. W. , & WANN, K. D.Children's social values: An action research study. New York Teachers College, Columbia University , 1954. Reports a program to train teachers in the use of action research. Draws largely from the work of Corey and adds little new to action research although the reports of factors in the organization that facilitate action research are interesting.
14.
GARDNER, N. D.Action training and research: Something old and something new . Public Administration Review, 1974, 34, 2, 106-114 . Gardner links the works of Kurt Lewin to those of Carl Rogers before presenting his method or approach to implementing an Action Research project.
15.
GARDNER, N. D. , & McGILL, M. E.Guidelines for the training of professional and technical personnel in the administration and management of development functions. Public Administration Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, New York , 1970.
16.
JENKS, R. S.An action research approach to organizational change . Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 1970, 6, 2, 131-150 . Jenks presents a Q-sort instrument and administers it to a work group in an action research fashion.
17.
KRECH, D.Action and research-A challenge . Journal of Social Issues, 1946, 2, 4. This entire issue is on the social scientist as actor and researcher rather than action researcher in the sense it is used in this bibliography, although there are some relationships between'the two.
18.
LEWIN, K.Action research and minority problems . Journal of Social Issues, 1946, 2, 34-46 . Application of action research methods to changing attitudes toward minorities, a more practical exposition of the approach than the preceding article.
19.
LEWIN, K.Dynamic theory of personality. New York: McGraw-Hill , 1931.
20.
LEWIN, K.Field theory and social science. New York: Harper and Brothers , 1951.
21.
LEWIN, K.Forces behind food habits and methods of change, the problem of changing food habits. Report of the Commission on Food Habits, C. Gutha, Chairman, Bulletin of the National Research Council, 108, 1943. This is one of the original pieces on action research, a classic.
22.
LEWIN, K.Frontiers in group dynamics: Part I, Concept, method and reality in social science; social equilibria and social change . Human Relations, 1947, 1 (1), 5-40 . (a)
23.
LEWIN, K.Frontiers in group dynamics: Part II, Channels in group life, social planning, action research . Human Relations, 1947, 1(2), 143-153 . (b) One of the best expositions of Lewin's work in action research. It presents action research in model form and gives a full explanation of its usage with sufficient attention to detail as to render the model operational.
24.
LINTON, R. P. , & PAREEK, U.Training for development. Homewood, Illinois: Irwin Dorsey Press , 1967. The best available statements of action research for trainers. It is a thorough treatment of the nature of action research, both content and process, together with guidelines for training trainers in action research.
25.
LIPPITT, R. , & RADKE, M.New trends in the investigation of prejudice . Annals of American Academy of Political and Social Science, 1946, 244, 167-176 . Reviews much of the early work using action research methods to change attitudes toward minorities. The research develops a procedural outline for action research.
26.
LOYE, D.Kurt Lewin and the black and white sickness . Psychology Today, 1971, 5, 71-76 . This article critiques Lewin's strategies for dealing with racism and prejudice.
27.
MARQULIES, N. , & RAIS, A. P.Action research and the consultative process . Business Perspectives, Fall, 1968, 26-30 . This paper does a very good job of comparing action research to a more traditional approach to doing research. Action Research is defined and the methodology is laid out for its application.
28.
MARROW, A.The practical theorist. New York: Basic Books , 1958. This is a very clear exposition of Lewin's life and works.
29.
McGILL, M. E. The action research approach to organizational development. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, January, 1972. Discusses Action Research and a methodology for application.
30.
MOONMAN, E.Communication in an expanding organization: A case study in action research. London, Tavistock Publication , 1970. Moonman describes his use of action research, or more accurately in this particular instance, survey-feedback methods, in attempting to facilitate change in a British textile mill from the inside.
31.
MORRISEY, G. I.Management by objectives and results. Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley , 1970.
32.
National Commission on Community Health Services . Action planning for community health services. Washington, D.C.: Public Affairs Press , 1967. Report on Community Action Studies Project of NCCHS which studied a variety of successful community health programs and turned out a "Self-Study Guide for Community Health Action Planning" with many hints for this type of program from an action research perspective.
33.
PASSOW, A. H. , MILES, M. B. , COREY, S. M. , & DRAPER, D. C.Training curriculum leaders for cooperative research. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University , 1955. In much the same vein as the work of Corey, one interesting feature is an appended questionnaire on changes in participant attitudes and behavior following a cooperative (action) research workshop.
34.
Planning Research and Action Institute . Action research: And its importance in an underdeveloped economy. Lucknow: Kalalankar House , 1963. The Planning Research and Action Institute, Uttar Pradesh, India, has been engaged since its inception in 1954 in carrying out action research projects in various areas of community economic and social development. This is a report of those efforts.
35.
RAPOPORT, R. N.Three dilemmas in action research . Human Relations, 1970, 23, 6, 499-513 . Rapoport gives us a historical account of Action Research before presenting three characteristic dilemmas: ethical, goal, and initiative.
36.
SANFORD, N.Whatever happened to action research . Journal of Social Issues, 1970, 26, 4, 3-23 . Describes Lewin's original contributions and then outlines how research has been separated from action. He presents a model of Research-Action.
37.
SHUMSKY, A.The action research way of learning. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University , 1958. As a student of Corey's, Shumsky adds little to the work already noted on action research in schools.
38.
TABA, H. , & NOEL, E.Action research: A case study. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Washington, D.C. , 1957. A concise statement of the action research method and its application in an educational situation, of particular interest are the observations on action research from several studies of its use in curriculum development.
39.
TRIST, E.Inter-disciplinary, problem-oriented action research. Endicott House , 1967. A paper contributed to the McGregor Conference on Organizational Development.
40.
VITELES, M. S.Motivation and morale in industry. New York: Norton , 1953. Chapter 6 of the book does an excellent job integrating Field Theory and Action Research in Group Dynamics.
41.
WHYTE, W. F. , & HAMILTON, E. L.Action research for management. Homewood, Illinois: R. D. Irwin , 1964. This book is a detailed reporting of an organizational change effort within a large metropolitan hotel. The reporting is so detailed that the practicality of transfering the generalizations from this experience to other settings is questionable.
