Constructive Practice and Critical Theory: The Contribution of Action Research to Organisational Change and the Discourse on Organisations

"This article presents a new perspective on the question of how action \nresearch may contribute to improving the discourse on organisations. \nThe three first sections deal mainly with some important features of action \nresearch, following from action research methods used in projects that \ncomprise organisational change. On the basis of a distinction between \npractical discourse and theoretical discourse, the point is made that while \ndescriptive research (like organisation theory) takes place mainly as a \ntheoretical discourse, action research also enters the arenas of practical \ndiscourse. What kind of knowledge is required, and what kind of experience \nis made in practical discourses, is elaborated by one example of an \naction research from a Norwegian international corporation. It is argued \nthat in order to cause practical change, the power of knowledge is \ndependent on the power of judgment. \nOn this basis, the three last sections deal with this question how knowledge \nand experience from action research may contribute to the improvement \nof organisation theory. Initially, a short historical account on the development \nof organisation theory is presented. It is shown that the split of \nthe discourse on organisations, into a theoretical and practical discourse, \nhas had some unintended and unnoticed consequences as regards the style \nof writing in organisation theory. This style of writing has resulted in a \ndiscourse on organisation which is rich in very general perspectives and \nconcepts, but which nevertheless remains too poor in content. Thus, the \nconclusion is that for the time being, one of the most important contributions \nfrom action research to the discourse on organisations will be to make organisation theory become subject to criticism that may provoke \nchanges in the style of writing organisation theory." (author's abstract)