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

摘要

"This article presents a new perspective on the question of how actionresearch may contribute to improving the discourse on organisations.The three first sections deal mainly with some important features of actionresearch, following from action research methods used in projects thatcomprise organisational change. On the basis of a distinction betweenpractical discourse and theoretical discourse, the point is made that whiledescriptive research (like organisation theory) takes place mainly as atheoretical discourse, action research also enters the arenas of practicaldiscourse. What kind of knowledge is required, and what kind of experienceis made in practical discourses, is elaborated by one example of anaction research from a Norwegian international corporation. It is arguedthat in order to cause practical change, the power of knowledge isdependent on the power of judgment.On this basis, the three last sections deal with this question how knowledgeand experience from action research may contribute to the improvementof organisation theory. Initially, a short historical account on the developmentof organisation theory is presented. It is shown that the split ofthe discourse on organisations, into a theoretical and practical discourse,has had some unintended and unnoticed consequences as regards the styleof writing in organisation theory. This style of writing has resulted in adiscourse on organisation which is rich in very general perspectives andconcepts, but which nevertheless remains too poor in content. Thus, theconclusion is that for the time being, one of the most important contributionsfrom action research to the discourse on organisations will be to make organisation theory become subject to criticism that may provokechanges in the style of writing organisation theory." (author's abstract)