Interventionism – an approach for the future?
Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management
ISSN: 1176-6093
Article publication date: 13 April 2010
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address the distinctive problems of interventionist research that originate from intervention in ongoing practices as opposed to the experiment's design of a theory‐relevant context.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is an essay, based on arguments of mapping closely and understanding the work environment of the managers under study, and of re‐framing (or re‐education) practices.
Findings
The paper finds that the intervention is valued in terms of improved practice, as well as theoretical contribution.
Research limitations/implications
Learning theories (organizational and individual) should be included in the toolbox as well as methods of observing ongoing practices.
Practical implications
Interventionist research changes the way organizations think about how they organize their work (the appellate case); learning theory impacts work organization very concretely.
Originality/value
Management itself is intervention in organizational work practices, intervention in management practices will be something akin to Argyris et al.'s second loop (or Rorty's abnormal discourse) learning, which can be understood as re‐framing (or re‐education) practices. The use of case narratives and storytelling as ways of data capture are of particular interest in that respect.
Keywords
Citation
Jönsson, S. (2010), "Interventionism – an approach for the future?", Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 124-134. https://doi.org/10.1108/11766091011034307
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited