Abstract
Abstract
Participant observation is an appropriate research method for engaged practitioner-scholars seeking in-depth insights available from qualitative field research. Conventional approaches to participant observation include ethnography and action research. However, conventional approaches were originally developed with the assumption that the roles of practitioner and scholar are separate. We propose a new approach, engaged participant observation, which recognizes the integration of research and practice roles. We illustrate the application of engaged participant observation, and its special demands, through a completed executive doctoral dissertation conducted by second author and supervised by the first author. We address the specific tensions and demands of engaged participant observation, including issues of identity work, potentially biased interpretation, ethical conduct, and publication. Our analysis provides pragmatic guidance for conducting qualitative data collection and analysis in organizations in which the researcher is an engaged participant.
Recommended Citation
Robey, Daniel and Taylor, Wallace T.F
(2018)
"Engaged Participant Observation: An Integrative Approach to Qualitative Field Research for Practitioner-Scholars,"
Engaged Management ReView: Vol. 2
:
Iss.
1
, Article 1.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.28953/2375-8643.1028
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Included in
Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons