Ravalier PhD Theis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

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requiring change (i.e. daily hassles) was agreed upon with higher management within the organisation prior to the
research beginning, although the particular areas requiring improvement and interventions designed solely by
participants. Individual interview data analyses were referred back to participants for comment on the overall
outcomes, and group interview data was analysed alongside participants.
4. The production of 'useful' knowledge: from the way in which questions were asked throughout each of the AI
research phases it is clear that there was a focus on the production of 'useful' knowledge. Indeed the focus group
discussion agenda was purely on how particular areas of the workplace can be improved, thus leading to the
development of detailed and feasibly achievable action plans for change.
5. A commitment to action: there has been a clear commitment to action throughout Service 6, from top
management who allowed and facilitated the implementation of changes to participants who have bought into the
change process (for example see Chapter IX to see how the interventions were implemented).
Authors such as Northway (2010) and Diaz and Simmons (1999) argue that while 'pure' participative
approaches would satisfy each of the aspects listed above, there is a certain amount of flexibility in the type of
methodology which could nonetheless be labelled as participatory (such as that taken in the presented research).
Indeed, very few participatory research projects which are self-declared as participatory fulfil each of these criteria,
and the presented research clearly fits into this category. The work is clearly therefore participatory, but not a
'pure' participatory approach as described by Northway (2010).
With particular reference to answering Research Question 1, whether the interventions could be successfully
implemented into the organisation, it is clear from Table 29 that the methodology used was indeed successful.
The proposed interventions were all implemented into the organisation by management within a workable