Ravalier PhD Theis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

333
dissertation completion. Having had a proposal accepted to study at Anglia Ruskin University, PhD supervisor Dr
Andrew McVicar built upon his extensive contacts with individuals in the participating organisation in order to work
with the participating organisation within the area.
Upon reflecting on the entire research process it is apparent that there are a number of aspects of this work
which have both facilitated and inhibited the process. To begin with, it is worth noting that the PhD process began
with an attempt at a change process using a Participatory Action Research (AR) methodology. However, upon
holding group discussions with prospective participants it was generally accepted by all that this would not work as
a methodology. Appendix 14 details the evaluative feedback gathered from prospective participants on the
original AR process. It is clear from these responses that the proposed project failed due to three main reasons.
Time commitments were a first issue for individuals – the AR project asked for up to 2 hours of employees’
time per month over a 6 month period, with this time off from work agreed with management prior to the proposal
being put forward to employees. However the feedback from employees was that this would be too much of a time
commitment, and despite management agreeing to the time off being taken the employees would still be expected
to make up for any work lost during the time taken out.
Secondly Bruckman (2008) has shown that one of the methods by which resistance to organisational change
can be improved upon is by ensuring small goals are reached throughout the change process, and employees are
not over-loaded with information. At the beginning of the AR process the researchers worked with line
management in order to convey the proposed project to employees, describing the whole of the process from the
start. However respondents suggested that too much information was given all at once, and that it did not appear
as though the project would be successful because of this. Therefore because small gains to motivate employees