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Action Research as a leadership strategy for innovation: The case of a global high-technology organisation

Author

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  • Allen, Grant
  • Dovey, Ken

Abstract

The paper describes two sets of action research within an iconic global high-tech company. Two teams within the organisation (one in New York and one in Sydney) were selected to participate, on the basis of their failure to have achieved any technical innovation over the previous three years. The action research had the practical goal of generating valuable technical innovations, and the research goal of gaining insight into any social (leadership) practices that may have facilitated the technical innovation. The research delivered novel insights into the nature of the leadership practices that enabled these two teams to deliver four company-lauded technical innovations. The principal finding of the research: that social innovation precedes technical innovation, highlights the role action research can play in the creation of a social environment conducive to technical innovation within enterprises.

Suggested Citation

  • Allen, Grant & Dovey, Ken, 2016. "Action Research as a leadership strategy for innovation: The case of a global high-technology organisation," International Journal of Action Research, Rainer Hampp Verlag, vol. 12(1), pages 8-37.
    • Handle: RePEc:rai:ijares:ijar-2016-01-allen
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    File URL: http://www.hampp-verlag.de/hampp_e-journals_IJAR.htm#116
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Eileen Piggot‐Irvine & Lesley Ferkins & Wendy Rowe, 2021. "Leadership within action research: Surfacing the collective nature of leadership," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(6), pages 851-865, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    words: innovation; leadership; Action Research; social innovation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O35 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Social Innovation

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