Research design
This page gives an overview of the current research design. To contribute to an item please go to the special page for the specific phase under "lsi research issues". There you will also find the results of the research activities so far.
Contents |
Research model
In the book Intervening and Changing (Boonstra & De Caluwé eds. 2004) Geurts refers to the definition for interventions of French & Bell (1984 p. 191): “A set of structural activities in which selected organizational units engage in a task or a sequence of tasks with the goals of organizational improvement and individual development”. Geurts presents a model for researching the effectiveness of interventions, which I filled in for my research on sustainable effects of Large Scale Interventions.
Exploring the field (Phase 1)
Goals
- Describe the state of the art
- Immersion in the field to sharpen the research design
- Share insights
- Find sponsors
Questions
- What is LSI?
- What is sustainable change?
- What do we already know about effects of LSI?
- What are “fields to explore”?
- What do we have to look for, considering sustainable effects?
- Who has more information, who should we involve in the next steps of this field study?
- What are potential interesting cases/ sites for a case study?
Activities
- Literature study
- Research labs with "experts"
- Keeping a diary for reflections
- Keeping a journal of actions and results
- Member checks by email, Wiki
- Writing up results so far: see menu under "lsi approach"
Results
- Reference list
- First description of "the state of the art", see What is LSI and Working elements
- Criteria for sustainable effects and non-sustainable effects
- Information about cases, sites, documents, contacts, ongoing research
- Network of professional practioners in this Wiki
- Sponsors for the study
Evaluation instrument (Phase 2)
Goals
- Developing an instrument for evaluation of effectiveness of an LSI
Questions
- How can success factors and effects be integrated in an instrument for evaluation of an LSI?
Activities
- Text analyses of reported LSIs in Literature
- Formulating questions for evaluative interviews
- Building of an audit matrix of factors/effects and where to look for indicators as evidence for compliance
Results
- Evaluation instrument
Case study (Phase 3)
Goals
- Gathering data about sustainable effects and conditions for success in practice
- Testing and improving the evaluation instrument
- Setting the stage for follow up research, to broaden the view
Questions
- What effects do participants experience, after LSI-trajectories?
- What are the working elements in the process?
- What are conditions for success?
Activities
- Open, in depth interviews with key persons
- Gathering of observables for analyses
- Analyzing of agreements, context conditions, LSI designs, reports and other observables
- Analyzing measures for sustainable effects
- Organize a conference with stakeholders (practioners, managers, researchers,"hands-on" experts) as a member check and for a more profound insight
Results
- Case descriptions
- Interview reports
- Retrospective insights in effects
- Reflections on the research methods and process
Broadening the view (Phase 4)
In our last meeting, 28 November 2008, my supervisor Prof. Dr. Jac Geurts urgently advised me to take this phase out of this PhD research project, and just recommend/announce it for following research projects. Although I regret that I have to hang on in my curiosity to the effects in a wider range of LSIs, I think it is wise to follow his advise.
Goals
- Broadening the view on the relation between conditions, working elements and effects.
Questions
- What LSIs bring sustainable effects?
Activities
- To be filled in after previous steps; internet survey?
Results
- Broader view on sustainable effects of LSI and conditions for success, based on more trajectories
Interpretation and conceptualization (Phase 5)
Goals
- Answering the research questions
- Reflection on the process of the fieldstudy
- Dissemination of insights
Questions
- What can we learn from this study for the practice of LSI?
- What insights are there about the sustainable effects of LSI?
- What insights are there for the development of collective learning?
- What can we learn about the research process for evaluation of interactive trajectories with LSI?
Activities
- Member checks
- Referring to theories about strategies for change, and for collective learning
- Writing up results and insights
- .....
Results
- Theses
- Article
- Wiki
- Website
- Practical Guide for facilitation and evaluation of sustainable change with the whole system
- ......
