Participatory Action Research: Exploring Distributed Leadership in a Workplace Network

Abstract

This case describes a commissioned research project that was undertaken to explore the role of interorganizational networks in supporting large-scale change and improvement and achieving the collaborative goals of patient safety and quality of care. The hypothesis was that there is a strong correlation between effective distributed leadership in an interorganizational network and the ability to achieve these mutual goals. This case gives an account of the research process which involved multi-stakeholder groups in a large geographical area and highlights some of the challenges in conducting research in that context, and using social network analysis software. In addition to the findings specific to the study’s topic, this research also provided some insights into conducting qualitative research in a distributed network and into using social network analysis software. I share some recommendations for researchers undertaking similar projects with the intent of contributing what was learned and documenting the strategies used to overcome the challenges.

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