From epistemology to gnoseology – understanding the knowledge claims of action research

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of the article is to aid the reader in understanding the knowledge claims in different forms of action research and to see what kind of “turn to practice” is required in research on organising, organisational learning, and management. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual framework extracted from the philosophy of Aristotle is presented for understanding the knowledge claims of action research in relation to other approaches. Findings Some form of action research should be pursued, but action research is a label covering many different approaches suggesting different ways of relating knowledge and action. Research limitations/implications In order to provide valid, practicable knowledge both action research and mainstream research need to reconfigure and sort things better. The call is for doing more organizational research as “praxis research” as part of late modern, socially distributed knowledge production modes. Practical implications The required reconfiguration of organizational research also requires systematic organizational learning in work organizations. Originality/value Providing a conceptual framework that is able to grasp the different knowledge forms operating under socially distributed “mode 2” conditions, and to point out required implications for both research and practice, is new.

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