What is it about?
A case study on the use of participant observation in the context of implementing a new total quality management model I devised as part of my professional doctorate. This case study explores the use of participant observation as a method for gathering data on the everyday experiences, thinking, and actions of participants.
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Why is it important?
This article provides methodological and practical insights into the advantages and limitations of participant observation and addresses key issues such as bias, reflexivity, and reactivity. Consideration of such issues allows researchers to examine their relationship with the researched, consider alternative ways of interpreting data, and account for participant behaviors when being observed.
Perspectives
The use of participant observation provided rich date in regard to my doctoral research, enabling me to examine differences between what participants espoused in interviews, and their ways of behaving in practice. Examination of these differences led to insightful conclusions about defensive behaviours that block change initiatives. To access the full thesis regarding my doctoral research, visit http://uhra.herts.ac.uk/handle/2299/15496.
Dr James D. Sideras
University of Hertfordshire
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Participant Observation: In the Context of Reflexive Action Research in a Health Care Firm, January 2017, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.4135/9781526419651.
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