Reflexivity in Organization and Management Theory

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Body: Critical Review
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Over the years, reflexive research has been attracting many scholars in organization and management theory (OMT). Investigators in OMT adopt many methods to conduct and write up research. In the context of “organizational research, the choice of methods is shaped by a number of factors, such as study objectives, norms of practice, ethics, and personal reasons” (Buchanan & Bryman, 2007, p. 487). It has been shown that the factors bring about problems in organizations that must be overcome so that goals can be achieved within deadlines (Buchanan & Bryman, 2007). Due to high levels of dynamism in the workplace, it is becoming difficult to suggest that a management method is a mere technique for bringing issues into focus. However, there is a consensus among scholars that choices of methods are used to offer platforms on which phenomena are observed and evaluated to improve performance outcomes. This paper focuses on evaluating key arguments from a critical point of view. In addition, it evaluates hypotheses that are evident in scholarly articles and identifies new ideas that would be applied to support practice and scholarship.

Body: Critical Review

Alvesson, Hardy and Harley (2008) argue that reflexivity has been a great issue for a significant number of positivists and neo-empiricists. Studies have shown that investigators act reflexively to enable other participants to give their views about some phenomena, especially in relation to empirical work. The focus should be on the embodiment and experiences of persons “who are not necessarily other researchers” (Alvesson et al., 2008, p. 485). Language should be selected carefully to ensure that non-researchers understand what scholars communicate. This approach to reflexivity is regarded as a practice that concentrates on intellectual critique, although it is based on an epistemological platform. From a critical perspective, it is essential to point out that OMT researchers are required to utilize textual approaches to invoking and presenting many types of reflexive analyses. In fact, research has demonstrated that textual strategies support intellectual evaluations that are associated with the most attention in the workplace. In this context, it is obvious that a reappraisal of the strategies is warranted to determine the extent to which reflexivity can promote research. In addition, a reappraisal would go a long way in considering how reflexivity can result in negative outcomes, which can be short-term and/or long-term (Hibbert, Coupland & MacIntosh, 2010).

From literature, it appears that reflexive practices within organizations concentrate on casting doubt on the notion that competent observers, who have high levels of objectivity and precision, give their observations in the context of the social world. However, the literature is indebted in relation to initial concerns about the boundaries of objectivity and nature of knowledge (Buchanan & Bryman, 2007). For example, it has been shown that data and theoretical principles could not be separated in a clear manner. Weick (2002) claims that a significant number of post-empiricist scholars has commented on the assumption that knowledge is purely rational, and it involves processes of theory testing. Thus, it is obvious that the group of scholars does not subscribe to the idea that knowledge is influenced by political factors. However, the observation contradicts what has been proposed by other intellectuals in the field of OMT (Buchanan & Bryman, 2007). They claim that the process of knowledge development is typified by “linguistic, social, political, and theoretical elements” (Buchanan & Bryman, 2007, p. 490).

Positioning practices are associated with significant interest in cultural and institutional problems that are embodied in the context of academics. The practices locate reflexive investigators who are subjected to various controls in professional networks, which could be composed of persons or institutions (Johnson & Duberley, 2003). Researchers recognize the manner in which studies are impacted by collective orientations of the research community. Research has demonstrated that many research communities tend to conceal and misinterpret the diverse processes that characterize the production of scientific findings.

Conclusion

Researchers in social sciences utilize the idea of reflexivity to understand what happens in studies. Reflexivity implies reflecting on what an individual believes could be important in impacting and encouraging insights about the scope of studies in social sciences. Particularly, it focuses on describing the roles that language, social ideologies, and power connections play to produce specific outcomes. The approach to assessing the phenomena may also be applied to facilitate innovation by accommodating new perspectives and providing references that would be used to prevent negative impacts in the future. The critical analysis of literature in this paper has demonstrated that many scholars have conducted studies on the subject. Although there are many gaps in the findings, it is apparent that reflexivity could be used to improve performance outcomes of individuals and research groups across the world.

References

Alvesson, M., Hardy, C., & Harley, B. (2008). Reflecting on reflexivity: reflexive textual practices in organization and management theory. Journal of management studies, 45(3), 480-501.

Buchanan, D. A., & Bryman, A. (2007). Contextualizing methods choice in organizational research. Organizational Research Methods, 10(3), 483-501.

Hibbert, P., Coupland, C., & MacIntosh, R. (2010). Reflexivity: recursion and relationality in organizational research processes. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, 5(1), 47-62.

Johnson, P., & Duberley, J. (2003). Reflexivity in Management Research*. Journal of management studies, 40(5), 1279-1303.

Thorpe, R., & Holt, R. (Eds.). (2008). The Sage dictionary of qualitative management research. Hoboken, NJ: Sage.

Weick, K. E. (2002). Essai: real-time reflexivity: prods to reflection. Organization Studies, 23(6), 893-898.

Click Here To Order Now!

Reflexivity in Organization and Management Theory

Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?

We have qualified writers to help you.

We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.

You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)