This book bridges scholarly forms of inquiry and practitioners daily activities. It introduces inquiry as a process of relational construction, offering resources to practitioners who want to reflect on how their work generates practical effects.

There are hundreds of books on research, but in keeping with social scientific traditions, many emphasize method and neglect broader, overarching assumptions and interests. Further, most are written in ways that speak to those in the academic community and not to a wider audience of professionals and practitioners. The present text lays out relational constructionist premises and explores these in terms of their generative possibilities both for inquiry and social change work. It is applicable for professionals in the fields of social services, education, organizational consulting, community work, public policy, and healthcare. Using accessible language and extensive use of case examples, this book will help reflective practitioners or practice-oriented academics approach inquiry in ways that are coherent and consistent with a relational constructionist orientation.

This volume will be useful for undergraduates, graduate students, and practitioners engaged in professional development, with particular use for those scholar-practitioners who want to reflect on and learn from their practice and who want to produce practical results with and for those with whom they are working. It is also aimed at those scholar-practitioners who want to contribute to a wider understanding of how social relations (groups, organizations, communities, etc.) can work effectively.

This book examines how governments, non-profit and private organizations, and local networks understand the connections between public values and social issues.Western societies face complex social issues and a growing diversity of views on how these should be addressed. The traditional view focuses on government and public policy but neglects the initiatives that non-profit and private organizations and local networks take. This book presents a broader variety of viewpoints and theories. Looking at various cases, the authors analyze conflicting values and interests, actors' understandings of the public values related to social issues, and their action to create what they regard as public value. Drawing together these perspectives the authors point the way to how government and the private and voluntary sectors can work in tandem to resolve social issues. The study will prove insightful for researchers and students in fields such as governance studies, public administration, public sector management, organization studies, non-profit and voluntary organizations, civil society, public policy, social policy and social issues in management. The policy focus of the book will also draw the interest of policy makers in governmental and non-governmental organizations. Contributors: P. Boselie, G.A. Brewer, I. Claringbould, A. de Ruijter, E. Farndale, M. Gastelaars, K. Grint, C. Holt, D.M. Hosking, E. Knies, A. Knoppers, M. Koster, P. Leisink, J. Paauwe, R. Spaaij, W. Vandenabeele, R. van Berkel, M. van Bottenburg, E. van Dijk, F. van Eekeren, H.J. van Rinsum, J. Vermeulen

First published in 1992. Organisational change and innovation has been at the centre of much management literature, which has been informed by debates in organizational behaviour and strategic management. The psychology of how people in organizations adapt to and manage change is key to our understanding of the processes by which such changes can occur successfully. Organizational Change and Innovation brings together the recent research findings of leading European work and organization psychologists, who take stock of existing theories about organizational change in the light of new case material. Their findings, from a range of cultural and national contexts, challenge some previously accepted models and set a new agenda for future research. In particular, the volume provides new perspectives on the person organization relationship; the political qualities of organizational change; the input-output model of organizations as entities; and finally on research methodology.

This book bridges scholarly forms of inquiry and practitioners' daily activities. It introduces inquiry as a process of relational construction, offering resources to practitioners who want to reflect on how their work generates practical effects. There are hundreds of books on research, but in keeping with social scientific traditions, many emphasize method and neglect broader, overarching assumptions and interests. Further, most are written in ways that speak to those in the academic community and not to a wider audience of professionals and practitioners. The present text lays out relational constructionist premises and explores these in terms of their generative possibilities both for inquiry and social change work. It is applicable for professionals in the fields of social services, education, organizational consulting, community work, public policy, and healthcare. Using accessible language and extensive use of case examples, this book will help reflective practitioners or practice-oriented academics approach inquiry in ways that are coherent and consistent with a relational constructionist orientation. This volume will be useful for undergraduates, graduate students, and practitioners engaged in professional development, with particular use for those scholar-practitioners who want to reflect on and learn from their practice and who want to produce practical results with and for those with whom they are working. It is also aimed at those scholar-practitioners who want to contribute to a wider understanding of how social relations (groups, organizations, communities, etc.) can work effectively.

First published in 1992. Organisational change and innovation has been at the centre of much management literature, which has been informed by debates in organizational behaviour and strategic management. The psychology of how people in organizations adapt to and manage change is key to our understanding of the processes by which such changes can occur successfully. Organizational Change and Innovation brings together the recent research findings of leading European work and organization psychologists, who take stock of existing theories about organizational change in the light of new case material. Their findings, from a range of cultural and national contexts, challenge some previously accepted models and set a new agenda for future research. In particular, the volume provides new perspectives on the person organization relationship; the political qualities of organizational change; the input-output model of organizations as entities; and finally on research methodology.