UKIERI Empowering Methodologies in Management Research

The ‘Developing Empowering Methodologies in Management Research’ project funded by the UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) is led by Professor Emma Bell with Dr Tim Butcher and Dr Cecilia Loureiro, The Open University Business School, in collaboration with Professor Sunita Singh Sengupta, Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi, India.

The purpose of the project is to enhance research capacity, develop researchers’ skills and strengthen methodological understanding of approaches to business and management research that seek to empower research participants. Empowering research is understood as a way of working collaboratively with research participants on topics and issues of relevance and importance to them and empowering them to use their voice through research participation.

Following a series of qualitative case studies that have been carried out by research students at University of Delhi and exchange visits involving project team members, the team have developed a free online short course to introduce learners to the concept of empowerment in organisational research. The course is aimed at students and practitioners who are interested in learning how to do research in ways that are experienced as more empowering. The course logo features an image of an ear to emphasise listening with the whole body and ‘being with’ participants as a way for researchers to be fully present and attentive to what they encounter.

The project team are also working on an edited book on ‘Empowering Methodologies in Organisational and Social Research’, to be published by Routledge India Originals which makes critical interventions in theoretical and empirical research in South Asia.

This project connects to the REEF theme of Methods and Practices of Knowledge Production

Visit the project blog