STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS IN USING ACTION RESEARCH FOR IMPROVING PERSONNEL PRACTICES

This paper offers a perspective on using the action research (A.R.) pr ocess to improve personnel practices, and illustrates this in a Canadi an organization concerned with providing emergency services for those in need. Af ter providing an overview of the action research process, this paper illustrates some of the personnel projects which were under taken in developing job descriptions, a performance appraisal system f or management, a strategic plan, an integrative labor relations proces s, and a team management process. It suggests that a number of strateg ic choices will affect the success of projects such as: (i) defining t he relationship between organizational versus A.R. activities, (ii) ch anging people versus changing structures, (iii) using power versus int egrative strategies, (iv) resolving technical versus people problems, (v) information gathering versus facilitation, and (vi) top versus bot tom-up change.