Action research: Rethinking Lewin

Fifty years after Kurt Lewin invented the idea of action research, action r esearch remains an umbrella term for a host of activities intended to foste r change on the group, organizational, and even societal levels. This artic le explores both historical and contemporary definitions of action research and describes the process and goals of action research. Located in the tra dition of Lewin, organizational action research involves cross-functional t eams who address deep-rooted organizational issues through recurring cycles of action and reflection. A case example of an action research project inv olving two teams in a high technology corporation depicts the process in ac tion.