Empowering Methodologies in Management Research Workshop

Rohit Shah organising themes on post-its.

A few days after the Empowering Conference the project team held a Workshop to plan our next steps. On day One we worked on the Case Study Data the Indian Students brought with them. We participated in Data Analysis sessions focusing on the discovery of Themes to then trying to develop these themes into Concepts and meaningful descriptions. Starting with revising individual case studies we were surprised at the end of the day by how some Topics were replicated in the others.

Jaideep and Nikhil Kumar discussing themes

 On day Two we discussed the planned Project outputs, namely a Chapter book edited by Emma, Sunita and Tim, and an Online Course to be created on the Open University OpenLearn platform and which will be informed by the work done so far. Will post more about this later.

Avilasa Sengupta presenting her data

During the workshop I had the chance to copy the Students' Data Files into a secure space within the University's SharePoint platform. The data sets are comprised of audio-visual material of interviews and participant observation, and transcriptions. Next step is to do an inventory of the data and setup to work on the above project outputs.

And finally we also had time to relax. Breaks were not only refreshing but a good time to talk and know each other more. On day One during the lunch break, Tim brought his nice, vintage(?) camera and took pictures of us.

Empowering Methodologies in Management Research Conference

We are half way through the project and as planned we hosted a Conference on Empowering Methodologies, 29-30 of May at the Michael Young Building, Open University. I attended both days and enjoyed the experience. We received a healthy number of attendees and a diverse set of scholars who presented a variety of perspectives on qualitative research. Those perspectives proposed innovative ways to develop qualitative research methodologies involving more democratic and empowering views. We also had the opportunity to meet with our Indian colleagues who visited the UK for two weeks. They attended the Conference and a two-day Workshop hosted on the 3-4 of June.

Starting the Conference on Day 1, Emma, gave an introductory presentation titled "What are Empowering Methodologies?". Professor Emily Keightley (Loughborough University) continued with ‘Creative Methods in Studying Memory and Change’, followed by Dr Emanuela Girei (University of Sheffield) presenting ‘Decolonising Management Knowledge and Research Practice’ and Professor Torkild Thanem (Stockholm University) presenting ‘Embodied Research Methods in the Social Sciences’. A panel discussion on ‘Opportunities and Challenges in Empowering Methodologies in Management Research’ closed the first day; this was chaired by Steve Brown with Professor Sunita Singh Sengupta, Professor Gillian Symon (Royal Holloway, University of London) and Dr Sophie Mills (University of Nottingham).

Professor Torkild Thanem from Stockholm University

Panel Discussion: Professor Sunita Singh Sengupta, Dr Sophie Mills, Professor Gillian Symon and Professor Steve Brown

After the Panel Discussion everyone gathered for drinks and a nice dinner at an on-campus restaurant. I could see everyone enjoying themselves following up conversations that began at the conference. Personally I had a great time talking to our Indian Colleagues (Professor Sunita, Avilasa, Guang, Nikhil, Rohit, Sumeet and Jaideep) about their impressions of the Conference, the University Campus and the UK in general.

Indian Delegates

Continuing with the Conference, Dr Nirmal Puwar (Goldsmiths, University of London) started day two with ‘Live Methods and the Sociological Imagination’ followed by Dr Lauren McCarthy (Royal Holloway, University of London) on ‘Visual Participatory Research: From Development to Management Studies’.

Dr Lauren McCarthy, Royal Holloway, University of London

Dr Nirmal Puwar, Goldsmiths, University of London

The final session was a World Café on "Doing Empowering Research" lead by Dr Tim Butcher and which involved our six students from University of Delhi presenting their Case Studies and their experiences at carrying out Empowering Methodologies. The students got useful feedback and more ideas to continue their work for the project. For me, this was the highlight of the whole event. The attendees were so interested, energetic and enthusiastic about meeting our Indian colleagues, so much that they asked the organisers to continue with the World Cafe a few minutes more after we had ran out of time!

Rohit Shah

Sumeet Anand

Guangpuanang Kahmei

Avilasa Sengupta

Nikhil Kumar

Jaideep

Qualitative Research by Avilasa Sengupta

My earliest and the most basic understanding of qualitative research, developed on this statement by one of my professors at the university, who said that:

“Every man is a story. Some are told, some are heard. And some get lost in it forever.”

The mind is always operating around stories. What is our history? Isn’t it just a story we have? I have a story, you have a story. So when we claim something to be evidence, it is also to be storied by my mind to be understood, which shows that our search to be objective, is also one of the invaded formations in our story telling approach.

My understanding of qualitative methods emerged based on the assumption that human interaction is nothing but stories. The study of intentionality, and the inferences of it can be understood only in terms of human interactions. The inferences that why someone is quiet or why someone spoke, is because we have the ability to see both the visible and the invisible.

We as humans are not satisfied by the visible, rather intrigued and enamoured by the invisible. This oscillation or composition between the visible and the invisible is what differentiates us from each other. Each one of us has different proportions, different assertions, and thrusts of visibility and invisibility. When we have an understanding of this composition, anything cannot be linear, because linearity is only one understanding. For example, we buy a flower from a store. The person, who sold the flower, will have a meaning a reason for selling the flower. He/she brought the flower, kept it at the store, and sold it. The one, who bought it, would have a reason a meaning of buying it. The person the flower was gifted to, would have a meaning and understanding of it. Here, the persistence of both the person having the flower in her room and the person who gifted it can be explored. In looking at the flower every now and then, the person thinks about the latter. The seller might not have thought that the flower would last for x-number of days, the giver did not expect the receiver to react a certain way, the receiver would not have expected to receive it.

What I attempt to explain here is that there is a possibility to see things at a variety of levels, including a literal level, a symbolic level, and a metaphorical level. The sensibility of a method is not necessarily a learning that we have on encountering the participant; rather our ways of looking at the world and understanding it builds our sensibilities. We are too focused on deriving conclusions and giving summaries to things around us. And it is this very desire which makes us feel incomplete, impoverished with our own sense of communication. There is a constant anxiety to conclude ‘appropriately’ and to put our understanding ‘rightly’ to the audience. For e.g. when we use ‘basically’ in our conversations, we use it to denote that this xyz is the crux of the point in question. This limits the expansion of the meaning and understanding around that point. We often fail to see how the point is related or unrelated to the most private part of us. What it evokes in me, what is my positionality while understanding it a certain way, what am I missing out in order to fit it into a framework? Every act, symbol or language, communicates us the composition of the visible and the invisible.

Everything cannot be told. Telling and listening is based on a semantic structure. The qualitative method therefore counter argues that communication is not only through the said patterns. The ‘said’ is not only what is told, but ‘said’ is also that which needs to be told. The ‘said’ is also what ought to be told. The ‘said’ is also what only can be told. The ‘said’ is what is expected to be told. So if all these are the primers in determining the ‘said’ part, the narrator alone cannot be responsible for the ‘said’. The listener too has to have a broader sensibility and sense making.

Understanding is invariably embedded in a way that the mind receives a story and qualitative methods emphasise on the temporal beauty of these stories. Qualitative methods focus on this positioning where the boundaries which we take between the past, present and future is not very linear and we give the speaker and the listener a space to oscillate back and forth and make a sense to both the lived and unlived, the told and the untold story. It gives us the space to witness and ease with our differences and have a healing capacity. The ability to revisit the past time and again and resolve our knots and to discover within ourselves the unknown parts of us is only one of the healing ability that qualitative methods have to offer. It helps us understand and listen to the other because we are able to listen to our selves. The claim we make as a researcher that ‘I have listened’, is a false assumption because listening is not that easy and qualitative method helps us look into this difficulty.

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Avilasa Sengupta is a post-graduate student at the Department of Psychology, University of Delhi. She is working on ‘Ecofeminist organisation and earth democracy in food production’.

My Journey as a Qualitative Researcher by Nikhil Kumar

I was very young when I was handed over a story book to read by myself. That was a s sincere effort of my father to start reading and speaking in English right from the beginning. The story book was “The little match girl”. A story that made me think at a young age of 7 that how a structured combination of words curated with deep insights can bring an individual face to face with one’s own vulnerabilities. My vulnerability after reading that story was if I ever lose parents and the support of my family how will I be able to sustain my existence.

My journey to deep dive into tales and narratives to understand the unheard and unexpressed, that started there with an illustrated classic took a relapse after 15 years when I enrolled myself for post-graduate in Psychology in Delhi University and opted for Qualitative Research Methods as one of the papers.

The different readings and articles that I went through to understand the difficult concepts that I always overlooked like silence, speech, conversation, narratives, etc., made me realize how we as individuals often are surrounded by so many tales and stories that are often wounded and silenced by prejudices, social stigmas, dogmas and conventions that are perceived to be right by the majority.

Street Play Theatre - New Delhi

As a qualitative researcher, I have not only become cognizant of a new perspective to observe these issues but I have become more sensitive towards them. The readings that always seemed to be liability were proved to be an asset as that process churned and catalysed the process of self-inquiry in order to understand and empower the other. Through qualitative research I learnt how to use the personal experiences as a tool to effectively understand the struggles of the one being researched, I realized the journey from an outsider to insider can only be covered well if I do not supress my primary experiences with my own reality that we often would and neither allow myself to be overwhelmed by it. I understood how to use my experiences be it in silence via observing my ‘other’ or in a dialogue with the ‘other’ i.e., the process of critical subjectivity.

Qualitative research empowered me by awaking the curious student in me who does not claim to know everything. Since only if I know that ‘I don’t know’ I will be able to really empathise with the ‘other’ and in order to connect with the other I will have to give upon the claim that I know everything.

Street Play Performers - New Delhi

Maintaining a reflexive journal throughout the study is a very healthy habit for a researcher as it works as a doctor’s guide during the analysis of the data. Since we hear, read and watch the data after a significant time period to analyse it. Referring back to the reflexive journal to understand my own challenges while I was in interaction with my subject helps me to understand and analyse without any bias at a holistic level barring the research finding from any pre-conceived notion that I am influenced with.

Each story that I heard, shaped and reshaped my research process as every story helps another research question to emerge. Analysis of every verbatim, every transcript is a constant negotiation with the ‘my perception of reality’ vis-à-vis ‘how the other’s reality is shaped’ and unveils multiple layers of reflexivity during the process.

“I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him, and this is all that is needed for an act of theatre to be engaged.”

Peter Brook, The empty space

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Nikhil Kumar  is a post-graduate student at the Department of Psychology, University of Delhi. He is looking at street plays which address issues of gender in Indian society, organisations and workplaces. His Case Study is titled: Giving voice to unspoken issues of gender through the organization of Street Play Theatre.

Fieldwork Update and Thoughts by Guang Kahmei

It has been almost 5 months that I'm working with the UKIERI project team to develop a Case Study on “Organizational Tradition, Loss and Change of Naga Tribes in the North East State of India”. It has been an incredible experience to study the life of Naga (as I myself one) which I had never given much thought before. Naga is an ethnic group of people inhabited in the modern Indian states of Assam, Manipur Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Chin hill of Modern Myanmar. They are the indigenous tribes which consist of more than 55 tribes approximately adding upto 89 languages and dialect. 

Village road

As part of my fieldwork, I travelled to Zeliangrong hill (western part of Naga hill) in Manipur and Nagaland for my data collection from 20th December 2018 to 13th January 2019. I travelled to the heart of Zeliangrong region (Noney, Tamenglong) and the capital city of Manipur (Imphal) and Nagaland (Kohima) for interviews, storytelling session, Group discussion, Observing their festival and ritual performance. I also visited different Zeliangrong villages to observe their economy and to gather a holistic knowledge and information about the village administration system. The fieldwork ended recently in the month of January 2019, and here are the few reflections on the trip.

It was an overwhelming experience having time to talk with so many elders and listening to their fascinating stories. People are so kind and very co-operative. Every day is an adventure, I mostly travelled for a day in the hilly road to reached one village to another, sometimes I have to walk 5-6 hours by foot in terrain. One can imagine that the journey must be tiresome. Yes, indeed it was but once you reached the place, your exhaustion just vanishes away in laughter with their fascinating stories and jokes. I never get tired of hearing them.

On 21st December, I came to Longmai (Small town of Rongmei Naga) around 65 Kms from Imphal for an interview instead I conduct group discussion (turn out better than what I originally planned), In the discussion, I was able to gather the detail of village administration system of Rongmei. One of the elder (ex-chairman) narrated about life during 60s. It was so profound that I can still hear his humour as if I am in that hall even after almost three months had passed. It was quite fascinating listening to him. He was the former commander of NNC (Naga revolutionary Army) during the 70s and travelled all the Naga villages which gave him a very good knowledge of Naga life.

At Tamenglong, on the 29th of December, I visited the Raengan, a fortress built during the 18th century. It’s still very difficult to comprehend how they carry such a big stone to uphill. 

I was back to Imphal on 10th of January, 2019 for Nanuh festival at Langthabal Chingkha to observe the practices of traditional religion such as dances, songs, ritual performance and feasting, a festival for the new-born babies in the village. It was one of the most remarkable experience in my fieldwork. They have a beautiful place, colour with beautiful dances in colourful dresses, and a great music. 

Kohima Town (Battle of Kohima)

I also planned to meet Naga political leaders and some social activist to have holistic understanding of Nagas aspiration and their struggle. Therefore, I go up to Kohima, the capital city of Nagaland. Unfortunately, after the interview just before I leave for Imphal, the NESO call for total shutdown throughout the North-eastern States to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) in the parliament. So, I was stuck there for two days. Taking advantage of the situation, I roam the city, visited the World War II cemetery and the Battle of Kohima where the Indian National Army fought alongside Japanese soldiers against the British force. I was fortunate to stand in the historic tennis court -the only line that divides the two forces. 

I also visited the Cathedral which was built for the memories of Japanese soldiers who were fought and died in the battle. Cathedral is famous because of two things, it was built for the memories of Japanese soldiers with the contribution from the Japanese soldiers who fought in the Battle of Kohima and from the family who were killed in the battle. Secondly, the house is designed in the traditional Naga Morung house design. The Cathedral stands at the heart of Kohima. Most importantly, the Cathedral stands as the symbol of reconciliation, it is where the British, Indian and Japanese meet to remember the War for peace.

“Here at Kohima, in the spring of 1944, Japanese, British and Indian forces fought desperately for Garrison Hill.

Thousands of officers and other ranks were killed in action fighting for their mother country.

‘When you go home tell of us and say

For your tomorrow, we gave our today’.

We firmly believe that this inscription on the monument which stands on Garrison Hill must have been the common thought of the British, Indian and Japanese officers and other ranks who lost their lives, and that they all prayed for the future of their countries, a future of peace and prosperity…”

-Inscription at the gate of Cathedral

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Guangpuanang Kahmei is a PhD student at the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi. He is working on the ‘Organisational tradition, change and loss in the Naga tribe of NE India’.

New Scholar joins the Empowering Project

Dr Jaideep Welcome  to the Empowering Project!

Dr.Jaideep is a PhD in Organizational Behaviour from Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi. His PhD study was ‘Spirit Centric Leadership Styles for Corporate Social Responsibility: A Study of Indian PSUs’. Dr Jaideep has more than ten years of  experience in teaching and administration. He holds Masters Degree in Business Administration from Uttar Pradesh Technical University with dual specialization in Human Resource & Marketing. 

Dr Jaideep worked as Research Officer in the project entitled Restructuring of Ministry of Home affairs at Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi. His interest areas of research include Leadership, Spirituality, CSR, Sustainable Development and Value Based Management. Dr Jaideep has qualified National Eligibility Test conducted by UGC for Lectureship. He was awarded JRF (Junior research Fellowship) and SRF (Senior Research Fellowship) by UGC. He has also published several research papers in various national and international journals. 

Dr Jaideep will be looking into "Soap for Hope" an initiative by "Doctors for You" a nonprofit launched in India in 2016 by Diversey India. His  case study will explore how the work is organised, including how local nonprofits employ underprivileged community members in craft making workshops.

Team Changes and Updates

Unfortunately our colleague Sanatan Tiwari has left the project. However we have recruited a new scholar from the University of Delhi, Faculty of Management Studies. I will post an update about him soon. At the moment he is working on the design of his Case Study to get Ethical Approval.

Four students have already started their fieldwork and are collecting data from interviews and participant observation, using audio recorders, photo and video cameras. Two of them have travelled to remote areas and have successfully returned bringing with them their experiences using audio and visual technologies in areas with limited access to electricity and internet. Soon we will share some of their reflections in this blog.