Advancing Visual Methodologies in Business and Management
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Essex
Department Name: Essex Business School
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Organisations
Publications
Bell E
(2012)
Visual Management Studies: Empirical and Theoretical Approaches*
in International Journal of Management Reviews
Bell, Emma; Schroeder, Jonathan E.; Warren, Samantha
(2013)
The Routledge Companion to Visual Organization
Davison J
(2012)
Exploring the visual in organizations and management
in Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal
Davison J
(2011)
The Routledge Companion to Accounting Communication
Warren S
(2012)
Having an eye for it: aesthetics, ethnography and the senses
in Journal of Organizational Ethnography
| Description | 'inVisio inspire' is a set of online materials and a interactive blog which (building upon the earlier 'inVisio' seminar series) has established the first international community for visual research in business and management discplines. The visual dimension to business, management and organizational life has exploded in importance with the development and spread of Internet technologies, and new channels of visual media communication. Yet research methods to analyse the role and significance of images and other visual media in these settings have not kept pace with these changes and business and management disciplines remain dominated either by quantitative methodologies, or text-based qualitative ones. This Project addresses this gap by providing a free to access, online resource for the development of researchers' skills in visual methodology and analysis - specifically with the needs of the business and management community in mind. The resulting website 'inspire' (www.moodle.in-visio.org) was developed by 31 expert members of the International Network for Visual Studies in Organizations (inVisio) and provides introductory and advanced materials, how-to guides, video case studies, tutorials, and references, all assembled in a 'one-stop shop' resource for anyone wishing to develop new skills in visual management research: from postgraduate students, through to experienced, established researchers. |
| Exploitation Route | The resulting website 'inspire' (www.moodle.in-visio.org) was developed by 31 expert members of the International Network for Visual Studies in Organizations (inVisio) and provides introductory and advanced materials, how-to guides, video case studies, tutorials, and references, all assembled in a 'one-stop shop' resource for anyone wishing to develop new skills in visual management research: from postgraduate students, through to experienced, established researchers. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Other |
| URL | http://moodle.in-visio.org/ |
| Description | Users report using the resources to support their own research practice (62%), develop new skills (69%), advance their existing visual methods capability (40%) and for training purposes (students or clients) (31%). The project is also referenced in two globally best-selling business research methods textbooks, Bryman and Bell (2013) and Saunders et al. (2015). As the Researcher Development Initiative Scheme that funded our project is primarily intended to build capacity among academic researchers, we are especially pleased to have had impact on non-academic users as detailed below. Primary Impacts have been on the skills and continuing professional development for the researcher/ consultant community outside academia in much the same way as noted above. Secondary impacts are occurring as a result of these users' practices - the use to which practitioners are putting their new skills to effect organizational change and/ or undertake consultancy for their clients, for example. These include organizational consultants, HRD practitioners within the health sector, and a government department and two specific examples of user impact are (1) an Education Director at a Hospice for cancer patients who used the resources to introduce drawing techniques as part of the 'supervision' process for care workers who support the terminally ill and their families; and (2) an organizational consultant who now uses participant-led photography to gather data on employee engagement as a result of finding our network. The HEA/ Students Union project 'Go Green' also worked closely with inVisio to support their arts-based training workshops and will contribute a case study to the inspire website, on sustainable management development through visual research. Specific non-academic talks/ networking events where the resources have been promoted include The Environment Agency, Bristol, ERIC a Bristol based charity and the GE Women's Network. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Healthcare,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Government, Democracy and Justice,Other |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Economic,Policy & public services |
| Description | ERIC Charity consultancy work (Harriet Shortt) |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | Environment Agency collaboration (Harriet Shortt) |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Involvement in an analysis of workspace design and dissemination of findings to employees and managers at the Environment Agency |
| Title | inVisio 'inspire' online resources |
| Description | 'inVisio inspire' is a set of online materials and a interactive blog which has established the first international community for visual research in business and management discplines.'inspire' (www.moodle.in-visio.org) was developed by 31 expert members of the International Network for Visual Studies in Organizations (inVisio) and provides introductory and advanced materials, how-to guides, video case studies, tutorials, and references, all assembled in a 'one-stop shop' resource for anyone wishing to develop new skills in visual management research: from postgraduate students, through to experienced, established researchers. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2012 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | These resources have built tremendous capacity in this area across accounting, marketing, organization studies, management, tourism and strategy research across the researcher life-course and among non-academic users. Primary impacts include researcher development for doctoral students, skills-updating reported by organizational consultants in the government, health and private sectors, revision of teaching resources as a result of using the materials, advancement of practice for established academic researchers and a general rise in awareness of visual issues in management research, evidenced by the growing number of conferences with visual-related streams (e.g., EGOS 2014, AoM 2014). Secondary impacts are also beginning to be seen, e.g., the resources were used to train student-consultants to undertake eco-audits resulting in cost-savings and the introduction of sustainable management practices in third sector organizations in Cambridgeshire. |
| URL | http://moodle.in-visio.org/ |
| Title | inVisio network website |
| Description | Blog and online news forum for visual methods researchers in business and management |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2008 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Further funding for Researcher Development Initiative on this topic, establishment of international network of academic and practitioner researchers |
| URL | http://www.in-visio.org |
| Description | Cultural Industries and Creative Management Conference Taipei (Jonathan Schroeder) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Keynote talk set agenda for discussions and increased awareness in subsequent group discussions There was an increase in membership of the inVisio network |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |