Practice research’s challenges and opportunities across project conceptualisation, implementation, and dissemination: a Singaporean case study

ABSTRACT

Because practice research’s benefits in social work contexts are well-documented, research attention has shifted to improving its operationalisation within organisations. However, few studies have examined practice research’s challenges and opportunities across project conceptualisation, implementation, and dissemination. Even fewer have considered practitioner-researcher and organisational power dynamics, especially in Asia. Using a qualitative exploratory case study approach, we first described the challenges a Singaporean youth work agency faced during conceptualisation, implementation, and dissemination across three practice-research projects. Subsequently, we evaluated how the core practice-research team seized opportunities to address these challenges (i.e. manpower and resourcing, disproportionate researcher influence, sustaining interest internally and externally) and future improvement opportunities (i.e. institutionalise knowledge, build organisational capacity, and examine structural impediments). Implications for practitioners and researchers and effective organisational strategies – internally, externally, and structurally – are discussed.

摘要

实践研究的优势在社会工作背景下已得到较多讨论, 研究注意力已开始转向如何改善其在组织内的可操作性。然而, 尤其在亚洲地区、研究者较少探讨实践研究在项目概念化、实施和传播方面存在的挑战和机遇, 对实务工作者-研究者以及组织权力动力方面的探究则更为缺乏。本文运用定性探索性案例研究方法, 首先描述了一间新加坡青年工作机构三个实践研究项目在概念化、实施和传播过程中所面临的挑战。随后, 论文评估了核心团队如何抓住机遇以应对这些挑战 (即人力和资源、研究人员不成比例的影响力、和维持内外部的兴趣), 并探讨未来的改进机会 (即制度化知识、建设组织能力、和考察结构性障碍) 。论文最后讨论了该研究对实务工作者、研究者以及在内部, 外部和结构性方面如何推动有效组织策略的启示。

KEYWORDS:

• Case study
• international social work
• practice research
• Singapore youth work

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).