The action research model applied to the management of interdisciplinary research in university and industrial settings

There are problems in managing successful interdisciplinary research when resources must be drawn from across departmental bounds. The action research model provides a means for the interdisciplinary group to explore the problem constellation and introduce change. The application of this model to overall interdisciplinary policy management is illustrated for a group of health research centres in an academic Health Sciences Centre and for the Technology and Engineering area of a technology organization. For both, the application of the action research model introduced an improved basis for conducting interdisciplinary activities in discipline oriented organizational settings.