Delivering impact via the ebb-and-flow of a research team: Reflection on a long-term program of research into a global societal challenge*

Abstract

In this paper, we draw insights from a 15-year qualitative research program exploring catastrophe insurance and gaps in insurance protection as risks escalate within a world impacted by a climate emergency. We suggest that the ebb-and-flow of our research team's composition and activities through time was inextricably linked with our ability to have a sustained impact on such a large-scale societal issue. The essay situates itself within the research impact and team literature, narrates the trajectory of our research program and team development, and develops a framework for effectively managing impact-oriented qualitative research teams over time. Our framework illustrates key aspects of this process including team (re)forming, building team and individual stickability, performing, and managing team flux. We also present 10 practical takeaways for how these aspects can be managed effectively to produce long-term impact work to address grand challenges.

Balancing Depth and Breadth to Understand Macro Phenomena: Some Advice for Analyzing Global Qualitative Datasets

“…Inductive qualitative research can offer nuanced and surprising insights regarding large-scale global phenomena, including the most pressing grand challenges facing us as societies (Eisenhardt et al, 2016;Hoon & Baluch, 2024;Jarzabkowski et al, 2019). More specifically, meaningful insights and practical impact (Bednarek et al, 2024) can arise via qualitative studies that balance depth of immersion and global breadth. It is, however, the interpretive efforts of the researchers involved that ensure that this is a meaningful enterprise, rather than simply an empiricist drive for more data for its own sake (Alvesson & Skoldberg, 2000).…”

“…For example, in Project 2, our initial inclination was to engage with our data via a social practice theory lens, in alignment with Project 1. However, the overarching driving conceptual framework shifted after we engaged in our initial research arc and "paradox" became the central conceptual scaffolding (Bednarek et al, 2024;Jarzabkowski et al, 2019Jarzabkowski et al, , 2022. In both cases, holding on to enough doubt was central to accessing the reflexivity to interrogate some of our underlying fundamental assumptions and create these necessary shifts in focus that meant out research process was multiarc (Hoon & Baluch, 2024).…”

“…In our case, at one point we "left behind" Project 1 (reinsurance trading practices) and began Project 2 (efforts to address insurance protection gaps). Our engagement in Project 1 enabled the construction of that new, more expanded, research phenomenon (Bednarek et al, 2024); they are not completely disconnected. Yet, thus far we have not treated them as distinct arcs of the same project via integrating them.…”

Practicing Impact and Impacting Practice? Creating Impact Through Practice-Based Scholarship

“…Therefore, my closing point, built from my work and that of the gifted team members with whom I have conducted immersive practice studies, and our efforts to have practicebased impact, is to be persistent (Bednarek et al, 2023). The job of practice scholars is to make their findings available, to render them as "real" as possible to enable practitioners to reflect upon them, and to leave good traces of them, through reports, stories, and cases, so that they can be found and picked up in the future if answers are sought.…”

Honey, We Shrunk Our Impact: Social Impact in Organizational Research

“…Our intention here is not to recap or reiterate what we already know about the problems with relevance, applied, phenomenon-driven, or translational research challenges (or paradoxically, to over-theorize the theme, per (Kieser et al, 2015). At JABS, we have already editorialized on this theme (Schwarz, 2023b;Schwarz & Vakola, 2021), published a special issue on aspects of it (Shani et al, 2023), and introspected broadly on the subject (e.g., Bednarek et al, 2023;Cummings & Cummings, 2020;McKenzie & Bartunek, 2023). Given its importance, it is now a well-acknowledged and overly discussed problem (start with Rynes et al, 2001, see also Antonacopoulou et al, 2023;Lawler et al, 1999;Pettigrew, 2011).…”