Collaborative Management Research as a Modality of Action Research

The practice of action research has been an integral element of organization development research since the beginning. Collaborative management research (CMR) is viewed as a modality within the broad family of action research approaches. By design, CMR aims to facilitate collaboration between researchers and practitioners in the investigation of an organizational issue while generating outcomes that are both relevant to practice and scholarly rigorous. This article reports on the nature and outcome of a CMR effort that centers on a complex organizational change—the merger process of two real-estate investment companies. The discussion identifies and explores some of the characteristics of CMR that could enable mergers and acquisitions. Contribution to theory, methodology and practice are then presented, proposing CMR as a managerial tool for framing and leading mergers and acquisitions.