Modos de uso de pesquisa-ação em dissertações e teses em administração no Brasil

Abstract

This article is guided by the following research problem: How has the action research method been used in research in postgra- duate masters and doctorate programs in Brazil? The objective is to investigate the predominant types of action research in these works. The theoretical framework comes from Thiollent’s (2011) understanding of action research. This is a bibliographical research carried out in 2018 and 2019, in 64 dissertations and theses defended in the period from 2011 to 2018 in Brazilian post- -graduate programs in administration. The data were submitted to Content Analysis using the categories defined by Tripp (2005): technique; practice; policy; socially critical; and emancipatory. The results show a strong predominance of the technical and practical vision of action research and little use in the political and social-critical senses, in keeping with the functionalist hege- monic vision in the field of Administration. The contributions of the article are clarifications on the use of action research, as well as guidelines for the exploration of new typologies.