Managing action research: the PEArL framework

The difficulty of managing and validating Action Research field studies has been widely discussed. Several different approaches to Action Research have emerged, and one of the most widely used models is Checkland’s FMA model, where a framework is provided to facilitate interested individuals in ‘recovering’ the route of the inquiry. In this paper, I argue that the FMA model is a valuable tool for planning the application of theoretical ideas in a practical situation, but that, as a guide to Action Research, it still fails to provide a sense of the manner in which an inquiry is undertaken. The PEArL mnemonic has been previously offered as a guide to facilitate researchers, participants, and those interested in gaining an appreciation of the manner in which an inquiry is conducted. In this paper, it is argued that applying the PEArL elements does not provide insight into the dynamic nature of collaborative inquiry. In order to gain a sense of the manner in which an inquiry was undertaken it is necessary to apply the PEArL mnemonic alongside a framework that facilitates the flow of the action research cycle. To illustrate the framework, an Action Research field study is described that was undertaken with residents and key workers in a shelter for the homeless, where the aim was to create a shared understanding of complex needs and support requirements

Extrovert Followership and its Impact on Agreeable Leadership

This study recons the need for research on effective role of followership in mentoring a leader to set pattern or direction for leader. A reinvented concept of leader being a team man needs active participation from followers in changing business dynamics. The sample consisting of middle level management having leader (heads/ supervisors from education sector) above it has been taken and results are achieved using inferential statistics, so to verify the need of followers for result oriented leadership. The results depict that certain personality traits backed by “Big Five Model” are found to be important for followers to have an impact on leader’s decision making. As this study analyses the mutual characteristic of leader follower relation statistically while putting follower on the fore front, the originality of study is ensured. As for limitation, this study may show different results as per variant geographical and economical regions in which followers’ expectations may vary accordingly

Community Structure along Timberline Ecotone in Relation to Micro-topography and Disturbances in Western Himalaya

Four communities, formed as a result of locally varying site conditions, were identified and studied along the timberline ecotone in part of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS). Communities on the vicinity of pilgrimage site and along gentler slopes were highly disturbed having sharp timberlines, while those located far and in the steep slopes were less affected, forming a little broader transition. The tree density ranged from 340 to 780 trees/ha, while the basal cover of communities varied greatly and ranged from 6.4 to 55.1 m2/ha. Birch dominated community had lowest basal area among all the communities, while mixed community had the highest. In all the respective communities, from subalpine zone, density and basal area was higher than that of timberline zone. The Importance Value Index (IVI), which used to determine the overall importance of each species in the community structure, of dominant species at timberline was more than 200 in all the communities, except in the mixed community. Influence of the anthropogenic disturbances was apparent on the regeneration performance of all the studied tree species. Rhododendron campanulatum was the dominant shrub species of the area and formed krummholz, while distribution of other species varies greatly with forest type. The shrub density decreased from high to low disturbance, while the herbaceous species density increased with prevalence of a few species favoring the high disturbance (grazing). The shrub and herb species richness was higher in the ecotone zone. Some uncommon species like Balanophora involucrata and Aralia cissifolia were also found at timberline. Three species of Ladys Slipper orchid were reported together from Betula utilis community at timberline ecotone