The Digital Society

and

Intervention

Research –

Revisiting

Epistemology

@mikaelseppala

Sociologist (YTM)

Action Researcher (KM)

Entrepreneur (KTM)

Service Designer (MBA)

Business Architect

Current research/interest:

Human-business-IT alignment

The digital society challenges us to an ontological revisition

Cynefin

“Fractal discinctions produce an

illusion of progress from a reality of

tradition.

Disciplines borrow from each other

endlessly, but train scholars more or

less within consistent lineages.“

WICKED PROBLEMS IN

COMPLEX

ADAPTIVE

INTERRELATED

SYSTEMS

AFFECTED BY GLOBAL, RAPID TRANSITION

WE ARE GOOD AT DIVERGENCE BUT

WHEN DO WE CONVERGE?

As ontology precedes epistemology, what are the implications if the revisedontological understanding on research?

MEANWHILE IN IT DEVELOPMENT

Waterfall methods:

Scientific research

”An academic quartal is 25 years”

Using rigor to uncover underlying truths

that are not there, at least in the social

sciences

We should try to be faster and more humane

Agile methods:

Human-centered design

Attaining best possible understanding and

constant adaptation

INTERVENTION RESEARCH AS SCIENCE

Action research is either

research initiated to solve an

immediate problem or a

reflective process of progressive

problem solving led by individuals

working with others in teams or

as part of a "community of

practice" to improve the way

they address issues and solve

problems. (Wikipedia)

KURT LEWIN 1890-1947

24

Direct societal contribution

Indirect societal contribution

Independent observation

Intervention

Use-inspired basic research

Pasteur’s Quadrant: Normal science with use-inspired research questions

User-outlined interventionary research

Lewin’s Quadrant:User-outlined interventionary research questions

Reflexive research

Kuhn’s Quadrant: Revolutionary science research questions with implications of renewal of science

Basic research

Bohr’s Quadrant: Normal science with theory-inspired research questions on new topics

Rethinking the functions of higher education research in the social sciences : the case of the Family Business Review / Mikael Seppälä. (http://bit.ly/1aUhFfn)

DESIGN RESEARCH AS INTERVENTION

Sociologists

operate here

But we fail to move into this space!

Qualitative and Quantitative Behavioral Research

Kitchen Stories https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKYyHJFxmVA

Generating actionable insightMaps we can use

Co-creative ideationFor context-sensitive &humanized solutions

Rapid, cheap prototyping Fun and easy

How can we as

sociologists make

collaborative and

collective impact on

society using

science?