Action research supported by remote collaboration tools: analysis of two operations management applications

Souza, João Paulo Estevam de; Muniz Junior, Jorge

doi:10.1590/0103-6513.20220099

Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

Brasil

Español English

sumário « anterior atual seguinte »

Sumário

Research Article • Prod. 33 • 2023 • https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-6513.20220099 copy

Action research supported by remote collaboration tools: analysis of two operations management applications

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

Paper aims

This paper aims to discuss how Remote Collaboration Tools (RCT) can support and contribute to Action Research (AR) applications in operations management research.

Originality

Researchers shall capture the complexity of studied phenomena when conducting AR. Although, there is a lack of information regarding the use of RCT in AR. Hence, this paper provides original and comprehensive guidelines for the application of RCT in AR.

Research method

This paper provides an ex-post analysis of two face-to-face AR cases, based on the steps proposed by Coughlan and Coughlan (2002). Based on the ex-post analysis, it explains ex-ante and how RCT can impact and contribute to AR on operations management.

Main findings

The paper presents reflections, insights and guidance about the impacts of RCT in AR. RCT allow possibilities for continuity and efficient use of resources in AR. Although, when choosing RCT, special efforts should be put into team building and engagement.

Implications for theory and practice

The description of how the RCT can be used in the AR cycle can contribute to theory based on empirical results as guidance to increase value considering AR quality criteria. We intend to provide material for the advance of the field of Operations, Production and Management, theoretically and practically.

Keywords:
Digital tools; Remote work; Collaboration; Research method; Production

Remote collaboration tool	Description	Examples
Project Management Tools	A collaboration tool that organizes your projects into visual aid boards to improve visualisation and communication.	Trello, Monday,
Schedule interviews	Online scheduling tool used to decide on a date and time for a meeting between a group of people	Doodle
Web pools	Create and analyse surveys in a mobile or web browser. It allows you to get instant results, as they come in and summarizes results into charts and graphs.	Survey Monkey, google forms
Web meetings	A video conferencing service is a solution for both individuals and businesses to meet on audio and video calls.	Google Meet, Teams, Skype, Zoom
Online Scheduling Tools	Online scheduling tools are used to facilitate the process of finding a date and time for a meeting or event.	Doodle
Interviews transcription tool	Assists researchers, scholars, and students in converting speech to text. The software transcribes and identifies each speaker's speech separately.	Nuance, Tactiq, Transcript
Cloud file sharing	Refers to a range of cloud services that allow people to store and synchronize documents, photos, videos and other files in the cloud—and share them with other people. These services also allow users to share and synchronize data among multiple devices for a single owner.	Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive
Virtual Whiteboard	Provide teams with a solution on which they can work remotely, from everywhere. A whiteboard aims to visualize thoughts and concepts, write down ideas, explain and teach, plan and create collaboratively. Online whiteboards can be used for the same purpose as a real whiteboard but without the limitations of a real whiteboard. Allows the construction of a virtual post-it wall where insights and captured knowledge can be added anytime, avoiding loss of information during the waiting between knowledge identification and report meetings.	Miro, Jam
Web-based document management	A platform for creating and editing private and public, word processing and spreadsheet documents	Google Docs, Microsoft 365
Instant messaging tools	Provides a single place for messaging, tools and sharing files.	Slack, WhatsApp, Skype, Microsoft Teams, Telegram
Data Visualisation tools	Collection of software services, apps, and connectors that work together to turn your unrelated sources of data into coherent, visually immersive, and interactive insights.	Power BI, Tableau, Plotly, Excel, Zoho analytics
E-mails	A typed message that is sent from a computer, a phone or another mobile device.	Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.

AR Step	Case 1 Description	Case 2 Description	Opportunities for remote collaboration
Context & Proposal	During the pre-step to understand context and purpose, there were meetings to align the organisation and academic rationale for the AR.	The pre-step was conducted by the academic team to discuss the context and the research proposal. It was carried out face-to-face to discuss organizational issues related to the shop floor of the glass sector, concepts, and research gaps.	Web pools
			pros - collect data from a broader sample spending less money and time.
	Despite the company stating that the project to improve its corporate sustainability performance is necessary, the company presented initial resistance to the implementation of actions and new practices or changes to the actual ones. During the initial stages of the AR, the organisation's team showed motivation and was considerably easy to put the teams together in face-to-face meetings.		Could provide more security for respondents to provide anonymous answers.
		During the first two weeks, the researchers focused on immersing in the shop floor context and production activities in different shifts with active involvement in the day-to-day organisational processes.
			cons - avoidance of registering sensitive information formally.
			Usually, the tax on responses is low.
		This immersion allowed the integration of the researchers with the blue and white-collar, observation of group roles, culture, and decision-making. Some of these observations were made during formal events like meetings and interviews; many were made during informal events during coffee and meals.	Usually, the tax on responses is low.
			Web meetings
			pros - cost and time more effective.
			cons - does not support the construction of a deeper relationship between the teams and participants. Does not capture subtle and non-intentional communication (such as body language).

			Some valuable information can be collected during unplanned informal activities, such as coffee breaks, talks and lunchtime. Such information would not be collected if web meetings were used.
			Interviews transcription tool
			pro - quicker and more accurate transcriptions.
			cons - would be prohibitive because the company had the policy to prohibit recordings.
			Cloud file sharing
			Pros - could allow synchronous and non-synchronous collaboration.
			cons - the company had the policy to prohibit document sharing outside its internal network.
			Virtual White Board
			pros - could allow synchronous and non-synchronous collaboration.
AR Step	Case 1 Description	Case 2 Description	Opportunities for remote collaboration
Data Feedback	The process of Data Feedback encountered difficulties due to the lack of available time for the organisation's team. The data feedback step was performed using face-to-face talks, meetings and document evaluation for validation of the collected data.	The data feedback includes validation of the content of answers with each interviewee. We transcribed the interviews manually and validated the transcribed answers with each interviewee. Normally they agreed with the text, but there were some requests for the inclusion or exclusion of text.	The use of RCT can be more time and cost-efficient and foster the quality of the data feedback through the increased opportunity for communication by the teams.
			Interviews transcription tool
			pro - the transcriptions are more quickly available for validation with the interviewees.
			Web meetings:
			pro - After the transcription, the researchers and interviewees can review the transcription playing back the video and/or audio and, if necessary, make revisions.
			Cloud file sharing:
			pro - share the gathered data directly with the interviewees for validation.
			con - recorded data, including personal or sensitive, requires special protection actions.
			Instant messaging tools:
			pro - the use of instant messaging tools could have helped significantly the communication process.
			Virtual Whiteboard:
			pros - allows collaboration of the team to analyse data with more time and cost efficiency.
AR Step	Case 1 Description	Case 2 Description	Opportunities for remote collaboration
Data Analysis	After performing the Data Feedback step, the academic and the organisation team performed the Data Analysis together. The first issue was related to the harmonization of the tools and criteria for data analysis by the academic and organizational teams. Both teams needed to have a compatible level of understanding of the tools and criteria to do the analysis together. Although, the academic team had to deal with the avoidance of the organisation's team considering and reporting negative results. It called for higher attention from the academic team to keep the data accurate and unbiased during the analysis of data. Additionally, it is important to highlight that the organisation's team knows their organisation best, knows what will work and, ultimately, will be the ones to implement and follow through on whatever actions will be taken. But, on the other hand, it was identified resistance to new tools and criteria for data analysis.	The Data analysis was carried out with a discussion between the organisation and academic teams about the mapped factors.	Data Visualisation tools / Virtual Whiteboard / Cloud file sharing:
			pro - the use of data visualisation tools and cloud file-sharing could have allowed each team to evaluate the data asynchronously and in different locations.
		It applied content analysis software to analyse the answers to map factors related to worker knowledge sharing in the glass industry and analysis of the factors based on studies from the literature.
			cons - individual modifications of the data analysis could embed bias or difficult use of new data analysis tools.
		The data collected on the questionnaire allowed the evaluation and analysis of the factors related to worker knowledge sharing. From this evaluation, two main focus areas were identified: (i) “importance” given by the professional to the proposed factors and (ii) “attention given by the Company” to the respective factors.
			Web meeting:

			pro - on synchronous analysis allows recording the discussion that supports the findings.
Action Planning	During the Action Planning, the activities were planned as a joint effort between academic and organisation teams. The action planning process considered the necessity of action related to sustainability management. But considering that the organisation's team had many restrictions due to involvement in other projects and activities it caused difficulties in conducting the action planning process.	For the action planning process, we considered the two main focus areas identified in the data analysis: (i) “importance” given by the professional to the proposed factors and (ii) “attention given by the Company” to highlight those areas for discussion and prioritisation of actions. These actions search to improve worker knowledge sharing on the shop floor. These actions involve different departments, and it was validated by managers and directors.	Project Management Tools:
			pros - could have brought significant support to organise, distribute, communicate and provide work visibility. Allowing a co-creation process could have reduced the resistance to change proposed by the academic team.
	The action planning process is described:		cons - if one of the teams is not familiar with the tool, additional time is needed for training in the new tool.
	- the types of change;
	- the types of change;		Online Scheduling Tools:
	- what needs to change;		pro - the use of online schedule tools could have saved time spent on finding a common agenda for the meetings and assuring more participation of the people involved in the project.
	- who will support the change; and
	- which parts of the organization need change.
			Web meeting:
			pro - engage from different places to discuss actions and impacts
	Resistance to the required changes to implement a sustainability management system was observed. Consequently, an additional plan to deal with the resistance to changes was added to the action plan.
			cons - keep the focus of the team members for a long time
AR Step	Case 1 Description	Case 2 Description	Opportunities for remote collaboration
Implementation	Once actions were planned, the organisation's team implemented the actions with supervision and frequent feedback from the academic team. It was observed that remote* feedback about the implementation from the organisation's team using e-mail or phone calls was not enough to allow the academic team to analyse the effective implementation and allow proper reflection on the process. Consequently, it was necessary to perform the implementation on the site using face-to-face activities.	The actions were implemented following the action plan.	Project Management Tools
		Follow-up meetings were conducted by academic and organisation teams on regular bases to support the progress of the action plan.	Pros - could have brought significant support to organise, distribute and communicate the planned activities.
			Additionally, could have helped to manage and provide work visibility of action execution between both teams.
			E-mails
			cons - It was observed that the simple remote feedback from the organisation's team about the action execution was not enough to allow the academic team to analyse the execution and output details.
			Web meetings
			pros - can be more cost and time-efficient.
			cons - the organisation's team showed to be more open to reporting results when on face-to-face interactions.
			* At the time the actions of case 1 were implemented (the year 2015) the team was not familiar with the actual RCT. Considering the actual knowledge and experience of the teams using RCT probably would be possible to conduct the implementation step remotely.
AR Step	Case 1 Description	Case 2 Description	Opportunities for remote collaboration
Evaluation	The evaluation and subsequent reflection on the outcomes of the actions allowed both teams to identify if the action was successful or not and if not why? This learning process led to improvements in the next AR cycle. It was observed that the identification of negative outcomes was more open and effective when using face-to-face activities than when using conference calls or email reporting.	The outcomes of the implemented actions were evaluated by managers to identify the need for improvements, constraints, and the need for a new AR cycle. From the evaluation step, it was identified the need to expand the sample restarting the evaluation of the plants based on two main focus areas, to assess the plants and identify progress and opportunities for improvements.	Web meetings
			pros - can be more cost and time-efficient. engage from different places to discuss actions and impacts
			cons - the report of negative outcomes can be less open and effective when using web meetings than when using face-to-face activities.
			E-mails
			cons - It was observed that the report of negative outcomes was more open and effective when realised personally when compared with email reporting.
			Data Visualisation Tools / Virtual Whiteboard:
			pro - the use of data visualisation tools could have allowed each team to evaluate the data asynchronously and in different locations.
			cons - individual evaluation of the results could embed individual bias.
Monitoring (Meta-step)	The Monitoring meta-step was performed by the academic team through all the cycles of the AR. The monitoring meta-step was crucial for continuous academic data collection and learning. Consequently, the academic team was not only concerned with how the project is unfolding but also monitored the learning process and inquired into the inquiry. For that purpose, the academic team focused not only on listening to what the organisation's team reported but also observing what was in fact happening.	The Monitoring meta-step was performed by the academic team through all the cycles of the AR, which allows identifying theoretical aspects and suggesting new AR cycles to the glass company.	Virtual Whiteboard:
			pros - allowed the quick capture and sharing of perceptions, ideas and insights avoiding loss of information and knowledge sharing.
			Con - if used alone can lose the opportunity for co-creation and collective reflection *.
			Web meetings:
			Pro - allows synchronous discussions and reflections about the learning process and inquiring into the inquiry.
			cons - Some valuable information that only can be collected during unplanned informal activities, such as coffee breaks, talks and lunchtime would not be collected if web meetings were used.
			* Web meetings can be used as a good complementary tool for the use of Virtual Whiteboards for co-creation and collective reflection process.

Associação Brasileira de Engenharia de Produção Av. Prof. Almeida Prado, Travessa 2, 128 - 2º andar - Room 231, 05508-900 São Paulo - SP - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: production@editoracubo.com.br

Acompanhe os números deste periódico no seu leitor de RSS

[1] * joaopauloes@yahoo.com.br