This document discusses integrating theory, practice, and learning through reflexive practice. It defines theory as statements about concepts and relationships, and practice as goal-oriented activities. It notes a widening gap between these that draws people to academia but away from original passions. Integrating can occur through impact case studies, engaged scholarship, insider/outsider research teams, action research, and reflective and reflexive practice. Reflective practice rationally makes sense of experience, while reflexive practice questions taken-for-granted theories and perspectives through dialogue. Reflexive practice examines assumptions and encourages discussion of competing interests to shape understanding and relations in more thoughtful, relevant ways.

1. Leeds University Business School
REFLEXIVE PRACTICE: INTEGRATING
SELF, SCHOLARSHIP AND LEARNING
Ann L. Cunliffe
Professor of Organization Studies

2. Integrating Communities of Learning
and Practice
How might we ‘practice’ in more
thoughtful ways and ‘theorise’ in more
relevant ways?
Irish Academy of Management
ALC 2013

3. Theory
“…is a statement of
concepts and their
interrelationships that
shows how and/or why a
phenomenon occurs.”
(Corley & Gioia, 2011: 12)
Practice
Activities, behaviours and
interactions oriented to
particular goals, utilizing
specific methods,
processes and/or tools,
and providing an
identity.
(Sandberg & Tsoukas, 2011: 343)
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ALC 2013

4. A Widening Gap?
The original passion for social justice, economic
equality, human rights, sustainable environment,
political freedom or simply a better world, that
drew so many of us to sociology, is channeled
into the pursuit of academic credentials.
(Michael Burawoy, 2005: 5).
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ALC 2013

5. Integrating Theory, Practice
and Learning
• Impact case studies.
• Engaged scholarship (Van de Ven, 2007)
• Insider/outsider research teams (Bartunek & Reis, 1996)
• Action research/action learning
(Reason & Bradbury, 2001)
• Co-produced research (e.g., Marcos & Denyer, 2012)
• Reflective practice (Kolb, 1975; Schön 1983)
• Reflexive practice (Cunliffe, 2004, 2013)
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ALC 2013

6. Reflective and Reflexive Practice
Are not the same….
Reflection ‘on’:
A stepping back - a rational and reasoning being with
an inner consciousness, making logical sense of an
outside world.
Reflexivity ‘in’:
A living in – we are always selves-in-relation-toothers, both shaping/shaped by our social world.
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ALC 2013

7. Reflection
“Active, persistent, and
careful consideration of
any belief or supposed
form of knowledge in the
light of the grounds that
support it, and the further
conclusions to which it
tends.”
Steve Franks
(Dewey, 1997: 6)
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ALC 2013

8. Reflexive Practice
Questioning the relationship between ourselves and
others: how we see the world, our assumptions/what we
take for granted and the impact, our responsibility for
‘constructing’ life/self/social (Cunliffe, 2009)
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ALC 2013

9. Reflective or Reflexive?
Comparison to preestablished
categories/theories/model
s. Application of theories,
models and methods to
experience, without
question. Coming to a
common understanding of
a pre-established view.
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Questioning taken-forgranted theories,
practices and policies.
Asking what is said and
not said. Accepting that
there are different
perspectives.
ALC 2013

10. Reflexive Practice and Self
“The basic practical-moral problem in life is not what to do but
[who to be]” (Shotter & Cunliffe, 2002)
“Managing is therefore about who we are, because our
actions, our ways of making sense and shaping our
world are not separate from us, they do not stem from
a detached knowledge of the world, but are intimately
linked to who we are, what we feel and say, and how
we engage with our surroundings.” (Cunliffe, 2013)
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ALC 2013

11. Critically-Reflexive Practice
 Examine assumptions that there is a rational way of managing
organizations.
 Question what is being taken for granted.
 Examine ‘normal’ strategies, policies, programs and
organizational practices
 Recognize the need to encourage and discuss competing
interests in decision making processes.
 Encourage organizational members to question assumptions
and actions and their impact on the organization and the
community at large.
 Engage in dialogue that is critical and open.
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ALC 2013

12. Self Reflexivity
… explore how we create understandings from within our
ongoing, shared, dialogical relationships.

Participants are embodied, culturally-grounded with
embedded views and presuppositions.

Recognize the many voices active in shaping meaning.

That we are actively, spontaneously and momentarily
engaged – in liminal space - in the process of imagining
‘realities’.

Think about our truth claims and ‘methods’
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ALC 2013

13. Reflexive Practice: ‘practicing’ in more
thoughtful ways and ‘theorising’ in more
relevant ways….
Understanding:
‘practice’ – who we are in the world and our responsibilities for
acting and relating with others.
‘theory’ – embedded ways of making life sensible (Cunliffe, 2013),
practical theories, action-guiding anticipatory understandings
(Shotter, 2008).
Understanding
Relating
Noticing
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ALC 2013