Negotiating mutually satisfying IS action research topics with organizations: an analysis of Rapoport’s initiative dilemma

Discusses, from an information system perspective, the gradual negotiation process involved in the resolution of the initiative dilemma of action research. Posits that the initiative dilemma is characterized by the researcher facing the decision of taking the initiative of defining an opportunity for generating knowledge first then trying to find client organizations, or leaving this to client organizations and tackling problems proposed by them. The first option may lead to the definition of research projects that do not meet the interests of client organizations, while the second may lead to irrelevant research topics. Proposes a preliminary explanatory model of this negotiation process and highlights the differing and often conflicting views of researchers and organizations. Discusses failure types that may result from this negotiation process and how to avoid them.