Tons of data, but no theory: ethnoventionist research in an interorganisational strategic change project

This chapter discusses how the engaged scholarship approach has been used to study the strategic change project, called ‘the Innovation Atelier’. This project intended to improve the mutual collaboration of nine Dutch operators and constructors in the joint construction of utility networks. To stimulate change in practice, the authors combined the role of ethnographer and change consultant to engage with the Innovation Atelier over a period of five years in which co-creation and reflection sessions were organised with employees and management. The findings from this engaged scholarship case were presented at diverse academic project management conferences but, for a long time, the authors struggled to find a suitable theoretical framework for analysing the findings. To their frustration, several journals rejected their manuscript. While the rich dataset was praised, the theoretical contribution was found wanting. Finally, the positioning of the case in the debate on power in interorganisational strategic change projects helped to publish the paper.