Kicked out and let down: breakdown-driven organizational research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a model and some practical considerations for breakdown-driven organizational research. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis is based on a two-case narrative from two studies of innovation in public welfare organizations. Inspired by Dewey’s pragmatic philosophy, the paper abductively builds a model for reflective practice when research plans break down. Findings – A breakdown-driven approach to organizational research can open up to new insights about both the empirical field and organizational research methodology. In the present paper, breakdowns serve as pivotal points for reflective practice that not only offer new perspectives on innovation, but also the paper makes use of innovation theory to inform research methodology. Originality/value – This paper advocates more narrative self-reflecting research that reveals processes of confusion and uncertainty. These narratives are worth sharing as research in its own right as they hold the power to intensify the researcher’s perceptual and reflective skills.