La construction collective du problème dans la recherche-action : difficultés, ressorts et enjeux

The resolution of a concrete problem lies at the heart of action research approaches. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the practical difficulties implied by the adoption of a participative approach where the problem to be solved is constructed collaboratively with organizational members. Empirical action research that aimed at elaborating a strategic project for a non-profit child welfare organization reveals that participants hold different, dynamic, and sometimes ambivalent representations of the problem. The practical and theoretical contributions of this kind of research may consequently be difficult to assess.