Context in Action

Abstract

This chapter brings together the findings of the various research experiences outlined throughout the book, and it presents ways for furthering contextual research in organization and management. It also discussed the implications this research may have on practice, and the challenges faced by academics, practitioners, and policy makers going forward. The important point is that it is wise for researchers to reflect on and explicitly state how they understand the construct of context applied in their work and whether or not “context” refers to a shared/common context or an idiosyncratic/individual context or both. For both theoretical and methodological reflections, the crucial question is not what context is, as a stable phenomenon “out there,” rather it is how we theorize, operationalize, study, and analyze context in action, and the consequences of these choices for the research we can produce.