Relevant aspects of the usage of action research in industrial engineering

Abstract

The nature of action research establishes that an investigation in production engineering is carried out together with those who co-operate with the study, usually professionals from industry. The action research is a methodological approach that aims both taking action and creating knowledge or theory about that action that might be appropriate for research questions. She is used in various areas of knowledge, particularly in operations management. However, despite its benefits, actions research is not fully accepted as a solid methodological approach, but it might be considered as a relevant source of theory extension or refinement when carrying out industry-based research. In this context, this paper provides a synthesis of the literature review on action research and also highlights some studies when adopting this kind of research in the production engineering and operations management. Finally, this study points out relevant issues when conducting action research.