A tale from the field: Reflexivity during management research in an African-based development organisation

Abstract

This article is a product of the reflexive experience of data collection and analysis in a development organisation in Uganda. Several studies provide helpful debates about managing people in Africa. However, existent literature seldom covers pertinent issues related to collecting and analysing ethnographic data reflexively in African-based organisations. And yet, critical self-scrutiny and reflexivity to account for the researcher’s identity in the research processes is vital for the quality of the findings. The key research questions for this paper are: how does the identity of an African researcher who was trained in ‘Western’ management theories, worked in an organisation in Africa, and then educated within a ‘Western’ setting affect the character of data generated? And does such as researcher fully become ‘one of them’, or effectively remain an independent researcher? This paper discusses the process and results of the reflexive process through which answers to these questions were explored.