This book is an amalgamation of two previous releases by GCWAL’s Chairman, Emeritus Professor Selva Abraham. The study described in this book was the subject of Professor Abraham’s PhD thesis and was conducted more than twenty years ago, which focused management training and development programme for Indigenous community leaders in Port Lincoln. It was an extensive program extending over approximately eighteen months, and was the first known example of using the Action Research method for management training and development programs for Indigenous community leaders. The Indigenous community leaders in this study were the Board members of an Aboriginal community organization known as the Community Development and Employment Programme. This was an Australian Government initiative implemented at the time to provide employment and training within Aboriginal communities.
The purpose of publishing this study in its original form is twofold. First, this book provides a step-by- step approach for supervisors of postgraduate students in how to conduct a study using the Action Research method. It also provides everything needed from the conceptualization of the project to its completion and as such will contribute greatly to the development of the literature in Action Research and Management Development, encouraging more and more students to do their research in this way and assisting those who supervise them. Until today, no such guide has been available.
Secondly, this book brings to light this research, which was undertaken in the past but still has great relevance to the present and the future. Indigenous peoples still suffer great disadvantage and providing them with skills with which they can lift themselves out of this disadvantage remains a priority. This study showed that the Action Research method can be successfully used to develop and implement management training and development programmes that address the needs of Indigenous community leaders.
The exploratory Action Research method can be successfully used to develop and implement management training and development programmes that address the needs of Indigenous community leaders.
