The applicability of action research to IMC

Action Research (AR) is a powerful method involving an iterative and circular process of planning, evaluation, intervention and assessment, to generate/test theory, and solve business problems. Although not yet widely used in marketing, it is well suited to our domain. Caveat Emptor is counsel for those who plan to adopt AR to be well prepared with appropriate skills and resources. We examine the decision processes behind the choice and application of 'high level' emancipatory type AR in the context of IMC. Our contribution is a broadly generalisable Action Research Risk/Reward Matrix.