Critical discussion on dialogic engagement and various researcher positions in research concerning co-creation and co-production

Abstract

In this article, we introduce volume two of our themed issue on co-creation and co-production and discuss various basic assumptions related to collaborative research. In collaborative studies in general, dialogue is often highlighted as an important process element with important implications for empowerment for those involved. However, the underlying understandings and implications of dialogic practice are seldom examined in depth. We raise a critical reflexive discussion on different approaches to dialogic engagement and present four high-level discourses guiding organizational scholarship to discuss crucial differences and similarities. Moreover, we outline seven researcher ideal types that reflect diverse degrees of dialogic engagement. Our aspiration is to provide useful insights, models, and questions that can guide participatory scholars in fostering critical awareness of their own position and the sometimes taken-for-granted assumptions guiding their studies.