Another meaning focusses on action research that is carried out in order to develop specific skills (e.g. decision making) in which the capacity for managing conflict is considered as one of the variables to be treated. For example, Macphee et al. (2010) realized a PAR to work on processes of shared decision making in order to transform work place relationships. In this case, during the PAR the importance of also considering conflict management emerged as crucial shared decision‐making sub‐process.
A third meaning has to do with action research that is proposed precisely to develop shared skills and/or procedures for conflict management and resolution. Exemplary of this understanding of action research is the contribution of Skjørshammer (2001) who, after an assessment phase (analysis of current practices of conflict management and existing systems for resolution), worked with managers and professionals in a hospital to develop a new system for managing conflicts of various types.
In the present paper an additional meaning is proposed. Our purpose is in fact to investigate the possibility of developing a PAR in an organizational context experiencing conflicts, specifically examining whether and how it is possible to support the organizational actors in finding hypotheses and actions to improve their professional actions starting from a more or less explicit conflictual situation. Moreover, the originality of this contribution can be found in the methodological reflection carried out on the action researcher's role and functions, on the processes he/she manages and on the challenges and dilemmas he/she must face in managing a PAR in the presence of conflict. Analysis of the literature reveals the presence of contributions that address action research and PAR in contexts experiencing conflicts in the sphere of community‐based interventions (e.g. conflicting demands and interests expressed by stakeholders; post‐disaster and post‐conflict situations; see Burns, 2011; Johnsen and Normann, 2004; Özerdem and Bowd, 2010). Although we believe that intersecting aspects exist, we feel that it is necessary to develop specific methodological reflections for such interventions conducted within organizational contexts.