Changing our Destination or the Route?: Lessons from an Evolving Relationship with a New Firm

Based on a four year study of a newly founded research and development unit in a large corporation, this article addresses the difficulties inherent in studying a start-up organization. It addresses how the research relationship evolves in conjunction with changes in organizational structure, personnel make up, and strategic concerns. Ethical dilemmas and practical challenges arose as the researchers’ motives became intertwined with those of the firm’s founder, managers, and workers. The relationship migrated towards action research due to internal and external pressures, including a desire to increase the validity of the data collected. Practical suggestions are offered to field researchers planning longitudinal studies to anticipate and manage this process effectively.