A3 Book section, Chapters in research books
Capturing Actions of Communities : Towards Virtual Ethnography and Digital Tools in Researching Organizations and Workplace Learning (2022)

Lemmetty, S., Collin, K., Glăveanu, V., & Paloniemi, S. (2022). Capturing Actions of Communities : Towards Virtual Ethnography and Digital Tools in Researching Organizations and Workplace Learning. In M. Goller, E. Kyndt, S. Paloniemi, & C. Damşa (Eds.), Methods for Researching Professional Learning and Development : Challenges, Applications and Empirical Illustrations (pp. 397-418). Springer. Professional and Practice-based Learning, 33. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08518-5_18

JYU authors or editors

Lemmetty, Soila
Collin, Kaija
Paloniemi, Susanna

Publication details

All authors or editors: Lemmetty, Soila; Collin, Kaija; Glăveanu, Vlad; Paloniemi, Susanna

Parent publication: Methods for Researching Professional Learning and Development : Challenges, Applications and Empirical Illustrations

Parent publication editors: Goller, Michael; Kyndt, Eva; Paloniemi, Susanna; Damşa, Crina

ISBN: 978-3-031-08517-8

eISBN: 978-3-031-08518-5

Journal or series: Professional and Practice-based Learning

ISSN: 2210-5549

eISSN: 2210-5557

Publication year: 2022

Publication date: 31/08/2022

Number in series: 33

Pages range: 397-418

Number of pages in the book: 627

Publisher: Springer

Place of Publication: Cham

Publication country: Switzerland

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08518-5_18

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access: Channel is not openly available

Abstract

In this chapter, we introduce the ethnographic research methodology as a starting point in organisational and workplace learning research. In approaching learning at work as a practice-based and communal phenomenon, this strategy has been found suitable for studying its nature and practices. We focus on new and innovative ways to conduct ethnography—especially virtual ethnography and digital tools. In this chapter, we first briefly describe the background of ethnographic methodology. We then move on to consider why workplace learning should also be studied in virtual environments and how digital tools, such as subjective cameras, can be utilized in conducting ethnographic research. Then, we present two empirical case examples. The first case illustrates the study of informal learning using ethnography in a virtual environment. The second case illustrates the use of subjective cameras in a subjective, evidence-based ethnographic process. Using these case examples, we show how the basic principles of ethnography can be strengthened and applied in virtual environments and with the help of digital tools in workplace learning research. We also consider some potential ideas for further ethnographic research on workplace learning alongside ethical matters related to ethnographic and virtual ethnographic research.

Keywords: on-the-job learning; work communities; virtual environment; ethnography; organisational research

Free keywords: ethnography; organization ethnography; virtual ethnography; workplace learning; subjective evidence-based ethnography

Fields of science: