Action Research Report Outline

PURPOSE:  The purpose of my Action Research is to:

  1. Globally, accelerate the rate of change for humanitarian issues such as oppression of women, education of children and health & wellness initiatives.
  2. Locally, increase my ability as a humanitarian/filmmaker by implementing learning technologies to further integrate with my guerilla filmmaker CoP while exploring progressive concepts such as social entrepreneurship.
  3. Specifically, as a subset to these objectives I will experiment with new media technologies, such as HD 60p DSLR cameras, Video Internet, WordPress Vlogging and SEO.

The overall goal of my Action Research is to integrate learning technologies to accomplish humanitarian objectives and better myself as an agent of social change—locally, globally and personally.

MY WORK/COMMUNITY CONTEXT:

The community context for this Action Research is rooted in the domain of philanthropy and the constituency of humanitarians, entrepreneurs and media specialists who pursue related endeavors professionally and/or personally.  Physical work location began in Pandytown, Honduras—a microcosm island community ideal for data collection, research, and implementation of various cycles.  Other simultaneous locales include Thousand Oaks, CA; Tanzania, Africa; and possibly Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

UPDATE:  Haiti was indeed, a physical location that became a major component to my Action Research.

There are three areas of humanitarian work that interest me:

  1. Disaster relief.
  2. Vocational development.
  3. Social Entrepreneurship–the latter being a major emphasis for my Action Research.

LITERATURE REVIEW

http://cadre12.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/SCOTT_MORTENSEN_LITREV120209.pdf

“Though I have been involved in philanthropy for over twenty years this last one is the first Iʼve discovered the model of social entrepreneurship. I believe that this method of change is the opportunity that many of us have been looking for. A more peaceful, just and sustainable planet is in everybodyʼs best interest. Social entrepre- neurship provides us a valuable framework for applying the ingenuity and innovation necessary to accomplish these goals and fundamentally change the world.”

RESEARCH QUESTION:

How can the development of an interactive video blogging website enhance real-world humanitarian initiatives and increase group collaboration across a geographically distributed community of practice; namely guerilla filmmakers, social entrepreneurs and philanthropists?

CYCLES: I am executing many of my cycles concurrently and thus will be describe them in order of perceived priority, not chronologically.

FIRST CYCLE RESEARCH QUESTION:

  1. If I create an online, episodic Video Internet forum with a built-in “profit-for-purpose” revenue model will it help amplify humanitarian efforts and unify my geographically dispersed Community of Practice while evolving my career as a filmmaker?

There are many components enveloped within CYCLE 1.  Collaborate with a 501(c)3, build an independent website, film interviews of leading social entrepreneurs, edit compelling stories, market content, attract corporate sponsorship/advertising, apply revenue to re-investment for distribution.

Work to date:

  • Much of the content is already “in the can.”  These stories need a through line:  Bike-ride Across America, Thailand Human Trafficking, Honduras Well Building Project, TarZen Diet Health & Fitness, Paddle Across the Pacific for Autism, Everest Ascent & Rescue, Mt. Kilimanjaro Fundraiser and Haiti Disaster Relief Project.
  • The through-line will come with 2-3 minute vignettes with voice over and interviews explaining each event.
  • User comments will be tracked, reflected on and re-designed based on suggestions.  In this way, I plan to edit a full-length documentary film that implements interactive feedback from the projected target audience.  This is a cutting edge approach to guerrilla and grassroots filmmaking that could prove to be groundbreaking use of learning technologies.

A good example of how this has been done successfully is with Patagonia/Kashi sponsored film entitled: 180 South: An adventure film with an environmental theme.

Cycle One is the most important but it will take me the full duration of the year and beyond to complete.

EVIDENCE USED TO EVALUATE THE ACTION: Website hits, comments generated, corporate sponsorship, increased philanthropic resources, networked social capital, documented social action, widespread film distribution.

EVALUATION:  A producer and IT specialist will assist with data analysis.  Web metrics both quantitative and qualitative will be researched.  Ultimately progress will be measured through the impact of the stories themselves.  How does this Cycle effect the general public?  Is there increased audience involvement?  Are more and more projects spawned as a result of the interest among viewership?  Most importantly, does the end-product film get a distribution deal that inspires many to action and awareness?

(PLACEHOLDER: Reflection: Looking back on my action with the benefit of data, I now think… and if I were to do this again I would have…. What most surprised me from the data was.)

CYCLE 2: Tanzanite/Social Entrepreneurship EBAY style auction to raise funds.  While in Tanzania I purchased 5 karats of high grade Tanzanite gems.  I have collaborated with Michelle Lorusso of Guess and commissioned Michael Beaudry commissioned renowned “jeweler to the stars” to design a luxury necklace incorporating black diamonds and white gold.  The diamond trade has always bothered me, because of both its economic and social implications.  The idea behind this jewelry design is twofold:

  1. Find potential funds for humanitarian projects via a social entrepreneur concept of “adventure jewelery.”
  2. Promote Tanzanite as a valuable gemstone.

PLANNING THE ACTION FOR CYCLE TWO: The sale of this piece of adventure jewelry is a cycle-in-progress to be used to finance the film/website endeavors and/or auctioned off at a potential premiere.

CYCLE 3 (Place holder)

FINAL REFLECTIONS (You are not ready to write this yet but will be collecting ideas in you AR journal.

REFERENCES

Adams, T. 2004. ʻCapturing the power of leadership change: Using executive transition management to strengthen organizational capacity.ʼ Baines, Tim. 2009. ʻIntegration of Corporate Social Responsibility through International Voluntary Initiativesʼ Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, Vol 16 No 1.
Brown, D., J. Dillard and R.S. Marshall, 2006. ʻTriple Bottom Line: A business metaphor for a social construct.ʼ Portland State University, School of Business Administration. Burkett, I & Langdon, D. 2005. ʻSocial enterprise and social tendering: a guide for gov- ernment departments, large social welfare organisations and corporationsʼ.
Literature Review: Social Entrepreneurship!    Mortensen 18
Cramer, J., 2006. ʻCorporate social responsibility and globalisation: an action plan for businessʼ Elkington, John, 1998 ʻCannibals with Forks: the Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business.ʼ
Eysenck, M. 2005, Cognitive Psychology: A Student’s Handbook 5th Edition, Psychoogy Press Frances, Nic. 2009. ʻThe end of charity: time for social enterpriseʼ Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning Project Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (DEIS) 2009, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu District, Regu- latory Branch. Hopkins, M. 2007. ʻCorporate social responsibility and international development: is business the solution?ʼ
Joslyn, H. 2004. ʻGaining success by degrees: More charity workers seek education in nonprofit- management programs.ʼ The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 16(6), page #s.The Foundation for Development Cooperation Kasturi Rangan, V., 2005. ʻBusiness solutions for the global poor: creating social and economic valueʼ Conference on Global Poverty: Business Solutions and Approaches, Harvard University.
Langdon, D. 2004. ʻDefining social enterprise: enterprising ways to address long-term unemployment.ʼ Light, P. 2002. ʻThe content of their character: The state of the nonprofit workforce.ʼ Lodge, G. & Wilson, C. 2006. ʻA Corporate Solution to Global Povertyʼ. Princeton Uni- versity Press.
Lynch, K. & Walls, J. 2009. ʻMission Inc.: The Practitionerʼs Guide to Social Enterprise.ʻ Berret-Koehler Publishers. Nicholls, A., 2006. ʻSocial entrepreneurship: new models of sustainable social changeʼ Oxford; Melbourne.
Neck, H., Brush, C., Allen E., Landscape of Social Enterprise, Business Horizon Vol- ume 52, Issue 1, January-February 2009, Pages 13-19 PrakashSethi,S. and C.L.,Swanson, 1981. ʻPrivate enterprise and public purpose:an understanding of the role of business in a changing social systemʼ
Robinson, David, 1998. ʻSocial enterprise zones: building innovation into regeneration.ʼ Piasecki, 2007. ʻWorld Inc.: Businesses Are Now More Powerful Than Government,ʼ Sourcebooks, Incorporated. Salamon, L. M., 2002. ʻThe state of nonprofit America.ʼ Washington, DC: Brookings In- stitution Press.
Shaw, E. & Carter, S. 2007. ʻSocial Entrepreneurship: Theoretical antecedents and em- pirical analysis of entrepreneurial processes and outcomesʼ Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development. Vol 14 No. 3. Simola, S.K. 2007. ʻThe Pragmatics of Care in Sustainable Global Enterprise.ʼ Journal of Business Ethics. 2007 74:131-147
Talbot, Chris. 2002. ʻSocial enterprise in Australia: an introductory handbook.ʼ Wilson, C. & Wilson, P. 2006. ʻMake Poverty Businessʼ. Greenleaf Publishing, UK Yunus, M., 2007. ʻCreating a world without poverty: social business and the future of capitalismʼ
Literature Review: Social Entrepreneurship!    Mortensen 19
Websites:

http://www.ashoka.org/social_entrepreneur

http://www.edweek.org/login.html?source=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/11/1 2/12harlem.h29.html&destination=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/11/12/12harl em.h29.html&levelId=2100 http://www.pbs.org/opb/thenewheroes/whatis/
www.sekn.org http://www.skollfoundation.org/aboutsocialentrepreneurship/whatis.asp

NOTES:

PROBLEM/SITUATION: The problem that I want to solve is how can a freelance filmmaker/humanitarian create an organized venue to synergize humanitarian ideals with a self-sustaining revenue model  (social entrepreneurship).  As a freelance filmmaker my work has been scattered across different media platforms for different purposes.  Personally, I would like to run my own Video Internet site that establishes a following and provides cohesion to many worthy projects.  This endeavor necessitates a combination of Education Technology and Business Entertainment.  Action Research principles will help me consolidate these diverse objectives, collaborate with active leaders in the field, reach new members, raise further awareness, provide momentum for new projects, and enhance the overall efficiency of my efforts by systematically measuring and influencing change.

RESEARCH QUESTION: A good Action Research question promotes the process of inquiry and influence.  Therefore, what QUESTION will inspire me to look at guerilla filmmaking and humanitarian endeavors more deeply?  As the CCAR website states, “What will compel you to engage in cycles of continuous learning from the everyday practice of your craft? These questions come from a desire to have to have practice align with values and beliefs.”

What am I trying to do?  I am trying to develop professional expertise as a filmmaker and social entrepreneur.  So what is my QUESTION>

BACKGROUND RESEARCH: The resources that have helped me the most are:

My Literature Review.

Face-to-Face meetings with leading humanitarians, academics and business professionals.

Consulting technical experts in Web 2.0 technology, ecommerce, multi-media and SEO.

Timeline:

Cycle 1: December & January

Cycle 2: February through Mid-March

Cycle 3: Mid-March through April

Final Analysis: July

Social Entrepreneurship

This is an exciting new field but somewhat nebulous.  The big-tent definition of social entrepreneurship is not particularly helpful in zeroing in on a targeted community of practice.  Additionally, guerilla filmmaking is in its nature, a bare-bones low-budget endeavor that prefers underground mobility and small-scale change.  Self-funding both objectives simutaneously will be challenging.