Let’s ROC: a dynamic experience-based roadmap for relational engagement

Purpose This paper aims to provide researchers with an experience-based roadmap for relational engagement which illustrates how to scale from small impacts to larger ones. Although the relational engagement approach is still nascent and unfolding, it is being advocated and implemented without a full understanding of the balancing act and complex trade-offs it requires. Design/methodology/approach This paper emerges out of an ongoing collaboration between consumer researchers and a theatre company. In analysing the complexities and dilemmas of conducting relational engagement, this paper reflects on a number of key learnings to extend these to other researchers. Findings This paper highlights some of the antecedents of relational engagement including mutual understanding and nurturing rapport. This paper demonstrates that relational engagement requires a number of iterative cycles, indicative of the time commitment needed to form a successful partner relationship. This paper shows the significance of a purpose-centric perspective and notes that the ethical responsibilities of such a perspective require an adaptive and reflexive approach which in practice can mean ceding power. Research limitations/implications The research is limited in that it focuses on only one emerging example of relational engagement in a particular context, namely, the cultural sector. Further research will be needed to develop the roadmap in adapting it to ensure applicability in other contexts. Practical implications The work shows that impact-making has a dynamic, non-linear shape that requires an open mindset, curiosity and the capacity to imagine different configurations of partners within the ecosystems in which this paper works. Social implications This paper presents novel insights around the caring challenges that emerge in relational engagement and how a caring approach is required as well as the values that emerge out of such an approach. Originality/value The originality of this paper lies in recognising the reciprocal but not necessarily equivalent relations that underpin impact projects and demonstrating how developing a caring in action approach can generate closer cooperation between researchers and co-creation partners for practical and impactful knowledge development.