| This applied action research project examined the lifecycle of a start-up company, Dr. Bloom Inc. As the organization moved through various developmental stages, the leaders were more readily able to recognize the unique needs and problems that Dr. Bloom Inc. faced in each phase of the organization. The researcher, who participated in and facilitated this applied action research process, was a founder of Dr. Bloom Inc., and she also served as organization development consultant for the company.;The action research methodology was utilized for this applied project, which allowed the researcher to undertake the role of consultant, actively participating in and continually reflecting on her roles and the roles of others in this organization during the process as well as soliciting continual feedback from the other co-founders of the company.;The primary goal of this project was to assist the researcher and the co-founders using the action research strategy, combined with the information from research, in forecasting and proactively anticipating the challenges and workplace issues for their organization in order to survive the changes that were impacting the company and the developing economy of the global workplace. A secondary goal was to use the organizational knowledge gained from this application project in order to offer helpful and critical information to assist other start-up companies as they began to enter the marketplace.;The researcher and the co-founders of the company created a mission and vision statement, sales strategies, training manuals, and other appropriate activities that were related to functioning as a start-up organization. The company transformed from a dream into a reality with an engaged staff selling its products; it now has world-wide distribution. With constant communication between the researcher and the other co-founders, learning points, experiences, and reflections were explored as the company progressed through the various lifecycles. These learning points have been highlighted here and can be utilized for other similar start-up companies as they plan and begin in the infancy stage. |
