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Health and social care systems are implementing fundamental changes to organizational structures and work practices in an effort to achieve integrated care. While some integration initiatives have produced positive outcomes, many have not. We reframe the concept of integration as a learning process fueled by knowledge exchange across diverse professional and organizational communities. We thus focus on the cognitive and social dynamics of learning in complex adaptive systems, and on learning behaviours and conditions that foster collective learning and improved collaboration. We suggest that the capacity to learn how to learn shapes the extent to which diverse professional groups effectively exchange knowledge and self-organize for integrated care delivery

Emerald Article: Intra-organisational collaboration in one UK university: potential for change or missed opportunity John Diamond, Linda Rush Article information:To cite this document: John Diamond, Linda Rush, (2012),"Intra-organisational collaboration in one UK university: potential for change or missed opportunity", International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY For Authors:If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service. Information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comWith over forty years' experience, Emerald Group Publishing is a leading independent publisher of global research with impact in business, society, public policy and education. In total, Emerald publishes over 275 journals and more than 130 book series, as well as an extensive range of online products and services. Emerald is both COUNTER 3 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.*Related content and download information correct at time of download.Intra-organisational collaboration in one UK university: potential for change or missed opportunity John DiamondCentre for Local Policy Studies, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK, and Linda RushFaculty of Education, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, UK Abstract Purpose -The paper aims to examine the promotion of intra-organisational collaboration within a university setting.Design/methodology/approach -An ethnographic approach influenced by a phenomenographic framework of analysis was used.Findings -Content analysis of qualitative data resulted in 11 overlapping themes being identified in respect of collaboration. Final analysis led to the identification of four hierarchically inclusive degrees of collaboration.Research limitations/implications -The research, whilst based within one UK university, raises important conceptual as well as practical questions.Practical implications -The implications of this paper have relevance for the ways in which universities and other agencies promote intra-as well as inter-departmental (or agency) working. Originality/value -By using the framework developed it is possible to see parallels across different professional and agency settings.

This work has a particular focus on exposing important connections between trainee teachers' personal beliefs about knowledge (epistemological beliefs) and their conceptions of learning. These, the authors argue, are central to the assumptions which underpin their pedagogy when working with children in school. The link between these constructs emerged as key issues during a collaborative research project between five practitioners across two universities which explored the use of a ‘learning to learn’ (L2L) approach with a particular emphasis on postgraduate ITT courses. This seems particularly pertinent to expanding the capacity to learn of trainees, yet, to date, it has received little attention within research on L2L, given its more immediate focus within the school setting. The authors believe, however, that the climate is now ripe for research focusing on the context of lifelong learning, in particular teacher trainee learning in ITT. They argue that a focus on the role of epistemology in helping to shape teaching approaches is likely to be a key element in developing students with a capacity to reflect critically on practice.

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