Enabling Transformative Learning in the Workplace

Abstract

The aim of this article is to discuss the potential of an educative research intervention to influence the quality of the learning outcome in the workplace as interpreted from the perspectives of adult learning theory. The research project was designed as a quasiexperimental, mixed-methods study. In this article, quantitative survey data were taken as the point of departure, and qualitative data were used for the purpose of analyzing aspects of learning. An educative research intervention may support a transformative learning quality when the manager and employees have to deal with severe difficulties, and they succeed in doing so by sharing responsibilities and having the strength to engage in the development process in the workplace. It is possible to support transformative learning in the workplace through an educative research intervention that encourages managers to educate themselves and their employees to think and act in new ways, aiming at integrated autonomy, increased interaction, and learning.

Learning Processes as Key for Success in Workplace Health Promotion Interventions in Health Care

“…Second, the data from the qualitative interviews and the manager questionnaire were used to analyze what actions participating managers implemented following the interventions, as well as the managers' qualitative descriptions of factors affecting implementation. After the qualitative analyses, the participating workplaces were categorized according to whether or not (1/0) they had managers who had been working actively according to the intervention ( 30 ). Following these categorizations, Student's t -tests of differences in mean values for all included measures at T1, T2, and T3 between these two categories of workplaces were performed.…”

“…It has been highlighted that successful WHP interventions need to be adapted and tailored to the context of the local workplace ( 12 ). A critical factor for leadership development work is supporting managers' active work to transfer the teachings from the program to their organizational context ( 26 , 30 ). This argues for the broader learning of the managers themselves, but also for their competence to create such learning processes in their local units in practice through developmental-oriented leadership.…”

McDonaldizing Spirituality

“…Google, General Mills, Procter & Gamble, Monsanto and the U.S. Army are just a handful of the many enormous institutions that bring meditative practice to their workforce. (p. 1)Arguments that the corporate takeover of mindfulness might work to change the culture and improve working conditions for employees (see Wilhelmson, Aberg, Backstrom, & Olsson, 2015, for an account of the problems of introducing transformative methods into the workplace) are challenged by Purser and Ng (2015) who argue that many of the companies now offering MBIs as forms of stress reduction are actually responsible for causing such stress in the first place. As they contend:Buddhist teachings about awakening to the reality of impermanence “as it is” become inverted in corporate mindfulness.…”

“…Arguments that the corporate takeover of mindfulness might work to change the culture and improve working conditions for employees (see Wilhelmson, Aberg, Backstrom, & Olsson, 2015, for an account of the problems of introducing transformative methods into the workplace) are challenged by Purser and Ng (2015) who argue that many of the companies now offering MBIs as forms of stress reduction are actually responsible for causing such stress in the first place. As they contend:…”

A Qualitative Inquiry into Students’ Transformative Learning Experiences in Old Havana’s Escuela Taller

“…For nearly half a century, the theory of transformative learning has been discussed, hypothesized, and empirically researched by many adult education scholars. Most empirical research discusses transformative learning theories that are frequently grounded within formal teacher-centered learning contexts (Shor, Cattaneo, & Calton, 2017) and typically focus on higher education (Sawatsky, Beckman, & Hafferty, 2017;Troop, 2017), workplace development (Choy, 2009;Heckelman, Unger, & Garofano, 2013;Poutiatine, 2009;Wilhelmson, Moström-Åberg, Backström, & Köping-Olsson, 2015), and/or other market driven areas that address a specific problem-oriented matter (Kitchenham, 2006). This problem centered approach to transformative learning research seeks to study the social and cultural change in society (Gordon, 2006;Illeris, 2004;Pololi, Krupat, Schnell, & Kern, 2013) or personal change (Heckelman et al, 2013;Poutiatine, 2009;Whitelaw, Sears, & Campbell, 2004) in adult learners ' values, beliefs, and/or behavior(s).…”