The Many Faces of Action Learning

Marsick, Victoria J.; O’Neil, Judith M.

doi:10.1177/1350507699302004

Cited by 208 publications

(179 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Although the most common use of action learning is that participants from a range of different organisations meet to help one another tackle their individual issues (Pedler, Burgoyne, and Brook 2005) it is an approach that is also used to enable teams tackle problems and issues they have in common (Edmonstone and Flanagan 2007;Marsick and O'Neil 1999;Rigg 2008). In this project, it was planned to use action learning in two contexts.…”

Section: Three Methodsologies For Learning and Inquirymentioning

confidence: 99%

Procuring a sustainable future: an action learning approach to the development and modelling of ethical and sustainable procurement practices

Boak

Watt

Gold

et al. 2016

Action Learning: Research and Practice

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This paper is an attempt to understand the processes by which organisational actors learn how to affect positive and sustainable social change in their local region via Action Learning and Appreciative Inquiry. The paper is based on a critically-reflective account of some key findings from an ongoing action research project, funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The project is an attempt to alleviate poverty in the Leeds City Region through the identification and spread of 'good practice' in large local organisations. The paper is based on key insights into the tensions involved in accomplishing such modes of action research and action learning in this particular context, and how these findings can relate to similar research in other domains of inquiry, action and cross-organisational learning. Through this, the paper discusses the inherent challenges faced when attempting to use action research and action learning approaches to help large organisations to learn and develop as ethical and sustainable agents.

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Section: Three Methodsologies For Learning and Inquirymentioning

confidence: 99%

Procuring a sustainable future: an action learning approach to the development and modelling of ethical and sustainable procurement practices

Boak

Watt

Gold

et al. 2016

Action Learning: Research and Practice

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“…The project requires students to form into self selected groups of four to six which establish the action learning group. In accordance with the principles of action learning (Pedler, 1997;Marsick & O'Neil, 1999), it is the responsibility of the groups to identify a suitable host organisation and with the host, negotiate the exact focus of the problem to be tackled. It is important to note that the project involves the progression of a real problem not simply one manufactured for the set (McGill and Beaty, 1995).…”

Section: Project Definitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Action learning in international settings: Possibilities for developing organising insight

Hay¹

2011

IJME

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Action learning approaches are seen to offer promise to troubled MBA programmes in providing increased attention to practice. However, whilst there is broad support for the use of action learning in management education, in practice its use is limited and issues remain in respect of the form it takes. Calls have therefore been made for research into the use of action learning as used in management education contexts to facilitate its diffusion and adoption. This paper provides an empirical consideration of a particular form of action learning: an MBA international consultancy project.Drawing upon student interviews the paper suggests that the form of action learning used here was imbued with opportunities to develop 'organising insight' (Vince, 2004). Furthermore, the paper highlights that the unfamiliar international location was especially significant in developing such insight.The paper suggests that forms of action learning which accentuate the unfamiliar can be of significant benefit in helping managers to understand taken for granted aspects of practice and thus provide particular promise for progressing critical management perspectives. In getting closer to practice, there is value in the use of teaching approaches which on face value might be seen to take managers further away from everyday practice.

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“…This management development technique deploys a relational view of learning and attempts to create communities of practice in which the construction of identities is enabled simply by being a part of the system of relations which are produced by social communities (Lave and Wenger, 1991:53) Action learning as a term is, however, used to define a wide variety of management development practice. For some, its use is synonymous with approaches that might be appropriately used to describe 'active learning'; for others, when it is the method that is emphasised, the focus moves to stress self-managed learning yet for others, action learning cannot be action learning unless a Revansesque or 'Scientific' (Marsick and O'Neil, 1999) approach is followed (Anderson and Thorpe, 2007). Pedler (1991) offers the following definition:…”

Section: Action Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These problems do not have clear solutions and are not puzzles, which are susceptible to expert advice. Through social interaction, team members take advantage of alternative views on their problem; therefore, learning occurs as a function of the experience within the group and not from an external source (Marsick and O'Neil, 1999). Revans (1980:256-7) suggested that:…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Conversations outside the comfort zone: identity formation in SME manager action learning

Anderson

Gold

2009

Action Learning: Research and Practice

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In this paper we consider the construction of narrative identity and particularly how managers of small businesses may construct new narrative identities within the activity of the action learning situation. We build on recent work to suggest that the 'world' of managers can be explored through a consideration of Vygotsky's (1978) socio cultural theory of learning and what he referred to as the Zone of Proximal Development. We argue that for small business managers, a consideration of identity is fundamental to personal and business development and that this encompasses a consideration of present concerns and interests, existing capacities and understandings and skills to find solutions to problems faced. We base our propositions on the evidence that many small business managers feel the need to focus on operational activities which prevents consideration of the long term, and, we suggest that they suffer from a lack of aspiration or confidence which serves to define and reinforce a 'stuck and struggling' identity. Action learning should not be viewed merely as an opportunity to pose and find solutions to problems; more importantly it offers the possibility of considering which aspects of a learner's self image are potentially blocking progress and change, to engage in identity work and to surface and take action upon those elements of one's current identity which prevent thoughtful action. We suggest that this re-theorization of action learning provides a basis for emphasising the identity-forming potential of sets and we also propose that action learning practitioners (set advisors) use Vygotsky's notions of socio cultural practice and the Zone of Proximal Development to encourage the re-narration of identities in the action learning situation

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The Many Faces of Action Learning

Cited by 208 publications

References 12 publications

Procuring a sustainable future: an action learning approach to the development and modelling of ethical and sustainable procurement practices

Procuring a sustainable future: an action learning approach to the development and modelling of ethical and sustainable procurement practices

Action learning in international settings: Possibilities for developing organising insight

Conversations outside the comfort zone: identity formation in SME manager action learning

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