Applying adult development theories to improvement science

Abstract

Structured Abstract:Purpose: This article addresses how adult development theories can contribute to quality improvement. Design/Methodology/Approach: A theoretical analysis and discussion on how personal development empirical findings can relate to quality improvement (QI) and Deming's four improvement knowledge domains. Findings: Adult development research shows that professionals have qualitatively diverse ways of meaning-making and ways to approach possibilities in improvement efforts. Therefore, professionals with more complex meaning-making capacities are needed to create successful transformational changes and learning, with the recognition that system knowledge is a developmental capacity. Research and practical implications:In QI and improvement science (IS) there is an assumption that professionals have the skills and competence needed for improvement efforts, but adult development theories show that this is not always the case, which suggests a need for facilitating improvement initiatives, so that everyone can contribute based on their capacity. Originality/value: This study illustrates that some competences in QI efforts are a developmental challenge to professionals, and should be considered in practice and research.Keywords: Quality improvement; Change management; Leadership; Quality healthcare; Continuing professional development. (IoM, 2001). Improvement science (IS) is an emerging research field, which tries to build knowledge on how to change for the better and create quality improvement (QI) in health and welfare organizations. We recognize that IS needs to be supplemented and supported by knowledge from other natural and social sciences (Bergman et al., 2015). We address what IS can learn and gain from adult development studies, a research area that analyses people`s sequential evolution through life. Adult development and IS research areas, therefore, address change and development. Article classification: Conceptual Received

Six ways of understanding leadership development: An exploration of increasing complexity

“…Empirically based theories depict a transformation process in the structures of meaning making, and the process involves qualitatively different changes resulting in increasing hierarchical complexity (Hoare, 2011). These cognitive competencies develop throughout adult life and have strong predictive validity in relation to a wide range of issues in working life, such as competence at work and leadership effectiveness (Dawson and Heikkinen, 2009; Kegan, 1994; Kjellström and Andersson, 2017; Kjellström and Stålne, 2017; McCauley et al., 2006; Rooke and Torbert, 2005; Torbert, 2004).…”

Professionals’ experiences of using an improvement programme: applying quality improvement work in preschool contexts

“…17 37 Previous research has shown that children value taking part in these kinds of activities. 38 The staff experienced challenges to improvement work, and they tested improvement tools but did not find them entirely appropriate for their work, because they preferred existing methods for reflection.…”

“…When initiating a QI initiative, there are assumptions that the staff involved have enough skills to adopt the competences needed, but some competences connected to QI efforts can also be developmental challenging. 38 Thus, there seem to be challenges in using QI interventions and tools in new contexts. 39 Regarding improvement tools, the message seems to be clear: the preschool staff had tried these tools but did not continue to use then and/or will not continue to use them.…”

“…This also raises other concerns, because one of the aims of breakthrough methodology is to train improvement teams so they will continue the improvement work afterwards, which presumes enough developmental skills. 38 A Swedish study on the long-term success of such QI programmes showed that the most important factor was that the organisations were able to make use of the knowledge that the teams gained after the programme ended. 45 The questionnaire was developed further because of contextual differences and responses from earlier participants that it was long and difficult to understand and answer.…”

Benefits of the Human-Technology-Organization Concept in Teaching Ergonomics – Students Perspective

“…However, systems knowledge includes the understanding of dynamic changes and is challenging to achieve. It involves a 'development capacity' that requires a deeper kind of learning as double loop learning and second order learning (Kjellström & Andersson, 2017). Double-loop learning requires a shift in understanding, from simple and static to broader and more dynamic, such as taking into account the changes in the surroundings and the need for expressing changes in mental models (Argyris, 2002).…”