The troublesome relationship between action learning and organizational growth

Abstract

Action learning is one of the “action science” or “action oriented research methods” one finds in the literature. The method is to be used when a firm or a manager is confronted with complex, non‐routine problems for which no standard solutions exist. As a result of applying the method, new problem solving strategies may be identified and personal growth may be realized. The action learning literature suggests that thereafter, organizational growth will occur as well. However, transferring personal into organizational growth is a process that is less clear‐cut than is mostly thought. Knowledge management systems have to be set up in order to avoid moral hazard from appearing, so that an organization may reap the full benefits of an action learning program. The institutions that shape an organization, and organizational culture in particular, influence the structure of such a system. Unless these elements are sufficiently taken into account, they may explain why action learning fails to achieve its wider potential, as is sometimes proclaimed in the literature.

Management control bij action learning

“…Management control is een vakgebied dat er bij uitstek op gericht is het gedrag van individuen in een onderneming zo te coördineren dat er effectiever en efficiënter wordt gewerkt dan wanneer deze activiteiten zouden plaatsvinden buiten de organisatie (Anthony en Govindarajan, 1995). Het lijdt geen twijfel dat management controlsystemen behulpzaam kunnen zijn bij het welslagen van action learning-programma's (De Loo, 2002). Dit wordt echter niet onderkend in de action learning-literatuur, vermoedelijk omdat de onderliggende theorieën ontstonden tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog, toen humanisme een belangrijke filosofische grondslag vormde en er een min of meer natuurlijke bereidheid bestond, in verzetsbewegingen, om problemen in groepsverband het hoofd te bieden (Waddington, 1973).…”

“…Omdat er sprake is van een zich herhalende activiteit is het met name van belang het leerproces van de betrokkenen bij het action learning-programma te beheersen en te stimuleren. Hierbij is mogelijk een rol weggelegd voor systemen van kennismanagement (De Loo, 2002).…”

“…Noten 1 Dit zou kunnen verklaren waarom zoveel programma's in den beginne als een succes werden beschouwd (De Loo, 2002).…”

Action and organizational learning in an elevator company

“…Apart from team members learning how to solve a problem, which can help them to solve future problems their own, or other organizations face, it is suggested that organizations will learn from an action learning program as well, thereby bringing a “learning organization” into reach (Dilworth, 1998; Garvin, 1994; Revans, 1998). However, how the transfer from individual to organizational learning is to occur is hardly ever addressed in the action learning literature (De Loo, 2002), and how participants learn through action learning is, apart from personal recollections in which people state they have indeed “learned” something, not discussed very often either (Mumford, 1995). Therefore, Wallace (1990) claims that action learning is an act of faith rather than a proven technique.…”

“…For example, an organization that is willing to use action learning to solve its problems probably requires a different treatment than an organization that wishes to do a pilot first, or that does not really believe that employees learn from solving problems[1]. Therefore, several authors have stressed the relevance of management control in action learning for personal and organizational learning to materialize (De Loo, 2002; De Loo and Verstegen, 2001; Wallace, 1990). We wish to explore this view below.…”