Michael J. Marquardt

The power of learning in action learning: a conceptual analysis of how the five schools of adult learning theories are incorporated within the practice of action learning

Action learning has the ability to solve complex problems and to significantly increase the speed and quality of individual, team and organizational learning. Its theoretical base and relationship to adult learning orientations and the source of this power remain relatively unexplored. The authors conducted an extensive review of the literature in order to examine how each of the six critical components of an action learning program (namely; a problem or task, a group, the reflective inquiry process, action, learning, and an action learning coach) incorporates and applies five major adult learning schools (behaviorist, cognitivist, humanist, social and constructivist). An empirical example from the authors’ experience is presented to illustrate the extent and range in which action learning incorporates each of the five schools of adult learning.

The Future: Globalization and New Roles for HRD

The problem and the solution. Globalization, an inevitable and irreversible force, has significantly affected the workplace and the community, in ways both good and bad. Human resource developments (HRDs) response and impact has been minimal and at a mostly micro level. This article discusses seven key macro areas in which HRD can maximize the beneficial elements of globalization and limit its dehumanizing forces, namely, (a) political development, (b) economic development, (c) organizational and workplace learning, (d) education and vocational training, (e) global leadership development, (f) technology and knowledge, and (g) environment sustainability.

Relationship between Employees Beliefs Regarding Training Benefits and Employees Organizational Commitment in a Petroleum Company in the State of Qatar

The study examined the relationship between the beliefs of senior staff Qatari national employees regarding training benefits as measured by the benefits of employee training, and employees’ organizational commitment as measured by the three-component model of organizational commitment. This relationship was assessed through a quantitative associational research design. From the study site, Qatar Petroleum, a total of 283 responses were analysed using stepwise regression analysis. The findings suggest that there is a positive relationship between employees’ beliefs regarding training benefits and employees’ organizational commitment.

The evidence for the effectiveness of action learning

For the past 50 years, organizations and individuals around the world have reported success in their use of action learning programs to solve problems, develop leaders, build teams and transform their corporate cultures. However, very little rigorous research has been conducted to determine the effectiveness of action learning. The authors reviewed 21 refereed articles, theses and dissertations that quantitatively and/or qualitatively measured the impact of action learning and to determine the success factors in action learning programs. The evidence elicited from these studies support the following: (1) action learning develops broad executive and managerial leadership skills, particularly collaborative leadership and coaching skills; (2) action learning improves the ability of managers to develop integrative, win/win solutions to conflict situations; (3) governing variables that were consistently identified as critical to the success of action learning include questioning, taking action, learning from group members, listening, group diversity, feelings of confidence and well-being, safe environment, and the presence of a coach; and (4) significant factors for conducting successful action learning programs involved: (1) team-level processes of skilled coaching, diversity, self-directed team processes, effective team presentations and review of team processes; as well as (2) organization-level processes of ensuring implementation of solutions, alignment and importance of the problem, support of top decision makers and the leveraging of organizational resources.

Theory to Practice: Action Learning

Action learning was introduced in the 1940s when Reg Revans implemented action learning in the coal mines of Wales (Revans, 1982). Only recently, however, has action learning become a vital tool in the workplace, not only for solving complex problems but also for developing leaders and building teams (Kramer, 2008; Marquardt, 2004; Raelin, 2009). The October 10, 2005, issue of BusinessWeek described action learning as one of the key management development programs introduced during the past 125 years. A 2008 study by the American Society for Training and Development indicated that 63% of all executive leadership programs in the United States used action learning. A more recent study by the Corporate Executive Board (2009) noted that 77% of learning executives selected action learning as the top driver of leadership bench strength. Although the use of action learning has quickly increased in popularity, much of what is called action learning involves only action (Cho & Egan, 2010; Raelin, 2009). Although these so-called action learning groups may be provided real-life problems, there are no structures or systems that ensure that time and effort is spent in learning, and thus little or no learning occurs (O’Neil & Marsick, 2007; Raelin, 2009). “True” action learning, if it is to be what the name implies, should incorporate both deep learning and real action. Revans (1982) decried the application of the term action learning to case studies, discussion groups, outdoor adventures, and problem-solving teams, because these activities did not have “real” actions in real time with real people, and therefore learning was not critical. Raelin (2009) notes that what distinguishes action learning from other experiential pedagogies is its application to real-world experience. There are many variants of true action learning, but all seem to have four common principles, namely, (a) that learning be acquired in the midst of action and dedicated to the task at hand, (b) that participants work on problems aimed at organizational as well as personal development and the intersection between them, (c) that learners work in peer learning teams to support and challenge each other, and (d) that its users demonstrate

Problems as Building Blocks for Organizational Learning: A Roadmap for Experiential Inquiry

This article explores the practice of problem-based learning (PBL) in organizational contexts and its contribution to organizational learning. It proposes a learning that is context dependent based on the collective participation of individuals through structured and spontaneous processes. A theory-elaboration approach was adopted by means of an interpretivist methodological paradigm. Rich data were collected from 10 PBL experts and 50 PBL users through convergent interviewing and a qualitative survey respectively. Findings suggest that looking within for answers is a first step to generating more questions for subsequent collaborative inquiry. The process is one of problem—question—reflection—learning—action requiring individuals to handle amplifying and restraining feedback loops for double-loop learning. PBL induces reflective practice and seeks an integrated epistemology.

Team Development via Action Learning

Successful teams complete their tasks, maintain good social relations among its members, and promote members’ personal and professional development. Based on an extensive review and analysis of group development literature as well as the authors’ more than 60 years of building teams, we identified eight key characteristics of successful groups, namely, (a) clear and meaningful goals; (b) explicit positive norms; (c) strong interpersonal and communication skills; (d) competence and commitment around solving problems and performing tasks; (e) trust, openness, and group cohesiveness; (f) ability to manage conflict; (g) shared leadership; and (h) continuous individual and team learning and improvement. Following a brief synopsis of the group and action learning literature, we describe ways in which action learning groups incorporate these eight characteristics. We conclude with best practices and case examples to illustrate how action learning builds and sustains high-performing teams.

Action Learning and Leadership Development

The Problem Today organizations worldwide are faced with the growing challenge of increasing the capabilities of their leaders with less time and fewer financial resources. However, most leadership development programs are ineffective and expensive and provide little focus on the social, interpersonal, and strategic aspects of leadership. This research seeks to answer the following questions: How are leadership skills developed through action learning? How are these skills embodied and consequently transferred to the workplace? The Solution Action learning with a trained coach is a cost-effective approach that enables leaders to develop capabilities while working to solve urgent organizational or social problems. In essence, leaders are learning while working. This article reports on a model of action learning that was used with hundreds of organizations throughout the world for over a decade. It presents a number of action learning procedures to develop key leadership skills as identified by the individual and emphasizes the use of a trained coach. The Stakeholders This article provides researchers and scholarly practitioners in the field of human resource development (HRD), organizational development trainers and coaches, and organizational teams, leaders, and managers with findings that support the growing importance of action learning in the field of leadership development. Other interested parties may include people who want to solve complex social problems in our world today in efforts to really make a difference.

Preparing Human Resources for the Global Economy

The Problem and the Solution. The tensions of culture, politics, and dis tance inherent in the global economy and globalization have created tremendous challenges for the HRD field In developing the human resources of the global company, six aspects must be managed determining global competencies, global recruitment, global training and development, managing the overseas experience, global career paths, and recognizing, rewarding, and retaining global employees

Developing Leaders for a Global Consumer Products Company

The Problem and the Solution . This chapter discusses the strategy used by a global consumer products company to develop the global leaders it will need in the twenty-first century Interviews with top executives identified six compe tencies needed-business savvy, ability to use personal influence, a global per spective, strong character, ability to motivate, and entrepreneurial skills The companys global leadership strategy includes five components-global high- potential program, executive staffing, succession planning, education and feed back, and line management overview The authors conclude with lessons learned for developing global leaders