Action Learning Worldwide: Experiences of Leadership and Organisational Development

This volume can be viewed as a companion volume to our previous book on action learning -Business Driven Action Learning: Global Best Practices. Like its predecessor, this present volume originated in presentations made at the annual Global Forum on Business Driven Action Learning and Executive Development at which practitioners from corporations, academia and other organizations come together to discuss the latest research and experiences in the field. All the different schools and approaches to action learning are represented, and so too this volume brings together some of the leading practitioners of action learning and its three major orientations: classic, action reflection, and business driven action learning. In the past, each tended to go their own separate ways, and at times were even hostile to one another. Increasingly, however, there is a realization of the connectedness and relevance of all three approaches and, more to the point, that much can be learned through a constructive sharing of experiences and concepts. Certainly, this is the spirit and intent of this volume. In the first volume we concentrated on multinational companies. But in this work we have broadened our perspective on two fronts -by including the 'new economy' companies and their action learning experiences and issues, and by including contributions on action learning as it is practiced not only in the private sector but also in the public sector and the not-forprofit sector of social life. We have also focused this volume on worldwide examples of action learning in the three major areas of North and South America; Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. While articles and books have appeared on action learning in some of these regions there is no one volume that has looked at action learning on a worldwide level. Most studies on action learning tend to be focused on experiences in the northern hemisphere and, in particular, in the Anglo-American and Nordic worlds. We also include articles on action learning in emerging markets where almost four-fifths of humanity resides and where we see extraordinary changes taking place since the end of the Cold War. It seems that these countries are undergoing a society-wide action learning experience as they build (and in some cases, rebuild) their own futures. Those of you who have read the previous volume and other volumes with examples from the business world, know well that the number of companies and organizations using and introducing action learning has increased dramatically. This is not just another fad, as Jac Fitz-enz (2001) has pointed out in his most recent book. Action learning has been with us since the 1940s and it has a serious theoretical foundation. Its increasing popularity and usefulness has as much to do with the confluence of new realities (such as the emphasis on intellectual and human capital, and the learning organization) as it does with the solid foundations established by previous generations of practitioners. This growth and acceptance of action learning will continue, and even accelerate, for reasons which we hope will become self-evident to anyone who takes the time to peruse this publication. Finally, it is a great pleasure to thank the many people who helped make this volume a reality: to the authors who tolerated some delays and who were kind enough to make suggested editorial changes; to the Global Forum participants who by their generosity of spirit, professional camaraderie and openness have created a wonderful foundation for stimulating discussion, dynamic research and continuous learning; to Claire Meneveau; to Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 Preface......Page 8 Notes on the Contributors......Page 10 Part I What is Action Learning? Context and Approaches......Page 22 1 Action Learning: The Classic Approach......Page 24 2 Action Reflection LearningTM and Critical Reflection Approaches......Page 40 3 Why Business Driven Action Learning?......Page 51 Part II Action Learning in North and South America......Page 74 4 How Companies Plan and Design Action Learning Management Development Programmes in the United States: Lessons from Practice......Page 76 5 General Electric’s Action Learning Change Initiatives: Work-OutTM and the Change Acceleration Process......Page 97 7 Getting to the Future First and the e-Business Leadership Challenge: Business Driven Action Learning at Lilly......Page 131 8 Learning as an Adventure in a High-Growth Environment: The Cyberplex Story......Page 144 9 Learning in Action: Accelerating the Development of High-Potential Executives in the Canadian Public Service......Page 154 10 Action Reflection LearningTM in Latin America......Page 173 Part III Action Learning in Europe, the Middle East and Africa......Page 182 11 Northern Light: A Survey of Action Learning in the Nordic Region of Europe......Page 184 12 Strategic Executive Learning and Development in French Multinationals......Page 194 13 Changing the Rules at the World Council of Churches: Action Learning as Large-Scale System Change......Page 205 14 Developing Managerial Cadres in an Emerging Economy: The Case of Poland......Page 221 15 Action Learning and National Competitive Strategy: A Case Study on the Technion Institute of Management in Israel......Page 229 16 Action Learning Beyond Survival: A South African Journey......Page 250 Part IV Action Learning in Asia Pacific......Page 268 17 Action Learning in Korea......Page 270 18 Business Driven Action Learning in Japan......Page 281 19 Tibetan Buddhism and Action Reflection LearningTM Philosophy......Page 289 20 Strategic Change Management at Merck Hong Kong: Building a High Performing Executive Team Using Action Reflection LearningTM......Page 303 21 Building Internal Capacities for Change in China: Action Learning in the Public and Private Sectors......Page 314 Bibliography......Page 332 Useful Websites......Page 341 Index......Page 343 For the first time in one volume, the leading proponents and practitioners of action learning define their approach, and describe how action learning and executive and organizational development are practiced in the public, private and 'not-for-profit' sectors around the world. Described in detail are the experiences of General Electric, Merck, Volvo, Japanese and Korean multinationals, as well as the Canadian Civil Service and The World Council of Churches, among others. In this volume the leading proponents and practitioners of action learning define their approach and describe how action learning and executive and organizational development are practised in the public, private and "not for profit" sectors around the world. Described in detail are the experiences of General Electric, Merck, Volvo, Japanese and Korean multinationals, as well as the Canadian Civil Service and The World Council of Churches, among others