Paper work presented by PROFESSOR JEFF GOLD @ the 1ST ACTION LEARNING FORUM in Dubai, 29/05/2014, Organized by The Emirates Center for Organizational Learning of the Emirates Identity Authority

1. Action Learning, Knowledge
Creation and Organisation Learning
Jeff Gold
Professor of Organization Learning
Leeds Business School, UK

2. We start with……………….
….a good story.
Identify an example of really good work practice
1.What happened that made it rgwp? –
write a sentence
2.How did rgwp happen and why? – write a
paragraph
3.What are the implications of this rgwp for
others in the company? – bullet point

3. Logico-Scientific v. Narrative
Knowledge in Organizations
Truth
Analysis, reason,
logic and proof
Theory, models
Decontextualise
and abstraction
Objective
Verisimilitude
Good story,
inspiring, aesthetics
and sense
Meaning
Contextual and
concrete
Personal, value-
laden

4. The conundrum of knowledge (knowing)-based organisations
Knowing-base
Organising

7. We continue with……….
….a difficult work problem, you are willing to share
a. What has been happening, what have you done, how have
you felt? – two paragraphs
b. Conclude by writing two sentences that begin with the
words……..
I believe that…………..
I believe that………….
c. For one ‘I believe that….’, state some ‘evidence’ for it

8. Knowledge Creating
Experience
accumulation
articulation codification
Individual
Adapted from
Prencipe and
Tell (2001)
Pure personalise

9. Organisation Learning Landscape
Experience
accumulation
articulation codification
Individual
Group/T
eam
Adapted from
Prencipe and
Tell (2001)
Pure personalise
Organisation

11. Traditional Action Learning
Based on the work of Reg Revans

12. The Ecology of LEARNING
L > C
Learning must be equal to or exceed the
rate of change (Reg Revans)

13. The Learning Equation
L = P + Q
Learning is a combination of P (Programmed
Knowledge) & Q (Questioning Insight)

14. “In the varied topography of professional practice, there is a high, hard
ground overlooking a swamp. On the high ground, manageable
problems lend themselves to solution through the use of research-
based theory and technique. In the swampy lowlands, problems are
messy and confusing and incapable of technical solution. The irony of
this situation is that the problems of the high ground tend to be
relatively unimportant to individuals or to society at large, however
great their technical interest may be, while in the swamp lie the
problems of greatest human concern.”
Schön (1983)
Uncertainty
Equivocality
Wicked Issues
Tame Issues

15. Unknown
problem
Known
problem
Known
solution
Unknown
solution
Task Problem
solving
Solution
seeking a
problem
Complexity,
wicked, mess

17. The Learning Organization
• Create continuous learning opportunities (CL)
• Promote inquiry and dialogue (DI)
• Encourage collaboration and team learning (TL)
• Establish systems to capture and share learning (ES)
• Empower people toward a collective vision (EP)
• Connect the organization to its environment (SC)
• Provide strategic leadership for learning (SL)
Based on Watkins and Marsick, 2003

18. New Idea
Try Out
Reflect
and Share
Real
Experience
LEVEL 1: IMPLEMENTING
Learning to do Things Well

19. Real
Experience
Reflect
and Share
Try Out
New Idea
(from within)
LEVEL 2: IMPROVING
Learning to do Things Better

20. Linking Action Learning to
Organisation Learning
Through Action Learning Research

22. The PROBLEM
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: SYSTEM BY WHICH
ENTERPRISE ACTIVITY IS DIRECTED & CONTROLLED
AND CONFLICTING INTERESTS MANAGED
TNIs (WORLD BANK) PROMOTE WESTERN SYSTEM IN
NIGERIA
NIGERIAN FIRMS AWARE OF TNI PRINCIPLES BUT DO
NOT PRACTICE

23. The QUESTION:
TO WHAT EXTENT CAN TNI THEORETICAL REQUIREMENTS
BE RECONCILED WITH CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRACTICE
IN NIGERIA
AIM: TO MAKE TNI MODEL MORE RELEVANT IN CONTEXT
OF NIGERIA
IMPORTANT FOR: LOWER COSTS, FDI & MITIGATING
CONTAGION

24. METHODLOLOGY
• PROBLEM OF ACCESS TO ‘BLACK BOX’ OF BOARD ROOM
• Action Learning Research
• Group of Directors in an action learning set
• Working on improving corporate governance
• Willing to share finding
• Methodology to develop model

25. FINDINGS OF AL SET
and a MODEL EMERGES

26. Positive Action Learning (PAL)
Based on Appreciative Inquiry

28. AI Meaning
• Explores ideas about what people say is
valuable in what they do
• Builds on the ideas
• Appreciates the positive rather than problems
• Uses stories of the positive to persuade others
to change

29. Assumptions
• In every organisation, something works
• Focus on what is working, provides new
possibilities
• Positive stories have influence
• Positive stories help create a positive future
• Telling positive stories, creates new realities

30. The AI Cycle
Discovery
Dreaming
Designing
Delivery

31. Set Up
Based on our definition of the problem:
a. Who in the business has a stake in this?
b. What are their objectives?
c. What are their criteria for the value of any
inquiry and the outputs that emerge?

32. Building Dreams
1. Read the findings....note what is interesting
2. Generate codes: Code interesting features of the findings in a
systematic fashion across the entire data set
3. Develop themes: Collate codes into potential themes
4. Review themes – are they linked? What is interesting? What is useful?
5. What is desired?

33. The AI Cycle
Discovery
Dreaming
Designing
Destiny
(Delivery)

34. Positive Action Learning (PAL)
• Company B, a UK-based but US-owned design
and production company
• 2008 - production fell by around 15% and
there were redundancies of around 15%.
• Re-direction of the organisation would also
require a shift in culture, even as staff were
being made redundant.

35. From PAL…..
Champion
Group – 5
AI +AL

36. From PAL…..to PALS
Champion
Group – 5
AI +AL
Group 1 –
4
AI +AL
Group 2 –
4
AI +AL
Group 3 –
4
AI +AL
Group 4 –
4
AI +AL
Group 5 –
4
AI +AL
Group
4.1 – 4
AI +ALGroup
4.2 – 4
AI +AL
Group
4.3 – 4
AI +AL
Group
4.4 – 4
AI +AL
Group
4.5 – 4
AI +AL

37. Movement against the baseline – 0 - 10 Scale
Strategy
We have a 1 year strategy focused on AOP delivery: we don’t see a year 2
and 3 plan
There is a lack of ongoing communication: update/ where are we
winning
Politics influences the strategy delivery and we aren’t waking the talk
Visibility
Lack of clear visibility of the leadership team (walking the talk, being
aligned, listening and being seen together)
Lack of a clear detailed vision/plan for year 1/2/3 with outcomes ,
actions and timings
Lack of engagement of all to really believe in the future
Communication
We don’t have a common understanding of what the true issues are
There is no honest and open regular update on business performance
with sufficient detail for people to take action
We aren’t energising people around what they can/ need to do
5.8
5.6
5.4
4.0
4.0
5.6
5.0
5.4
4.6

38. Action Modes of Research -
completed in the context of
practice which results in
knowledge that is useful through
its application = LEARNING
Action Research - knowledge
generation that is based on a
collaborative problem-solving
relationship between researcher
and client
Action Learning Research -a
group setting that seeks to
generate learning across
multiple levels, from
individuals to systems, arising
from engagement in the
solution of real-time (not
simulated) work problems
Action science - work-based
intervention for helping learners
increase their effectiveness in
social situations through
heightened awareness of their
action and interaction
assumptions
Appreciative Inquiry (AI) - focus on
the positive capabilities of people
and organizations and building on
such capabilities
Cultural-Historical Activity Theory: research
on activity as a unit of analysis that is
analyzable in its contextuality and is specific to
human beings by being culturally mediated
and dynamic
Cooperative Inquiry- participants
engage in self-critical examination in
the presence of a group, which
iinvites spontaneous inquiry into its
own patterns allowing the
generating of ideas and designing
and managing projects.
Soft Systems Methodology- a
learning based inquiry to make
improvements using systems
models and thinking