Essay About Bradford University School Of Management And Incorporation Of Action Leaning

A Case Study of Action Learning In
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A growing concern expressed by employers is the failure of universities to provide
students with the skill sets needed by modern industry and businesses (Hibbert, 2000).
Significantly, it has been suggested that the learning afforded an individual by an
MBA is of limited relevance to their current employer, being better suited for career
progression outside an existing workplace (David, 2000). The suggestion is that some
part-time MBAs, whilst useful for gaining new jobs, have very little impact within
individuals existing organizations. Recognizing this failing, universities are
responding by developing new and innovative approaches to education. One such
approach is the adoption and incorporation of action leaning (Frank, 1996). This paper
seeks to reports a case study of an example of this, an MBA in Engineering
Management offered by Bradford University School of Management. This program
offers a genuinely innovative approach to management education. Many examples of
the incorporation of action learning in higher education see it as either a subject of
study or as a limited aspect of a wider program of conventional study (Smith, 1998).
The MBA program considered here is, we believe, unique in being entirely centered on
an action learning approach in which participants come together as a group to work on
workplace-centered problems on an ongoing basis, and gain an accredited MBA degree
as a result.
In this paper we begin by briefly outlining the theoretical foundations of action
learning, before describing how these are applied in the MBA program in question,
focusing on the learning experience of participants. The programs effectiveness is then
considered, and proposals for assessing ongoing effectiveness will be considered and
discussed. Finally the challenges and limitations of adopting an action learning
approach are explored.
Theoretical foundations
Action learning has its inception in the work of Reg Revans, who, when director of
education at the National Coal Board in the UK in the 1940s, recognized that colliery
managers who were facing complex organizational problems might better learn by
talking through the problems with each other. Revans thought that by sharing their
concerns and plans with like-minded colleagues, the managers would gain greater
insights, inspirations, and motivation to cope with difficult and challenging times. His
expectation was that the action mangers then took would be better informed by that
discussion. Since this inception, there has been considerable debate on action learning,
and it is not our intention here to provide a detailed review of this literature; others
offer readers an overview of this canon at different points of time (Mumford, 1985;
1994; Smith and ONeil, 2003a, b), and more detailed discussion of the role, purpose and
philosophy of an action learning is provided in several texts, including Pedler (1996)
and Weinstein (1998), and Revans own books (Revans, 1980; 1998). We would direct
readers interested in learning more to these. The discussion here instead seeks to
outline the nature of the action learning approach that informs the philosophy of
learning of a particular program of study below.
Action learning is, in essence, an experience-based approach to learning based on
Revans premise that managers learn most effectively with and from other managers
whilst dealing with real world problems (Pedler, 1991; Raelin, 1997; Revans, 1980;
Weinstein, 1998; Dilworth and Willis, 2003). It defines a process by which groups of
managers can address actual workplace issues or problems, in complex situations and
conditions. In doing so they learn through interaction, by discussing the problems they
face with peers, and then, through reflection, developing the actions to influence the
issue or problem they face. According to OHara et al. (1996, p. 16), “action learning is
less straightforward and more demanding than a traditional taught program but
potentially could achieve a much wider range of learning outcomes”. It has the
potential for creating individual and organizational benefits that extend well beyond
those normally achieved through academic programs. Through action learning
“participants develop the capacity to be life-time learners, enabling them to adapt to
new situations and circumstances” (OHara et al., 1996, p. 21). Action learning works
well with individuals and organizations undertaking change and where individuals are
seeking learning that directly connects with their own work (OHara et al., 1997).
Action learning is centered on the idea that formal instruction is not enough to
achieve true learning. Revans (1998) suggests L, the total of an individuals learning is
made