Students of strategic management are often inundated with a plethora of analytical tools from which they must chose a select few to help them to effectively analyse the forces impacting the sustainable competitiveness of an organisation. Choosing the right tool(s) can be daunting, yet crucial for understanding organizational challenges and…

Departing from discussions at Research in Management Learning & Education (RMLE) Unconferences, we identify the problem of practical deliberation: When faced with multiple, relevant theories that all demand to be given weight in a process of deliberation, how do management students, while drawing on these theories, justify their choice? Based…

Teaching philosophy statements articulate educators' beliefs about what makes learning happen. They can be powerful tools in identifying assumptions about teaching, articulating our values as educators, and connecting to a community within and across disciplines. Teaching philosophy statements are often an integral part of job applications,…

Experiential learning has been documented as an effective method for student learning, yet its use in large-enrollment classes remains limited. Kolb's experiential learning theory emphasizes that experiential learning requires a hospitable learning space (HLS) that is conducive to learning. In this article, we reframe the challenges to…

Currently, we experience a situation in society in general as well as business school education where leaders and executives prefer to remain ambivalent and inauthentic about humanity's worsening socio-economic challenges. As a result of this, we continue with regimes of common sense that have lost their legitimacy and perpetuate an unsustainable…

This account reports on some experiences of facilitating action learning with international business students. Interest in international student learning and the international student experience is significant and increasing with a considerable range of literature on the subject. Some of this literature is concerned with the perceived…

The mainland Chinese learning culture has evolved due to the rapid changes in the economic, political, cultural and demographic demands. The changing characteristics of the Chinese students' learning behavioral styles and preferences, as well as the challenges faced in pursuit of Western-based education, are discussed with suggested…

This account examines the action learning process adopted by Emerald Group Publishing Ltd., embedded in the organization through the in-company Emerald Academy. In case study format, the paper emphasizes that in order to align learning with organizational objectives joined up thinking and practice is needed beyond the learning and development…

This article presents the development of an online, student-centered, introductory small-business management course that uses an educational business novel, hypertext graphic-design features, an interactive workbook, and a student-authored final chapter. Student learning was assessed through the use of a pre- and posttest survey. Student…

This paper explores the role that action learning might play in micro and small enterprise development. It is divided into two parts. The first part focuses upon the distinctive characteristics of smallness and ownership and their implication for management development processes in the owner managed firm. In particular the impact of personal…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to call attention to the fact that conferences for professionals rely on massive one-way communication and hence produce little learning for delegates--and to introduce an alternative, the "learning conference", that involves delegates in fun and productive learning processes.…

Analyzes the form and function of colleges in terms of organizational theory. Argues that while the purpose of colleges and industries may differ in their results, they are fundamentally similar in structure; in order to improve, both must become more open to communication, action, change and learning. Contains 1 figure and 29 references. (JDI)

Analytically describes the annual Educational Leadership Development Conference held at St. Peter's College, Oxford University. Highlights the venue, participants, program goals, activity structure, and learning processes, drawing from the literature in adult learning, andragogy, and transformational learning and using Cranston's process model as…

Kurt Lewin's epigrammatic paradox is particularly true for action learning. Marquardt and Waddill (2004), and previously Yorks O'Neil and Marsick (1999) have approached the issue of the relationship between theory and action learning by looking at a variety of theories which they have placed in "schools". This provides an interesting analysis, but…

Describes how a group of Honeywell Corporation human resources specialists determined how the organization's management development process could be improved to support the needs of the business. Discusses corporate management development strategy, curriculum, conference center, on-the-job experiences, and how experience, relationships, and…