Purpose: This study aims to investigate the aspects that influence reflective practice during an action learning approach to management development programmes (MDPs). Design/methodology/approach: A narrative inquiry approach was used to gather interview and pictorial data from 16 participants who had attended an action learning oriented MDP. Data…

As the prominence of experiential learning (EL) increases in management education, so do pressures on educators to adopt new, and less defined modes of classroom instruction. The incorporation of hands-on practice with standard pedagogy places expectations on educators to include assignments with emotional or ethical aspects. It is often assumed…

The authors examine the determinants of the effective implementation of game-based learning (GBL) for experiential learning. They focus on the successful GBL initiative called Management Game (MG) and adopt the theory-driven deductive thematic analysis approach of Boyatzis along with the Matsuo model as theoretical rationale. Overall, the findings…

Curricular development is critical for preparing students in a coordinated fashion for life after graduation -- especially when their roles will involve cross-border business decisions. The design of specific courses in any curriculum must be purposeful in terms of what is taught, how it is taught, and how all the course components fit together.…

The article presents and illustrates the learning journey (LJ)--a new management development approach to inter-organisational learning based on observation, reflection and problem-solving. The LJ involves managers from different organisations and applies key concepts of action learning and systemic organisational development. Made up of…

The content of most MBA capstone strategic management courses emphasizes general management theory and analytical skill development. Additionally, the design of the capstone is often tasked with providing practical application, integrative thinking, and experiential learning. A common critique of the capstone, however, is its insufficient delivery…

The merits of action learning as a change tool and enabler of deep learning are well recognised. However, there is a gap in the literature of participants' stories regarding their experiences on accredited postgraduate executive programmes underpinned by an action learning philosophy. The following account of practice addresses this gap and…

The purpose of this study was to explore how students described the curriculum in the Introduction to Food Production class and how they perceived the curriculum prepared them for their future in the hospitality industry. The exploratory questions that guided the study were how do students describe the experiential learning curriculum in the…

The use of experiential learning techniques has become popular in business education. Experiential learning approaches offer major benefits for teaching contemporary management practices such as cross-functional and team-based working. However, there remains relatively little empirical data on the success of experiential pedagogies in supporting…

This account of practice presents two cases of the application of Action Learning (AL) communication methodology as described by Marquardt [2004. "Optimising the power of action learning". Mountain View, CA: Davies-Black Publishing]. The teams were Czech and international top management teams. The AL methodology was used to improve…

In teaching leadership development we have developed and revised a model of teamwork and collaboration, which has yielded innovative and positive results. Our study draws on insights from more than 90 project teams, gathered over twelve years of a mid-career executive education program designed specifically to teach collaborative leadership. The…

For several decades, management educators have discussed the difficulty of accommodating the competing values of academic rigor and organizational relevance. Only a few articles, however, consider approaches for integrating theory and practice in educational programs for working managers. Building on 15 years of experience in executive education,…

Increasing attention is focusing on the value of critical approaches to enhancing leadership and management development processes. This paper examines how a critical action learning perspectives can be harnessed to produce valuable learning and development through critically reflective practise. Critical action learning approaches not only explore…

Drawing on their experience in a Midwest healthcare system, the authors propose a model of leadership development through action learning that embraces "concentric collaboration" at its core. The present study suggests that the process of concentric collaboration can serve to strengthen the skills of the individual leader as well as…

This paper explores the role of "action" in entrepreneurial learning and illustrates how programs designed to support action learning can enhance management development in entrepreneurial businesses. The paper begins by exploring action learning and the way "action" is conceived in different types of program. In the second part, the paper details…