The paper is concerned with the relationship between hierarchy, democracy and action learning. It examines what hierarchy and democracy are and the pervasiveness of the former, noting critiques that have been made. The compatibility of democracy and hierarchy is reviewed, together with the extent to which democracy is democratic. It is proposed…

In times of growing societal complexity and uncertainty, traditional decision-making mechanisms such as the majority principle are increasingly reaching their limits. This article explores the interplay between Systemic Consensing (SC) and Action Learning (AL) as innovative, participatory approaches to decision-making that are committed to the…

Team coaching has become more utilized in organizations as they realize the importance of developing highly effective teams. There has been some research done on the skills needed by those who coach teams. However, very little has been done on the mindset needed for effectively coaching teams, and no research on the mindset for coaching action…

This paper addresses three challenges facing action learning -- the implications of its historical roots for the present; the encounter of action learning within different cultures and a tension within action learning itself. It concludes that deeper understanding of all three is necessary for action learning's continuing development.

This essay explores the interplay between action learning and democracy in organizations, institutions and society. We start by reflecting on the history of democracy as an emancipatory discourse in management learning and education. We elaborate on critical reflection in action-based approaches to learning and identify key elements of critical…

Higher education institutions can be key agents of innovation and regional development. Nevertheless, they are in a transition period: good, tried, and tested practices no longer work or do not work as well as they used to, while new, fully developed, and widely applied solutions are yet to emerge. In this paper, we investigate to what extent…

This paper presents a framework which captures the complexity and multi-dimensional process of learning in action learning (AL) on an accredited executive Master's programme. The framework extends current knowledge by presenting a holistic participant perspective of learning. Underpinned by a social constructionist epistemology, the study…

This paper proposes action learning has a role to play in advancing responsible AI. Despite the recent surge in attention towards artificial intelligence, predominantly focusing on its technological and commercial aspects, the social dimensions have often been overlooked. Action learning, known for fostering interdisciplinary discourse, is…

This paper explores the professional practice of the Action Learning (AL) facilitator through a process of critical inquiry, self-reflection and evaluation of action learning practice within a Higher Education Leadership Programme, commissioned by an English NHS Mental Health Trust. Action research was adopted as the overarching research approach…

This paper provides a thematic analysis of research papers published in Action Learning: Research and Practice over the past 20 years. The analysis concentrates on the different contexts in which action learning has taken place and on the variations of action learning that have been presented in different papers. Contexts discussed in this paper…

This paper poses the question 'What can we learn from the person-centred counselling literature which could be used by the action learning facilitator to help benefit the set?'. This question may be particularly important to facilitators seeking new ways to run their sets and to facilitators who would like to introduce a more humanistic and less…

This paper explores the experiences of six Academic Skills Tutors (AST) responsible for facilitating action learning sets (ALS) on a postgraduate module. Our research focused on two elements: first, what did the tutors understand by the term critically reflexive practice in the context of business and management? Second, what has supported the…

This paper explores how democratic educational practices and action learning are applied in an MSc Human Resource Management Enhancement Programme (HRMEP) in a UK higher education context. Using a triple-layered model of reflective learning, the programme emphasises a participatory approach, critical reflection, and practical application of HRM…

This paper delves into the role of an Action Learning Coach in real-world scenarios. The coach addresses challenges such as team members leaving for phone calls, disruptions caused by important participants and the team returning from a break visibly shaken. As the coach, I employed an approach involving awareness, team queries, and collaborative…

This Account of Practice concerns a short training programme for action learning facilitators, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The programme is run on action learning principles and it involves participants working as an action learning set, taking turns to act as facilitators, set members, and issue holders, and reflecting on the…