Understanding Action Learning

It takes a community to write a book! So we would like to acknowledge the many people in our community who made writing this book possible.

First, there are our colleagues in Action Learning with whom we often work and with whom we have developed many of the ideas, strategies, and tools in this book. We especially acknowledge Dr. Karen E. Watkins, University of Georgia, Athens, who is the third principal in our research and consulting group, Partners for Learning and Leadership, Inc. Karen’s expertise in action research and action science has influenced the theory base that underlies our research and practice.

Second, Judy and Victoria—along with Dr. Lyle Yorks, Teachers College, Columbia University—were lead researchers in ARL™ Inquiry, affiliated with Leadership in International Management (LIM). This research group undertook a number of studies on Action Reflection Learning that informed the ideas in this book. Other members of ARL™ Inquiry included, at that time, Bob Kolodny, Sharon Lamm, and Glenn Nilson. Lyle, Judy, and Victoria edited a book¹ that forms the framework for this volume based on research and insights gained during this period. Several doctoral students at Teachers College, Columbia University, who became interested in Action Learning, including Sharon Lamm and Robert L. Dilworth, also contributed to the work on this earlier volume. We (and ARL™ Inquiry) are indebted to LIM and Management Institute of Lund (MiL), LIM’s parent, for opening doors to study of Action Learning programs over the years. Victoria’s research on Action Learning would never have been possible without the generous support and assistance of Lennart Rohlin, President and founder of MiL where she first conducted research on Action Learning programs that MiL undertook for managers in Europe.

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