Action Learning for Individual and Organizational Development

In an ever changing world, societal trends such as the empower-ment of workers, the emphasis on product quality, and the increas-ingly technically complex work environment require continuous learning within organizations (Dilworth 1998a,b). Action learning may be viewed as the engine that converts changes in the external environment to the necessary internal organizational and indi-vidual changes (Mumford 1991). This Practice Application Brief describes action learning (AL), discusses some of its advantages and challenges, highlights its educational applications, and recom-mends practices for future implementation. What Is Action Learning? Reg Revans (1997), architect of action learning, believed that it is difficult to describe because it is so simple. McGill and Beaty (1995) defined it as a continuous process of learning and reflection, sup-ported by colleagues, with the intention of getting things done (p