Experienced leader challenge: Exploring interventions designed to foster transformative learning

In order to survive in today’s changing environment, it is increasingly important to have an organizational culture that is adaptive. Leaders in an organization shape organizational culture, and one way to shape leaders is through training at a Corporate University. Transformative learning is a way to shape culture through learning experiences. However, it is often difficult to measure the impact of transformative learning experiences, and this is particularly true for corporate universities. This qualitative study explores if there is evidence of transformative learning in a specific course, called ELC, which targets executive leaders in a Corporate University. My primary data collection method for this study is interviews with two groups of participants. I interviewed one group of participants 10-16 weeks after the ELC class ended and another group of participants several weeks before a subsequent class started. I found evidence of transformative learning in both the course design and delivery. I also found evidence of transformative learning in participants’ behaviors weeks after the class ended. I argue that findings from this study stand to extend transformative learning theory, particularly through the insight that the thoughtful integration of content, experience, and environment can enable a transformative learning in a Corporate University setting. I include an exploration of experiential learning approaches such as arts based experiential learning and the role of the instructor in experiential learning as important elements of the ELC course experience. This exploratory study also creates a framework for future studies of transformative learning in a corporate university setting, leveraging existing models to provide insight into behaviors that may serve as evidence of transformative learning