What is Action Learning? Components, Types, Processes, Issues, and Research Agendas

Abstract

Action learning’s central insight is that it is possible to develop organizational members’ competencies in the process of solving real, difficult organizational issues. Despite considerable interest and practice in action learning, human resource development has had difficulty in identifying distinctive features of action learning for research and practice. To clarify the nature of action learning, this article relies on recent reviews of action learning research and the author’s own experience in action learning practice. Additionally, this article will provide information on the fundamentals and importance of action learning. Included are core components of action learning (teams, problems, competencies, questioning/reflection/feedback, and learning coaches), two types of action learning (team-projects and individual-projects), and the action learning process (preparation, team meetings, and follow-up activities) from a practice perspective. Also included are critical related issues (the balancing act of action and learning, importance of context, and assessment of current research) and research agendas (continued research on the balance issue, key success factors of action learning, and comparison of three team learning approaches) for further investigation from a research perspective.