Action learning in a decentralized organisation: the case of designing a distributed database

Corette E. Wissink, Steef C.A. Peters and Michael S.H. Heng
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Corette E. Wissink: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculteit der Economische Wetenschappen en Econometrie (Free University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics Sciences, Business Administration and Economitrics

No 049a, Serie Research Memoranda from VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics

Abstract: This paper uses Revans’ theory of action learning to understand cases of collective IT development and implementation projects within a multi-national company. It means having to deal with an international project, cultural differences, diflerences in levels of knowledge and differences in the organizational structure. In action learning, the discussions take the form of reciprocal teaching and group problem-solving situations, trying to reach consensus concerning meaning, relevance and importance of certain aspects, questioning, evaluating and criticising each other, thereby pushing for higher levels of understanding, satisfactory explanations and clarifications. What is most important is that the group members help each other to understand, thereby overcoming the differences in knowledge within the group. This is an ongoing process partly because some group members left and others took their place.

Keywords: IT development; IT implementation; multinational project team; organizational learning; action learning; learning process (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D83 L86 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1998
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:vua:wpaper:1998-49a

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