An action science approach to organizational learning: Reeducating engineers in Model I

The team-based structure is becoming more common in technical organizations due to the complexity and frequent obsolescence of knowledge and information. For technical organizations to not only survive but thrive, the cognitive abilities of many people must join together to create technically sophisticated products and services. The interpersonal processes that occur in group decision making are as important as the content. Unfortunately, the formal education of most technical professionals does not include courses in how to interact effectively as a team.;Organizational learning is collective learning. The emphasis is on learning in teams and sharing new found knowledge with interested others. Action science facilitates the development and maintenance of learning organizations by creating a climate in which people openly share their thoughts and feelings about important issues. Organizational members are proactive in dealing with potential problematic situations. Action science recipes enable organizational members to confront others in a positive way for a win/win conclusion.;The purpose of this study was to educate a group of engineers in the Model II paradigm of action science. I met with 13 engineers over a period of a year, training and facilitating them in action science principles and techniques. Each engineer brought two cases to the study. One case depicted a problematic situation that occurred in the past. The other case described an ongoing conflictive situation. The second case provided the participants with the opportunity to transfer action science principles and practices from the educational setting to the workplace. Each case was translated into a cognitive map which enabled the participant to determine if his espoused theory matched his theory-in-use.;The results of the study indicate that action science is a powerful organizational development intervention that can have a profound effect on how quickly and effectively members learn. The cases provide a formal and systematic method for organizational members to share with others situations that are beyond their control. With the assistance of team members, the case writer learns how to deal with a particular situation. Team members may also learn from the case writer's experience. When action science is promulgated throughout an organization, continuous learning becomes a way of life for everyone.