Learning for Total Quality : An Action Learning Approach

There is incongruity between what business schools teach and what business organizations actually need. Hence, the criticism of business school graduates as “corporate burdens” incapable of functioning as competent managers. The discordant note of change is gripping the traditional academy as it grapples with corporate demands to review its curriculum (too much emphasis on teaching the things that can be taught; too much analysis; deficiencies in cross‐functional integration and “soft” people skills). Thus, the persistent plea for teaching effectiveness and linkage with the corporate world. Acquisition of information and honed skills in analysis is essential but inadequate in managerial learning. More importantly, managerial learning means learning to take effective action; learning to acquire the “soft skills”, such as leadership, decision making, teamworking, negotiations, and communications. Action learning is one approach to management growth and development, which induces managers to focus primarily on their own experiences, to learn from exposure to problems and to learn from one another. The learning process is social; managers learn best to work in teams; managers learn by doing. Total learning for quality management seeks to integrate the core analytical skills with the soft interpersonal skills in the make‐up of the competent manager. The author shares his own action learning experience in his pursuit of an action‐learning‐focused PhD degree. Thus, it adopts a learner′s perspective to highlight the benefits of working on a real‐life project which is significant and meaningful. Discusses how action research and action learning deliver a balance of knowledge and action, academic rigour and managerial relevance. The learning output is the “Intelligent Corporate Strategy” paradigm – a manifestation of the author′s conceptualization of thoughts after 12 years in the machine tool industry, and its application to the author′s organization, OKUMA Corporation.