CURRENT INITIATIVES IN HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT:

Action Technologies at the Micro, Mezzo and Macro Levels

Written by:

Marie Angelella George, Ph.D.

Chairperson, Department of Health Administration and Human Resource, College of Health, Education and Human Resources, University of Scranton, Scranton, Pa, USA 18510, Phone: 717-941-4128, FAX: 717-941-4201, E-mail: georgem1@uofs.edu

Abstract

As health care organizations struggle to become more flexible and responsive to changing needs and times, the action technologies are providing a framework to approach change through learning. The action technologies encompass action learning, action research and action science and have become significant to current initiatives in human resource development in that each stresses reflective learning as the path to effective long term change - for individuals, groups and entire health care organizations. Past practices to view external training as the exclusive model for learning are being supplemented with diverse learning models and interventions that utilize current work experiences, problems, and patterns of behavior to guide individual and collective learning.

Introduction

The accelerating pace of change poses a challenge to industries worldwide. Health care organizations are similarly adjusting to the demands that such rapid cycles of change place upon its delivery systems. Those systems which lack flexibility and the capacity to adapt and grow must reexamine their change strategies, particularly if they are solely based upon authoritative and rational models of change. Since the capacity to change is directly related to the capacity to learn, educational change models have become the paradigm for more effective organizational development at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Current initiatives in human resource development [HRD] are thus concerned with reflective learning at the individual [micro], group [mezzo] and organizational [macro]levels.

Action technologies provide a framework for individuals, groups and entire organizations to create cultures that value learning and change.¹ Health care systems that are strategically addressing such cultural change are empowering internal change agents to create learning organizations that will ensure growth and innovation. This type of cultural change goes beyond traditional training and development activities.² The hallmark of such an organization is the capacity to enhance learning and the three action technologies - action learning, action research and action science - are guiding this value added process.

HRD AT A MICRO LEVEL

Action Learning

The requirement for individual learning is continuous and lifelong. While formal education and training continues to be necessary, these learning interventions must be infused with real time developmental opportunities that further the knowledge, skills and abilities of the health care provider and manager. Action learning provides such an opportunity through timely interventions that blends theory and practice while meeting the demands of current and future job requirements. An individual’s work becomes the learning laboratory affording both reflection and action at this micro level of HRD.

Action learning, well practiced in England, has taken hold in the United States as an example of HRD at a micro organizational level which is responsive to dynamic changes in the health care delivery system. Action learning is not to be mistaken with on-the-job training. Action learning when applied in a training or education format is distinctly different due to a level of required reflection that enhances learning. Reg Revans, a British physicist , has introduced the term action reflection learning^{3 .}as a way of reinforcing the requirements of action learning. The action-reflection model is not new in formal educational studies, however it’s application within the work environment has only recently gained momentum in leadership/management development training. While there is no one learning format, project work is central to the design of the learning intervention.

For example one health care organization is encouraging managers to develop services that will generate new forms of revenue. The strategic planning workshop they attend requires a business plan to be developed, based upon the revenue generating idea they bring to the training program. New knowledge, skills and time for reflection allow the managers to link their job requirements to this learning program.

HRD AT THE MEZZO LEVEL

Action Research

Kurt Lewin introduced action research to the field of organizational development. Based upon systems theory, he stressed the interrelatedness of the components of an organization as integral to solving problems.⁴ Action research attempts to avoid habitual responses to organizational problems through a dialogue that balances advocacy and inquiry. This approach to organizational problem solving is well suited to various work groups and interdisciplinary teams. A reflective cycle of thought becomes introduced into group problem solving efforts, producing an iterative process of enhanced learning.

As groups and teams become more prevalent in the structures of job and organizational design, action research enables collective learning to be experienced. Team members can promote dialogue in problem solving activities by using the ladder of inference to audit language and behavior patterns.⁵ The ladder of inference aids groups to distinguish between beliefs and observable data. The mental path from observable data to interpretations then abstractions is often based upon misguided beliefs; this movement up the ladder of inference is typical. When working with others in groups, a conscience effort needs to be made to move back down the ladder of inference. Senge⁶ would suggest that improved communication through reflection explores a) becoming more aware of your own thinking and reasoning [reflection], b) making your thinking and reasoning more visible to others [advocacy] and c) inquiring into others’ thinking and reasoning [inquiry].

Health care managers utilize action research as they incorporate the patient, or customer focus in their problem solving activities thereby developing solutions that are responsive to the patient/family needs rather than an insular intra-organizational perspective. This customer oriented problem solving approach requires additional data to be utilized which is facilitated by open dialogue within the action reflection model.

HRD AT THE MACRO LEVEL

Action Science

Systemic change is the aim of action science. Action science, built upon action learning and growing out of action research, attempts to surface the tacit knowledge of the organization’s culture.⁷ Without systemic change, the achievements of individual and group learning will become frustrated by organizational patterns of behavior that seem impenetrable. These patterns are imbedded within the organization’s communication, problem-solving and decision making processes. When examined contradictions between, espoused theories and theories in use can be compared and analyzed. This can then lead to the unfreezing of such patterns thereby allowing for cultural change to occur.⁸

When health care systems strive to create a learning organization, patterns that inhibit and resist learning need to be confronted and changed. Action science assists individuals to view the way the system may be affecting their behavior. Chris Argyris from Harvard has been studying the behavior of consultants for over twenty years. He has recorded transcripts of their conversations as the basis for examining the contradictions between what is said and what is done. His left hand column exercise has proven useful in identifying thoughts during conversations that are not verbalized but may be acted upon. Identifying then confronting these contradictions is initially required upper management. Beginning at the upper level of the organization can result in dramatic unfreezing, change, then refreezing within the organization’s culture. Meta-learning or learning how to learn is critical to action science. Argyris refers to this as double loop learning and Gregory Bateson, a noted anthropologist, calls it deuterolearning. The experience of double loop learning is the crux of organizational learning whereby individuals within organizational systems study the previous context of their learnings and affect normative change.⁹    

A CHANGING PARADIGM IN HRD

Performance Improvement

Why are the action technologies experiencing such success in the workplace of the 90’s? The answer lies within the new paradigm in human resource development research, education and practice. An emphasis on performance improvement has become the changed focus of human resource development.

Historically, training and development has guided the assessment of organizational needs. However, the ‘training satisfaction’ paradigm is limiting and may serve to filter out other learning interventions which would more effectively address the goal of improving human performance.¹⁰ Even when evaluating training and development activities, a satisfaction model rather than a performance model predominated. This is changing and more trainers are viewing themselves as internal consultants, focusing upon performance improvement at the individual, group and organizational levels.

The action technologies are ideally suited to work within this new HRD paradigm of performance improvement. The action technologies are singularly focused upon the actual performance of the work place. In fact work place behavior becomes the grist for learning within the technologies. Amidst the dynamic cycles of change that health care managers must attend to, action technologies create avenues for reflective response to influence organizational change strategies.

References