Action Research into Supporting International NGOs to Learn

This well-written paper by Maaike Smit, is online available: We're Too Much in 'To Do' Mode: Action Research into Supporting International NGOs to Learn. Her study, for which data was collected within three NGO's was guided by these questions:

1. How do international development NGO's learn in practice?
2. From her literature review on organisational learning and from initial interviews it became clear that how people think and talk about learning (the discourse they use) strongly influences the way they are able to shape organisational learning in practice.That's why question 2 is: how do int developm org think and talk about learning- wat is their discourse?
3. And, question 3: How can action research help to support organisational learning by promoting joint reflection on organisational learning processes?

Activating research methods Smit used are, amongst others: creating a storyline, discussing Kolb's learning cycle and looking at learning principles. Findings of her study comprise:

• The organisations characterized themselves all as having an activist learning style.
• Over half of the respondents found their ability to conceptualise (one of the phases in Kolb's learning cycle) the least developed.
• The respondents feel the need to focus on systematising learning experiences and knowledge by writing them down. However, when looking at their organisational learning practice, they value talking with others.
• Respondents feel there is little time for reflection.
• The researcher observes that by organising her research activities iin the way she did, she created space for reflection and learning that may not normally have occurred.