Action learning, organisational research and the ‘wicked’ problems

We note an increasing number of research projects that are employing an action learning methodology as part of their data collection and intervention into the particular focus of their concern. So, for example Ram and Trehan’s work on ‘Critical Action Learning, Policy Learning and Small Firms’ presents a conceptual and empirical synthesis of critical action learning and policy learning; the vehicle is a five-year inquiry into an initiative that aimed to provide business support to an action learning set comprising six African-Caribbean entrepreneurs. Gold’s work in the Northern Leadership Academy has clearly identified the value and relevance of action learning in different sectors with an emphasis on small and medium sized enterprises and the voluntary sector. Collaboration with Sector Skills Councils, Local Authorities, Higher Education Institutions, Further Education colleges, Chambers of Commerce as well as a large network of providers has yielded much data as well as innovative programmes of delivery, all based on action learning. Is action learning becoming the method of choice for organisational research? And if so, why might this be so? In an argument against the current faith in science as a cure for all ills, the notion of ‘wicked problems’ was proposed in the context of social planning by Rittell and Webber (1973, 155):