In going back over several weeks of previous learning-org digests, I found
several posts regarding team learning to which I wished to respond en
masse. Forgive me for back-tracking through ground already plowed, but I
had hoped to do a little more research before taking up the question. I'm
still looking! Call this an interim response (I think all my posts are
like that). In this little number, I make reference to previous posts by
Andy Rowe, John Warfield, Rol Fessenden, and Barry Mallis, including
LO3810, LO3847, LO3858, LO3878, LO3883, LO3895, and LO3962.
I was at first disappointed when I read Andy Rowe's somewhat offhanded
attack on "current gurus as fashion statements for top management," (words
to that effect, and in fairness to Andy, if I recall correctly, he was
quoting someone else . . .), but I was much more discouraged by his later
statement that he felt there is a marked scarcity of theoretical work
published in the area of Team Learning.
Andy stated that, after Isaacs, there has not been much in the way of
significant academic ("hard") research done. My knee-jerk reaction was
that he was obviously just not looking in the right places -- 'Surely he's
just overlooking all the work that has been done in the last 5-10 years!
Surely something as integral to the idea of a learning organization would
have received comprehensive research attention.' Then I started thinking:
'Hmmm, I know that many practitioner books have appeared, but I think Andy
is looking for research-based work. Wonder what's available?'
At the time, I was taking a course in which Team Learning was one of the
major discussion areas. Now, as I go back to my notes, I see, in my own
hand, the first line "not much out there . . . " and from the professor's
handout: "Little exists [on team learning] to guide HRD practitioners...
Empirically-based prescriptions, guidelines, and specifications are
virtually non-existent . . . We need to develop competencies [knowledge,
skill, and attitude competencies] in training teams." It goes on.
So, in the end, I was only able to lay hands on two articles. The first
is by Ann K. Brooks, "Power and the Production of Knowledge: Collective
Team Learning in Work Organizations" (HRD Quarterly, vol 5, no 3, Fall 94,
Jossey- Bass). It contains this statement from the abstract, "In spite of
extensive research on groups and teams, little research has been conducted
on how teams learn." Her documentation and bibliography are impressive -
you may find sources there that will suit your purposes.
The other article is by Kathleen Dechant, Victoria Marsick, and Elizabeth
Kasl, "Towards a model of team learning" (Studies in Continuing Education,
vol 15, no 1, 1993). The abstract also contains an illustrative comment,
"Team learning is not a well-researched or examined phenomenon." These
authors state in their opening paragraphs "Senge (1990) emphasises that
'teams, not individuals, are the fundamental learning unit in modern
organizations.'" (BTW, in my experience, Dechant & Marsick are considered
two of the "current gurus" so I don't know if they are suitable sources!)
I'm going back to school tomorrow to ask the professor for a more complete
bibliography on team learning. It may well be the list will be short.
Hope these two help in the meantime.
"You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus."
-- Mark Twain
-- Semper Fi James McGarrahan Captain of Marines e-mail to <mcgarrahanj@mqg-smtp3.usmc.mil>