STANFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
  
Cover of Breakthrough Problem Solving with Action Learning by Michael J. Marquardt and Roland K. Yeo
Breakthrough Problem Solving with Action Learning
Concepts and Cases
Michael J. Marquardt and Roland K. Yeo


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2012
264 pages.
$55.00

Hardcover ISBN: 9780804774123
Ebook ISBN: 9780804781862

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Breakthrough Problem Solving with Action Learning explores why and how action learning groups have been so successful and creative in solving complex problems. The text begins by briefly reviewing the theories that undergird the effectiveness of action learning, philosophically situating readers and pointing them in the direction of related academic works that they may wish to explore. It then turns to stories of how organizations have employed action learning in solving specific, often-encountered business problems. These cases not only serve as real-world models for how action learning can be successfully employed, but also offer inspiration and potential starting points and guidelines for other businesses that face similar problems. The book concludes with a cross-case analysis that pinpoints the ingredients necessary for breakthrough problem solving via action learning.

About the authors

Michael Marquardt is Professor of Human Resource Development and International Affairs, as well as Program Director of Overseas Programs, at George Washington University. He serves as President of the World Institute for Action Learning.

Roland K. Yeo is a Management Trainer based at the Saudi Aramco Professional Development Academy. He is Adjunct Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management at the Maastricht School of Management and Adjunct Senior Researcher at the International Graduate School of Business, University of South Australia.

"At last, we have a thinking person's guide to action learning. Michael Marquardt and Roland Yeo have written a much-needed book that goes beyond conventional checklist thinking. Importantly, they examine 31 global case studies, pinpointing success factors and documenting organizational and economic impacts. This is an ambitious book, well researched, deeply relevant to practitioners and academics."

—J.M. Ryan, Wharton Executive Education and President and Founder, True North Advisory Group

"I've been fortunate enough to experience the breakthrough problem solving power of Action Learning countless times. The Action Learning coach, through questions, unlocks the full power and creativity of the team, leading to the truly breakthrough solutions. This book explores numerous examples of teams reaching this extraordinarily level of processing."

—Bea Carson, Director of Certification and Education, World Institute for Action Learning