Reflective Practice and Organisation Development

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Executive Summary

The document aims to the role of reflection/reflective practice in enhancing the strategic
organisation development. In order to accomplish these objectives, various theories and
literatures have been critically evaluated. On further note the relationship between the
reflective practice and various aspects of the contemporary organisation such as management
learning, organisation learning, organisation development and change, and knowledge
management has been examined to determine how reflection practice can contribute in the
strategic practice in enhancing the strategic organisation development.

The evaluation of the reflection depicts that reflection is closely related the strategic
organisation development and has favourable impact on it, particularly in professional growth
transformation and management. Besides, the evaluation also notes that theory of reflection is
important for promoting managerial learning so as to enable to drive organisation
development and change, by evaluating their own assumptions and values of the organisation.

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 Table of Contents
Executive Summary...................................................................................................................2
Introduction................................................................................................................................4
Definitions of Reflection and its Tools and Techniques.............................................................4
Management Learning and Reflection.......................................................................................4
Organisational Learning and Reflection....................................................................................5
Knowledge Management and Reflection...................................................................................7
Organisation Development and Change, and Reflection...........................................................8
Developing Managers and Reflection........................................................................................9
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................11

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Introduction

Reflection/reflective practice are recognised as one of the most important element for driving
organisation learning process as well as developing learning organisation (Woerkom &
Croon, 2008). It is observed that in the current context, where organisations are constantly
confronted with new and emerging challenges, reflective practice can help managers to
effectively deal with these challenges and improve their analytical thinking and problem
solving skills which in turn can ensure the successful survival of the organisation.
Nieuwenhuis et al. (2002) noted that reflection within the work context should also be
realised across the various dimensions including interaction, sharing opinions, asking for
feedback, challenging groupthink and experimentation. Against this backdrop, this document
evaluates the role of reflection/reflective practice in enhancing the strategic organisation
development.

Definitions of Reflection and its Tools and Techniques

Several learning theorists have revealed their consensus towards reflection and have
identified it be core element of professional growth, management, emancipation and
transformation. Over the years numerous definitions of reflection has been articulated. In the
words of Marsick & Watkins (1990), the theory of reflection primarily deals with acquiring
insight about one’s own standards, interest, aims, and learning about assumptions and
performance goals directed towards improvement. Similar definition has also been
propagated by Hilden & Tikkamäki (2013) according to whom reflection is defined as “a
complex, active and purposeful mental process of becoming aware of old meanings,
exploring alternative interpretations, engaging in dialogue and shifting modes of thinking,
feeling and acting. It is triggered by meaningful experience and leads often to unexpected
outcomes” (p. 82). According to Brock (2014) there are plethora of tools and techniques for
reflective practice that can be used in different setting and for different purpose. Some of the
most prominent tools and techniques of reflective practice are storytelling, reflective
conversations, reflective journals, critical incident analysis, repertory grids and among others
concept mapping (Gray, 2007). Besides, several other tools and techniques of reflection are
also illustrated in several other literatures that include fiction, metaphors, poems, online
discussion and case studies among other (Fook & Gardner, 2007).

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Management Learning and Reflection

According to Milheim (2008) reflective practices and management development are closely
related, and it usually has positive impact on the various aspects of management, particularly
in generating innovative leadership styles and approaches, and in effective problem solving.
However, Milheim (2008) argued that the domain of management development is often
neglected and is not given adequate attention in terms of reflection. On further note, the
author asserted that discussion of reflection in the context of management is largely falls
under the sphere of management education literature (Milheim, 2008).

Similarly, Gray (2007) noted that reflection is a bridge that brings together learning and
experience and involves both cognition and feelings which helps managers in realising
freedom from ‘perspective-limiting assumptions’ (Kayes, 2002, p. 138). Accordingly
achieving emancipation is considered essential as it enables managers to critique own
assumptions and facilitate them to accept alternative ways associated with reasoning and
behaving. In addition, it has been argued that action and experience not necessarily contribute
to learning process. In this regard, it has been stated that one of the fundamental component
of experience to build mental model regarding how this world works. Hence, it has been
contended that unless, this mental model correspond to this structure, it is quite difficult to
modify the mental model and as a result there will be teaching (Gray, 2007).

According to Alvesson & Willmott (1996), reflection promotes consciousness, which in turn
can has the capacity to generate autonomy and thereby enabling leaders and managers in the
organisation to make more informed judgment and decisions that are not hindered by
‘socially unnecessary dependencies associated with subordination to inequalities of wealth,
power and knowledge’ (p. 13). However, it is argued that managers and leaders must
recognised the importance of organisation learning and collective learning and shift reflection
from individual learning to organisational learning and from individual action to collective
action (Vince, 2002). Moreover, it has been stated that a retrospective focus needs to be
changed by the reflective practice in the day-to-day management. Accordingly such
management action would eventually contribute generating knowledge regarding the power
relationship that exists in the organisation which in turn would further create collective
opportunities for reflection (Reynolds, 1998).

Organisational Learning and Reflection

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Argyris & Schön (1996) are accredited with the introduction of the term organisational
learning. The authors view organisational learning as a set of activity that deals with the
solving problems based on the analysis of the suitability of the current learning behaviour and
interrogating the assumptions underlying the prevailing methods of working and
experimenting. Over the years the theories of organisational learning have recognised the
importance of the concept of reflective practice and reflection. More importantly, the
reflection and reflective practices are viewed as driving force of organisational learning.

Accordingly, the reflective practice is recognised as the core element for mental modelling,
team learning , personal mastering sharing vision and system thinking which are recognised
as the critical component of the organisation learning. Correspondingly, it has been argued
that ensuring appropriateness of work environment and realising time of reflection are
advocated to be crucial creating personal vision and for channelizing energies in a positive
direction towards the achievement of the vision. Furthermore, it has been noted that dialogue
within the team learning promotes the reflection and inquiry. In the similar context, system
thinking is said to contribute towards the integration of disciplines, which creates a safe and
acceptable environment for engaging in the reflective conversations and inquiry (Hilden &
Tikkamäki, 2013).

According to Crossan et al. (1999) 4I framework that include intuiting, interpreting,

integrating and institutionalizing are recognised as four important processes that define
learning in the organisation. The figure 1, below illustrates how reflective practice facilitates
4I processes essential for organisation learning.

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 Figure: Reflective practice enabling 4I learning processes (based on Crossan et al. 1999)

The above depicted reflective-practice framework that encompasses reflective capacity,

reflective dialogue, reflective experiment and reflective management control is formulated
after reviewing and synchronising the organisational learning theories and the theories
related to reflective practice as well as management control tools, identified by Malmi and
Brown (2008). It can be observed that the reflective practice, which tends to support the
organisation learning processes including intuiting, interpreting, integrating, and
institutionalizing in organizations. Thus, it can be argued that in order to drive organisation
learning four key prerequisites are essential that include reflective capacity, reflective
dialogue, reflective experiment and reflective management control. Accordingly, reflective
capacity is observed to create basis for individual ability to take constructive questioning
path. On the other hand, reflective dialogue promotes collective process by questioning to
realise common understanding. Similarly, reflective experiment is recognised to contribute in
action-orientation required for the integration of learning in the organisational reality by
facilitating exploring and probing. Thereafter, the reflective management control is
ascertained facilitate in developing environment that promotes sense making (Hilden &
Tikkamäki, 2013).

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Knowledge Management and Reflection

The concept of reflection is ascertained to form an important part of knowledge management.

For example, Nonaka & Toyama (2004) used the concept of reflection for developing
conceptual framework, which dealt with the conversation of explicit and tacit form of
knowledge within societal entities that included individual, group and organisation with the
objective acquire valuable insight regarding the Socialization-Externalization-Combination-
Internalization (SECI) processes of knowledge creation. Nevertheless, it has been observed
that the underlying forces and interfaces facilitating such creation of knowledge within the
entities are different, which needs further evaluation so as to ensure the applications of these
concepts.

As per Mumford (1998) performing tasks and learning although seems to be two different
activities but in reality these two are similar activities that pass through the two cyclic
processes through similar phases and the similarity between these two results in the effective
learning. Accordingly, it has been stressed that the twin support in the form of process
compatibility and the practical availability amid the tasks and the learning facilitate in
creating most appropriate environment for learning from the practice. Nevertheless, it can be
argued that the similarity between the two in itself does not coherently explain how
experience can contribute to learning (Medeni & Medeni, 2012). Thus it has been argued that
the reflection in on the experience is required in order to establish link between actual
practices with that of the mental processes which may eventually lead to real learning in the
organisation. In addition, it has been observed that knowledge conversion with respect to
learning begins and ends with the real experience, which is characterized by task cycle. At the
same time, knowledge conversation is ascertained to include thinking stage. In order to
acquire better understanding about how reflection contributes in knowledge management, the
diagram below illustrates the theoretical framework of SEAL (Spiral of Experience-based
Action Learning) (Medeni & Medeni, 2012).

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 Figure: 2 SEAL (Spiral of Experience-based Action Learning) (Medeni & Medeni, 2012).

Organisation Development and Change, and Reflection

According to Rigg & Trehan (2008) reflection/reflective practice is gaining immense validity
and attention in the recent years across diverse areas, particularly in education and workplace
learning in the field of professional and management. However, more recently, the concept of
reflection is also identified to have been important topic of discussion in the organisation
development. Accordingly, in, reflection is claimed to improve and encourage individual
learning, which is further believe to contribute in generation of self-insight. On the other
hand, reflection is claimed to facilitate in emergence of new insight and promote growth for
the reflective practitioner, which in turn is argued have potential to positively contribute in
organisational learning and change. Nevertheless, few scholars like Rigg & Trehan (2008);
Høyrup (2004); Vince (2002) have criticised reflection on the ground that it is largely
instrumental and overtly individualised, and serves only narrowly defined individual growth.

Notwithstanding, Woerkom (2004) argued that adult learning and HRD are mainly deals with
the learning process of adult. However, it has been argued that adult learning predominately
deals with the individual learning while on the other hand HRD usually is confronted with a
dilemma associated with the organisation and individual outcome. In this regard, the the
concept of reflection is ascertained to play an important role in linking the individual learning
with that of organisational learning. Notably, reflection developed with the realm of adult
learning theory enables HRD to overcome the dilemma faced by allowing it to recognise the

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significance of problem solving as well as problem posing to organisation and individual
performance. Moreover, scholars like Nieuwenhui et al. (2002); Woerkom & Croon (2008)
have empirically illustrated that the various dimensions of the reflective work behaviour such
as critical opinion sharing, experimentation asking for feedback, career awareness, and
challenging groupthink, not only facilitate in individual learning but also contribute workers
within the organisation to optimize work practices and exert effort to change organisation’s
norms and values.

Developing Managers and Reflection

According to Hedberg (2009), reflection is not only important for the business and
management students. But also occupies an important place for managers as they are usually
engaged in working in busy, chaotic and ambiguous organisations. Moreover, it has been
argued that typical business education largely focuses on strong analytical thinking but it fails
to recognise the importance of the reflection. However, the author termed such practice to be
illogical that might severely damage the development of the managers rather the author
argued that it reflection is critical element of managerial learning and adequate attention must
be laid on it so as to ensure that managers are competent enough to deal with any kind of
challenges that might erupt during their practice as manager in the organisation. In other
words, the author stressed on the need for building reflective thought as a cognitive repertoire
of practicing managers as well as business students (Hedberg, 2009).

Accordingly, the theory of reflection is argued to offer appropriate background for managers
along with specific process that are relevant for woking with individual, team and
organisation. It has been observed that reflection encourges managers to think in a broad
manner and in analytical way to question their own assumptions and values of the
organisation. Reflection is further ascertained to help managers to create new values and
culture within the orgnisation for managing change (Fook & Gardner, 2007). Morover the
tools and techniques of reflecton such as story telling and reflective conversation are
ascertained to have significant impact on developing managers. In this regard, story telling is
observed to allow managers to develop new insight and understanding as well as new ways of
acting. It also enhances the ability of the managers to recognise and understand the
perspective of their fellow workers and subordinates in more efficient manner. Sinilarly
reflective consersation is observed to offer managers with the opportunity to evaluate the

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underlying assumptions of their own thinking as well as enables them to develop sahred
language that tends to arise as the outcome from collective inquiry (Gray, 2007).

Conclusion

In conclusion, it has been observed that the theory of reflection mainly concerns with
acquiring insight about one’s own standards, interest, aims, and learning about assumptions
and performance goals directed towards improvement. At the same time, numerous tools and
techniques of reflective practice has been observed such as storytelling, narratives, reflective
conversation, reflective metaphor and reflective grid among others. In the contemporary
organisations, reflection is ascertained to serve as an integral element of management
learning, organisation learning as well as organisation development and change. Besides,
reflection is also recognised to paly significant role in knowledge creation and on developing
managers. More specifically, it has been noted that various dimensions of the reflective
practice such as opinion sharing, experimentation asking for feedback, career awareness, and
challenging groupthink to significantly contribute in individual learning as well as enable
workers in the organisation to optimize work practices and enable them to drive changes in
the norms and values. Moreover, the reflection I also ascertained to be crucial for developing
managers, which offers them with appropriate background as well as relevant processes
essential for working as individual as well as in team and organisation. It is claimed that
reflection encourages managers to think in analytical manner and interrogate their own
assumptions as well as those of the organisation develop new culture for effectively
managing change. To be precise, reflective practices is a critical element of organisation
development and change as well as for managerial learning and therefore adequate attention
and value must be placed on reflective practice.

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