Blended Network Action Learning – A Digital Lean Approach to Solving Complex Organizational Problems Across Space and Time

Abstract

Network Action Learning has emerged as an innovative development of Action Learning and has been described as a lean approach to collaborative strategic improvement with problem-solving at its core, be it either within- or across organizational boundaries. Virtual Action Learning is also presented as an emergent variety of Action Learning, bringing together geographically dispersed individuals within and across organizations in an online, virtual environment. Given the onset of new, innovative digital technologies – particularly in response of the Covid-19 pandemic – Blended Learning has also emerged as an educational platform that represents some combination of face-to-face and online learning using mobile technologies and cloud-based resources. Though Virtual Action Learning has been discussed as neither better than nor second best to face-to-face Action Learning, in this paper, we suggest that a blended approach may be the most effective method. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to construct a Blended approach to Network Action Learning, where intra- and inter-firm Network Action Learning can take place using a hybrid, physical-virtual approach to promoting collaborative strategic improvement and gemba-based problem-solving.