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1 Theoretical Underpinnings of PAL-Driven OL Framework

Drivers of organizational learning (OL) refer to the leaders, who have the vision and mission of implementing OL. The driving factors and enabling factors of OL consider various factors within an organizational context. These include factors of organizational (process-oriented or result-oriented), individual (job values and learning motivation) and interpersonal (cooperation and competition forces) (Fig. 3.1).

Fig. 3.1
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Theoretical model for the study of organizational learning

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Driven by driving factors and enabled by enablers, learning is assumed to take place within the organization. The learning process itself, which is vital to the learning effectiveness and performance, is influenced by the various enabling factors.

  • What is PAL?

The project-based action learning (PAL) adopts the concepts of team learning (Poell and Van de Krogt 2003) and action learning for the project-based learning teams. The reason is four-folded: firstly, the project is applicable to the tasks that cannot be easily implemented within standard organizational set-up. The project-based learning stimulates participants to both learning and achieving. Secondly, it allows the interdependence and interconnectedness to make the learning process realistic to participants. Thirdly, individuals in teams are empowered to develop their own competencies in the project team environment. Fourthly, individuals and PAL teams’ learning and performance can be more explicitly defined and hence readily evident and measured (Law and Chuah, 2004a, b, 2005).

2 Project-Based Action Learning (PAL) Framework

The project and learning goals are the starting blocks of this learning framework. PAL teams are assigned specific tasks and evaluated with respect to predefined performance goals or expectations. Apart from certain job-related performance goals set by the company, individuals also set their individual learning goals. With the help of facilitators, team members apply their existing or newly acquired knowledge to the project tasks, as the project progresses.

3 Planning the PAL

With an objective to drive the OL process, the PAL framework (Fig. 3.2) provides a structured framework for the different team-based learning activities by adopting the team learning concept (Poell and Van de Krogt 2003). Each participant is a member of a PAL project team with a predefined and sanctioned-performance goal, team and individual learning objectives.

Fig. 3.2
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Project-team action learning framework (PAL)

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The PAL provides a structured framework which serves as the OL vehicle for the different team-based learning activities. Through a systematic and phase implementation of PAL, it can be aimed at gradually instilling team and individual learning capability and mindset, build up the learning culture within an organization. Each PAL project goes through the four-phased PLAN–ACTION–REVIEW cycle as shown in Fig. 3.2.

4 PAL Project-Based Goals and Process

PAL teams are formed according to their specific functions or needs, and each is evaluated with reference to its predefined and agreed project performance and learning goals or expectations. Goals are of two main types: the work-related project goals and the learning goals, at both team and individual levels, respectively.

As the PAL project progresses, with the help of facilitators, PAL members apply their existing or newly acquired knowledge to the project tasks. The facilitation and evaluation process is designed to support and effect both individual as well as team learning as each team works towards the agreed project goals.

4.1 Learning Process

Learning is thus taking place within teams and at individual levels, and in each PAL team, learning can be divided into two main types:

  • Inter - project learning

Knowledge is gained across projects. Learning teams acquire knowledge through projects and experiences, and bring along the learned knowledge to new projects. Infrastructure for learning and facilitations are vital for the learning to happen and make it as part of the project. Knowledge sharing across the organization is emphasized within the concept of inter-project learning; thus, technology tools and human resources support aiming at sharing knowledge are essential for this type of learning to occur during the project.

  • Intra - project learning

Within a project, knowledge is created and shared. This supports the delivery of the project by acquiring and applying knowledge. Learning is taking place through the discussions among team members who are with mutual project goals. Intra-learning thus occurs throughout the project. This intra-learning cycle can be outlined by the phase of the project, such as routine reporting cycle and review meetings.

4.2 Action Learning in Teams

Fundamentally, learning is asserted by behavioural approach by directly linking to some actions that follows. Learning is viewed as the process of adjusting behaviour in response to experience. Simply put, as interpreted by the roofs of this perspective, if no behavioural change is recorded, then no learning can be said to have taken place (March and Simon 1993). Therefore, learning embraces the acquisition of existing and the development of new knowledge, attitudes and skills; the application of knowledge, attitudes and skills in existing or new contexts with the purpose of improving performance (Yeo 2002). Implementation of the PAL is conducted among selected learning teams, with specially designed learning modes/mechanisms. Empowerment experienced by individuals transcending the mind’s normal operations enables autonomy and creativity. Learning routines of the current structure are propelled into the new conditions with new findings are derived from shared vision and concerned goals. Team learning is not only to facilitate knowledge exchange but also bring about behavioural changes.

5 Performance Measurement System for PAL Teams

Effective teams should demonstrate synergy. Inappropriate performance measurement is one of the barriers that prevent this from happening. Performance measurement appraisal and reward system should not just focus on individuals. For OL to be effective, team concept and team performance are the concerns. Thus, appropriate performance measurement is needed to take these into account.

Importance of performance measurement for learning teams is manifold. It helps the goal clarification and facilitates process monitoring, performance appraisals, and incorporation with reward systems. Hence, it is used in process of objective setting, and performance measurement is an important aspect of management particularly in OL, as it determines the level of learning expected of the learning individuals or teams. Team learning has not only to facilitate knowledge exchange but also brings about behavioural changes. There is a need to look into measures that are associated with both of these as a result of a particular team learning process. Furthermore, the outcome of PAL team learning is measurable in terms of the predefined PAL project goals.

5.1 What Should the Learning Teams Measure?

From the many reported studies, knowledge accumulation is very much associated with learning attitude, effort and method, and team performance is affected by learning capability and outcome of team members. In the PAL teams, the process of learning is dynamic and that knowledge acquisition and sharing occur at several levels. Researchers have proposed the four dimensions that determine team performance (Hackman and Oldham 1980; Katzenbach and Smith 1993) and analysed the effectiveness, efficiency, learning and growth and team member satisfaction.

In organizations which are employing performance measurement for business performance, one of these measures is balanced score card (Kaplan and Norton 1992, 1996a, b). Such measures are not designed for team-based OL process like the PAL teams. The difficulty could be due to the fact that such cause–effect relationships are not straightforward and not clearly defined. The creation and the build-up of a PAL team is a complex process. In order to measure the PAL team’s performance properly, we need to investigate the interactions between individuals and teams more thoroughly. Thus, the PAL performance measurement is focusing on several aspects:

  1. 1.

    Learning effectiveness (how knowledge is acquired and adopted);

  2. 2.

    Efficiency (how well knowledge applied for the project achievement);

  3. 3.

    Motivation (how team members are motivated towards learning);

  4. 4.

    Review and monitoring (how the learning is organized, reviewed and monitored); and

  5. 5.

    Efficacy in knowledge acquisition, retention and application (only for the researcher’s data collection).

5.2 The Evaluation

The dimensions of the PAL performance evaluation system are mindset, reaction and performance (Table 3.1). For the forms of PAL evaluation, please also see Appendix 1.

Table 3.1 Evaluations of PAL
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5.2.1 Individual Evaluation

The assessment of individual performance is governed by the ‘three-view’ evaluation method, to provide a fair and holistic picture of each PAL team member. Besides self-assessment, each member is also assessed by the PAL team leader and peers. The evaluation designed for individual learners focuses on the dimensions as shown below:

  • Performance achievement,

  • Application of learned knowledge,

  • Knowledge sharing commitment, and

  • Motivation

5.2.2 Team Evaluation

Each project team proposes its own or is assigned a specific task/project with clearly defined performance goal. The goal set is used as the references for performance measurement. These goals are generally associated with the teams’ effort and performance towards the achievement of the project tasks. Apart from the project achievements, acquisition and application of knowledge as well as team behaviours are also considered. Similar to individual evaluation, the team performance evaluation also focuses on the team’s performance achievement, knowledge, application, commitment and motivation. Table 3.2 gives a list of questions of the performance evaluations.

Table 3.2 Sample statements of the performance evaluations (Likert scale)
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5.2.3 Self-Reporting and Leader’s Review

The self-reporting and leader’s review carried out throughout the PAL project serve to provide an overview of the learning at both individual and team level, and project performance with respect to the predefined PAL goal(s). These reviews also serve as continuous evaluation on the performance at both individual and team levels (Table 3.3).

Table 3.3 The schedule of performance measurements
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5.2.4 Efficacy Measures

Efficacy beliefs (individual and collective) are measured, as to identify how the learning teams and individuals feel towards learning. Participants are asked to evaluate their efficacy levels on project performance, knowledge-related competencies and learning (see Tables 3.4 and 3.5).

Table 3.4 Sample statements of the efficacy measurement (Likert scale)
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Table 3.5 The schedule of efficacy measurements
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6 PAL Outcomes

To develop ‘tomorrow’s capability’, how organizations process and extend their managerial experience and technical know-how is the key. It is anticipated that the learning team performance does impact the organizational performance: through appropriate OL processes, organizations learn from their experiences and are always in search for ways to break new grounds rather than being bound by their past experience or constrained by old methods and practices.

7 How to Kick Start PAL in Organizations?

PAL was built on the theoretical foundation of action learning and uses clearly defined project goals, project process and team setting to drive both individual as well as team learning in a systematic way. In simple terms, PAL uses real-life projects to align individual and team learning with OL (Law and Chuah 2006, 2007).

Firstly, each PAL project is set up to handle problems or issues that cannot be easily tackled within the routine operations or standard organizational set-up. In other words, there are practical implications in all PAL projects. At the same time, in addition to the project objectives, each PAL team and its members have also to set clear learning goals at the outset of the PAL project.

Secondly, the PAL framework fosters teamwork and needs the interdependence and interconnectedness of members in a PAL project. So, PAL participants learn to become effective team players in the process.

Thirdly, individuals will be involved in different PAL teams over time, thus enabling them to develop multiple skills or competencies.

Fourthly, in a wavelike manner, organizations can over time effect OL through rounds and rounds of PAL projects.

Generally, organizations are recommended to adopt a wavelike approach in their PAL implementation journeys, that is, through rounds of PAL propagation with selected pilot teams as the start. Each round of the PAL cycle may about three to four months depends on the business nature and the situation. In this way, the PAL can start as a small project, and its concepts and practices can be softly embedded in the organizations. Detailed discussion about PAL implementation in real company cases is discussed in Chap. 5.