Management Learning: Integrating Perspectives in Theory and Practice

While the themes of managerial and organizational learning have become part of the discourse of management studies, the field has remained highly fragmented. The need to strengthen the links between theory and practice, between the principles enshrined in management education and the new trends emerging in contemporary organizational life, and among the many competing approaches to "learning" and "management" has long been recognized. John Burgoyne and Michael Reynolds provide a much-needed integrating framework for understanding the nature of management learning as process and practice. They introduce the context and history of management learning and offer a critical framework within which the key debates can be understood. They also provide a critical discussion of the values and purpose inherent in the practice and theory of management learning and chart the diverse external factors that influence and direct the processes of learning. The volume concludes with a look forward toward the future reconstruction of the field. The coherent approach offered by the volume is an essential resource for students and professionals concerned with the way managers and organizations learn. Management Learning succeeds in tying together theory and practice making it an essential resource for those interested in management education and development, human resource management, and managing change.

John Burgoyne is now semi-retired from the Department of Management Learning and Leadershi at Lancaster University. He is a visiting Professor at University Campus Suffolk, an Associate at Ashridge and Henley Business Schools, and a Trustee at Brathay Trust.