A phenomenographic study of experiential learning within a South African MBA context
Date
2014-01-23
Authors
Drobis, Charisse
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The subject of this research is “A phenomengraphic study of experiential learning
within a South African MBA context”. The specific MBA context explored in this
study is the Negotiation elective of the MBA programme at the University of the
Witwatersrand’s Graduate School of Business Administration (Wits Business
School).
In her capacity as Career Advisor to postgraduate students at Wits Business
School, the researcher encountered a number of MBA students who, subsequent
to taking the MBA Negotiation elective, had gone through a period of
considerable reflection, introspection and change. The changes observed
ranged on a continuum, from basic behavioural adjustments to profound
transformation. This led the researcher to question whether the Negotiation
elective acted as a catalyst to this change.
The MBA Negotiation elective utilises various elements of experiential learning
and has been widely regarded as an exemplar of experiential learning pedagogy
within the University of the Witwatersrand/Wits Business School community. An
evaluation of experiential learning pedagogy would thus prove useful to business
school educators and career management practitioners who are primarily
concerned with preparing students to manage work problems, lead subordinates
and to make appropriate career and life choices in an increasingly complex and
ambiguous global environment of business.
The research intent was to explore and analyse the qualitatively different
experiences of students in the Negotiation elective, in order to discover the
essence of what students experienced in the elective and how they experienced
the phenomenon of experiential learning within the context described above.
The intent provided the researcher with the rationale for the adoption of
3
phenomenology and, more specifically, phenomenography for the research and
analysis process.
The researcher interviewed a purposive sample of eight students from the
Negotiation elective at Wits Business School and gained their views on the
research question. The respondents’ narratives derived from a single open
ended question namely, “Tell me about your experience in the Negotiation
elective, with particular reference to your learning and development.” The
narratives were subjected to a process of eidetic reduction, in accordance with
the phenomenological method. From this process, the researcher was able to
distil the findings into nine themes, which were then cross analysed and
compared to the literature review.
The researcher was able to capture interesting insights into the similarities and
variances in the students’ conceptions of the phenomenon of experiential
learning. A number of discoveries were made. Firstly, the research findings
confirmed that a causal relationship exists between the level of significance
attributed to an experience and the actual learning that resulted there from.
Further, individual personality, learning style and behaviour impacted upon the
receptivity to the experiential learning modality. The research study was able to
tap into the transformative role of experiential learning, through the analysis of
the themes of double loop learning and mental models that emerged from the
analysis of the respondents’ narratives.
The value of reflection as a learning mechanism was confirmed and provides
evidence of how learning is acquired through experiential learning pedagogy.
Further, the research study was able to provide concrete examples of learning
and development that resulted from the Negotiation elective and was also able to
provide a critical perspective of the importance of the time dimension in
development.
4
The research provides conclusive evidence of the correlation between the
facilitator in an experiential learning context and the resultant learning and
development. The research findings put forward a number of facilitation criteria
that are essential for the provision of optimal learning within a community of
learners. The possible shortcomings of this pedagogy are also highlighted
through an exposure of the potential for framing and bias in the experiential
learning context. Finally, the study confirms the assertion of Patel (2003) that
experiential learning is phenomenological practice.
The research findings provide convincing support for the utilisation of experiential
learning pedagogy as an appropriate androgogic approach for the management
of ambiguity and complex change and the development of self-awareness and
personal mastery. It should be adopted as modality of choice in preparing
students for the leadership and management challenges of the environment of
business in the 21st century.
Description
Thesis (M.M.)--University of the Witwatersrand, 2011.
Keywords
Experiential learning, South Africa