Leader knowledge transformation and competence development: becoming-to-know and sensemaking through action learning

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain how action learning and sensemaking can be utilised effectively as tools for knowledge transformation. The motivation for this study was to stimulate growth in smaller owner-managed/family businesses through use of action learning. However, as our participatory action research process unfolded, the overarching research problem was clarified as how does action learning enable smaller owner-managed/family business leaders to transform their knowledge and competence? Jakubik’s knowledge management becoming-to-know framework and Sandberg and Tsoukas’ representational and detached-deliberate sensemaking provided the focal theories for our study. Design/methodology/approach The authors applied participatory action research with action learning as the intervention for leaders of six smaller owner-managed/family businesses. The intervention consisted of eight half-day sessions over a fourteen-month period, preceded by in-depth leader interviews and company case analyses. Process-as-withness, process-as-narrative and contextualized explanation are used to present the participatory action research analysis, results and discussion. Findings The authors highlight the underutilized value of action learning as a detached-deliberate sensemaking process for unsticking leader assumptions and transforming knowledge and competence. Participatory action research as a form of representational sensemaking enabled the development of a framework that synthesizes how action learning facilitates sensegiving, sensetaking, sensebreaking and ultimately meaning making in a leader becoming-to-know process. This study responds to Jakubik’s request for a greater use and understanding of action-oriented and experiential approaches to understand how knowledge evolves. Originality/value Action learning is not new but thus far researchers have not fully explained how this peer-supported process theoretically and practically facilitates effective individual and organizational change. In this paper, the authors explain the action learning processes involved in unsticking and sensebreaking leaders’ affective, cognitive and/or sensory assumptions and meaning making processes to transform knowledge and competence development.