Department
Organization Development
Date of Paper/Work
2013
Degree Name
Doctor of Education in Organization Development (Ed.D.)
Type of Paper/Work
Dissertation
Advisors
Alla Heorhiadi; John Conbere; Eleni Roulis
Abstract
Creation of learning organizations is a topic of increased interest to Organizational Development practitioners. Previous research has established that creating and sustaining a learning organization may be achieved by fostering a double-loop learning process among its employees. A double-loop learning process, in turn, requires employees to become both self-reflective and capable of critically examining assumptions underlying their behavior. Among other techniques, the discipline of Energetics is understood to help in participants’ double-loop learning. However, this understanding thus far lacks an empirical examination. The present study is conducted to fill this gap. Conducted as a positivistic case study, this study explored the following research question: How application of skills and concepts learned from the discipline of Energetics fosters double-loop learning? Data were collected through interviewing 16 graduates of the Energetics Institute. Data supported the posited theory that Energetics led to double loop learning.
Keywords
energetics, double-loop learning, single-loop learning, organizational learning, critical reflection, self-as-instrument
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Recommended Citation
La Venture, Kelly, "How the Discipline of Energetics Fosters Double-Loop Learning: Lessons from Multiple Positivistic Case Studies" (2013). Education Doctoral Dissertations in Organization Development. 20.
https://ir.stthomas.edu/caps_ed_orgdev_docdiss/20