Writing an Account of Practice as a process of theorising in action learning

ABSTRACT

The act of theorising turns the attention from the outcome of theory generation to the act of theory generation itself. Revans' systems alpha, beta and gamma provide a foundational action theory that grounds the theorising process in action learning. This is the core of theorising in the praxeology of action learning as creating practical theory or actionable knowledge that makes Accounts of Practice more than merely interesting stories. This article explores how the process of writing an Account of Practice can also be seen as a process of theorising, articulating the kind of knowledge created from what is learned in and through action.

KEYWORDS:

• Action learning
• Actionable knowledge
• Accounts of Practice
• Theorising

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

David Coghlan

David Coghlan is Professor Emeritus and Fellow Emeritus at the Trinity Business School Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

Clare Rigg

Clare Rigg is Professor of Leadership & Management and Associate Dean (Research) at the University of Suffolk, UK.