Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Department

School of Business

First Advisor

Dr. Tim Veach

Second Advisor

Dr. Debby Thomas

Third Advisor

Dr. Andre Pruitt

Abstract

Objective: This dissertation utilized Participatory Action Research to explore the impact of implementing a new learning organization model in the field, The Learning Company Layers Model. The concept of a learning organization was made popular by Senge (1990/2006) and further advanced by Gilley and Maycunich (2000a), who expanded the idea that employee development involved more than training. Studies indicating that these models have not been widely adopted by organizational leadership inspired the development of a new model using an adult learning-supported, layered approach as a potential introductory phase of such a transition.

Method: The literature review examined the history of the perception of the employee’s role in America over the past 400 years, providing support for McGregor’s (1960/2006) assertion as to traditional leadership assumptions as well as a comprehensive review of the evolution of the Human Resource Development genre. The study employed the Participatory Action Research method, working with a focus group of seven tenured participants from a single manufacturing company in Salem, Oregon. Data from transcripts, participant handwritten journals, and online reflections were analyzed using MAXQDA software to facilitate a sentiment analysis and a conceptual proficiency analysis, and a discourse analysis developed by Gee (1989) was also conducted to understand the change in fluency, confidence, and understanding as the participants progressed through the layers (Riessman, 2008).

Results: The line and stanza discourse analysis revealed a significant advancement in terms of fluency in complex subject matter introduced in early layers as the layers progressed. These results were further supported by sentiment analysis as well as the parallel improvement in conceptual proficiency, as evidenced by the change in participants’ articulation of their understanding from early to later sessions.

Conclusions: The positive growth in understanding and reported change demonstrated by the participants support the implementation of the Learning Company Layers Model as a means of introducing the transformation to a learning organization. Results also demonstrate support for an alternative to solely starting with the basics and working toward the more complex, particularly with adult learners. The study demonstrates that introducing complex subjects early, leveraging repetition, and exploring those subjects from various angles and perspectives, facilitates the navigation, absorption, and deeper understanding of complex concepts in adult learners.

Download

Share

COinS