Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The gendered power relations of action learning
T2 - a critical analysis of women's reflections on a leadership development programme
AU - Stead, Valerie
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Revealing power relations in HRD research and practice is an important concern for critical HRD scholars, however little attention has been paid to gendered power relations in the HRD practice of action learning. This paper responds to this gap through a critical analysis of a phenomenological study of six women’s reflections of action learning as part of a leadership development programme. Adopting feminist post-structuralist ideas, the paper draws on the study to interrogate gendered power relations in action learning. Key findings include women’s perceptions of gendered power relations in action learning affirm dominant understandings of leaders as male, not attending to gender impedes women’s leadership development in action learning and action learning principles of trust and comradeship can serve simultaneously to avoid difference and to reinforce a dominant set culture that constructs difference. The paper concludes with proposals of how action learning might take gender into account in the leadership development of women.
AB - Revealing power relations in HRD research and practice is an important concern for critical HRD scholars, however little attention has been paid to gendered power relations in the HRD practice of action learning. This paper responds to this gap through a critical analysis of a phenomenological study of six women’s reflections of action learning as part of a leadership development programme. Adopting feminist post-structuralist ideas, the paper draws on the study to interrogate gendered power relations in action learning. Key findings include women’s perceptions of gendered power relations in action learning affirm dominant understandings of leaders as male, not attending to gender impedes women’s leadership development in action learning and action learning principles of trust and comradeship can serve simultaneously to avoid difference and to reinforce a dominant set culture that constructs difference. The paper concludes with proposals of how action learning might take gender into account in the leadership development of women.
KW - gender
KW - power relations
KW - women
KW - action learning
KW - leadership development
KW - critical
U2 - 10.1080/13678868.2014.928137
DO - 10.1080/13678868.2014.928137
M3 - Journal article
VL - 17
SP - 416
EP - 437
JO - Human Resource Development International
JF - Human Resource Development International
SN - 1367-8868
IS - 4
ER -