Reflections from the field (mountain, cityscape and park): Walking for management development and links to being-in-the world, belonging and ‘Ba’

Turner, Arthur; Edwards, Gareth; Latham, Catherine; Shortt, Harriet

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper, based on reflections from practice, is to shed light on the realities of using walking as a tool for learning and development. This is done through an initial analysis of longitudinal reflective data spanning seven years and connecting these reflections to the concepts: being-in-the-world, belonging and Ba. Design/methodology/approach: This research takes a practice based phenomenological and reflective approach. The value of this approach is to seek a new understanding, through three distinct conceptual frames, of the effective use of walking within management development. Findings: The findings connect three conceptual approaches of being-in-the-world, belonging and “Ba” to the practicalities of delivery, thus encouraging practitioners and designers to deeply reflect on the role of walking in management development. Research limitations/implications: A limitation is that this is largely a personal story exploring the impact of an intuitively developed set of interventions. Despite this, the paper represents a unique and deep interpretation of walking as a mechanism for management development. Practical implications: The paper concludes with three recommendations to practitioners wanting to use walking in management development programmes. These are: facilitators need to be familiar with their surroundings; they should look for spaces and places where participants can connect and build relationships; and organisers and sponsors need to recognise how walking not only consolidates knowledge but can help create knowledge too. Originality/value: This is a unique, seven-year longitudinal study that broadens the theoretical focus of walking as a mechanism for management and leadership development that combines the theoretical lenses of being-in-the-world, belonging and “Ba”, the authors believe, for the first time in research on management development.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 5, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Jul 26, 2021
• Publication Date: Aug 10, 2021
• Deposit Date: Jul 5, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 27, 2021
• Journal: Journal of Management Development
• Print ISSN: 0262-1711
• Publisher: Emerald
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 40
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 313-323
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-11-2020-0362
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/7509122