There has for decades been a discussion about the effectiveness and relevance of different management development methods in order to support companies to grow and develop. Management literature in recent years has made several references to successful collaborations between companies in different network constellations in order to enhance managerial capability, as well as to create change and development. However, the underlying idea and learning outcomes when using networks as a management development method have not been explicitly discussed in the literature. This makes it difficult for providers of management training to know how to organize and effectively apply the benefits of networks to create an effective learning environment.
In order to understand the benefits of using networks as a development method, providers of management training must take as a point of departure the day-to-day work of managers, as well as their high concern for tasks into consideration. This in combination with an action-oriented learning environment constitutes the idea behind using a network approach to provide effective management training. The guiding organizing principles then become to review and to reflect on managerial experiences through a trustful dialogue whereby the provider of the training acts as a facilitator.
Paper number: P054