Exploring the Links Among Silence, Learning, and Innovation at Work
Date
2014-05-14
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Abstract
This research study explored how silence influences individual and organizational learning and innovation. I began by reflecting on my own experiences with silence as a conduit to learning. Thereafter, organizational learning and innovation was explored in the context of the rapidly changing and turbulent environment, organizational metaphors and conversation. As a phenomenon, silence was explored in workplace learning literature, culture, religion, health care, and language. Applying narrative inquiry as a methodology, I followed with conversations with 8 participants, each of whom shared their individual and personal stories of how they practiced silence in the workplace, in their learning at work and in their personal lives.
Each participant story was captured on audio-tape and later transcribed (with participant approval). Field notes were taken during my conversations with participants and I maintained a personal journal of reflections and observations throughout the study. The transcribed stories, field notes and my personal reflections were reviewed several times by me and my participants resulting in the emergence of a core story suggesting that we are all interconnected individually, collectively and transpersonally and that silence is a means by which to enhance each of these connections and strengthen the interrelationships. Three significant themes emerged from the data: silence connects to self; silence connects to other; and silence connects to Spirit.
An emergent model integrating and connecting my findings with complexity theory and transpersonal psychology theory was presented leading to the proposal that the organizational learning context be viewed as a complex field where the intrapersonal, interpersonal and transpersonal or spiritual fields intersect, connect, and interact simultaneously and sequentially. Silence was found to influence learning by influencing and enhancing the intersection, connection and interaction of each of the fields individually and collectively.
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Education--Adult and Continuing
Citation
Longmore, A. (2014). Exploring the Links Among Silence, Learning, and Innovation at Work (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/26113