Exploring the  Links Among Silence, Learning, and Innovation at Work

Longmore, Anne-Liisa

Exploring the Links Among Silence, Learning, and Innovation at Work

atmire.migration.oldid	2168
dc.contributor.advisor	Kawalilak, Colleen
dc.contributor.author	Longmore, Anne-Liisa
dc.date.accessioned	2014-05-14T22:59:18Z
dc.date.available	2014-06-16T07:00:44Z
dc.date.issued	2014-05-14
dc.date.submitted	2014	en
dc.description.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.	en_US
dc.identifier.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	en_US
dc.identifier.doi	http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/26113
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/11023/1524
dc.language.iso	eng
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary	en
dc.publisher.place	Calgary	en
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	Education--Adult and Continuing
dc.subject.classification	Adult and Continuing Education	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Business	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Workplace Learning	en_US
dc.title	Exploring the Links Among Silence, Learning, and Innovation at Work
dc.type	doctoral thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Educational Research
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Doctor of Education (EdD)
ucalgary.item.requestcopy	true