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The answer to all of these questions is Action In traditional business programmes, students
Learning. In the words of Gerard van Schaik, are left to themselves to determine how to apply
former Chairman of the Executive Board at their studies and research to the actual practice
Heineken, Action Learning has become the of management. This is problematic because only
primary vehicle for generating creative ideas 5% of learners claim to use classroom knowledge
and building business success at Heineken.[1] directly on the job. Even worse, after five days,
With Action Learning, working professionals learners remember less than a tenth of what they
in leadership roles form small teams and work heard in a lecture. This is why the University of
cooperatively to tackle complex, deep-rooted Liverpools DBA is designed around the proven
problems and they learn by doing so. educational methodology of Action Learning.
Programme Outline
The DBA programme takes an innovative approach, The DBA is designed with the understanding that The University has based its DBA programme on
fostering learning by engagement and action. Students most senior managers will change positions and Critical Action Learning because it recognises that
are able to create professional actionable knowledge, organisations throughout their careers. By focusing even seemingly simple business problems can be
both through classroom learning and by applying on building critical reflection, critical thinking, and impacted by the dynamics of personal attitudes and
Critical Action Learning and Action Research using doctoral-level skills, students should graduate with the complexities of power and politics in organisations.
appropriate quantitative and qualitative methods. knowledge and expertise that they can apply in a
variety of organisational and managerial settings. Action Research
The core curriculum of the DBA programme consists
Action Research is where the researcher takes on a
of contemporary management topics such as change Action Learning and
project, or intervention, with the dual purposes of
and crisis management, innovative approaches to Critical Action Learning
solving an identified problem and generating new,
leadership, managerial decision-making, and ethics,
Action Learning is an educational process that occurs actionable knowledge. In the context of this DBA
sustainability and social impact.
when a group of individuals meet on a regular basis progamme, students as action researchers closely
to deliberate over and learn from their experiences examine their organisations. This insider action
Alongside the core modules, students each write
to improve practice in an organisational context. research allows meaningful and positive changes to be
a Doctoral Development Plan (DDP) reflecting on
Strategies, tactics and actions determine the outcomes applied through the proposed intervention.
their development as doctoral practitioners and
and results that subsequently influence the strategies
researchers,.The DDP helps students gain doctoral-
again. Action Research is a systematic approach that utilises
level professional knowledge and develop the critical
a set of sophisticated analytical tools and begins
thinking skills needed for leading businesses and
Critical Action Learning is a critical reflection of the with critical reflection. In fact, becoming a critically
organisations in the midst of ambiguity.
beliefs, attitudes and biases that led to the selection reflective practitioner is one of the key outcomes of
of the chosen actions that improved the results. the DBA programme.
Students complete their qualification with an original
Reflection makes the learner aware and provides
thesis based on a critical project undertaken in
opportunity to modify these underlying assumptions. Programme Structure
their organisation. Unlike a thesis for PhD research,
This practice-based hands-on approach, referred to
this thesis is designed to produce new, actionable The programme begins with an initial orientation for
as Double Loop Learning, is a unique feature of this
knowledge for immediate use. the online classroom, followed by nine core modules
programme.
(30 credits per module), the Doctoral Development
Plan (90 credits) and a thesis (180 credits).
Doctor of Business Administration 5
The first module is 11 weeks in length and each Held in the city of Liverpool, UK, the residencies bring
subsequent module is 10 weeks. Modules are together a group of students with the aim of preparing
sequenced in an order that is best suited to the them for the doctoral thesis. The focus is on research.
students development on the programme. The first The second residency includes an academic conference
six core modules incorporate the Critical Action at which each participant presents a research paper.
Core Modules
The Doctoral Practitioner This module begins with the notion that the success the programme and place Action Research in a
of any organisation is dependent upon its ability to historical context.
Aim: To provide a comprehensive introduction to the
manage change and handle crises while also creating
DBA programme and to our unique and intensive
value for its stakeholders. Crises in this sense In the construction of knowledge, it is important
management learning environment.
encompass a wide range of events impacting the that students consider what management research
organisation. In this module, students analyse and is; how to understand the relation between cause and
The Doctoral Practitioner introduces students to
evaluate several models for change management, and meaning; the notions of positivism, idealism, realism
the DBA programme and to the requirements for
consider their application in practice. This module and post modernism; the nature of the qualitative
successful participation in our online pedagogical
also prepares students to lead change initiatives within process and the nature of the quantitative process.
environment. The module examines the significance of
a variety of organisational settings. For example,
learning and of fostering personal and organisational
students explore constructs such as intervention Management Research
learning. It also explores the origins and growth of
theory (see Argyris, 1970) as a means of developing
Action Learning (and the related concept of Critical Aim: To introduce students to the qualitative and
effective decision-making strategies regarding process
Action Learning) and its application to management quantitative aspects of management research. Rather
and expected outcomes. Additionally, students explore
development. The module also explores the nature than simply concentrating on the development of
and apply skills of effective coaching such as active
and applicability of a range of other action modalities. research skills, this module focuses on applying this
listening, empowering, enabling change, and using
Emphasis is placed on planning small phases of project understanding towards making meaning of scholarly
feedback to create interactive dialogue and deeper
work that can be applied and studied throughout the and popular research articles.
understanding. Finally, the role of leadership in crisis
programme on critical reflection, and on sustaining
situations is explored and analysed.
the application of learning throughout ones career. In this module, qualitative and quantitative
Module assignments focus on the practical application frameworks for enquiry are introduced. Qualitative
Knowledge Creation
of writing and critical-thinking skills, and promote designs include case study, phenomenology, grounded
professional practice and academic excellence. Aim: To provide students with a philosophical and theory, and ethnography. This module also helps
methodological foundation of knowledge creation in develop the students skills in descriptive statistics,
Change and Crisis Management management research. statistical inference and quantitative techniques
including analysis of variance and covariance
Aim: To understand and apply several models for
The module provides students with key theories to multiple linear regressions and various nonparametric
change management, particularly from a stakeholder
support their application of Action Research during techniques. Quantitative designs covered include
perspective, and to develop the ability to lead teams
experimental and quasi-experimental, survey and
and organisations through disruptive change scenarios.
Doctor of Business Administration 8
causal-comparative. The frame of reference for this In this context, the module also presents a critique of research focus and should result in a contribution
module is not simply a demonstrated understanding of particular aspects of leadership theory, its negative to professional and/or theoretical knowledge. By
particular techniques; rather, the focus is on applying aspects, and its substitutes. Focus areas include the critically examining a number of case studies, students
this understanding towards making meaning of development of oneself as a leader, development of become familiar with the stages of Action Research, the
published research. Assignments, therefore, focus others as leaders, shared leadership, and development methodologies typically used in such an intervention
both on skill development and demonstration as well of effective and vibrant organisational communities. and the ethical dilemmas often faced by Action
as on the effective interpretation of published research Finally, the module examines the concept of the Researchers. Students also explore the distinctions
and the application of that research to workplace learning organisation and the relationship between between internal and external Action Research and
problem solving. leadership and facilitating learning within the appreciate the challenges and opportunities presented
organisation. by both modalities. The module also helps students
Leadership and Community to understand how to write, structure and present an
Action Research and the Action Research thesis at doctoral level.
Aim: To provide an intensive examination into the Action Research Thesis
concepts and practices underlying the successful Complex Adaptive Systems*
Aim: To introduce the concepts and practices of
leadership of high-performing teams and organisations,
Action Research as a mode of intensive management Aim: To provide an additional frame of reference for
particularly in a challenging global context.
enquiry. This module also introduces the student to the understanding how organisations manage through
structures and expectations of the doctoral thesis. disruptive change. This module compares organisations
This module presupposes that organisations consist
to biological organisms that must adapt to a changing
of interlinked communities of varying sizes , from
This module explores the notion of Action Research in environment or perish.
small teams to large departments. Additionally,
its many and varied forms. The term Action Research
these communities not only interact with each other
is used to describe a planned intervention by a This module builds on concepts covered in Change
within an organisation, but also relate to larger
researcher in an organisational or community setting, and Crisis Management. What does it mean for
communities outside of the organisation. This module
which attempts to solve a problem, or effect a change organisations to manage successfully during a period
focuses on the theory behind and practical skills of
and to simultaneously study the phenomena employing of disruptive change? One approach to answering
(1) effectively leading teams and departments
rigorous and ethically acceptable methodologies. this question is Darwinian: crises in the environment
(micro communities); (2) strategically managing
Action Research involves a series of stages of entry, demand that species adapt or perish. The species
the interrelationships among teams and departments
contracting, diagnosis, action and evaluation (Gill, that have survived can be described as complex
to create high-performing organisations (the meso
1986). It is necessarily collaborative and differs from adaptive systems. Modern organisations can also be
community); and (3) thoughtfully leading teams,
basic research in that it involves mutually agreed goals understood as complex adaptive systems and they face
departments, and organisations in the context of
and control between the researcher and the client. the same dilemma as living species: adapt or perish.
diverse cultures and nations (macro communities).
It differs from consultancy in that it has a strong Considering organisations in this framework leads us
Doctor of Business Administration 9
to new insights about how to lead them effectively. The between decision-making theory/practice and Please note that there is no guarantee that all
primary aims of this module are to describe the formal workplace learning modalities. modules will be offered in any calendar year,
underpinnings of complex adaptive systems and to give and current scheduling may be subject to
students an intuitive appreciation for the behaviour of Ethics, Sustainability and Social Impact change.
organisations as complex adaptive systems. Students
AIM: To introduce the student to the tensions and
also explore how organisations respond successfully
trade-offs involved in the adoption of a focus on ethics,
and unsuccessfully to environmental stimuli such as
sustainability, and social impact by an organisation
emergent technologies, competitive pressures, and
in a competitive economy. The module also introduces
economic and political instability.
the student to the concepts of stakeholder analysis and
the triple bottom line, with a focus on personal and
Decision Making with Risk
organisational ethics and issues of transparency.
and Uncertainty*
Aim: To examine the complexities of managerial Ethical, sustainability and social impact (ESSI) issues
thinking and decision making with a particular focus have largely been treated as concerns peripheral
on the trade-offs between rationality and intuition, to business. However, for a variety of reasons,
as well as the strategies effective managers can use to organisations are now fusing social mission with
mitigate risk in decision-making processes. competitive strategy. This module provides the
student with an understanding of how ESSI fits into
This module examines the psychological, social and the strategic development of organisations. It looks
organisational processes and problems associated with at the implications of adopting an ESSI focus in a
thinking and decision making in various organisational competitive economy. The module also introduces the
contexts and with varying levels of certainty. Emphasis student to the concepts of stakeholder analysis and
is placed on exploring the complexities of managerial the triple bottom line. A principal part of the module
thinking and decision-making, the trade-off between is devoted to personal and organisational ethics and
rationality and intuition, and strategies to manage risk issues of transparency, including discussion of the
in decision making processes. Current theories and social impact of non-ethical and non-transparent
approaches in understanding managerial thinking and practices.
decision making are explored, as are issues associated
with group decision making, conflict and negotiation. *Students opting to take part in the residencies can omit EITHER Complex Adaptive
A particular focus is placed on the relationship Systems OR Decision Making with Risk and Uncertainty.