Organizing Reflection is an enlightening examination of the conceptual application of reflection in an organisational setting. Reflection is commonly associated with personal introspection and contemplation – not organisational practices structured to support change management or continuous improvement. This well structured volume offers succinct arguments, examples, and pedagogical foundations for the utilisation of reflection and reflexive practices to improve organisational performance. Michael Reynolds and Russ Vince have masterfully assembled a compendium of writings by pre‐eminent scholars and professionals across the disciplines of organisational behaviour, learning, human resources, and management to provide a solid basis to support the central premise that the power of collective reflection can be harnessed to support organisational learning and change.
Today's private and public and business entities are expected to be socially responsible citizens in the global community. However, changes prompting these expectations have compelled management to react to an environment plagued with corporate scandals and leadership improprieties without providing a means to assess behaviour and incorporate appropriate practices as part of organisational culture to address potential underlying problems. Organizing Reflection will help practitioners and managers establish a framework leveraging collective reflection and reflexive practices to promote increased awareness and improve organisational performance through active learning and transformative change.
Reynolds and Vince provide an excellent framework for contemplation of the utility and benefits afforded by collective reflection in organisational settings in the first chapter of the book. This chapter provides a succinct argument supporting a collective construction of the reflective process commonly associated with individuals, building the case for the employment of a dialogue of reflection as a “community of participation” to improve organisational performance. Openly encouraging discussion and debate, the editors skilfully draw readers into active engagement and reflection as they contemplate the plausibility of achieving a shift in thinking about the role of reflection in organisations. The chapters that follow continue to build on this avenue of thought, exploring various dimensions of the dynamic process of reflection, challenging readers to examine this practice more closely with a critical eye toward the power for improvement and change possessed within a commonly occurring element of human behaviour. Particularly insightful contributions address the role of reflection on dialogue and development, experiential learning, the essential nature of reflection in associating consequences with lived experiences and how this affects learning, as well as the relationship between learning and changing. Written in academic fashion and fully supported, the book presents a series of scholarly writings that progressively build from the essential elements of reflection, reflexivity, and the lived experience through the relationship of consequences of these experiences to learning, and culminating in the application of reflective practices in various organisational and management settings.
The book presents a balanced perspective on reflection ranging from the emotional aspects of thinking and feeling through critical reflection in management settings. Heavily infused with theory and philosophical constructs of reflection and reflexivity, as well as complex concepts underlying organisational learning, some portions of the text may pose a challenge for non‐academic readers. This should not be construed as a limitation as all chapters are well written and fully supported, including relevant excerpts from prominent sources and reference citations, to aid in comprehension and support further research. The theoretical and conceptual foundation provides support for the reader's consideration of organisational applications of reflection in a UK health authority as well as in the field of education. While including only two areas may raise concerns about the scope of the text, the organisational reflection practices and applications presented may be relevant across myriad disciplines. Indeed, the focus on educational applications of collective reflection and implications for learning, particularly in adult learning, provides a substantive basis for the employment of these approaches in organisational settings. The book is therefore suitable for organisational scholars, practitioners, and managers in both private and public settings across a wide array of industries and disciplines.
Organizing Reflection is an excellent book that presents leading edge thinking on the possibilities inherent in a community of practice utilising collective reflection to enhance organisational learning and change. Bringing forth new knowledge essential for organisations seeking competitive advantage, Reynolds and Vince's distinguished panel of contributors provide new food for thought for readers interested in harnessing the synergy of collective reflection on organisational improvement.
