ABSTRACT
The joint arrangement probably had more to commend it from a learning point of view than from the point of view of actually solving a business problem. One of the most frustrating aspects of an action learning programme is the common lack of understanding, among those not involved, of what participation was intended to achieve. There seems to be an obsession with the outcome of the project, as though that was the only value from the investment of a participant for the nine months period. Had the programme been designed to instruct in particular skills such as production control or inflation-accounting, or to solve a unique set of business problems, it could be argued that there were more effective and less expensive ways of going about it. A major value of the programme is the experience and learning gained by the participants.
