Current Research and Empirical Studies

whose focus are the theory of action inquiry, the methods of collaborative developmental action inquiry, and the GLP as a tool for measurement of individual growth, learning and development.

Receptivity to Feedback: How do leaders respond to developmental assessments? Researching how business leaders respond to the GLP Report feedback on their development. Our research explores how business leaders experience getting to know their ego development test results. What sense do they make of the results? And how? Rob Bongaardt & Elaine Herdman- Barker (initial findings presented at The Hague; May 2016 ESRAD)

Reflecting on Feedback: How do individuals engage with GLP feedback over time? Researching how individuals make sense of the GLP Report feedback after several months. What is the impact of the action-inquiry process? Does it change awareness? In which situations? Elaine Herdman-Barker & Rob Bongaardt

Some Doctoral Dissertations

Banerjee, A. (2013). Leadership development among scientists: Learning through adaptive challenges (Doctoral dissertation). University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

Bradbury, H. (1998). Learning with the Natural Step: Cooperative Ecological Inquiry through cases, theory and practice for sustainable development (Doctoral dissertation). Boston College, Chestnut Hill MA.

Erfan, A. (2013). An Experiment In Therapeuric Planning: Learning with the Gwa’sala‐’Nakwaxda’xw First Nations (Doctoral dissertation). University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC.

Kelly, E.J (2011). Transformation in Meaning-Making: Selected examples from Warren Buffett’s life. A Mixed methods study. (Doctoral dissertation. University of Lancaster, UK.

Livesay, T. V. (2013) Exploring the Paradoxical Role and Experience of Fallback in Developmental Theory (Doctoral Dissertation). University of San Diego.

McCallum, D. C. (2008). Exploring the implications of a hidden diversity in group relations conference learning: A developmental perspective (Doctoral dissertation). Teachers College, Columbia University, New York NY.

Miller, C. T. (2012). The undergraduate classroom as a community of inquiry (Doctoral dissertation). University of San Diego, San Diego, CA.

Nicolaides, A. (2008). Learning their Way through Ambiguity: Exploration of How Nine Developmentally Mature Adults Make Sense of Ambiguity in Times of Uncertainty (Doctoral dissertation). Teachers College, Columbia University, New York NY.

Postel, R. & Lewis, S. (2002). Experiments in Conversation: Postmodern Knowing of Self, Intersubjectivity and Persiflage (Doctoral dissertation). California Institute of Integral Studies, San Fracisco CA.

Smith, Shakyila (2016). Growing together: The evolution of consciousness using collaborative developmental action inquiry (Doctoral dissertation). University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

Torbert, W. (1971). Learning from Experience: Toward Consciousness (Doctoral dissertation). Yale University, New Haven CT. (Published 1972, Columbia University Press.

Yeyinmen, K. (2016). Uses of Complex Thinking in Higher Education Adaptive Leadership Practice: A Multiple Case Study (Doctoral dissertation). Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge MA.

2015 Sage Handbook of Action Research, Chapters by Action Inquiry Fellows (AIF):

Nancy Wallis, “Unlocking the Secrets of Personal and Systemic Power: The Power Lab and Action Inquiry in the Classroom”

Steve Taylor, Jenny Rudolph, and Erica Foldy, “Teaching and Learning Reflective Practice in the Action Science/Action Inquiry Tradition”

Grady McGonagill and Dana Carman, “Holding Theory Skillfully in Consulting Interventions”

David McCallum and Aliki Nicolaides, “Cultivating Intention (as we enter the fray): The Skillful Practice of Embodying Presence, Awareness, and Purpose as Action Researchers”

Elaine Herdman-Barker and Aftab Erfan, “Clearing Obstacles: And Exercise to Expand a Person’s Repertoire of Action”

Hilary Bradbury, “The Integrating (Feminine) Reach of Action Research: A Nonet for Epistemological Voice”

Erica Foldy, “The Location of Race in Action Research”

Yumi Sera, “Practice of Mindful Intuition: Bi-Directional Openness: The Skill of Expressing and Sensing Leadership that Serves a Group”

Lisa Stefanac and Michael Krot, “Using T-Groups to Develop Action Research Skills in Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous Environments”

Aftab Erfan and Bill Torbert, “Collaborative Developmental Action Inquiry”