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Journal ArticleDOI

Acquisition and retention of learning: use of stories in executive development program

30 Aug 2016-Development and Learning in Organizations (Emerald Group Publishing Limited)-Vol. 30, Iss: 5, pp 7-10
TL;DR: In this paper, the role of stories in the acquisition and retention of learning over a longer period in case of adult learners over 25 years in age was examined and the decay in memory was measured.
Abstract: Purpose The purpose of the paper is to examine the role of stories in the acquisition and retention of learning over a longer period in case of adult learners over 25 years in age. It compares recall of stories over concepts in two time frames and thus tries to measure the decay in memory. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted on the participants of executive development programs (EDP) conducted by a premier business school of India between April 2014 and March 2015. Participants who have attended a session on leadership conducted by the author, as a part of their EDP, were selected for the study. A total of 259 participants responded, of which 105 belonged to time frame 1 having attended the program between three and nine months, and 154 belonged to time frame 2 having attended the program more than nine months but less than 15 months of the date of data collection. Findings Even after a gap of more than three months, 75 per cent of participants were able to recall two or more stories, whereas only 50 per cent of the respondents could recall two or more issues; 95 per cent of them could identify one story and its clear linkage with the issue discussed. A comparative study of decay in memory in recalling issues over stories in two time frames reveals that decay in issues was between two and four times of stories. Research limitations/implications To argue about greater retention value of learning, a comparative study of sessions conducted on the same theme with the use of story and without the use of story would be useful. A further research would also be useful to study whether improved recall translates into any change in behavior. Practical implications The study is useful for trainers, as well as for corporate. Originality/value The study for the first time has captured the retention of learning over a longer period and in case of adult learners over 25 years in age. No study has captured decay of memory in recalling stories over issues in two time frames.
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focused on two modes of knowledge transfer from an individual perspective, analogy and narratives, and found that narrative can be used for indirectly stating uncomfortable truths and rules of the game in a society and thereby avoid possible conflicts.
Abstract: Purpose Organizational scholars continue to study “knowledge” as an important organizational resource, and there is a good understanding that knowledge transfer can boost organizational performance significantly. The power of individuals in the knowledge transfer is well established, as they can transfer tacit as well as explicit knowledge. However, recent studies have shown that organizations fail to transfer knowledge adequately. The purpose of this paper is to look at alternative modes of knowledge transfer that are still underexplored in organizations. The author focuses on two modes of knowledge transfer from an individual perspective – analogy and narratives, though often neglected, but can be most powerful for managers in organizations. Design/methodology/approach This viewpoint is prepared by an independent writer who has amalgamated several other voices from different researchers/scholars and, finally, adds his own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings The significant progress that we have made in understanding the various nuances of knowledge transfer now translates to need for focus on areas that still have scope for further inquiry. Based on current literature review, it was found that the two modes of knowledge transfer – analogy and narratives – require greater attention by managers during communicating tacit knowledge, conflict resolution, problem-solving, and organizational change. Research limitations/implications Storytelling and analogy allow researchers to translate charts, facts and figures into an engaging narrative that enhances its reach beyond the specialists. Practical implications Narratives can be used for indirectly stating uncomfortable truths and rules of the game in a society, and thereby avoid possible conflicts. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

5 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors presented a practical, culturally responsive storytelling model for Grades 7-9 social studies teachers to use for storytelling and social studies students in the classroom. But they did not consider the impact of storytelling on the curriculum.
Abstract: This article draws on current research in the areas of storytelling and social studies to present a practical, culturally responsive storytelling model for Grades 7–9 social studies teachers to use...

2 citations


Cites background from "Acquisition and retention of learni..."

  • ...At the same time, the value of sharing stories, including personal stories revolving around real-life experiences, has been increasingly documented in various fields, including business, health care, and education (Glonek & King, 2014; Jain, 2016; Mitty, 2010; Roessingh, 2017; Tomkins, 2009)....

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References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Jay A. Conger1
TL;DR: Conger as mentioned in this paper examines why these skills are so critical and what the new language skills of leadership will be, and how leaders through their choice of words, values, and beliefs can craft commitment and confid...
Abstract: Executive Overview While we have learned a great deal about the necessity of strategic vision and effective leadership, we have overlooked the critical link between vision and the leader's ability to powerfully communicate its essence. In the future, leaders will not only have to be effective strategists, but rhetoricians who can energize through the words they choose. The era of managing by dictate is ending and is being replaced by an era of managing by inspiration. Foremost among the new leadership skills demanded of this era will be the ability to craft and articulate a message that is highly motivational. Unfortunately, it seems that few business leaders and managers today possess such skills. To make matters worse, our business culture and educational system may even discourage these skills. Conger examines why these skills are so critical and what the new language skills of leadership will be. He looks at how leaders through their choice of words, values, and beliefs can craft commitment and confid...

388 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors highlight the relevance of argumentation and narration for organizational communication, which is the exchange of information among organizational participants from which meaning is inferred, and the links between argument and organizational rationality and between the narrative paradigm and organizational storytelling are discussed.

282 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The fact that longer processing times had a comparable effect on both verbal and visuospatial memory and the difference between conditions remained stable from the first to the last trials makes it difficult to account for these findings by assuming that forgetting is exclusively due to representation-based interference or buildup of proactive interference.
Abstract: Although forgetting in the short term is a ubiquitous phenomenon, its exact causes remain undecided. The aim of the present study was to test the temporal decay hypothesis according to which memory traces fade away with time when attention is diverted by concurrent activities. In two experiments involving complex span tasks, adults were asked to remember series of items (either letters or spatial locations) while verifying multiplications. The duration of processing was manipulated by presenting multiplications either in word (three × four = twelve) or digit (3 × 4 = 12) format, the former taking longer to solve, while the time available to restore memory traces after each operation was kept constant across conditions. In line with the temporal decay hypothesis, the longer solution times elicited by solving word multiplications resulted in poorer recall performance. The fact that longer processing times had a comparable effect on both verbal and visuospatial memory and that the difference between conditions remained stable from the first to the last trials makes it difficult to account for these findings by assuming that forgetting is exclusively due to representation-based interference or buildup of proactive interference.

61 citations