This book by Professor Selva Abraham is a blend of the concepts, process and practice of Work-Applied Learning (WAL). Professor Abraham has incorporated his ideas on the conceptual basis of this approach with the experience of fellow researchers and senior executives in organisations in Australia and other parts of the world.

Accordingly, this book shifts the reader from unawareness to awareness of the WAL model. It starts with a description of the concept, process and practice behind the WAL model. Chapter 2 sets out the conceptual and methodological basis of the WAL model. This was presented as a seminal paper at a conference organised by the Action Learning, Action Research and Process Management Association Inc and Singapore Institute of Management in 1996.

In the subsequent chapters, Professor Abraham presents case studies of how the WAL model has been planned, implemented, evaluated and validated. The case studies become more detailed in progressive chapters.

Nothing stands still, of course, and in the conclusion he points to an undiminished need to further refine the model as we continue to learn more. There is no end to the process and practice, only further cycles of planning, acting, observing, reflecting, evaluating and validating this model to cope with the evolution and revolution of the world order that impacts on change in individuals, teams, organisations and communities.

This book is an amalgamation of two previous releases by GCWAL’s Chairman, Emeritus Professor Selva Abraham. The study described in this book was the subject of Professor Abraham’s PhD thesis and was conducted more than twenty years ago, which focused management training and development programme for Indigenous community leaders in Port Lincoln. It was an extensive program extending over approximately eighteen months, and was the first known example of using the Action Research method for management training and development programs for Indigenous community leaders. The Indigenous community leaders in this study were the Board members of an Aboriginal community organization known as the Community Development and Employment Programme. This was an Australian Government initiative implemented at the time to provide employment and training within Aboriginal communities.

The purpose of publishing this study in its original form is twofold. First, this book provides a step-by- step approach for supervisors of postgraduate students in how to conduct a study using the Action Research method. It also provides everything needed from the conceptualization of the project to its completion and as such will contribute greatly to the development of the literature in Action Research and Management Development, encouraging more and more students to do their research in this way and assisting those who supervise them. Until today, no such guide has been available.

Secondly, this book brings to light this research, which was undertaken in the past but still has great relevance to the present and the future. Indigenous peoples still suffer great disadvantage and providing them with skills with which they can lift themselves out of this disadvantage remains a priority. This study showed that the Action Research method can be successfully used to develop and implement management training and development programmes that address the needs of Indigenous community leaders.

The exploratory Action Research method can be successfully used to develop and implement management training and development programmes that address the needs of Indigenous community leaders.

This book will be the foundation of a research career inside and outside universities, in a modern world where efficiency and effectiveness are increasingly emphasised. Part A aims to help readers write their thesis and journal articles in an efficient way; it can be used for both quantitative and qualitative research reports. In the second chapter, this approach to thesis writing leads into a comprehensive guide to efficient article writing. In turn, Part B presents steps in three qualitative social science research methodologies that are particularly effective for unearthing findings about what humans actually do in work and other situations: case, interview and action research. Examples of how to carry out the methodologies are described.

Drawing from his long experience, first in management development and then education, Emeritus Professor Selva Abraham demonstrates the value of this approach. He balances the ideas of Work-Applied Learning with practical examples of its application not only in Australia but also Malaysia and Papua New Guinea.

Action Research Characteristics in a Work-Applied Learning for Change Context. This book is an adjunct to Professor Abraham’s Exploratory Action Research Method book that builds on the literature relating to the Action Research characteristics when specifically used in a Work-Applied Learning (WAL) for change context. The term WAL for change, encapsulates a cutting edge process model developed by Professor Abraham, to enable managers and teams to research, reflect, learn, and at the same time, introduce departmental, divisional, or organisational change.

The Action Research characteristics defined in this book have emerged from a journey of enlightenment through research, application, research supervision, critical reflection, and refinement. The outcome of this journey are twelve key constituent characteristics of Action Research in the Work-Applied Learning for change context. These characteristics have been tried and tested in the workplace, and researched and reflected upon on the basis of the evolving literature on the characteristics of Action Research over the past 26 years.

This journey began when Professor Abraham finished his MBA program at Henley Business School in the UK, and has continued through his PhD study, consultancy projects, and supervision of research/postgraduate candidates. This continuing learning and research process has led to the refinement and the current formulation of the key Action Research characteristics relevant for organisational change underpinning the WAL model.

Drawing from his long experience, first in management development and then education, Emeritus Professor Selva Abraham demonstrates the value of this approach. He balances the ideas of Work-Applied Learning with practical examples of its application not only in Australia but also Malaysia and Papua New Guinea.

This book contains a case study which describes in detail the processes that took place whilst a management training and development programme was designed and implemented for indigenous community leaders. The approach used in both design and implementation was the Action Research method.

It is invaluable to Management Training and Development practitioners, especially those working with indigenous community leaders, government departments dealing with indigenous community leaders, indigenous community organisation board members and PhD students and supervisors in Action Research related study.