Socio-cultural mediated action in action learning for human resource management and human resource development

The paper explores the efficacy of action from a socio-cultural perspective and reinforces that action and learning are intertwined to produce goal-oriented outcomes. It contributes to the theory of action learning by providing a socio-cultural perspective suggesting that social cognition and interpretive schemes operating in group interaction determine the nature of action taking. Action is conceptualised at the cognitive level as a socio-cultural mediated practice and operates through the ongoing process of sensemaking. The Vygotskian notion of 'tools' - language, psychological and technical - is used as an interpretive device that creates the conditions for unlearning and relearning. Two cases were used to illustrate how participants benefited from reflective and collaborative inquiry through interaction with set members. Vygotskian's action triangle and zone of proximal development offers implications for human resource management (HRM) and human resource development (HRD). Action learning can provide the context for organisations to develop a learning and innovative culture.