04-014 Ch01 pp5

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in more than 1,000 studies of managerial and leadership behavior, and it has been shown to be an excellent
predictor of learning and information-processing styles.
One of the main reasons we focus on learning style
is that, to be successful, everyone must be constantly
learning. It is clear that knowledge is most important for
sustaining competitive advantage. Because half of what
you know will be outdated in approximately three years,
and the amount of knowledge available to the average
person doubles about every three years, learning is a prerequisite for a productive life. If people stop learning,
they quickly become outdated and out of touch. Lifelong learning is a key requirement, therefore, to successful living, not to mention successful management.
You completed the Learning Style Instrument (LSI) in
the Preassessment section of this chapter. In order to help
you interpret your scores and be clear about their relevance, you will want to know something about the theory
of learning style and learning cycles. This theory was
developed and refined by David Kolb and colleagues at
Case Western Reserve University. It assumes that when
individuals encounter information, they are more inclined
to concentrate on and learn from certain kinds of inputs
more than others. In addition, individuals are inclined to
react to that information in different ways as they try to
understand and interpret it. Figure 3 illustrates two dimensions of learning: the information-gathering dimension,
which distinguishes concrete experience (CE) from
abstract conceptualization (AC), and the informationresponse dimension, which distinguishes reflective observation (RO) from active experimentation (AE).
Let us first consider the information-gathering
dimension. Some people are more inclined to take in
Figure 3 Model of Learning Style Based
on Two Dimensions

INFORMATION GATHERING

INFORMATION

EVALUATION

ABSTRACT CONCEPTUALIZATION (AC)

REFLECTIVE OBSERVATION (RO)

ACTIVE EXPERIMENTATION (AE)

CONCRETE EXPERIENCE (CE)

information through direct experience. They learn by

tangible, concrete, and sensual encounters. The perceptible, felt qualities of information are easiest to capture, so they tend to immerse themselves in situations
in order to learn from them. We would describe these
individuals as having an inclination toward concrete
experience. They learn best through experience and
involvement.
Some people tend to best take in information that
is abstract, symbolic, or theoretical. They learn most
effectively when they encounter ideas and theories
and then have a chance to think about them logically
and analytically. They are more likely to learn from
information that they can rationally examine or intellectually explore. We would describe these individuals
as having an inclination toward abstract conceptualization. People who are inclined to learn from concrete experience are likely to interact with people to
get their information, whereas abstract conceptualizers are more likely to get their information from books.
The second dimension of the learning model
refers to strategies for interpreting, evaluating, and
responding to information. Differences on this
dimension arise from reliance on a particular problem-solving pattern. For example, after encountering
information, some people are inclined to examine it
from different perspectives, to ruminate about it, and
to explore the various meanings that might be present. They are inclined to observe and scrutinize
information or to engage in reflective observation.
Quick judgments are avoided, and pondering and
reflecting about the information is typical.
On the other hand, some people are inclined to
act immediately on the information they receive. They
respond by being proactive, by testing out the new
information, or by applying it to an immediate problem
or situation. They experiment to investigate the implications and utility of the information. By actively
applying it, they can form alternative hypotheses about
it. We would describe these people as having an inclination toward active experimentation.
Each orientation or inclination represents a choice.
It is almost impossible, for example, to drive a car (concrete experience) while analyzing the properties of the
motor and its torque (abstract conceptualization).
Thoughtfully examining implications of information
(reflective observation) is opposite from taking immediate action to test out the usefulness of information
(active experimentation).
Research on these cognitive dimensions has found
that no matter what type of problem they face, most
individuals use their preferred learning style to
DEVELOPING SELF-AWARENESS CHAPTER 1

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