An Action Research into International Masters Program in Practicing Management (IMPM): Suggesting Refraction to Complement Reflection for Management Learning in the Global Knowledge Economy

Abstract

International Masters Program in Practicing Management (IMPM) is a collaborative effort by major business schools and corporations around the world, balancing practical and academic issues within pedagogy of “experienced reflection”. This action research into the IMPM aims to explain the IMPM and its importance for the global knowledge economy, as well as identify and improve the current limitations of the program. As a result, we hope to provide specific suggestions for the IMPM practice and general guidelines for business education. Our suggestions are based upon a framework of “refraction” that follows a methodology of action research and pluralistic knowledge science epistemology, a critique of management learning, and a literature review on (critical) reflection, as well as our findings about the IMPM practice. Also, critically reviewing Mintzberg and other authors’ ideas on management learning and IMPM specifically supports our discussion in this paper.