The doctoral dissertation in the field of Education will be examined at the Philosophical Faculty at Joensuu Campus.
What is the topic of your doctoral research? Why is it important to study the topic?
My doctoral research examines the applicability of the ELLE dialogue model to the development of conventional work groups into learning teams characterized by transformative learning. The study developed and evaluated a dialogue-based model that supports collective thinking, knowledge construction, and meaning-making in business settings. The topic is important because business success increasingly depends on teams’ ability to learn, adapt and address complex challenges collectively.
What are the key findings or observations of your doctoral research?
The novelty of the research derives from the development of a dialogue model grounded in a cognitive approach and a socioconstructivist view of learning. The dialogue model integrates dialogue, team learning, cognitive constructs associated with teamwork, and transformative learning into a framework applicable to business settings.
The findings highlighted that dialogue supported learning by encouraging team members to became more aware of their own thinking, became more aware of the perspectives of others, develop greater situational awareness and engage in more reflective forms of collaboration. Teams reconsidered long-standing practices. They developed revised practices, new procedures, and clearer collective goals.
The findings demonstrate that the dialogue model fostered cognitive development by enabling teams to adopt more complex forms of thinking and joined actions for aligning contradictions. Team performance improved as these insights were translated into concrete operational improvements.
How can the results of your doctoral research be utilised in practice?
The findings can be utilized in organizations seeking to strengthen teamwork, learning cultures, and the quality of collaboration. The dialogue model can be applied in team leadership, team development, and organizational change initiatives. It promotes reflective practice, facilitates the development of shared understanding, and supports teams in identifying and renewing their ways of working to foster continuous learning.
What are the key research methods and materials used in your doctoral research?
The theoretical scoping review phase examined dialogue, team learning, transformative learning, and the coordinated management of meaning framework, which informed the dialogue model. In the empirical research phase, the dialogue model was implemented across three business teams and comprised a total of 27 members. Data was collected through video recordings, interviews, and researcher diary. The data was analyzed using qualitative thematic content analysis.