A Design-based Approach to Exploring Learning Games for Managers’ Paradox Learning

Purpose: This paper explores how learning games can be used for facilitating paradox learning among managers participating in a management development program.
Methods: A game-based process is designed, using principles from paradox and adult learning theory to inform a design-based, iterative development process. In light of critical realism, this design is explored as a hypothesis and tested in practice to learn how such game-based process might contribute to stage activities that contribute to learning paradox theory.
Findings: A game without content is developed as an effective design-principle to integrate participant-provided cases and problems. This contributes to staging participant discussions relevant to paradox learning. Cases indicate process and outcome variance in regard to learning.
Implications: The game-design appears to contribute to managers’ learning process on paradox, and effective use should ensure due process for all participants.