Virkeligheden i spil: om rollespil som læringsredskab i organisationer

Abstract

Kernen i dette speciale er rollespil som læringsredskab i organisationer. Fænomenet er ikke nyt, men implementeringen af det i form af sociale skabelseslege i organisationer er en nyere tendens indenfor læring i organisationer. Rollespil kan placeres i spændingsfeltet mellem leg og spil, og rummer derfor interessante muligheder i forbindelse med læringssituationer. I specialet har vi konstrueret et teoretisk fundament, som er udgangspunktet for udvikling, analyse og vurdering af rollespil som metode til læring i en konkret organisation. Vores teoretiske fundament er sammensat af en fænomenologisk socialkonstruktivistisk forståelses-ramme, hvorunder vi benytter Gregory Batesons læringsforståelse, og teorier der behandler rollespil som læringsredskab. Ud fra disse karakteriserer vi rollespil, som en simuleret situation der giver mulighed for at arbejde med komplekse organisatoriske dilemmaer. Det unikke ved rollespil som læringsredskab er perspektivskiftet fra organisationens hverdagskontekst over i en fiktiv kontekst, og de muligheder dette skaber for refleksion. Batesons læringsforståelse tager udgangspunkt i individets sociale interaktion, det vil sige, at vi sætter individet i fokus, når vi taler om organisatorisk læring. Et af omdrejningspunkterne for hans læringsteori er genkendelige kontekster, og at læring derigennem kan overføres fra en kontekst til en anden. Dette argumenterer for, at den læring deltagerne opnår i et rollespil kan overføres til en hverdagskontekst. Derudover benytter vi os også af Batesons lærings-kategorier, idet de sætter os i stand til at definere, hvilken form for læring som deltagerne opnår. Med denne sammensætning af teorier skaber vi et solidt teoretisk fundament, der både har fokus på metoden rollespil samt individet og dets læring. Ud fra dette fundament har vi udviklet et unikt rollespilsforløb til et lederkursus i Viborg Kommune. Forløbet har tre faser, en introduktion, en simulering og en refleksion. Selve rollespillet udspillede sig som en simuleret mødesituation, med tilhørende fiktionshistorie, karakteroplæg og rekvisitter. Under titlen ”Sommerferiens dilemma” skulle lederne spille rollerne som enten leder, medarbejder eller observatør. Rolle-spillet fungerede som en eksperimenterende træningsbane for kursus-deltagerne i lederrollerne. Deltagerne i medarbejderrollerne fik mulig-hed for at praktisere perspektivskift fra deres daglige rolle som leder til medarbejderrollen. Vi karakteriserer ”Sommerferiens dilemma” som et kompetenceudviklende rollespil, med læringsmål der afspejlede aspekter af ledernes organisatoriske hverdagskontekst. Vores rollespil dannede rammen for læring, og vi har inden for denne analyseret flere af deltagernes læringsprocesser. En analyse der tager udgangspunkt i empiriske data, hvor vi analyserer et udvalg af deltagernes adfærd og udtalelser ud fra vores teoretiske fundament. Udfaldet af disse viste at rollespillet skabte potentiale for læring. Bevidst læring som kom til udtryk gennem deltagernes udtalelser i rollespillets efterfølgende refleksionsfase, men også muligheden for ubevidst læring. Desuden var det tydeligt at deltagernes læringsudbytte afhang af, hvilken rolle de havde i rollespillet. På baggrund af specialet vurderer vi, at rollespil som læringsredskab er velegnet i en organisatorisk kontekst, men at visse aspekter er afgørende for dets læringspotentiale. Indholdet af rollespillet skal være relevant for det enkelte organisationsmedlem. Deltagerens evne til at skifte perspektiv fra hverdagskontekst over i fiktionskonteksten, er ifølge teorien et afgørende aspekt, da det øger refleksionsniveauet efter rolle-spillet. Vores rollespil viste dog potentiale for læring, hos deltagere der ikke foretog et konsekvent perspektivskift. Rollespil som metode til læring i en organisatorisk kontekst er også forbundet med udfordringer, som er relateret til organisationers magt-strukturerer. Disse er genstand for vores afsluttende diskussion, hvor vi kommer frem til at bevidsthed omkring tilstedeværelsen af magt i rollespil, der udspiller sig som en social skabelsesleg i organisationer, er vigtig. Vigtig for deltagerne i rollespillet, såvel som for konsulenterne, der faciliterer det. For derved at forbygge at deltagerne ender i en dobbeltbindings-lignende-situation.

Role play as a learning tool in organizations is the core of this Master’s thesis. The phenomenon is not a new one; but the implementtation of role play and games of social creation in organizations is a newer tendency within the domain of learning in organizations. Role play is situated in and operates between the fields of free play and rule-based games, and therefore role playing contains interesting aspects when connected to situations of learning. In this thesis, we have constructed a theoretical framework which is a starting point for development, analysis and evaluation of role playing as a method of learning in a specific organization. This framework is compiled from a phenomenological social constructionist point of view, including learning theory of Gregory Bateson and theories about role play as learning tool. Based on this framework, we consider role playing a simulated situation which makes it possible to operate within complex organizational dilemmas. The unique aspect of role playing as a tool of learning is the change of perspective from the everyday context of the organization to a fictional context. This change of perspective makes it possible for the participants to reflect on situations of learning. Bateson’s theory of learning begins with the social interaction of the individual. A core part of his theory of learning is the element of recognizable contexts, and the notion that it is possible to transfer learning from one context to another. This supports our claim that the acquired knowledge of our participants in a fictional role play can be transferred to an everyday context. Furthermore, we apply Bateson’s categories of learning, because they enable us to define the nature of the learning acquired by the participants. The full benefit of this theoretical framework is that it enables us to focus both on role playing as a method of learning and on the learning taking place in the interacting individual. Based on this framework, we have developed a unique, progressive role play in a seminar for leaders of Viborg Kommune. This is divided into three phases: Introduction, Simulation, and Reflection. The role play took place as a simulated staff meeting with an accompanying fictional context, a character identification module and props. Working with the theme “The dilemma of the holiday”, the leaders had to play the roles as either a leader, a staff member or an observer. The role play were to function as an experimental practice ground for the participants taking the leader’s role. The participants playing the staff members got the possibility to practice a change of perspectives from their daily role as the leader to the role as a staff member. The characteristic of “The dilemma of the holiday” is the skill-developing role play, including the learning goals which reflected aspects of the organizational daily context. Our role play created a frame for learning, and within this frame we have analyzed the learning process of some of the participants. The core of the analysis is empirical data, from where we analyze the interactions and statements of participants based on our theoretical framework. The findings of this analysis showed us that our role play had a potential for learning. The conscious learning became visible though the statements of the participants in the phase of reflection. There were also possi-bilities for unconscious learning. The process of learning influenced the specific role played by the participant in the role play. Based on this thesis we believe that role play as a learning tool is suitable for an organizational context, but that certain aspects are important for its potentiality for learning. The contents of the role play have to be relevant for the individual member of the organization. In accordance with our theory, the capability of the participants to change perspective from the daily context into the context of fiction is an important aspect, because it increases the level of reflection after the role play. But our role play showed a potential learning for participants who didn’t make a consequent change of perspective. Role play as a method of learning in an organizational context is also connected with some challenges which have to do with the structures of power in the organization. These challenges are the core of our final discussion wherein we estimate the importance of consciousness about the existence of power in role play taking form as games of social creation in organizations. It’s important for the participants as well as for the consultants who facilitate it. In that case you can prevent the participants from ending up in a double bind situation.

A master thesis from Aalborg University

Virkeligheden i spil: om rollespil som læringsredskab i organisationer