Experiential Learning and its Efficacy in Management Education

Abstract

The application of experiential learning pedagogy has been on the rise in Business School curricula across the globe. Plenty of studies have been conducted to assess the efficacy of this pedagogy to generate greater understanding of the concepts of management. However, these studies are primarily focused on either the behavioural learning aspects or capture the concepts from specific course specializations, whether finance or marketing or operations or strategy. This paper attempts to conduct an exhaustive literature survey, beyond the functional silos in which management is taught, in order to examine the usage and utility of this pedagogy in a holistic perspective. The aim is to identify the utility of this pedagogy for delivering effective learning in the field of management.

Design/Methodology/Approach: This paper is based on an exhaustive literature review. Firstly, studies using David Kolb's experiential learning model are examined. This is followed by a review of the studies highlighting the impact of Experiential Learning in different management disciplines. The paper ends with

the consolidation of the findings and suggestions for future work.

Originality: The paper intends to identify the efficacy of Experiential Learning methodology across different management disciplines (rather than being confined to one), thus providing a comprehensive understanding of its utility across the domain of management.