The Effect of Action Learning on Team Cohesion: The Mediating Role of Power Distance Perception

Abstract

Since a long time, enhancing team cohesion has been regarded as an important factor in organizational development. This research aims to explore how and why action learning influences team cohesion. The results of a questionnaire survey from seventy-two sales staff in a pharmaceutical enterprise, who were intervened in two groups (action learning vs. normal meeting) and conducted pre and post-tests, indicated that action learning significantly improved team cohesion. And the effect of action learning on team cohesion was mediated by power distance perception. These findings provided operational guidance about using action learning to facilitate the construction of team cohesion for organizational development.