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This paper aims to contribute to the research on the use of reflection in the work environment, highlighting its use in the development of interpersonal skills. This study presents procedures for promoting critical reflection using critical incidents, dialogue and reflective diaries, which can be a reference for researchers, managers, consultants and corporate educators.

This research was guided by an interpretative qualitative approach that is suitable for the study of critical reflection. The authors chose the method of action research because of its interactionist and interventionist character, which allows for the evaluation of the leadership soft skills development experience.

A leadership soft skills development program based on the concept of critical reflection in the work context leads to leaders having potential to promote changes in management practices and enhancing behavior, and the study points out the conditions necessary for success in instituting the desired changes and transformation.

The proposed developmental model, based on reflective conversations of critical incidents, dialogue and reflective diaries, stimulates critical reflection. This can be applied by other actors who are interested in promoting assessment and the development of soft skills.

There are few studies that discuss critical reflection in the corporate environment. In particular, few present models or tools that foster a reflective view of one’s assumptions, beliefs and values. This research not only advances this proposal by introducing considerations from practical experience as developed through action research, but it also signals the high potential of the study’s approach to promoting the development of soft skills.

The purpose of this paper is to ask how we can think about critical reflection as a pedagogical practice given the “confessional turn”. By the “confessional turn” the author refers to the idea that “subjective, autobiographical and confessional modes of expression” have expanded exponentially across a wide range of social spheres, including education, the legal system, the media and the workplace. Examining these developments, this paper asks what these debates on critical reflection and confession mean for pedagogical practice.

The main approach is a review of key debates in the literature on critical reflection and also in the wider social sciences.

The discussion compares different debates. Thus it shows that for critics, the turn to the “first person” technologies is narcissistic, psychologistic and de‐politicising. On this view, critical reflective practice might be understood as an individualistic and individualising pedagogy in spite of its claims to be critical. The paper discusses how in contrast, others see this move to talk about the subjective and the self as an extension of the feminist project of the personal is political – i.e. that personal stories, feelings and issues have social and political roots and consequences. For them, reflection can be critical, leading to political consciousness‐raising, i.e. a new awareness about social, political and personal processes. It finishes by examining the view that the idea of reflexivity might help us out of the conflict between these debates.

The paper poses a number of questions in relation to critical reflection that can be taken up by practitioners in the field.

The paper brings new literature to bear on the practice of critical reflection and raises important questions relevant to academics and practitioners.

This paper explores the role of critical reflection in the context of leadership development and how it is measured. The purpose of this paper is to review theoretical and empirical research that captures the application of critical reflection in leadership development.

This study is an integrative literature review of peer-reviewed journal articles on critical reflection in leadership development. The search revealed 172 peer-reviewed journal articles based on the search terms. The authors conducted a staged review of the abstracts and identified a final sample of 27 empirical articles and 12 non-empirical articles for review.

The findings of this review show that critical reflection is an essential tool for leadership development and has been utilized in a variety of ways and through multiple theoretical perspectives. Despite being relied on heavily in leadership development, the measurement for critical reflection is not well established in the literature.

The researchers propose a conceptual model that integrates the phases and levels of critical reflection as well as the desired outcomes in leadership development. Implications for leadership development are also discussed.

This paper aims to explore the challenges and opportunities for expediting critical reflection in management education and development to highlight particularly how critical reflection has been facilitated within the context of a professionally focused doctoral programme.

The paper draws on empirical research conducted for a broader project, focusing here on two awaydays for DBA supervisors (n=25 in 2005 and n=16 in 2006) and a UFHRD workshop in 2007 (n=12) for members involved and/or interested in doctoral programmes in HRD, where the empirical research findings were presented and discussed. The paper presents selected findings from the perspective of staff through their own critical reflections, drawing on the data from the two awaydays and the UFHRD workshop. Detailed handwritten notes were taken and transcribed, in addition to flipchart material provided by the participants. These qualitative data are analysed using thematic analysis. The quotations presented are as accurate as possible (verbatim) and any ambiguous notes have been deliberately excluded.

Emerging findings include the need to clarify the concept for both staff and students, and embed critical reflection from the beginning of the programme and throughout written assignments. Insights into how staff perceive critical reflection within a DBA programme are offered, including how staff might assume (incorrectly) that advanced practitioners arrive with a high level of maturity to engage in critical reflection, and yet advanced practitioners “worry” about critique and perceive it as negative and/or failure.

It is acknowledged that the subjective experience of student participants is not central to this discussion, and, whilst a limitation of this paper, this presents an avenue for further research.

The paper presents a critical and reflexive account from a facilitator's perspective and offers practical suggestions for incorporating critical reflection within a DBA programme.

Given the dearth of literature of facilitating critical reflection in the context of professionally focused doctoral programmes, this paper makes a small and initial contribution to this field.

The intentions of this article are to contribute reflections of an empirical account of working with critical reflection within an organisational development programme, addressing the following questions: What space is there for critical reflection in organisational development? What issues are raised for in‐company developers and providers by advocating critical reflection in organisation practice?

A case study approach is taken, presenting an empirical account of a management and organisational development programme that integrated action learning and critical reflection.

The account illustrates difficulties of employing critical reflection within the workplace arising from the more complex power relations between the multiple stakeholders in a commercial context. In particular, dissonance provoked by critical reflection confronts the client with a tension over whether to see organisation members primarily as customers to please or as participants in a change process which inevitably will disrupt.

In making sense of the perspectives of different stakeholders a model is presented to help practitioners in development of this kind to anticipate potential issues.

The paper presents a rare account of employing critical reflection in a work organisation development programme.

High-performance work system (HPWS) is considered a solid predictor of both organizational and individual outcomes. The current study examines the impact of employees' perception of HPWS and supervisor-rated employee creativity (EC). Critical reflection is hypothesized as a mediator of the above relationship. Human resource management (HRM) attribution moderates the indirect relationship between HPWS and EC and completes a moderated mediation model.

A quantitative research design is adopted with data collected from 531 employees and their direct supervisors from 12 firms in Vietnam. Partial least square structural equation modelling is used to test the hypotheses.

Employees' perception of HPWS is significantly associated with supervisor-rated creativity. Critical reflection has been found to partially mediate the above relationship. In addition, employees' exploiting attribution of HPWS intensifies the positive relationship between HPWS and critical reflection.

The research suggests that HPWS can be viewed from both the bright and dark sides. The resource offered by HPWS goes hand in hand with pressure from high-performance expectations. Employees may need to engage in a resource investment decision to avoid net resource loss. In addition, attention should be paid to employees' perception of the justification for HPWS implementation.

This study offers an alternative way to explain the association between HPWS and employee creativity. Based on the Conservation of Resource Theory, employee creativity is viewed as a stress coping strategy with HPWS conceptualized as a stressor. In addition, the mediating role of critical reflection represents a novelty. Furthermore, the role of HRM attributions is explained.

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

This literature review paper concerns itself with understanding how critical reflection applies in the context of leadership development. The model designed to support leadership development practitioners in achieving effective critical thinking journeys revealed various insights, such as that although critical reflection begins on a personal level, with appropriate support it creates positive change in leader behaviors and in perceptions present throughout the workplace. Practitioners are advised to gain an understanding of the desired outcomes of critical reflection, so that this may guide them in selecting the most beneficial habits to develop.

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the direct and indirect effects of managerial coaching on critical reflection mediated through learning goal orientation.

The authors conducted a questionnaire survey of 169 employees in 53 teams at an IT firm in Japan. The data were examined using multi-level analyses.

Managerial coaching has a direct positive effect on critical reflection, and the relationship is mediated by learning goal orientation.

The characteristics of the sample may limit the generalization of the findings. Future research should verify the model in other industries and countries.

The organizations should note that managerial coaching is useful not only for facilitating employees’ problem-solving but also for enhancing their critical reflection. It should also be noted that employees can reflect critically on their beliefs and work routines when they have learning goals.

Although few quantitative studies have investigated the determinants of critical reflection, the present research reveals the overlooked functions of managerial coaching in promoting employees’ learning.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of managerial coaching, as well as interactive and diagnostic uses of management control systems (MCS), on reflection and critical reflection, which are important for team learning.

Data were collected using a questionnaire survey. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed to test hypotheses using data from 235 employees in 50 teams from a Japanese automotive supplier.

The results indicated that: MCS used interactively have a positive influence on critical reflection in teams; MCS used diagnostically have no significant effect on reflection or critical reflection in teams; and managerial coaching has a positive influence on team reflection.

These findings suggest that the interactive use of MCS should be combined with managerial coaching in promoting reflection and critical reflection within teams. Because this study used data from employees of a Japanese automotive supplier, the results may have been influenced by the Japanese management style.

Organizations need to implement interactive MCS at the team level, while coaching programs should be provided for managers to enhance team learning.

This study extends the existing literature by examining the effect of MCS at the team level, and identifying that managerial coaching plays a complementary role, supporting the interactive use of MCS in promoting reflection within a team.

In this paper critical reflective working behaviour will be operationalized. Second, the question will be raised which factors have impact on critical reflective working behaviour. The following dimensions of critical reflective working emerge: reflection, vision sharing, challenging group‐think, asking for feedback, experimentation and awareness of employability. In a survey amongst 742 respondents these dimensions are validated. Important influencing factors seem to be self‐efficacy and participation.