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Critical reflective work behavior: a survey research

- Rebat Kumar Dhakal

Word count: 713+273 = 986

Critical reflective work behavior is a survey research by Marianne van Woerkom, Wim J.

Nijhof, and Loek F.M. Nieuwenhuis who have tried to find out various dimensions of critical

reflective work behavior (CRWB) in an organizational setting. CRWB is a set of connected,

individual activities aimed at analyzing, optimizing, or innovating work practices on the

individual, team, or organizational level.

The researchers state that CRWB is a construct consisting of nine dimensions reflection on

oneself in relation to the job, learning from mistakes, argumentation, vision sharing,

challenging group-think, asking for feedback, knowledge sharing, experimentation, and

awareness of employability. They also state that there are mostly two factors which influence

the CRWB - individual factors and job and organizational characteristic factors. Individualfactors are motivation, self-efficacy, and experience concentration (the diversity of

experience in ones career). Job characteristics with a supposed impact on CRWB are work

pace and workload, alternation, autonomy, task obscurity, information, participation in

innovation and decision-making, cooperation, communication, coaching, and organizational

learning climate. Their study shows that the most important influencing factors are self-

efficacy (positive), participation (positive), and experienced difficulty with change (negative).

The study shows that good employees could be characterized as critical reflective employees.

Instead of working harder and harder to meet the increased work pressure, as they suggest,

people should in particular learn to work differently. One has to have courage to withstand

social pressure and be critical, to experiment instead of walk the beaten track. Employees

should be able to step back occasionally from their daily routine and devote more attention to

self and time management. I really appreciate what a production manager at a cheese factory

observed Real craftsmen are not monkeys who can perform tricks but people who

contribute ideas towards the process, who reflect on the whys and wherefores, and who can

think ahead.

The concept of learning organization is in the limelight today which gives emphasis on

learning from mistakes. This is not limited to mistakes inside the company only; complaints

from customers are also to be handled very carefully. Senge (1990) states Failure is, simply,

a shortfall, evidence of the gap between vision and current reality. Failure is an opportunity

for learning about inaccurate pictures of current reality, about strategies that didnt work as

expected, about the clarity of the vision. Failures are not about our unworthiness or

powerlessness. Learning opportunities are determined by job characteristics, the information

environment and the social environment. It is also said what has been learned before has to be

unlearned to make the place for new knowledge, skills and attitude. Thus, critical learning

can be seen as breaking down and building up. Critical reflection relates to understanding

ones own standards, goals, and interests, and learning about backgrounds, assumptions and

performance objectives, aimed at improvement. People learn best when they are able to ask

questions about why they saw the world as they did, whether their thinking was correct, or

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8/14/2019 Review of 'Critical Reflective Work Behavior

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how they came to believe a perceived truth that they held scared. Good workers like to share

knowledge with their colleagues, without being afraid for competition. Competitiveness

amongst colleagues has a negative effect on knowledge sharing. According to Brooks, critical

reflection is useful for improving work practices, addressing moral and ethical dilemmas, and

evaluating organizational goals and strategies. A practical means of assessing the value ofcritical reflection is to measure whether it improves work practices.

The concept of double-loop learning that Argyris and Schon (1996) distinguished is closely

related to critical reflection. Double-loop learning enables workers to identify, question and

change the assumptions underlying workplace organization and patterns of interaction.

Further the researchers describe so called model II behavior related to critical reflection and

necessary for double-loop learning. This behavior can be characterized by asking questions,

expressing ones opinion and inviting others to give feedback or to confront visions,

perspective taking and experimenting with new behavior and work method. If organizations

want to stimulate double-loop learning this has to be achieved via stimulating employeesself-efficacy. Self efficacy is the belief in ones capabilities to organize and execute the

sources of action required to manage prospective situations. It has a positive effect on the

dimensions of critical reflective work behavior. The study further shows that the most

important predictors for reflective work behavior are self-efficacy and participation.

What I feel about this survey report

No matter what organization we belong to or what status we bear or what role we have to

perform, we will be required to be engage with some kind of work that has to do with critical

reflective behavior. Anyone who wants to get ahead in managerial career in life should know

the nine dimensions of the critical reflective work behavior. Though the list may not be such

comprehensive as allowing no space for including some more points, there is enough

evidence for encouragement and some practical strategies for self and time management. But

by far the most useful is the second dimension in which we have to learn from our mistakes

which implies the way to turn the disappointment of facing negative criticism into a positive

learning experience. The ideas this article presents are very practical and straightforward.

What it offers is a set of strategies for people who need to look at work - whether they are in

administration, commerce, or management. If one works in a school or university, a business

organization, or a government information office - then this research report will help him/herto express themselves more effectively. This is a lively and comprehensive write up which is

obviously based on solid experience of helping team players to improve their skills. I enjoyed

reading this article. The style is lively and often quite amusing with the quoted ideas like

The guy is a troublemaker, but he sharpens us or Real craftsmen are not monkeys who can

perform tricks but people who contribute ideas towards the process, who reflect on the whys

and wherefores, and who can think ahead.

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