Learning in doing: the social anthropology of innovation in a large UK organisation

In the face of increasingly dynamic market environments, firms are being urged to develop learning and innovation capabilities if they wish to secure competitive advantage and long-term growth. A bank of work written from numerous theoretical perspectives has converged on the view that knowledge underpins the formation of such capabilities. While much of this literature emphasises the importance of cognitive knowledge, a new approach grounded in techniques from social anthropology suggests that learning is a non-cognitive practice, drawing on embodied exploration, everyday sociality, and a communitarian infrastructure of human and non-human actants. This thesis aims to consolidate the current literature on 'possessed' knowledge by clarifying the relationship between cognition and learning, and to advance understanding of innovation practices within firms by examining the role of non-cognitive mechanisms in the development of organisational capabilities. Drawing on a nine-month period of ethnographic research, this thesis describes the on-the-ground processes of learning and innovation within the marketing department of a large UK organisation. This evidence is used to investigate critically the theoretical claims regarding the role of both cognitive and non-cognitive forms of knowledge. Based on the empirical findings, three interrelated arguments are proposed: the design and governance of strategic learning devices involve non-cognitive practices; informal mechanisms of learning underpin the formation of new capabilities; and communitarian theories of learning overemphasise the social construction of knowledge, while neglecting the agency of the materiality of context

On a QUEST: an integrative pediatric intervention for regulatory and executive function

Executive function (EF) skills impact a broad range of functional developmental outcomes including academic success, social integration, motor coordination, independence in self-care, and community engagement, and are at the core of many challenges for children seen by pediatric occupational therapists (OTs). Yet limited evidence of an integrative OT framework addressing EF skills exists. While EF challenges are ubiquitous in pediatric practice, OTs still do not routinely incorporate EF into assessment or treatment. In response to this gap in therapeutic programming, this author developed the QUEST program. QUEST, or QUESTION, EXECUTIVE FUNCTION, SELF-REGULATION THERAPY, is an innovative occupational therapy intervention designed for children three years and older that addresses regulatory and EF challenges in an integrative manner. QUEST combines Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, Zelazo’s Iterative Reprocessing Model, and Embodied Cognition to formulate a powerful change model for better outcomes. It is an evidence-based, non-academic learning program that works with the banded nature of the cognitive and regulatory systems, using discovery-oriented games and problem-solving tasks to help children learn to learn. Organized activity protocols direct therapeutic programs for ease of application while caregiver guidelines assist with transfer to the natural environment. QUEST will be disseminated to pediatric OTs via a 2-part continuing education course, initially launched in the San Francisco Bay Area and later disseminated via webinar to a national audience. Both program evaluation and in-depth single-subject research will be carried out to ensure best practice. Through the dissemination of this course, OTs will see improved awareness of the impact of EF in underlying performance challenges, higher levels of integrative programming amongst pediatric OTs, and improved pediatric outcomes