The global pandemic has shed light on economic disparity, political tension, and social injustice, particularly regarding race. How can we learn to engage respectfully with one another? Some valuable guidance is found within “genuine dialogue” theory, often referred to as “transformative dialogue” (O’Neal & Hastings, 2019, p. 559), inspired by philosopher Martin Buber’s classic text I and Thou. Ronald Gordon’s (2006) synthesis of conditions for genuine dialogue corresponds with improvisation skills compiled by O’Neal and Hastings and draws from Gee and Gee (2011). Using Gordon’s elements of dialogue as a theoretical frame, the purpose of this action research case study is to assess the need for and develop effective dialogue skills among select campus leaders. The researcher used the Dimensions of the Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ) by Watkins and Marsick (1993, 1996) as the quantitative theoretical framework. Two research questions guided this study:(1) What is learned at the individual, group, and system levels that advances the theory and practice of genuine dialogue among key academic leaders through an action research project employing applied theatre techniques?
(2) To what extent is Striver University a learning culture, and how does this compare to other educational institutions?
This is a story of how the need for dialogue was identified, how dialogue was explored through applied theatre techniques, what was learned about dialogue at the individual, group and organizational levels, and how applied theatre skills facilitated that learning. The study’s findings show that applied theatre techniques successfully supported individual dialogue learning, fostered collaborative synergy to incorporate diverse perspectives, and revealed the importance of dialogue and its inherent limitations for academic leaders. The study also concluded that, while Striver University maintains a strong learning culture when compared with other educational institutions, dialogue skills can be improved among campus leaders.
