The Effectiveness of Metaphoric Facilitation Styles in Corporate Adventure Training (CAT) Programs

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the outcomes of using metaphors to enhance learning in the framing and debriefing of teamwork issues for a corporate adventure training (CAT) program. Through random assignment, four different but intact regional work groups from a European banking institution participated in a CAT program for the purposes of team-building. A fifth randomly selected intact work group from another region in Europe served as a control group. Each group received the same CAT program, but the groups were provided with different forms of facilitative metaphors in their program. All groups were measured for changes in teamwork during an initial development period, as well as during two follow-up periods to determine the maintenance of potential changes. The mixed isomorphic framing/metaphoric debriefing approach proved to be the most effective training methodology for initially developing, as well as maintaining, teamwork in the CAT training program.