The hypothesis behind this paper: that an aesthetic approach is relevant to learning processes, stems from a statement made by Antonio Strati in his chapter named: Aesthetic Theory: The Aesthetic Approach on Organization Studies:
“The aesthetic categories constitute a set of criteria which provide the scholar of organization with useful guidelines. They define lines of analysis which further highlight the fact that the aesthetic approach seeks to acquire understanding about organizations that differs from rational and scientific knowledge” (Strati, 2000: 19)
The aim of this paper is to apply Strati’s theory of aesthetics, a researchers approach to organizational analysis, to the analysis of learning processes. The aesthetic approach should be seen as an aid to internal discern in teams working under conditions including a demand and/or a wish to learn and develop together. Working with aesthetics provides unique knowledge that might trigger deeper layers of emotions on individual as well as on the collective level. This leads to the following research question:

How could an aesthetic approach contribute to learning processes in a team?

The paper provides a theoretical basis for aesthetic knowledge followed by an analysis and regrouping of Strati’s aesthetic categories in relation to learning in a team and initiates a framework and method on how to use aesthetic knowledge in practice.

The choice of focusing on learning processes in teams is made with reference to the changes in work conditions taking place in the wake of technology development and globalization. One of the buzzwords used to bring about the aspired competitiveness is innovation, usually the concept applies to organizations working for economic growth but innovation may also be relevant in other fields like for instance social development being a central part of the aims of learning processes addressed via an aesthetic approach. From an organizational point of view members or employees should supposedly engage in learning processes in order to create innovation, thus meet the demand to strengthen competitiveness. Individuals standing alone will not have the same capacity to cope with the complexity of these new conditions as will groups of people using their collective wisdom (Hogan, 2002: 26). Working in groups demand cooperation skills and the question of how to utilize and enhance this way of learning at work becomes essential.

Using an aesthetic approach is for Strati a research method to be used by researchers of organizations where rational and scientific methods are inadequate. Awareness of aesthetics when analyzing an organization provides the researcher with a tool to information hidden in the field of sensing and the subsequent patterns of action (Strati, 2000: 19-20). There are good reasons to use aesthetic categories when going through learning processes. The knowledge acquired is neither rational (it is non-cognitive) nor scientific (it is still subjective). It holds however a qualitative value unique in the sense that it relates to universal judgments. This enables the subjective realm to be shared and used on the basis of universal understandings in the process of reflection. The aesthetic approach is an acknowledgement of the fact that our senses, – what we hear, see, smell, taste and feel is the starting point for all thinking and action and thus acknowledge that everything happens in this context.