| This qualitative instrumental case study investigated retrospectively the transformational learning in the relationship between an African faith-based NGO (World Vision Ghana) and a U.S. funding agency (The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation) during the course of a long-term (1990 to 2003) international development project known as the Ghana Rural Water Project (GRWP). It documents how the key participants experienced cross-cultural relations and how the patterns of interpersonal interaction and meaning-making of the key participants evolved.;The interorganizational learning was examined in terms of Mezirow's transformational learning theory, and Argyris and Schon's theory of action and double-loop learning theory. The cross-cultural dynamics in the case were analyzed in terms of the dimensions of cultural variability: hierarchy-equality, universalism-particularism, individualism-collectivism, as well as contexting in communications. The asymmetric power between the two organizations was examined using the principal-agent theory to understand how the potential learning dilemma was managed.;Eighteen key individuals who had high levels of personal involvement and knowledge about the Ghana Rural Water Project were interviewed. Approximately 2000 pages of documents (project reports, articles, proposals, correspondence, and evaluations) were collected and analyzed. Data gathering included fieldwork in Ghana, West Africa, in January 2011. The findings are reported in a chronological narrative and thematic analysis and discussion.;This study assists funding entities and international community development organizations understand how to work together more effectively. It demonstrated how cross-cultural dynamics affect mutual learning. The study revealed how a long-term major funding commitment created a context where interorganizational single-loop learning lead to integrated development programming innovations. It demonstrated benefits of academic-practitioner collaborations with parallel funding. The case also presented a context where the two partnering organizations had different values for their theories of action (and philosophies of development), but were able to experience a highly successful collaboration. However, the study also revealed how unrecognized cross-cultural dynamics can impede the recognition of additional arenas of needed learning at multiple levels, setting up later failures.;The study concludes with recommendations for further research---including extending the study into the interorganizational relationships in the West Africa Water Initiative (WAWI) as well as the community impact of the GRWP. |
