New Horizons in Adult Education

Using an Ecomap as a Tool

& Human Resource Development
for Qualitative Data 28(2), 1-13
Collection in Organizations

Jo Bennett1
Natalie S. Grant2

Abstract
An ecomap is a social work data collection tool that is used to gather data about a participant’s environment.
Derived from Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system theory, the ecomap can be used in adult education and
human resource development to record information of in-and-out-of-work and learning experiences and
show how these interactions support or hurt an individual. Information about important interactions in an
individual’s life can help the staffs in organizations understand employees or adult learners in ways that
may not surface with merely work or educational interactions. This first-hand knowledge of an individual’s
strengths or weaknesses can help the staff learn how to individualize employee and adult learner develop-
ment. This personal knowledge can be an important part of an employee’s and adult learner’s performance,
and personal and professional growth.
Keywords: Ecological systems theory, ecomap, work settings, organizational culture and relationships,
valuing employees

Qualitative researchers work to understand nuances – why people act as they do, what motivates people,
how do they respond to situations and institutions, or cultural attributes people show as a response to their
environment. Some basic strategies for collecting data include interviews, observations, and document re-
view in varying forms and degrees as a means for gathering data (Creswell, 2013; Merriam, 2009). Some
researchers, ethnographers or those engaged in grounded research, rely on what emerges from prolonged
exposure with the environment, in addition to interviews, observations, and document review. From this da-
ta, a researcher will attempt to interpret and gain a deeper understanding of what is at first hidden or not ap-
parent (Geertz, 1973). Narrative inquiry, a foundational aspect of qualitative research, enables participants
to tell their own stories as a way to understand the lived experience of the participant’s through their own

1
Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University
2
Witchita State University
Corresponding Author:
Jo Bennett, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, PO Box 1664 Al Khobar 31952 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Author Email: bjo.bennett@gmail.com

Special thanks to Douglas Smith for guidance.

Tables created by Hebaj R. Alamr.

Copyright © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company

2 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 28(2)
voice (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000; Denzin & Lincoln, 2011). Using in-depth interviews can provide an un-
derstanding of a person or shed light on mysteries lurking beneath surface appearances.
Qualitative research spans a continuum of interpretation and practice from those espousing prolonged contact
and sophisticated design on one hand and those who encourage research to be carried out by those who are di-
rectly involved with the results of the data. This latter end of the spectrum encourages practitioners to will use
their insider, first-hand knowledge to benefit the data collection and analysis process (Somekh, 1995; Elliott,
1991). Practitioner research, sometimes called action research, is variously defined and for different results. It
is an approach in which participants gather data in their own setting, give voice to participants who are some-
times overlooked, and allows a practitioner’s knowledge to benefit a study. While some may question the rigor
of action research, others are strong proponents because it allows for collaboration, a deeper understanding at a
work and organizational setting, and for qualitative data to inform practice (Norton, 2009; Osterman, Furman,
Sernak, 2014; Schumck, 2009).
Ecomapping, or creating a map of a participant’s life in graphic form, is one kind of action research practiced
by social workers where the interviewer probes to understand influential relationships of a participant with
family members, work affiliations, peer interactions, organizational actions and activities, and the like. The
prolonged interview with the participant is documented, on a one-page graphic showing complex relationships
and the spheres of influence of a participant at a glance with the aid of lines that indicate positive and negative
influences. In action research, the data collection process is an integral part of the analysis and use (Somekh,
1995). Mental health personnel are schooled at working with clients to reveal the effect of relationships and
other influences that might not surface without the aid of professional tools. An ecomap is one such tool that
assists in systematically collecting in-depth information of an individual as a way to understand the interrelated
ecologies in a person’s environment (Bronfenbrenner, 1951, 1979; Hartman, 1995).
Ecomapping is based on an application of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. The ecomap records
connections and influences among spheres of influence, which may be invisible in a work setting, but still have
a powerful influence on an individual as surely as a puppeteer can control a puppet via transparent strings. An
interview using this sociological and environmental perspective can explicitly bring personal information to
the surface as a way to understand factors that influence behaviour or motivation.
While ecomaps may vary, in general, the map will have a node for each significant influence, event, or person
in an individual’s life, with lines to show the connections between and among these relationships. Data from
an employee’s or adult learner’s environment could prove as valuable as work performance or educational
evaluations; in fact, these data can provide insights into how and why a worker or adult learner performs or
behaves in certain ways. Social and environmental data can provide information about challenges that may af-
fect an individual in a variety of ways. In an educational or work environment, an individual may appear prob-
lematic or unreachable and pertinent information may not easily surface in casual conversations. The individu-
al may be reticent to open up about a problem at work or at home or may not know how to articulate feelings,
especially if there is no one showing interest about these phenomena. The individual may fear reprisal if some
information is shared.
The individual may not even realize in what ways a community, environmental, or home issue is causing or
contributing to problems. Relationships can be supportive or stressful; strained or motivating; broken or nour-
ishing; or any combination of these or other factors. An ecomap and an interview that works through the or-
ganization, community, family, and work or learning environmental systems is designed to flesh out the ecolo-
gies of an individual and record them seamlessly, on a one-page graphic which reveals issues, strengths, and
relationships.
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory
The ecomap is an application of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which suggests that people are
nested within and are an inseparable part of their community. People develop within these intertwined organi-
zational, community, home, and personal settings that are joined formally and informally to create a system or
ecology in which they are shaped and, in turn, can influence (Bronfenbrenner, 1951, 1979). Institutions, such
as schools and colleges, organizations, workplace environments and social agencies can utilize human resource
development professionals, who have an ability to either hinder or guide adults toward a meaningful under-
standing of life within these formal and informal systems or networks (Grant, 2011; Stanton-Salazar, 1997,
3 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 28(2)
2011). Using Bronfenbrenner’s conceptual framework provides a means for interpreting or making sense of
how people interact and develop within socially constructed environments (ecologies), institutions, agencies,
the workplace, with peers, or in other formal and informal arrangements.
Since the individual, family, professionals working with adults, the workplace the postsecondary schools and
colleges, and the greater community are interrelated to make up the whole environment, the connected whole
must be understood in order to explain one part in relation to the other (Bronfenbrenner, 1951). Ecological sys-
tems theory espouses that humans develop within environmental systems and community contexts
(Bogenschneider, 1996). The human and social environment, or ecology, includes multiple systems such as the
family, gender, culture, economic class, media, and other elements of society that are part of a developmental
process of integration and communication (Bookchin, 2005). Formal structures or institutions such as family,
workplace, organizations, and social agencies join with less formal structures such as peers, neighborhoods,
and athletic and cultural activities to complete a map of an individual’s identity and identity formation
(Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Stanton-Salazar, 1997; Kennedy, 2010).
Bronfenbrenner’s theory assumes that a person grows within spheres of influence, some more influential than
others. The outermost sphere, the macrosystem or macrosphere, involves institutions and influences with
which a person interacts, depending on the individual being influenced, or the exerting agency (see figure 1).
Since the environment exerts its influence, a person develops within this reciprocal process. Interactions be-
tween a person and the environment can be multi-directional with aspects of the macrosphere, interacting with
the next sphere, exosphere or exosystem. The exosphere includes the mass media, geographic region, athletic
associations, or community. The inner sphere, or microsphere includes peers, family, and neighbors. The mes-
osphere is where interactions and influences within and among the various influences in the inner circle, or
microsphere, take place.
Figure 1. A Diagram of an Ecosystem
4 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 28(2)
Mapping or visualizing the spheres of influence of a person can bring these influences to the surface. Since a
person’s development is not limited to a single setting or influence, it may need to be shown as a series of in-
terconnections or influences from larger surroundings, which may be hard to discern without examination.
Mode of Inquiry: The Use of Ecomaps or Ecomapping
The term ecomap stems from ecology studies and is a representation of the connection between a person and
others within the multiple environments of a person, and shows how connections in a person’s environment are
sustained and developed (Ray & Street, 2005).
Figure 2.

Interviews and information recorded in the ecomaps builds a graphic representation that helps in understanding
elements of a person’s life and how communication and interaction occurs. Three basic elements usually com-
prise an ecomap: relationships, social networks, and supports (see figure 2).
Collectively, these elements demonstrate how current relationships interact with cultural, social, and ecological
systems (Hodge, 2000; McCormick, Stricklin, Nowak, & Rous, 2005; Ray & Street, 2005). Nowadays, with
the influence of technology, the media, social media, and the internet, some influences from the macrosphere
and exosphere could influence an individual as strongly as the immediate microsphere, or family and network
of peers.
The ecomap assists in the identification of emerging themes and patterns related to a person’s life, which can
show positive or negative influences (Kennedy, 2010). By identifying these influences, an interviewer can
delve into areas of influence in a participant’s life that he or she may not think is important, but through the
5 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 28(2)
systematic review of the influences in a typical day and typical social and environmental interactions, patterns
of attitude, behavior, and perspective emerge. Persons themselves may see or make connections for the first
time what keeps them from moving in positive, helpful directions, or help them identify or see an activity as a
negative influence. If a home or outside environment is not providing emotional support or motivating a per-
son, then this kind of information can help a manager or instructor understand an adult’s experiences, behav-
iours, expectations, and performance. Human resource managers or administrators and instructors in adult edu-
cation programs can flesh out information that can help answer questions both individually and collectively for
their employees/adult learners.
How to Complete an Ecomap
By completing a questionnaire and interview with an employee or adult leaner, an interviewer can diagram an
ecomap that organizes an individual’s relationships and communication patterns with family, peers, relevant
social institutions, fellow employees or learners, and other environmental influences (Barker, 2003; Hartman,
1995; Ray & Street, 2005). An interviewer does not have to be a trained social worker or a mental health prac-
titioner to collect data using the ecomap. Some practice with trained professionals in how to interview through
careful listening, follow up, and probing questions, can help a work supervisor or adult education professional
develop skills in collecting and recording these data.
The employee or adult learner participates actively in moving through the elements on the ecomap, collaborat-
ing with the interviewer in the interview. Descriptions of experiences of what it feels like to grow up, experi-
ence loss or change within a family, for example, can influence an employee’s or learner’s attitude or sense of
belonging. The act of being interviewed and being allowed to share this information with a supportive inter-
viewer can change an individual’s attitude toward work and learning, especially an individual who trying to
change or who has had mostly negative experiences with adults or employees. The data collection process can
be a rapport building exercise and a positive interaction (Grant, 2011).
Creating an ecomap requires engaging the participant in the interview process and recording answers to semi-
structured open-ended interview questions that are asked and documented as a graphic summary on one page
(Hartman, 1995). The interview questions could include the kind of people who influence the employee or
learner, the value of strengthening or lessening certain relationships, types of support a contact or peer is, and
the types of communication patterns existing among these “circle of influences” (McCormick et al., 2005). A
pre-formed worksheet or software packages are available to facilitate the data collection (See Appendix 1 for
examples of questions that can be asked and examples of sources for software). Without this kind of sharing
conversation, some negative influences might go undetected, and an employee or learner might be hesitant to
reveal vulnerable information, unless it was clear that there would not be punitive measures taken.
An employee or learner in dialogue with the interviewer can identify outside systems of influence, which are
then drawn into circles that radiate from the center of the diagram. These systems, institutions, or arrange-
ments, both formal and informal, may include community responsibilities, family responsibilities, religious
affiliations, health care, recreation, peers, sports, hobbies, and/or other aspects unique to an individual. These
elements map the individual’s connections to social support systems, and to the community and culture.
The interviewer can discuss these relationships with the individual and fill in the diagram, using coded lines to
document the responses. As illustrated in Figure 2, a double line can represent a strong relationship, a dotted
line represents a tenuous relationship, and a single line represents a weak relationship. A zigzagged line indi-
cates a stressful relationship. If no current relationship exists, then no line is drawn to show this lack of con-
nection. Relationships can move in one direction, bidirectional, or in multiple directions. A relationship can be
both positive and negative; broken and then repaired; or exhibit other configurations.
The interviewer can ask the participant to describe communication patterns between the individual and each
element in the ecosystem. The interviewer then uses arrows to indicate if the communication is unidirectional
or mutually occurring. For example, if the individual is married and his wife is someone he can talk to about
anything, the relationship is reciprocal and her name will be written in one of the circles with a solid line be-
tween the two of them, with arrows on both ends of the line showing that the communication is two-way.
Once all circles are drawn and each is connected to the center of the diagram with lines that accurately reflect
existing relationships, the ecomap can help identify gaps and strengths and be used to describe the varied com-
munication patterns. In doing so, the interviewer begins to describe the individual’s relationships within the
6 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 28(2)
overall environment (Ray & Street, 2005; Kennedy, 2010). The elements of the ecomap create the individual
ecosystems, and the lines and arrows represent the flow of communication and relationships. Each circle on
the ecomap represents institutions, formal and informal, and shows how they interact with the employee or
learner according to the way the lines are drawn. Social influences such as family, community, others in the
workplace, peer groups, as well as formal institutions such as the government, the economy, education, and
religion are important (Stanton-Salazar, 2011), and as such, will most likely appear on the map as nodes.
The benefit of the ecomap is that it is a graphic representation of what was discussed in the interview, and as
such is summarized on one page with complex relationships easily viewed, allowing the researcher to continue
the analysis and synthesize the process more easily from complex and overlapping data. By using a graphic
representation, many influences in the participant’s life can be represented and summarized into a one-page
image (Hartman, 1995).
If the employee or learner is hesitant to bring up negative influences or issues, that is up to him or her. The in-
dividual may not feel safe in revealing weaknesses or vulnerabilities. If only positive influences are given, the
ecomap can be viewed as a strength-based activity, and the interviewer will still have added information about
aspects of the individual that was unknown before. Not mentioning certain aspects, thereby leaving gaps in the
diagram, also conveys meaning without the loss or lack being expressed verbally. With time, as the culture be-
comes more open to the extent that is comfortable, managers and employees, and instructors and learners can
safely share information that can lead to referrals and partnerships in the company or college, and the commu-
nity that can solve problems or add positive activities to an individual’s support system.
Creation of an Interviewer’s Own Ecomap
As Buehl and Alexander (2005) discussed, a worldview guides how people relate to others, and is created
through personal and professional experiences. This worldview is much like a garment that is hard to remove.
Those who interview employees or adult learners about their lived experiences, or who fill in this case in an
ecomap diagram, could consider the same kind of self-scrutiny to observe themselves in order to understand
more consciously how they have come to certain assumptions about the world and to understand their own
lived experiences. This kind of self-examination can help an interviewer be a more careful and accurate instru-
ment in the data collection process and develop empathy towards how personal qualities and biases effect in-
teractions with others (Peshkin, 1991). This self-examination can open a window to new understanding while
also helping an interviewer to hone the use of this kind of interview. Self-awareness also helps the interviewer
to bracket or set aside biases and come to a new understanding (Bogdan & Biklen, 2007). Sensitivity to the
worker and the environment can be maximized to help understand the contrasts of multiple environments.
The interviews can take from 20 minutes to a few hours; the interviews may take place in one setting or
through multiple interviews, with the amount of time devoted to this task, being dependent on the depth of in-
formation that is required and the amount of time that is available.
An Example of an Ecomap and Narrative Example
From each ecomap, a narrative can be built that provides a picture of the experiences and influences in an indi-
vidual’s ecological systems. Figure 3 shows an example of an ecomap of a participant in a recent study. Par-
ticipants were selected for a workforce training summer program as a way to The ecomap that follows repre-
sents the interactions within the social, formal, and informal institutions and networks and creates a sense of
how and why an employee functions in the workplace, or an adult learner in a school or college as he or she
does. The ecomap that follows tells the story of one employee named Adam (see figure 3).
7 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 28(2)
Figure 3.

Family. Adam lives in the basement of his 28 year-old cousin’s house with his cousin’s girlfriend and the sev-
en children they share between them. Adam’s cousin is very supportive of him and provides a home for Adam
that is not volatile. According to Adam, they play X-box together. His cousin shares Adam’s interest in art
and supports his ideas and creativity. The cousin allows Adam to decorate the walls in his basement as he
wishes with drawings and graffiti. Adam has not gotten along with his mother and stepfather for many years
and feels he “never really had a good childhood.” His cousin “knows how my stepdad is, and he’s been more
influential in my life than my mom and stepdad combined.” When they do art together, “it just comes togeth-
er.” For example, one way they work together is for Adam to draw a name, and then his cousin will put a char-
acter with it.
Adam’s stepfather has been a negative influence for him from his elementary school days until the present.
Since Adam was in the third grade, he was subjected to his stepfather’s verbal abuse. In the sixth grade, Adam
remembers walking to school so angry in the mornings, that he began fights before school even started. These
incidents caused multiple suspensions and expulsions from school. Adam stated, “I have a problem with au-
thority figures because of my stepdad.” His stepfather is a veteran of the Desert Storm war in Iraq, and “he got
all that messed-up random crap in his head from doing that.” As a sensitive boy, Adam internalized the anger
that was directed to him and he then began acting out with others.
Community. Adam has had a number of legal issues since entering high school. He has been on probation for
assault and battery with a law enforcement officer and for possession of an illegal substance. Adam was re-
quired to enter substance abuse treatment when he became involved with the juvenile justice system. He stated
8 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 28(2)
that one counselor, Meredith, “actually listened to me and made me feel that my art was not stupid.” He said
that he went three times and was proud that he completed all of the treatments. Meredith was the first person
to encourage Adam’s art and give him “constructive criticism” instead of yelling at him, as his step father had.
Adam’s probation officer “signed him up” for an employee program. “I didn’t want to do it, but they were
signing me up . . . and I thought it would . . . get out me of the house.” Adam felt that he had endured enough
of his stepfather’s attitude; he did not fit into their “picture of family life.” He left his mother’s home the same
week that he quit the employee program job. “She wouldn’t let me hang out with anybody.
The job-training program was an attempt at moving in a positive direction, but he only lasted 3 weeks there.
He had the same issues with authority in the job setting that he had experienced at school and in the communi-
ty: Adam felt he did not fit in and he was not able to build relationships that lead to positive interactions or
how to behave in a workplace setting.
School. Adam has been expelled from school every year since the sixth grade, often for fighting. “I would be
mad on my way to school, and someone would mess with me, and I would just go off.” He was on medication
for anger at some point, but stated that later he did not have insurance and could not get the medication. Just as
in his home and community life, Adam felt that he did not fit into school life. “School is whack.” He tried to
talk about his suspension record from school as though it was a badge of honor, but his slumped body lan-
guage seemed to indicate he wanted help. “All schools are whack, man; school is just not for me.” He stated
that only one teacher in high school accepted him or even liked him a little. His science teacher would let him
come to class high on marijuana: “At least he felt it was important to be in the classroom rather than on the
streets.” The other teachers were not welcoming to Adam because of his habits.
Work or Employment. Adam has begun at toward the military as a way to find employment and to leave
home. His idea is to use the military experience to travel and pay for college, if he can get a GED, so he can
pursue an art/business degree. “It’s not like I have never seen anybody get shot.” Adam has not been able to
work steadily or contribute to the workforce because of his issues with authority.
Additional information. Adam’s greatest passion is drawing and painting. He has never taken any art classes
because his parents did not support his art. His stepfather told him that if Adam continued to just throw paint
on the walls, Adam would just end up in jail. When Adam talked about art, his tone of voice changed, and his
language became more eloquent. He stated that he “enjoyed documentaries and tutorials about artists and art.”
By looking at the influences in Adam’s life, a potential employer, community worker, or adult education cen-
ter, would most likely develop a plan to curb his aggression and animosity towards authority that pushes edu-
cators and job managers away and point him in the direction of community resources to find medical and psy-
chological counseling. Adam has had little positive connection to a school environment or in the workplace
and will pose a challenge to educators or a future employer, if he returns to school without a change in his atti-
tude. Employment would be out of the question until he could eliminate some of his negative recreational hab-
its and develop a better attitude toward authority and a responsible attitude towards himself and the communi-
ty.
Discussion of the Ecomap Data and Implications
Consistent with ecological systems theory, we know that lives are complex systems that show some similari-
ties, but are often very diverse in terms of the elements that exist within them, and especially in how individu-
als interact within the systems (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). No two people similarly interpret a single experience
in life, or develop in the same way. Those who have positive interactions with people and resources will more
likely perceive the world to be a positive place, and be open to initiating relationships with others. These rela-
tionships can help open doors and opportunities to life and learning. Also those who have had negative influ-
ences, with enough duration and frequency, especially negative brushes with authority, the more likely this
person will have an outlook and worldview skewed with negative behaviour or attitude (Voydanoff, 2001).
This negativity can keep an individual from seeking the very help s/he might require. If an individual keeps
quiet, this “negativity” can be perceived as shyness or lack of ambition.
Consistent with social capital theory, connections with adults and institutional agents can enhance the develop-
ment of an individual within the systems, organizations, and institutions in which she or he interacts. Impedi-
ments to social capital development and relationship building with institutional agents, that is, management, or
9 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 28(2)
the very people who can help the individual advance, for an employee or adult learner can result from poverty,
lack of education, parental unemployment, lack of parental education, or lack of access sufficient to communi-
ty-based services and programs (McLeroy, et al, 1988; Mitra, 2006; Stanton-Salazar, 1997, 2011). Past nega-
tive brushes with authority can also be a major deterrent for a person to form positive connections with institu-
tional agents. An organization can lose a good deal of human capital, if an employee or learner is reticent to
open up or come forward with their talents or strengths.
The ecomap acts as a device that can guide an interaction that in itself can help an employee trust a manager
and company, and an adult trust an instructor and college, especially if the manager and instructor opens up
and shares his or her own ecomap. The lines show the pulls on a person in the way a string would pull on a
puppet. If the support system is strong, these strings strengthen the person. In the case of Adam, and others like
him, he has a number of strengths that might remain hidden from management, but be shared with peers and
not shown in the workplace. Adam’s negative attitude toward authority make it hard for him to open up to any
who are in a position to manage him.
Managers or college instructors and administrators, as institutional agents of their respective organizations, can
benefit from the information gleaned from an ecomap. It could be considered a part of the annual review pro-
cess. Managers, administers and instructors need to be aware of the potential they have upon a person, and
their ability to change a person’s life by taking an initial step towards a positive relationship, even when it may
be avoided. There is a need for anyone with influence, within a work or educational setting, to be aware of the
elements that might prevent an employee or learner from gaining a positive sense of him or herself. In addition
to being aware of these elements, employers and educators of adults need to know how to move past barriers
created by people scarred from interactions with others. This life experience information is difficult to gather
through quantitative methods or standard workplace interactions. Human emotions and feelings related to ex-
periences may be difficult to quantify (Corbin & Strauss, 2008; Lichtman, 2010).
Implications for the Workplace and Adult Learning Centers
Qualitative research used to be the domain of anthropologists who went to remote locations to understand un-
known cultures or the lives of animals (See for instance, Mead, 2000; Goodall, 2010). In the Chicago school of
research, research went to the streets of the vulnerable in large cities (Whyte, 1993) and later researchers began
nascent efforts in studying education (Spindler, 1955). Understanding the lived experiences of those in a group
setting, such as employers and employees, and educators and learners, is at the heart of qualitative research.
While some may feel that ethnography needs to be distilled and processed over time (Wolcott, 1975), others
appreciate the ability to collect data in a timely manner using action research. The use of an ecomap with its
coding mechanisms embedded in the interview process, allows for systematic data collection of community,
home, and environmental influences and their impact upon personality development, with some ease. Even a
casual observer knows from the spate of school shootings and the killing by suicidal terrorists that social de-
velopment as well as emotional stability is at the foundation of what it is to be human (Cohen, 2001; Druskat,
Mount, & Sala, 2006; Elias, 1997, 2004; Gaikwad, 2005).
When evaluating employees and adult learners, employers and educators of adults can no longer ignore the
social and emotional aspect of employees and learners as separate or somehow not fundamentally a part of the
work or learning environment, as well as tied to a general quality of life (Allan, Loudoun, Peetz, 2007; Dewey,
1963; Lincoln & Kalleberg, 1992; Loscocco & Roshelle, 1991; Patti & Lantieri, 1999; Scott, 2004). Under-
standing an individual’s cognitive and emotional ecology can help employers and educators of adults see latent
strengths, that if developed could open up many strengths and capabilities. As simple a gesture as initiating a
conversation with an employee or learner can begin a process toward trust and create a relational opening that
facilitates better work or learning environments. Working with the mindset of viewing employees and learners
as individuals can help make effective work and learning adaptations, i.e., something similar to the benefits of
managing by walking around (Serrat, 2009; Tucker & Singer, 2015). The importance of managers and admin-
istrators being aware of the power their interactions can have is a starting point for improved practices, wheth-
er the employee or learner acknowledges the effort at first. Even if not mentioned, it will be noticed. This prac-
tice can help form meaningful partnerships and collaborations, creating seamless relationships within the envi-
ronment of the employees and learners.
10 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 28(2)
Implications for Management, Workplace, and Instructors in Adult Learning Facilities
As we become more aware of the complexity of the modern age, employers and educators of adults realize that
no one person can easily have the complete answer. The work and leaning environments are becoming more
and more a collaborative process where employees and learners, with their different perspectives, can join oth-
er employees and learners to solve complex and interrelated issues (Grant, 2011; Holmes, 2014; Raelin, 2006).
The development of an ecomap as a data collection tool or device used in work and learning environments in
collaboration with other professionals, such as psychologists or social services within the community setting,
can be a way to improve a workplace or learning culture, improve satisfaction, and create a sense of belonging
by recognizing employees and learners as individuals and their need for a meaningful life and career balance
(Bowan, 2000; Bradley-Levin, Perkins, & Romano, 2010; Rose, Beh, Uli, & Idris, 2010).
Employers and educators of adults do not need to duplicate the efforts from those in the complimentary fields,
but rather can join with these professionals and bring these constituents into the process. Learning to dialogue
and work across paradigms in order to find common ground can help businesses, adult education settings, and
communities build new assumptions about work and learning. Organizations that work in harmony with other
agencies will benefit not only themselves but also the community at large.
Appendix 1.
Questions that Can Help to Create an Ecomap (Sample Questions):
Regarding Self:
1. What do you consider to be your strengths?
2. What types of plans/hopes/dreams do you have for the future?
3. Whom do you admire? What do you admire about them?
4. What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Activities/Hobbies?
5. Identify aspects of your environment that are important to you.
6. What behaviors do you have that you like/do not like?
7. Can you describe some of the challenges you have of being you?
Regarding Interactions with Community and Friends:
1. Could you describe how often you visit with your friends?
2. How important are your friends – are they more or less important than your family?
3. What organizations do you belong to or participate in? For example, are you a member of a car
club or a church group?
4. What are some of your favorite pass times or what do you do when you “hang out”?
Regarding Family:
1. When I mention the word family to you, what comes to mind? Can you describe briefly the mem-
bers of your family?
2. Do you get along with your family members? Is there one member of the family who influences
you the most (positively)? Is there one family member who influences you in a negative way?
3. What is the language your family uses at home?
4. Are there challenges you/your family face?
5. What customs/holidays does your family celebrate or not celebrate?
6. What are some of the activities that you and your family do together formally—with in your com-
munity or with friends?
11 New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 28(2)
7. What are some activities you and your family do for fun?
Regarding School:
1. Do you go to school now?
2. Do you have a degree or certificate?
3. What do you want to do when you finish school (if you are still attending school)?
4. Is education important for achieving your goals?
5. Is school a positive experience for you? Negative?
Regarding Work:
1. Do you work now?
2. What is your favorite activity at work?
3. Is there an activity at work that you like the most?
4. If you could change your job or change your position at your present work, what do you wish you
could do?
Examples of Software Packages or Templates
1. Smart Draw Ecomap Software at https://www.smartdraw.com/ecomap/
2. Ecomap Created with software at www.genogramanalytics.com/
3. Wonderware software at www.interpersonaluniverse.net/
Some packages are free and some will require a payment. There are also YouTube videos available that ex-
plain how to use some of the software packages.
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