Introduction:
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the literature in Learning Organizations and discuss several models in building a learning organization. To this end, the paper analyses the parameters that help build a learning organization, draws upon various scholarly work in this field including Huber 1991, Garvin 1993, Schein 1993, Argyris 1994, Goh 1998, Chau 2008, Serrat 2009.
The various definitions of authors on Learning Organizations include
In a learning organization, individuals are the key where they are acting in order to learn, or where they are acting to produce a result. All the knowledge has to be generalized and crafted in ways in which the mind and brain can use it in order to make it actionable (Argyris 1993)
Organizational learning is learning about learning. The outcome will be a renewed connection between employees and their work, which will spur the organization to create a future for itself (Braham 1996)
Organizational learning is the ability to adapt and utilize knowledge as a source of competitive knowledge. Learning must result in a change in the organization’s behavior and action patterns (Denton 1998)
A learning organization is linked to action learning processes where it releases the energy and learning of the people in the hour-to-hour, day-to-day operational cycles of business
(Garrat 1995)
A learning organization has the powerful capacity to collect, store, and transfer knowledge and thereby continuously transform itself for corporate success. It empowers people within and outside the company to learn as they work. A most critical component is
the utilization of technology to optimize both learning and productivity
(Marquardt and Kearsley 1999)
A learning organiz...
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...de to Overcoming Barriers to Organizational Change, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA.
Senge, P.M. (1990), The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization,
Century Business, London.
Schein, E.H. (1988), Process Consultation Volume I: Its Role in Organization Development,
Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
Yeo, R. (2003), “Linking organizational learning to organizational performance: Singapore case studies”, The Leadership & Organization Development Journal
Swee C. Goh (1998) Towards a Learning Organization : The Strategic Building Blocks
Olivier Serrat (2009) Building A Learning Organisation
David A Garvin (1993) Building A Learning Organisation
Huber (1991) Organizational Learning: The Contributing Process and literature
Chau, S.L. 2008 Antecedents of organizational learning: a conceptual framework
Organizations need to maintain their competitive advantage by quickly adapting to change and promoting new and innovative strategies to ensure their success. Researchers have determined that since most popular strategies focus on people and knowledge as assets in order to improve performance, learning at all levels is necessary for an organization to succeed (Kotter, 2012). Therefore, organizations should function as Learning Organizations (LOs) by creating an environment where members can learn continuously (Slater and Narver, 1995). Senge (1990: 3) considered a LO to be an organization “where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together.” Others, such as Pedler et al. (1998: 3) simply defined it as “an organization that facilitates the learning of all its members and consciously transforms itself and its context”.
These disiplies are important in establishing a learning organization because in a growing environment, it is important to provide “creative thought process” feel. Concepts, ideas, and solutions should be discussed and available to everyone. Learning organizations set us free. Employees are allowed to express their ideas and challenges which contribute to a more efficient work environment. A learning work environment that incorporates these 5 disciplines can create the desired results where people and the organization will be equally
In his book The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge emphasizes his model of a "learning organization," which he defines as "an organization that is continually expanding its capacity to create its future." A learning organization excels at both adaptive learning and generative learning.
Senge, P. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization (revised ed.). New York: Random House.
Typically when we think of learning we think of gaining some kind of knowledge through information that we have received, yet the word ‘learning’ can be difficult to define. According to the book “Principles of Organisational Behaviour: An Irish Text”, “learning is a process through which individuals acquire and assimilate new knowledge and skills that results in relatively permanent behaviour changes” (Morley at al. 2004, p.87). Learning can take many forms for example conscious learning is where an individual is aware that they are being taught. In contrast to this unconscious learning is when an individual does not realise that what they are doing will lead to improved skills and learning ability. Learning can also be formal for example
Under the context of NASA Agency the learning organization means: Building and overcoming tendencies such as foam strikes in the management, following rules and regulation governing the management, adherence and compliance with collective knowledge to every individual tribulation. Explicitly, learning organization is the foundation upon which the whole structure of knowledge management is built. Organization has high developed frame work, where the total task or an activity is separated into manageable workings in order to facilitate the achievement of objectives. Accordingly, organization is the mechanism that facilitates learning in a wide range of wisdom acquisition. In a static sense, an organization is a formation manned by group of individuals who are working together towards a common goal. The main characteristics or Features of learning organization are as follows:
organizational learning and learning organization are sometimes used interchange ably. Organizational learning is a concept used to describe certain types of activity that take place in an organization while the learning organization refers to a partic...
Senge, P. M. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art and Practice of the learning organization (1st ed., Rev.). New York, NY: Doubleday.
The business environment consists of individual factors that keep changing throughout the time. The environment itself is dynamic and uncertain, and thus organizational change are not avoidable. An approach need to be practiced to overcome this problem, Organizational development or OD seems to have the solution to this problem. Organizational development is designed to elaborate on the knowledge and potency of people to overcome the challenge of accomplishing successful performance and organizational change. In reality, however Change management practitioners and scholars have begun to have doubts and question of the overall effectiveness of organizational development as the best strategic approach for firms to adopt to manage organizational
What is organizational development? Beckhard (1996) defined organizational development as an effort planned, organization wide, and managed from the top, to increase organizational effectiveness and health through planned interventions in the organization’s “process,” using behavior-science (Anderson, 2012, p.2). Nowadays in the business field, in order for an organization to be successful, they must be flexible. They must implement effective organizational development (OD) interventions which are “intended to make an organization and its constituent parts self-conscious with respect to how results are accomplished and how individuals and groups relate to each other” (Leach, 1978, p. 34). “ OD interventions involve respect for people, a climate of trust and support, shared power, open confrontation of issues, and the active participation of stakeholders” (Justo, 2009, ¶ 1). This research paper identifies the different interventions; define one intervention, why interventions fail, and planning interventions for success.
Richard Beckhard defined Organization Development as an effort to plan, organize, and manage from the top to increase organization effectiveness and health through planned interventions in the organizations "processes," using behavioral-science knowledge. (Beckhard, 1969). A simpler definition is that OD is the logical application for behavior science to bring about deliberate change in an organization. The intended objectives and outcomes are for organizational survival through improved adaptability, productivity, and effectiveness. These objectives will be accompl...
The learning organization is the opposite of the traditional organization. It believes that there is always a better way to do things, it listens to those who work within the company, utilizes a systems approach, is orientated towards people and ideas, prevents problems, quality and customer-service is essential, and accountability to the team is essential (Anderson, 2003). The lear...
A learning organisation uses learning in a day-to-day manner. The focus is clearly on the job. It identifies and resolves problems as they occur, attempting to harness each situation and learn from it. Consequently, it ensures that all learning derived is stored, classified above all, used when confronted with a similar situation in the future.
Learning organization is a new thinking way to think about organizing. An organization in the process of development will meet a wide range of challenges. It is likely to lose its ability to learn which lead organization structure rigid. Traditional Pyramid organization
Learning is defined as a measurable and the act or the process of acquiring a relatively permanent change in a behavioural tendency through knowledge, skills and experience. People learn in their lifetime. The learning process continues throughout our life and it is the first step in becoming an outstanding performer. In today’s rapidly developing world, if you do not keep learning, you are not standing still, you are falling behind. This is not only applied to individual, but also for the organizations. But here comes the questions: Is individual and the organization can learn? In order to answer this question, we need to imply the use of the theories and ideas and also discuss how the culture, group and emotion of the individuals or organization will affect the learning organization.