Organizational Behaviour Unit 4
Sikkim Manipal University Page No. 58
Unit 4 Learning
Structure:
4.1 Introduction
Objectives
4.2 Learning and Learning Cycle
4.3 Components of Learning
4.4 Theories of Learning
4.5 Summary
4.6 Glossary
4.7 Terminal Questions
4.8 Answers
4.1 Introduction
In the earlier units you have learnt about organizational and interpersonal behavior. In this unit we will get an understanding about the concept ‘learning’. Let us relate it with a small example - you pick up a cat and take it to a new environment such as a new house or a new garden and leave it there. Immediately the cat begins to move around slowly looking and sniffing at various objects, identifying avenues to enter and escape, places where food may be available, and objects that are dangerous and hence are to be avoided. The cat is learning. Thus we see that learning is natural, spontaneous, important and beneficial. It is wrong to assume that only human beings learn, or that learning is unnatural or that it is not important. A cat is looked upon as a great survivor and it is its natural instinct to learn which helps it to survive. Like the cat we human beings too have to learn not just in schools, but in every walk of life including within organizations. An organization where people learn the right things quickly is successful. An organization where learning is neglected falls apart. Since learning is so essential for the well-being of an organization it is not surprising that substantial managerial effort is directed towards creating a learning environment and learning itself. Right from the induction into an organization till retirement, organizational learning is an inescapable fact. If learning is important it is also important to understand how people learn, elements of the learning process, role of teachers and facilitators in learning, and also about an