...(1990), the definition of a learning organization is “a place where people continually expand their capacity to create 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 how to learn”. The main objective of this essay is to focus on the importance of the role of learning organizations and the methods in which they help in enhancing the performance of the organization as a whole. This is because the learning organization concept has been broadened and widely used by modern organizations and modern cultures. To begin with, this essay will start by focusing on the clarification of the idea of the learning organization philosophy, and will extend to critically explaining all of its advantages and disadvantages with the help of organizational examples and how the philosophy has been considered as being able to enhance an organization’s overall performance and will be concluded by providing recommendations for the managers of organizations. The learning organization approach has been popular since the 1990’s, and still stands as being one of the most talked about management theories in the business world nowadays (Marrapodi, 2003). Learning is an essential key to success in organizations and this is because learning aids the workforce of an organization in developing new skills. Without implementing the learning concept in an organization, both businesses and employees...
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...Many organizations past and present are introducing workplace learning into their daily operations to support and accommodate changes faced during economic, social, and political change. Organizations that are able to learn from the environment, adapt to changes that arise, and maintain the overall competitiveness within the market are considered learning organizations. When exploring the question “the concept of learning organizations is based on firm foundations”, it is essential to analyze the circumstances in which it primarily exists. According to Bratton, Helms-Mills, Pyrch and Sawchuk (2004), continuous learning is “a key element of the learning organization” (p. 85). With continuous learning, employers and employees are able to maintain a competitive advantage by keeping up with the trends and changes within the environment. In order to remain invested and involved with markets and competition, a level of ongoing development must occur, leading to the introduction of the learning organization as a remedy to change. To adapt to changes, organizational learning is the process in which the learning principles are applied to the learning organization. “Organizational learning is focused on learning in the organization” whereas a learning organization “centers on learning for the organization” (Bratton et al., 2004, p. 83). In brief, organizational learning contributes to the establishment of a learning organization. Among literature discussing the principles of learning...
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...An organization that learns does not automatically mean that it is a learning organization Introduction With the advance of economy, the competitions between enterprises are increasingly fierce. The research about organizational learning (OL) can be traced back to 1970s, Argyris and Schön gave a definition that diagnoses and corrects the mistake of organizations. Later, Huber (1991) published one of the most superior views about OL that during the processing of information, if the organizations’ potential behavior is changed, organizational learning has been generated in this process. Until Senge published his book named “THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE-The art & Practice of the learning organization” in 1990, the research of organizational learning enters to the climax. Basic meaning of the learning organization is that an organization is continuous expending to create its future and it has been aimed to growth the ‘knowledge intensity’ of enterprises (Senge, 1990). However, whether in theory or practice in enterprises, learning organization and organizational learning are extremely easy to confuse the two concepts. Generally, many people believe that organizational learning and learning organization are two interchangeable concepts; but from the academic point of view, the two thoughts closely related while having qualitative difference. Just like the title says, a learning organization is not an organization, which can learn. This article will start from...
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...Literature Review of the Learning Organization The concept of the learning organization is something that all organizations today must use to be able to adapt to today’s every changing environment. Learning organizations tend to have a flat, decentralized organizational structure (Argyris, 1999). There are five components that make up the learning organization: personal mastery, systems thinking, mental models, building shared vision and team learning. The key to becoming a learning organization is to expand our capacity to new ways and patterns of thinking and to continue learning and cultivating new ways of thinking and problem solving. To reap the benefits of the learning concept, organizations must be adaptable and flexible. Senge defines the learning organization as “organizations 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 how to learn together” (Senge, 2006, p. 3). Personal Mastery Personal mastery is the first principle and is one of the keys to the learning organization. We must be fully committed to the continual learning process. Personal mastery is something that cannot just be practiced occasionally but has to be practiced daily. Personal mastery defined by Peter M. Senge is the discipline of continually clarifying and deepening our personal vision, of focusing our energies, of developing...
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...Introduction Learning organizations is not a term familiar to many. The image that may appear in an individual’s mind when the term learning organization is mentioned may be that of a tutor, place of higher education, or even a church. While all of these could technically be defined as learning organizations, that is not the type of learning organization this paper explores. The learning organization literature that this paper explores is defined as the role of an institution in setting up a successful union of individuals to create learning to improve an individual and the institution as a whole (Calvert, Mobley, Marshall, 1994). This, of course, is a basic definition, and as the literature is explored, the reader quickly learns that learning organizations are as varied and diverse as the institutions within which they exist. The literature concerning learning organizations is also varied and diverse; ranging from simple, clear, and concise books and article to very detailed, in-depth, complex, and rigorous academic studies. Although the literature is exhaustive and at times overwhelming, by organizing the literature into common core areas, a reader can efficiently and effectively learn all there is to know about the learning organization, how to create a learning organization, and maintaining a successful learning organization. By thoroughly examining the literature in these three areas, an individual or institution will be able to thoroughly understand the entire...
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...LEARNING ORGANIZATION:- A Learning organization is an organization which promotes a culture that enables and motivates individual and group learning. If today ,we ask any business leader ‘’How people learn’’ the most common answer would be ‘’ During the course of the job’’ which is absolutely correct, just like sales people learn by making sales calls, architects learn by making designs, engineers learn by doing engin- eering works,But studies has shown that employees of the companies which adopt formalized learning programs (Such as coac- ching and training) outperform the employees of the companies which doesn’t adopt such learning programs. CONCEPT OF LEARNING:- Concept of learning in an organization may vary from person to person and there is no fixed definition of learning in an organization: * Many employees consider learning as the ‘’act of getting new information’’. * Some of them consider learning as ‘’picking up new behaviors and skills’’. * Other’s look on learning as ‘’ gaining new insights through personal experiences’’. GENERAL PERCEPTION :- Generally ,job-seekers think that they will learn more in huge or multi-national organizations, which is actually a misconception, Employee working in a small firm...
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...Learning Organization Week V MGT/426 Learning Organization An organization that innovates quickly and acquires knowledge to remain sustainable in a rapidly changing environment is a learning organization (Business Dictionary, 2013). There are many criteria that must be met for an organization to be a successful learning entity in a global environment while remaining sustainable. The organization must learn and change to continue to survive is this ever-changing global arena. Peter Senge describes five learning disciplines that guide organizations toward a learning environment, and he creates the concept label learning organizations (Cropper, 2013). This paper portrays the characteristics or criteria an organization needs to become a learning organization in a global environment. This paper will also display Peter Senge’s Five Learning Disciplines and how they create tools and practices for building and sustaining learning leadership ability in organizations (Cropper, 2013). Characteristics of a Learning Organization Organizations must create a culture that supports and encourages ongoing employee learning (Business Dictionary, 2013). The organization must take risks, encourage critical thinking as well as promote new ideas from every member. Organizations should value employee’s contributions and provides for mistakes while experimenting and learning from experience (Business Dictionary, 2013). A true learning organization will...
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...Question 1: Evaluate and discuss how the organization’s culture facilitated the failure. The organization that I will examine is a former organization that I worked for many years ago. Because of the culture of the organization, the organization lost many customers and eventually, had to lay off employees. When I first started working for the organization, sales were high, and some of the employees had been there for many years. Over the next 3 years, the management changed and so did the culture of the organization. What was once a fun place to work, rapidly became a very stressful environment. The organization’s new management became known for finding a reason to terminate employees who spoke up about matters that were wrong, or made recommendations for change that management did not agree with. Many of the managers felt recommendations or suggestions from employees meant they were not doing their jobs, therefore, they continued to operate as if everything was fine. When the monthly newsletters came out, often times, there were articles that mentioned decisions were made based on input from employees. As new employees came on board, they quickly learned the culture of the organization and followed suit to avoid being terminated. Due to the fear of being terminated, many employees stayed silent as problems began to develop. Some of these problems included problems with customers, lack of training and experience of new employees, outdated technology, and internal...
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...Learning Organizations and Organizational Learning Organizations and Organizational Introduction The world today is experiencing the most rapid pace of change in its history. The purpose of this essay is to discuss what organizational structure is suitable in the business circumstances of today. This essay is to mainly break down piece by piece what learning organizations are and how they come together. To support this argument, firstly organizations will be defined, and then the properties that make an organization effective will be identified. Next organizational structure will be appraised, and what constitutes business environment will be established. Once that has been fully established a quick summary will be provided to reiterate the main source if this paper. Definition Organizational structure is defined as ‘the organization’s formal framework by which job tasks are divided, grouped and coordinated’ (Robbins et al., 2000: 351). Generally an organizations’ structure is considered to be the managerial framework that directs the non-managerial employees. Traditionally western organizational structure can be argued to have developed from the feudal system of government where a strict pyramidal power and class structure existed. Termed as mechanistic organizations they are described by Robbins et al. as being ‘characterized by high specialization, extensive departmentalization, narrow spans of control, high formalization, a limited information network, and little participation...
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...Philosophy of a Learning Organization STEPHEN G. LIND Central Michigan University Dr. Spyros Catechis MSA 620: Effective Administration and Organizational Behavior October 21, 2008 Philosophy of a Learning Organization The purpose of this essay is to provide my philosophy and discuss my beliefs and ideas of a learning organization. It will answer questions such as, what is a learning organization?; what are the characteristics of a learning organization?; what research or doctrine supports my philosophy?; what assessments would be used to document that the organization is learning?; and how do you know the organization is effective? BusinessDictionary.com defines a learning organization as: An “organization that acquires knowledge and innovates fast enough to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing environment. Learning organizations (1) create a culture that encourages and supports continuous employee learning, critical thinking, and risk taking with new ideas, (2) allow mistakes, and value employee contributions, (3) learn from experience and experiment, and (4) disseminate the new knowledge throughout the organization for incorporation into day-to-day activities” (BusinessDictionary.com, 2008). This definition covers succinctly, how my philosophy of a learning organization should think and operate. It is important to consider the mindset and goals of an organization, as well as the definition...
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...What is a Learning Organization? by Moya K. Mason Introduction Learning organizations are not simply the most fashionable or current management trend, they can provide work environments that are open to creative thought, and embrace the concept that solutions to ongoing work-related problems are available inside each and every one of us. All we must do is tap into the knowledge base, which gives us the "ability to think critically and creatively, the ability to communicate ideas and concepts, and the ability to cooperate with other human beings in the process of inquiry and action (Navran Associates Newsletter 1993). A learning organization is one that seeks to create its own future; that assumes learning is an ongoing and creative process for its members; and one that develops, adapts, and transforms itself in response to the needs and aspirations of people, both inside and outside itself ( Navran Associates Newsletter 1993). What learning organizations do is set us free because employees no longer have to be passive players in the equation; they will learn to express ideas and challenge themselves to contribute to an improved work environment by participating in a paradigm shift from the traditional authoritarian workplace philosophy to one where the hierarchy is broken down, and human potential is heralded. Learning organizations foster an environment wherein people can "create the results they truly desire," and where they can learn to learn together...
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...Reinterpreting the learning organisation Deb Stewart Introduction The concept of the learning organisation (LO) has gone through many combinations and permutations over the last decade in terms of theoretical development and attempts at practical application. The fervent interest in the LO stems from what Senge (1990; Senge et al., 1994) calls the age of globalisation where one source of competitive advantage is the ability and rate at which an organisation can learn and react more quickly than its competitors. Some writers have used the term LO interchangeably with organisational learning (OL) while others have attempted to draw clear distinctions between the two. There appears to be little consensus about what a LO organisation looks like or what OL means. Furthermore there seems little agreement on the relationship between individual learning and collective learning in organisations and how one translates into the other. This paper initially provides a cursory glimpse at the current literature on the LO in the context of learning and OL and in particular the theoretical tensions and dilemmas existing between these concepts. Management theorists have under-utilised the insights and practices from other disciplines such as sociology, philosophy and anthropology. As Burrell (1994) argues: Sooner or later organisation studies must enter an area where philosophy and social science meet. Organisation studies must also enter intellectual theory where the well-established French...
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...Building a Learning Organization ABSTRACT This report is a review on two articles on Learning organizations and the practices followed by them. While the article by Garvin focuses on the building blocks that help an organization to recognize where it is, the second article is a review on a Think Tank meet that focuses on 9 best practices the leading learning organizations have followed. Initially, the importance of the meaning, measurement and management of a learning organization is described. Later the five building blocks that learning organizations need to be skilled in are emphasized. The different stages of knowledge are focused on in the next section. The report ends with comments on benchmarking, half-life curves. The report concludes with the comparisons and differences between the articles and the evolution of thought. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………………………………… 1 LEARNING ORGANIZATION……………………………………………………………………… 1 3 M’S DESCRIBED BY GARVIN …………………………………………………………………. 2 STEPPING STONES OF A LEARNING ORGANIZATION…………………………………3 THE STEPS PERTINENT TO LEARNING……………………………………………………… 5 BENCHMARKING ROLE …………………………………………………………………………….6 LEARNING CURVES...…………………………………………………………………………………6 WHITE PAPER AND GARVIN PAPER……………………………………………………………7 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………………………8 INTRODUCTION: The...
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...Learning Organizations: Fad or Future? By Marty Jacobs Published in the September 2007 Issue of Vermont Business Magazine When Peter Senge’s book, The Fifth Discipline was first published in 1990, the term “learning organization” joined the business lexicon. Senge was able to distill years of research and practice in the field of organization development into a clear and concise theory for creating profound organizational change. So, are learning organizations the wave of the future or will the theory fall by the wayside like so many other business and management fads (management by objectives, reengineering, etc.)? The answer to that question is a resounding, “It depends.” It depends on an organization’s willingness to commit the time and energy to changing its behavior. Before delving into the area of changing organizational behavior, however, let’s first define a learning organization. Learning organizations are those that are able to integrate the following five disciplines: • • Personal mastery: Personal mastery is the ability to continually clarify and deepen personal vision, focus energies, develop patience, and see reality objectively. Mental models: Mental models are deeply ingrained assumptions or generalizations that influence how we understand the world and how we take action. Working with mental models involves surfacing and examining organizational assumptions, in order to understand organizational systems better and to develop more effective solutions. Building...
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...[pic] | |peter senge and the learning organization | | | |Peter Senge’s vision of a learning organization as a group of people who are | | | | |continually enhancing their capabilities to create what they want to create has been | | | | |deeply influential. We discuss the five disciplines he sees as central to learning | | | | |organizations and some issues and questions concerning the theory and practice of | | | | |learning organizations. | | | | | | | | |contents: introduction | peter senge | the learning organization | systems thinking – the cornerstone of the | | | |learning organization | the core disciplines | leading the learning organization | issues and problems | | | | |conclusion | further reading and references | links | | | |Peter M. Senge (1947- ) was named a ‘Strategist of the Century’ by the Journal of Business...
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