...Introduction Organizational Learning has become an important theory in the development of leadership and organizational growth. There are many works available on the topic but Peter M. Senge’s book “The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization” is held as the foremost organizational learning concept that others have built upon. In 1990, Senge outlined the five disciplines as follows: 1. System Thinking: is the conceptual framework where organizations see the total picture to make effective change. It is considered the cornerstone of the disciplines. 2. Personal Mastery: is dependent on the commitment of the organization’s members to effect change so the organization may learn. 3. Mental Models: exposes the biases that we carry with us, which we may be unaware of. In order to learn and change it is necessary to “turn the mirror inward.” It opens the member to “learningful” conversations and other’s input. 4. Building Shared Vision: this is the shared commitment of the future goals of the organization. The key component of this discipline is that the vision is shared by the stakeholders and not dictated by the organization. 5. Team Learning: this is the foundation to the organization’s ability to thrive. It is a vital component of modern organizations as the learning unit is the team, as opposed to the individual. The teams must learn so the organization may learn. Senge defined his framework as disciplines because he considered them...
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...Knowledge Management. Contemporary Trends and Issues ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING Povilas Brilius Baifoteka Ltd, Lithuania, povilas@baifoteka.com Abstract: Organizational Learning (OL) is recognized to have established itself as a discipline. However, it remains unclear what it is primarily focused onto – practical problem solving or theoretical descriptive analysis. Due to largely fragmented literature, sometimes interweaving concepts and a variety of attitudes, practitioners find it difficult to easily apply this field, meantime theorists call for more comprehensive understanding of OL. This article focuses on contemporary trends in OL research. It argues and unveils that current OL investigation has made a shift towards holistic and integrative approach in which individual has more powers to make a decision. Article illustrates such contemporary shift of mind by (a) summarizing most important literature in the field (b) providing examples of latest research in OL area. For a smoother analysis, author builds and applies working framework of dichotomies between concepts (dialectical approach). Keywords: organizational learning, contemporary trends, holism. JEL Classification: D800, D830 1. Introduction During the last 50-60 years Organizational Learning (OL) has undoubtedly established itself as a discipline – a number of concepts have been constructed and applied theoretically, numerous schools with distinct models have emerged. However, a question may be posed – to what...
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...Organizational Learning for Organizational Knowledge The Full Future for Knowledge Management All organizations have one true goal, and that is to grow and flourish, to be successful in whatever the scope of their business model entails. In order to effectively accomplish this goal all organizations must acquire the ability to transform information into knowledge and learn from that knowledge. Thomas H. Huxley probably stated it best when he said “the greatest end of life is not knowledge but action’ (Lewis, 2008), this holds an inherent thread of truth for almost any organization. Any organization that fails to learn from the knowledge they hold, is most likely doomed to failure as an organization. Organizations all have missions; they state these concisely in their mission statements, briefly outlining their reason for being. This is their focus and ultimate goal and while these goals are normally quite lofty the real question is how they are going to accomplish this goal. All resources are going to be directed to the achievement of this goal, and in reality, probably the most overlooked yet undoubtedly most important resources is found in organizational knowledge. Organizational knowledge can take many forms; it can be books, lessons and training, files on a network or computer, even what an individual employee knows and more. In its most broad sense, it is each and every one of these things, from all sources and employees collectively under the umbrella that...
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...Learning is the way we create new knowledge and improve ourselves. Brown and Duguid describe organizational learning is the bridge between working and innovating. Organizational Learning is a process to enable organizations to better use the knowledge of their members to make business decisions. In a conventional organization, decisions are often based on management perspective without taking into account the other members of the organization. A business using Organizational Learning recognizes the value added by including all of its members in the decision making process. A Learning Organization recognizes that a business consists of people and it takes a commitment from all in the organization to best obtain the organization’s goals. Through Organizational Learning an organization gains knowledge and develops skills to empower its members to work as a cohesive team. The following table saws some of the key differences between a Conventional Organization and a Learning Organization. Conventional Organization | Learning Organization | Locked into management’s views of methods and goals. | Flexible and open to new ideas. | Makes decisions based on what currently best fits the organizational structure. | 1. Willing to disregard the status quo in favor of innovation. 2. Management encourages all members to continuously rethink what they do, how they do it, and how they might do it better | Adapts and/or reacts to change. | Anticipates the future and strives to create services...
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...Organizational learning Characteristics IS how companies change in order to adapt in their environment. The characteritics of the organizational learning are: 1. It means that never finishes à outgoing process 2. Constant measurement of performance à To see how they are working • Learning curve if there is change, first the performance of the company will decrees and in a certain time will go up. ( when all the people adapt to the new conditions this will change). 3. Experimentationà this ones are implemented in order to adapt people and make changes. • Simulations: Try ti make similar things as real life, this ones are commonly helped by technology. • Scenariosà the use of different possibilities, using the question what if? • Learning laboratories: This one analyzes the the situations that the company is leading or leaves, identify which one corresponds to the change. This one is divided in three types. Learning: acquisitions of knowledge or creation of knowledge Performance: actions, behaviors, processes, measure of results. Change: Explicit change, something in the company changed. 4. Source of changes could be: • Changes: when something is not as the same way it was before Reactive: when the company makes a change when there is a problem. Proactive: When the company makes a change before any problem occur. • Internal: might be the organizational climate. • External: how the company works will be see from others. And this one’s could be Urgent:...
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...The organizational structure of any company is important. The structure of a business shows how it is managed and organized and can be split into several departments that operate separately with different levels of responsibility. Depending on the industry of the business, having several departments that operate separately will give a company a number of advantages. For example, to distinguish the differences in the products and services a company has to offer will show the work flow of the company, and offer a variety of products and services to clientele for a specific business. Versatility in a business can be very advantageous because it will give a client a variety of services to choose from. Top Job Staffing, Inc. is a hospitality service company with a structure similar to the one mentioned above. They provide professional bartenders, trained banquet staff and culinary services. Services are provided for banquets, hotels, country clubs, private residence, and corporate events. Top Job Staffing has a very stringent screening process for applicants that apply for positions with the organization. Appearance and attitude are a major focus for deciding which applicants have the required skill level to meet the benchmarks established by the company, in addition to meeting client needs. A part of the screening process requires each applicant to complete a mandatory three day training class regardless of the number of years of experience. The structure of...
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...Theory and Practice of Organizational Learning Teresa Friskney Strayer University Theory and Practice of Organizational Learning Organizational learning explores ways to design organizations so that they carry out their function successfully, encourage people to reach their full potential, and, at the same time, help the world to be a better place. Learning organizations are 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 to see the whole together (Smith, 2001). However, there seems no clear definition of organizational learning except for the fact that it is learning, in one form or another. “Organizational learning is a flexible concept spanning a number of disciplines and perspectives so that it is now impossible to capture with a single definition” (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007, p. 43). For the purpose of this paper, the following information concerns only three characteristics of a successful learning organization. Discussion concerns systems thinking, shared vision, and team learning. In order to understand systems thinking, one must define it as a group of interacting, interrelated, and interdependent components that form a complex and unified whole. For example, a system can be a department in an organization. Each system has a purpose in a larger...
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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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...Essay: Managing Knowledge: The Link between Culture and Organizational Learning According to the article, I’m totally agree with it, because the main idea is that to be successful in business environment you must Know your company and make your employees know it as well, start knowing the goals, objectives, activities, personal, infrastructure, organization, processes, culture, in general all the things that involves your company, have an entire knowledge about it. Other interesting point is the Stata’s quote that talk about the organization’s ability to learn faster all the aspects about the company than the competitors is an important source of competitive advantage, this is really interesting, because if all people involved into an organization knows exactly what is it about, create new fresh ideas, and communicate them to the other members of the organization in an efficient way, this allows the company to become successful and better than the competitors. I think that every company, has an organizational culture and learning process clearly defined, when an enterprise has an organizational culture that leads the entire company, the personal feels they are committed to the enterprise, and they are satisfied with their performance. About the learning processes I think is vital to the organization that all people involved know exactly what are their functions, and not only their owns, also the manager’s, CEO’s, and Director’s functions, with this, they feel more...
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...MGT600-1205A-03: Business Research for Decision Making Unit 1 IP Dr. Anthony Matias MGT600-1205A-03 Christine Blewett Abstract This paper will show the differences and similarities between formal research and a business proposal. After looking at different findings, the differences between both concepts exceed the similarities. It will then look at different studies done by many researchers to support the Hypothesis that Organizational Learning is indeed a predictor of effective strategic management. This paper will present how organizational learning can help managers with their strategic thinking to better execute goals and tasks. In the world today, we are surrounded by millions of businesses. We rely on these businesses for many of our essential needs. They provide us with food, clothes, entertainment and so much more. So, when problems occur in a business, it does not only affect the company itself but us as well. It is crucial that businesses run smoothly, and those who are in command know of solutions when certain problems arise to avoid negative outcomes. Those in charge are often called Business Manager’s. Business manager's come across problems on a day to day basis, whether big or small, managers must resolve these problems by making the right decision(Uma Sekaran, 2010, p. 2). Depending on the dilemma, decisions and solutions can be quite difficult to come up with so a process to make this task easier can be extremely helpful to the manager. Also...
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...Organizational Learning and Decision-Making: A Southeastern School District and Elementary School Greg Alford, DA University of Phoenix Org 714 Organizational Learning and Decision-Making: A Southeastern School District and Elementary School Although learning should be an easy task for a school and school system, the bureaucracy of a public educational system presents many obstacles to substantive learning on the part of the employees and the smoothness of the decision-making process. This paper examines the opportunities for organizational learning and the decision-making process in southeastern U.S. school district and specifically at an elementary school Pre-K CDC Program. What is Organizational Learning and Decision-Making? Organizational learning is the process through which managers seek to improve organization members’ desire and ability to understand and manage the organization and its environment so they make decisions that continuously raise organizational effectiveness. There are two types of organizational learning strategies that may be pursued by any group: exploration and exploitation. Exploration is a method where organizational members learn of ways to improve existing organizational activities and procedures through experimentation. Exploitation is where those members refine and improve on existing activities and procedures to increase effectiveness (Jones, 2010). Organizational decision-making is the process of responding to a problem by searching...
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...Learning organization is a concept of collective learning that results from individual or team learning. The concept can be seen as a win-win situation based on the argument that individuals can develop as the organization grows. A learning organization may choose to empower workers by giving greater decision making power, how to complete their tasks and work in self managed teams (Spencer and Kelly, 2013) In this essay, various debates and case studies on organizational learning and learning organization will be identified and it will be discussed if the concept is in fact based on firm foundations. According to Spencer and Kelly, 2013 workplace learning needs to begin with the substantive issues of equity, power, authority, control and ownership. Large corporations create hierarchies of control and power and are driven by the profit motive. These control, power and profit relations create the social relations within work and society. When looking at income equity, from September 2010 to September 2011 the average earnings of Canadians rose by 1.1% while the top 100 CEOs income rose by 27% (CCPA, 2012). Additionally, HRM policies create a “sense of shared ownership” and control of the enterprise but the “sense of ownership” is not the same thing as workers actually owning and controlling and could be regarded as a form of propaganda. The idea is to increase productivity and commitment which would lift labour performance higher- “committed employees would “go the extra mile”...
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...Impacting Organizational Learning: The Training and Experiences of Quality Award Examiners and Assessors Prof. V.K. Susil Kumar Faculty and Manager – Placements Institute for Technology and Management, 11/D 14, Fourth Main Road, SIPCOT IT Park, Siruseri, Rajiv Gandhi Salai (OMR), Pudupakkam Post, Chennai – 603103 Landline: 044-32974148 Mobile: 9380502425 Abstract The Training and Experiences of Quality Award Examiners and Assessors aim to show that developments in the quality award assessment process in organizations can make a contribution, within a wider framework of organizational learning. The underpinning theoretical argument is that quality award models and associated organizational assessment processes can be used to achieve much wider benefits, than that of quality per se. The quality award assessment process has been applied in organizations from the mid-1980s to the present. The process uses models such as the Business Excellence Model and the Baldrige model. These models use an interpretation of quality, which is based on the holistic approach of total quality management. In parallel with the development of the assessment process, there has been considerable development in the field of organizational learning with an emphasis on developing learning based skills in employees. It shows how the learning experiences and skills developed and enhanced through the assessment process can be applied within an organization’s approach to learning in other...
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...available at ScienceDirect Technological Forecasting & Social Change Intellectual capital and new product development performance: The mediating role of organizational learning capability Ya-Hui Hsu a,⁎, Wenchang Fang b,1 a b Department of Business Administration, Ming Chuan University, 11F, No.318, Fuhe Rd., Yonghe City, Taipei 234, Taiwan Department of Business Administration, National Taipei University, 69, Sec 2, Jian-Kuo N. Rd, Taipei 104, Taiwan a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Previous studies rarely examined the relationship between intellectual capital and organizational learning capability. Moreover, most studies neglect the mediating effect of organizational learning capability in the relationship between intellectual capital and new product development performance. This study uses interviews and the survey method to discuss the relationships governing intellectual capital, organizational learning capability, and new product development performance. Results are based on empirical data from Taiwan's IC design industry, and are generated by the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method. Results show that human capital and relational capital actually improve new product development performance through organizational learning capability. Although structural capital positively affects organizational learning capability, managers should pay attention to possibly negative effects of structural capital on new product development performance. Relational capital is...
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...A Harvard university psychologist Ellen langer argues that we are mostly unaware of the assumptions that underlie our thinking and behaviour.as a result our behaviour for most part is largely automatic. We tend to react to situations unthinkingly; it is as if our behaviour is mindless. She suggests 3 manifestations of mindlessness: 1) we tend to get trapped by the categories we create. When we construct a mental model of the world around us, we create categories and make distinctions b/w them. 2) as the experiment above indicates, automatic behaviour is another reflection of mindlessness. Habit or any repetitive behaviour is more likely to lead to mindlessness. 3) actions from a single perspective is a reflection of mindlessness. What are the roots of mindlessness? 1- whenever we perform any task repeatedly, we become expert at it. In psychological terms we overlearn the task. 2- we tend to form a mindset when we first encounter something. Subsequently we have a tendency to cling to it when we reencounter the same thing. Langer calls this premature cognitive commitment. 3- when we believe that the resources we require are limited, we are more likely to be trapped by the categories that we create. 4- we may think of time as a linear entity when in fact under some conditions it may make more sense to think of it as a cyclical entity. 5- both in education and at work we tend to be outcome oriented. We are focused on results rather than the processfor achieving...
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