ORGANIZATIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNINGLEARNING

Death is the last terminal Death is the last terminal learning behaviorlearning behavior((E.M Bevis 1992E.M Bevis 1992 ) )

Some Useful DefinitionsSome Useful DefinitionsLearning is to achieve things Learning is to achieve things together . Learning to become together . Learning to become ourselves, to achieve our full ourselves, to achieve our full potentialpotential . .

Collaborative learning is about how Collaborative learning is about how to achieve things together& to achieve things together& cooperating in collective learningcooperating in collective learning..

IntroductionIntroduction The world seems to be changing faster The world seems to be changing faster

and fasterand faster——from the technologies from the technologies available to us, to the increasingly available to us, to the increasingly global scope of our interactions.global scope of our interactions.

Moreover, the problems facing us as Moreover, the problems facing us as a global community seem to be a global community seem to be growing ever more complex and growing ever more complex and serious.serious.

How do the organizations How do the organizations navigate such change and navigate such change and address these problemsaddress these problems——????????

.

--Organization hold an Organization hold an important key to these important key to these questionsquestions..

- -The field of organizational The field of organizational learninglearning explores ways to design explores ways to design organizations so that they fulfill organizations so that they fulfill their function effectively, their function effectively, encourage people to reach their encourage people to reach their full potential, and, at the same full potential, and, at the same time, help the world to be a time, help the world to be a

better placebetter place... .

What is learning What is learning organizationorganization

Learning company is: an Learning company is: an organization that facilitates organization that facilitates the learning of all its members the learning of all its members and continuously transforms and continuously transforms itselfitself..

What is Organizational What is Organizational Learning Learning (cont.)(cont.)

Organization that is able to Organization that is able to transform itself by acquiring new transform itself by acquiring new knowledge, skills and org. knowledge, skills and org. behaviorsbehaviors..

- -In successful learning In successful learning organizations, individual learning organizations, individual learning is continuousis continuous,,

knowledge is shared, and the knowledge is shared, and the culture supports learningculture supports learning..

What is Organizational What is Organizational Learning Learning (cont.)(cont.)

--Employees are encouraged Employees are encouraged to think critically and take to think critically and take

risks with new ideasrisks with new ideas. .

What is Organizational What is Organizational Learning Learning (cont.)(cont.)

--Organizational learning is the process Organizational learning is the process by which organizations change their by which organizations change their

cultures cultures and and systemssystems in relation to in relation to market conditionsmarket conditions . .

OrganizationsOrganizations must do this in order to must do this in order to improve their competitiveness and improve their competitiveness and achieve a sustainable competitive achieve a sustainable competitive advantageadvantage

--Organizational learning (OL) Organizational learning (OL) is a set of processes tois a set of processes to::

- -help people create new knowledgehelp people create new knowledge,,

- - share understanding, andshare understanding, and

--continuously improve themselves and continuously improve themselves and the companythe company..

- -More forward-thinking companies see More forward-thinking companies see OL as a core competence necessary to OL as a core competence necessary to survive in the marketplacesurvive in the marketplace . .

--The primary applications of The primary applications of OL focus on corporate-wide OL focus on corporate-wide functions such asfunctions such as::

strategic planningstrategic planning , ,

quality improvementquality improvement , ,

organization and management organization and management development, anddevelopment, and

structural designstructural design . .

What is Organizational What is Organizational Learning in ODLearning in OD

In organizational development In organizational development (OD)learning is a characteristic (OD)learning is a characteristic of an of an adaptiveadaptive organization, i.e., organization, i.e., an organization that is able to an organization that is able to sense changes in signals from sense changes in signals from its environment and adapt its environment and adapt accordinglyaccordingly..

organizational learning organizational learning theorytheory

which says that an organization which says that an organization adjusts defensively to a changing adjusts defensively to a changing environment and uses knowledge environment and uses knowledge offensively to improve the fit offensively to improve the fit between itself and its environment.between itself and its environment.

DEFINITIONDEFINITION

Peter SengePeter Senge defined a defined a learning organization as human learning organization as human beings beings cooperatingcooperating in in dynamical systems that are in a dynamical systems that are in a state of continuous adaptation state of continuous adaptation and improvementand improvement..

concept of the learning concept of the learning organizationorganization

SengeSenge’’s concept of the learning s concept of the learning organization places high value on organization places high value on developing the abilitydeveloping the ability to learn to learn and then make that learning and then make that learning continuously available to all continuously available to all organization membersorganization members..

As Peter Senge wrote in his As Peter Senge wrote in his seminal book seminal book The Fifth The Fifth

DisciplineDiscipline:: Organizational learning focused originally on Organizational learning focused originally on the practice of five core disciplines, or the practice of five core disciplines, or capacities, of which capacities, of which systems thinking forms forms the cornerstone:the cornerstone:

•• systems thinking systems thinking •• team learning team learning•• shared vision shared vision•• mental models mental models•• personal mastery personal mastery

Systems thinkingSystems thinkingSystems thinkingSystems thinking::

is the art of seeing the world in terms of is the art of seeing the world in terms of wholes, and the practice of focusing on wholes, and the practice of focusing on the relationships among the parts of a the relationships among the parts of a systemsystem..

By looking at reality through a systems By looking at reality through a systems thinking "lens," you can work thinking "lens," you can work withwith a a systemsystem——rather than againstrather than against

systems thinkingsystems thinking: :

every every oneone learns how learns how the whole organization the whole organization worksworks..

Team learningTeam learningteam learningteam learning::

is what happens when a group of people is what happens when a group of people working on something together working on something together experiences that rare feeling of experiences that rare feeling of synergy synergy andand productiveness productiveness that happens that happens when you're "in the groove." When a team when you're "in the groove." When a team is truly learning, the group as a whole is truly learning, the group as a whole becomes much more than just the sum of becomes much more than just the sum of its partsits parts..

Team learningTeam learning::––

every one works every one works together to accomplish together to accomplish the planthe plan..

Shared visionShared visionShared visionShared vision

----emerges when everyone in an emerges when everyone in an organization understands what organization understands what the organization is trying to dothe organization is trying to do..

--is genuinely committed to is genuinely committed to achieving that visionachieving that vision,,

- -and clearly grasps how his or and clearly grasps how his or her role in the organization can her role in the organization can contribute to making the vision contribute to making the vision realreal..

Practicing this discipline Practicing this discipline involves knowing how all the involves knowing how all the parts of the organization parts of the organization work together and being work together and being clear about how your own clear about how your own personal goals align with personal goals align with those of your organizationthose of your organization..

shared visionshared vision –– every one every one understand and understand and agree to a plan of agree to a plan of actionaction..

Personal masteryPersonal mastery::----is the art of identifying is the art of identifying

what mark you want to what mark you want to leave on the world during leave on the world during your lifetimeyour lifetime..

- - That is, what's your That is, what's your unique purpose in life, and unique purpose in life, and how do you want to go how do you want to go about fulfilling that about fulfilling that

purposepurpose??

Personal masteryPersonal mastery:: every one becomes self- aware every one becomes self- aware and open to othersand open to others..

Mental modelsMental models:: are the deep beliefs and are the deep beliefs and

assumptions we hold about how assumptions we hold about how the world worksthe world works . .

These models shape the These models shape the decisions we make in life, the decisions we make in life, the actions we take in response to actions we take in response to events, and the ways in which events, and the ways in which we interpret others' behaviorwe interpret others' behavior

Mental modelsMental models –– every one sets aside every one sets aside old ways of thinkingold ways of thinking..

other disciplinesother disciplines::

that support and that support and expand on the expand on the above five areabove five are::

CorporateCorporate cultureculture

is that intangible "something" that influences is that intangible "something" that influences the environments in which we work every daythe environments in which we work every day..

In the field of organizational learning, it refers In the field of organizational learning, it refers to the policies, beliefs, activities, and rituals to the policies, beliefs, activities, and rituals that determine an organization's that determine an organization's

"personality"personality..““

A company's culture can support or A company's culture can support or hinder learning, encourage or stifle hinder learning, encourage or stifle creativity, and so oncreativity, and so on . .

DialogueDialogue

focuses on new communication focuses on new communication forms that strengthen a group's forms that strengthen a group's collective intelligencecollective intelligence..

With practice, you will transform the way you With practice, you will transform the way you talk with others, stimulating questions and talk with others, stimulating questions and insights that we often miss through traditional insights that we often miss through traditional forms of conversationforms of conversation..

Work/life balanceWork/life balanceWork/life balanceWork/life balance is another area is another area receiving increasing attention in the receiving increasing attention in the organizational learning fieldorganizational learning field..

- -More and more, people are seeking to More and more, people are seeking to design their work so that they have design their work so that they have room for the other important dimensions room for the other important dimensions of their livesof their lives——family, community, self-family, community, self-development, and so ondevelopment, and so on..

- -At the same time, the boundaries At the same time, the boundaries between work and home life have between work and home life have blurred in recent decadesblurred in recent decades . .

The discipline ofThe discipline of work/life balancework/life balance::

address the question of address the question of how to set priorities and how to set priorities and find meaning in both our find meaning in both our work and non-work liveswork and non-work lives..

And as we move into the 21st And as we move into the 21st century, we'll no doubt see new century, we'll no doubt see new

disciplines emerge in this disciplines emerge in this dynamic fielddynamic field

What's the Managers' What's the Managers' Role in the Learning Role in the Learning

OrganizationOrganization?? Senge (1990)Senge (1990)::

The leader's role in the LO is that of a The leader's role in the LO is that of a designer, teacher, and steward who designer, teacher, and steward who can build shared vision and challenge can build shared vision and challenge prevailing mental modelsprevailing mental models..

He/she is responsible for building He/she is responsible for building organizations where people are organizations where people are continually expanding their capabilities continually expanding their capabilities

to shape their futureto shape their future-- --

What is the Role of Information What is the Role of Information Systems in the Learning Systems in the Learning

OrganizationOrganization??

..

-serving Organizational Memory.-can serve the other three processes

----Knowledge Acquisition ,-Information Distribution,

-Information interpretations.

BP”S CEO Browne: organization BP”S CEO Browne: organization can learn from many sourcescan learn from many sources

*They can learn from their own experience . *They can learn from their own experience . *They can learn from the experience of their *They can learn from the experience of their contractors , suppliers, partners, and contractors , suppliers, partners, and customers. customers. *And they can learn from firms in unrelated *And they can learn from firms in unrelated businesses .businesses .

““ ALL of this. Of Course , depends on ALL of this. Of Course , depends on willingness to seek out learning opportunities willingness to seek out learning opportunities from these sources and to make information from these sources and to make information sharing an expected and valued work behaviorsharing an expected and valued work behavior

Tools to stay competitiveTools to stay competitive

ChoiceChoice,,

FitFit,,

LearningLearning,,

Managing & CoachingManaging & Coaching

The strategic flexibility and The strategic flexibility and learning organizationlearning organization. .

To develop strategic flexibility the company To develop strategic flexibility the company demand to become a learning organization demand to become a learning organization which is skilled at creating , a acquiring , and which is skilled at creating , a acquiring , and transferring knowledge and at modifying its transferring knowledge and at modifying its behavior to reflect new knowledge and behavior to reflect new knowledge and insights.insights.

OL is a critical component of OL is a critical component of competitivenesscompetitiveness in a dynamic environment. in a dynamic environment.

Learning organizationLearning organization ((cont.)cont.)

LO is skilled at four main activities :LO is skilled at four main activities : Solving problems systematically.Solving problems systematically. Experimenting with new approaches.Experimenting with new approaches. Learning from their own experience Learning from their own experience

as well from other experience .as well from other experience . Transferring knowledge quickly and Transferring knowledge quickly and

efficiently throughout the organization efficiently throughout the organization . .

Learning organizationLearning organization ((cont.)cont.)

Strategic management is essential Strategic management is essential for LOfor LO to avoid stagnation through to avoid stagnation through continuous self examination and continuous self examination and experimentation . experimentation .

Learning organizationLearning organization (cont.) (cont.)

Organizations cannot survive Organizations cannot survive unless the rate of learning is unless the rate of learning is equal to or greater than equal to or greater than (L>C)(L>C) the rate of change they are the rate of change they are experiencingexperiencing

FINALLY:FINALLY: in children Learning disabilities in children Learning disabilities

are tragic, but they are are tragic, but they are fatal/deadly in organizationsfatal/deadly in organizations!!!!!!!!