Lecture 6 the learning organisation

Jashapara, Knowledge Management: An Integrated Approach, 2nd Edition, © Pearson Education Limited 2011

Slide 6.1

Analysis 1: Evidence and the Nature of Knowledge in the Digital Age

Topic: The Learning Organisation

Topic Number: 6


Slide 6.2

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• To explain the differences between organisational learning and the learning organisation

• To describe different models and conceptions of the learning organisation

• To discuss issues of power and politics that may affect learning organisations


Slide 6.3

Questions to think about during the session

• What is a ‘Learning Company’?

• How would you recognise one?

• Why is learning important for a company?

• Who does the learning – executives, middle managers or employees?


Slide 6.4

ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING & LEARNING ORGANIZATION

Table 6.1 Distinctions between organisational learning and the learning organisation


Slide 6.5


• Is a continuous learning programme the same as learning?

• What is the incentive for people to learn in a company?

• Can ‘non-learning’ companies be successful?

• Are there risks to learning?


Slide 6.6


• Can you have too much learning?

• What should companies learn about?

• Do training programmes help companies to learn?

• What are the merits and drawbacks of ‘on-the-job’ learning?


Slide 6.7

ARIE DE GEUS (1988)

‘…the ability for a firm to learn faster than its competitors may be its only form of sustainable competitive advantage’

• How do you encourage your employees to learn faster than your competitors?

• Do they know what your competitors are doing?


Slide 6.8

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING(Argyris and Schon, 1978)

• Single-loop learning

• Double-loop learning

• Are there dangers in double-loop learning?


Slide 6.9

ACTION LEARNING(Revans, 1977)

• P = Programmed Learning – highly specialist

• Q = Questioned Learning – asking questions

• Action learning groups• Is learning as simple as this?• Where do you store this

learning or communicate it?

L = P + Q


Slide 6.10

ACTION LEARNING(Mumford, 1991: 4 I’s)

• Interaction with major players• Integration – appropriate skills and knowledge• Implementation – managers accountable• Iteration – view learning as a process• Prescriptive?• How would you apply it to employees?


Slide 6.11

THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE(Senge, 1990)

• Personal Mastery – clarifying what is importantto us (vision/purpose)

• Team Learning – Dialogue & Discussion• Systems Thinking• Mental Models – capacity to reflect on our own

mental pictures• Shared Vision – linked to personal visions• Application to an organisation?• Development of shared vision?


Slide 6.12

US CONTRIBUTION

Figure 6.1 The learning organisation (Garvin 1993; Senge 1990)


Slide 6.13

THREE-LEVEL HIERARCHY(Garratt, 1987)

• Policy/Strategy/Operations• Business Brain (Strategy) in

the centre• Double-Loop Learning• Direction givers in centre to

allow integration and processing of information

• Does learning on projects feedback to strategy formers?

Figure 6.2 A three-level hierarchy for the learning organisation (Garratt 1987)


Slide 6.14

LEARNING COMPANY(Pedler, Burgoyne and Boydell, 1991)

• Strategy-learning approach with feedback loops to enable continuous improvement

• Looking in – exploring ways of enhancing learning and collaboration

• Structures – flexibility• Looking out – ‘win-win’ learning• Learning opportunities – allow

mistakes• Mechanistic?

Figure 6.3 The learning company (Pedlar et al. 1991)Source: The Learning Company: A Strategy for Sustainable Development, McGraw-Hill (Pedlar, M., Burgoyne, J. and Boydell, T. 1991). Reproduced with the kind permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved.


Slide 6.15

EXPERIMENTING ORGANISATIONS(Easterby-Smith, 1990)

• Generate creativity and innovation in people• Introduce flexibility in structures• Not to disadvantage individuals in reward system for

risk taking• Focus on unusual variations in information systems• How do you encourage individuals to take risks?• What levels of risk are acceptable?


Slide 6.16

ENCOURAGING WANTED BEHAVIOURS (Honey, 1991)

• Wanted Behaviours – Asking questions, suggesting ideas, exploring alternatives, taking risks, being open, reflecting etc…

• Unwanted Behaviours – Acquiesing, rubbishing ideas, quick fixes, being cautious, filtering bad news, keeping active etc…

• Who decides on acceptable and unacceptable behaviours?


Slide 6.17

KNOWLEDGE CREATING COMPANY(Nonaka, 1991)

• Articulation – converting tacit to explicit knowledge• Internalisation – using explicit knowledge to increase

one’s tacit base• Use of figurative language, symbolism and metaphors• How could slogans and metaphors be used to aid

learning in companies?


Slide 6.18

KNOWLEDGE CREATING COMPANY (CONTINUED)

Figure 6.4 The knowledge-creating company (Nonaka 1991)


Slide 6.19

COMPETITIVE LEARNING ORGANIZATION(Jashapara, 1995)

Figure 6.5 Competitive learning organisation (Jashapara 2003)


Slide 6.20

COMPETITIVE LEARNING ORGANIZATION(Jashapara, 1995)

• Static/Teaching/Learning organisations• Use of benchmarks• Contamination – dominant force hindering change• Cleavage – 2 or more forces confront each other and

paralyse organisation


Slide 6.21

Reading and preparatory work to be done

Read:• Jashapara, A. (2011) “ Knowledge Management:

An Integrated Approach” Pearson Education, Chapter 6

Work to be done before the seminar:• Carry out all the reading above• Answer the questions on the handout• Bring your work to the seminar

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Slide 6.22

Essential work for next week

• Please consult the OLE for details of:– Essential readings*– Seminar/workshop preparation work*– Recommended further readings– Any additional learning

* Essential readings and preparation work must always be completed in time for the next session

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Slide 6.23

End of presentation

© Pearson College 2013

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