Developing complex-project capability through dynamic organizational learning

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 732-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terence Ahern ◽  
P.J. Byrne ◽  
Brian Leavy
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Knowledge Creation ◽  
Linear Problem ◽  
Continuous Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Complex Projects ◽  
Non Linear ◽  
Complex Project ◽  
Knowledge Uncertainty ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to extend the learning boundaries of traditional project capability, which follows the linear planning paradigm, in order to include non-linear complex projects that cannot be completely specified and planned in advance, and so require continuous learning over their life cycles. Design/methodology/approach – Based on an earlier empirical investigation, where complex-project capability (CPC) is developed through dynamic organizational learning based on non-linear problem solving, the paper examines some of the conceptual and practical implications of this process insight. The focus here is on incomplete pre-given knowledge and emergent knowledge creation during CPC development. Findings – Using the three interrelated dimensions of project type, knowledge creation method, and organizational learning approach, the paper reinterprets Karl Popper’s linear problem solving model for learning in traditional projects by introducing the concept of knowledge entropy (disorder) for learning in non-linear complex projects. The latter follows a path from “order to disorder to order” rather than from “order to order” under traditional assumptions. Research limitations/implications – By identifying a common learning process at individual, group, and organizational levels, developing CPC can be viewed as a “learning organization”. This multi-level approach facilitates research into distributed organizing for emergent knowledge creation during CPC development. Practical implications – In contrast to traditional planned projects with up-front prior knowledge, complex projects are characterized by incomplete knowledge. The challenge of dealing with knowledge uncertainty in complex projects through continuous learning has practical implications for project learning, planning, knowledge management, and leadership. Originality/value – The concept of knowledge entropy (disorder) extends the learning boundaries of traditional projects, where little learning is anticipated, by including complex projects with knowledge uncertainty requiring continuous learning.

scholarly journals Energizing middle managers’ practice in organizational learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 383-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane McKenzie ◽  
Sharon Varney
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Middle Managers ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Middle Manager ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Available Energy ◽  
Validated Instrument ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to consider middle managers’ influence on organizational learning by exploring how they cope with demands and tensions in their role and whether their practice affects available team energy. Design/methodology/approach In total, 43 managers from three large organizations involved in major change assessed their group’s energy using a tested and validated instrument, the OEQ12©. This generated six distinct categories of team energy, from highly productive to corrosive. Thirty-four of these managers, spread across the six categories, completed a Twenty Statements Test and a follow-up interview to explore their cognitive, affective and behavioural responses to coping with resource constraints and tensions in their role. Findings The research provides preliminary insights into what distinguishes a middle manager persona co-ordinating teams with highly productive energy from those managing groups with less available energy to engage with knowledge and learning. It considers why these distinctions may affect collective sensitivities in the organizational learning process. Research limitations/implications Informants were not equally distributed across the six team energy categories; therefore, some middle manager personas are more indicative than others. Practical implications This research suggests areas where middle manager development could potentially improve organizational learning. Originality/value This study offers early empirical evidence that middle managers’ orientation to their role is entangled with the process of energizing their teams in organizational learning during change.

scholarly journals Organizing for inter-organizational learning in service networks

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 276-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Paul Peronard ◽  
Jacob Brix
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Network Performance ◽  
Allocation Of Resources ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Service Networks ◽  
Service Network ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning Challenges ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this study is to consolidate existing research on ‘service networks’ and to frame this literature as a new ‘context for learning’. Research from inter-organizational learning is used to qualify this consolidation and advances from inter-organizational learning are used to operationalize how service network actors in this new context can organize for inter-organizational learning to create more value for themselves and their customers. Design/methodology/approach By conceptualizing the learning context of a service network and the interrelated dimensions, an overview of the learning challenges for improved service performance is provided. Findings Inspired by the service triangle, the proposed framework highlights the learning challenges among two or more actors and the knowledge and skills needed for them to organize the service network. To build a collaboration characterized by trust, behaviors associated with transparency and receptivity are argued to be imperative. Practical implications The framework can increase the opportunities for inter-organizational learning in a service network. Knowing the learning context and the challenges associated with this learning allows for a more accurate intervention and allocation of resources to improve service network performance. Originality/value The novelty lies in the consolidation of the literature of service networks and the extension of the literature on inter-organizational learning hereto.

Enabling continuous learning and quality improvement in health care

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 587-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert William Smith ◽  
Elaina Orlando ◽  
Whitney Berta
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Performance Management System ◽  
Continuous Learning ◽  
Learning Models ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Learning Theory ◽  
And Performance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how the design and implementation of learning models for performance management can foster continuous learning and quality improvement within a publicly funded, multi-site community hospital organization. Design/methodology/approach Niagara Health’s patient flow performance management system, a learning model, was studied over a 20-month period. A descriptive case study design guided the analysis of qualitative observational data and its synthesis with organizational learning theory literature. Emerging from this analysis were four propositions to inform the implementation of learning models and future research. Findings This performance management system was observed to enable: ongoing performance-related knowledge exchange by creating opportunities for routine social interaction; collective recognition and understanding of practice and performance patterns; relationship building, learning for improvement, and “higher order” learning through dialogue facilitated using humble inquiry; and, alignment of quality improvement efforts to organizational strategic objectives through a multi-level feedback/feed-forward communication structure. Research limitations/implications The single organization and descriptive study design may limit the generalizability of the findings and introduce confirmation bias. Future research should more comprehensively evaluate the impact of learning models on organizational learning processes and performance outcomes. Practical implications This study offers novel insight which may inform the design and implementation of learning models for performance management within and beyond the study site. Originality/value Few studies have examined the mechanics of performance management systems in relation to organizational learning theory and research. Broader adoption of learning models may be key to the development of continuously learning and improving health systems.

New learning and old learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 21-23
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Learning Organization ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Processes ◽  
New Learning ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds his/her own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Organizational learning is one of those themes that everyone within a firm can get on board with. It sounds important and logical, and no one is going to argue against organizational learning, are they? Once the HR department declares your firm a “learning organization” and ensures that knowledge management processes are updated, new training is rolled out and mentoring introduced across hierarchies, everyone will be happy in the knowledge that they are now part of a learning organization. Practical implications This paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

scholarly journals Technical innovation: trigger or threat for organizational learning? A curvilinear relationship revisited

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Teresa Ortega Egea ◽  
María Isabel Roldán Bravo ◽  
Antonia Ruiz Moreno ◽  
Carmen Haro Domínguez ◽  
Dainelis Cabeza Pullés
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Technical Innovation ◽  
Curvilinear Relationship ◽  
Organizational Complexity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovation Activities ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Very High ◽  
Curvilinear Effect

Purpose Although most research considers organizational learning as an antecedent of innovation, the relationship is complex and could be reciprocal. Therefore, more research is needed on the profit gained from the learning and organization acquires from its innovation activities. Using the concept of fit, this paper aims to investigate whether organizational learning increases when an organization’s technical innovation level exceeds that of its competitors (positive misfit), theorizing the curvilinear effect of positive technical innovation misfit on organizational learning. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses regression analysis with survey data gathered from 202 European firms. Findings The findings support the argument that positive technical innovation misfit has an inverted-U shaped effect on organizational learning. Practical implications The findings obtained should orient firm managers to developing a work environment that enables optimal levels of technical innovation and learning – levels at which the technical innovation developed drives learning among the organization’s members but avoids becoming trapped in the organizational complexity involved in very high levels of positive technical innovation misfit. Originality/value This study resolves conflicting views of the relationship between organizational learning and technical innovation and adds to the existing literature that indicates that proactive innovative firms can fail when becoming learners.

Firm exporting and investment in exploratory and exploitative R&D

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Ke ◽  
Marios Kafouros ◽  
Haifeng Yan
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Generalized Least Squares ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Significant Positive Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Different Types ◽  
D Investment ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to investigate how firms’ internationalization activities through exporting influence their organizational learning. Specifically, this study examines how the level of exporting and geographic market scope impact a firm’s exploratory and exploitative R&D investment differently. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 7,055 firms in Spain during the period 2006–2011, the study uses regression analysis (generalized least squares random effects) to test various hypotheses. Findings Although exporting improves organizational learning, learning opportunities vary for different aspects of exporting. Specifically, the level of a firm’s exporting has a significant positive effect on its exploitative R&D investment, whereas geographic market scope of a firm increases its exploratory R&D investment. Practical implications The findings can aid in shaping policies and firms’ decisions pertaining to exporting and exploratory and exploitative R&D investment. As the findings indicate that, the determinants of exploratory and exploitative R&D investment are different, managers and policymakers, who aim at a specific type of R&D investment, should understand which exporting strategy they should pursue. Originality/value Prior research suggests that exporting improves organizational learning. This study extends this knowledge by showing that different aspects of exporting, specifically, the level of exporting and geographic market scope, drive different types of organizational learning.

The truth (as I see it): philosophical considerations influencing a typology of fake news

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-158
Author(s):  
Caitlin Candice Ferreira ◽  
Jeandri Robertson ◽  
Marnell Kirsten
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Creation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the philosophical considerations of fake news and provide an alternative view to current conceptualizations of its binary nature. Through an evaluation of existing research, a typology of fake news is presented that considers the possibility that the propagation of fake news about a brand, may be stemming from the brand itself, a previously unexplored field in the literature. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper based on extensive literature review on the fields of fake news and knowledge creation, resulting in the creation of a synthesized typology. Findings The role of power structures greatly influences the ability for a brand to respond to fake news. Externally constructed disinformation is seemingly more difficult for a brand to address, as a result of having limited control over the message. Internally constructed information, while stemming from the brand itself provides the brand with more control, but a greater public distrust as the source of the fake news seems to confirm the disinformation. Practical implications This paper presents a typology that contrasts the source of the construction of disinformation and the extent to which the facts have been fabricated. Furthermore, this paper provides future researchers with an alternate understanding of the conceptualization of fake news. Originality/value This paper is the first of its kind to establish a typology of fake news on the basis of the source of construction of disinformation. The source plays an important role when assessing the associated brand risks and developing an approach to combat potential negative implications.

The core potential of mergers and acquisitions to boost profits and research and development innovation

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 14-16
Keyword(s):  
Mergers And Acquisitions ◽  
Knowledge Creation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Acquisition Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Core ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Time Frames ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This research paper concentrates on how M&As deliver increased profits and R&D intensity across varying post-acquisition time frames. The human mechanics beneath these achievements reveal that savvy knowledge creation and integration is crucial for extracting lasting value from an M&A. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

scholarly journals Organizational learning and bureaucracy: an alternative view

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 403-415
Author(s):  
Jonas A. Ingvaldsen ◽  
Vetle Engesbak
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Knowledge Creation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Managerial Control ◽  
Process Industries ◽  
Dual Nature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Periodic Replacement

Purpose This paper aims to reconceptualize the relationship between organizational learning and bureaucracy. Although the two are generally considered to be antithetical, this paper shows that, in some organizations, bureaucracy can be functional for organizational learning. Design/methodology/approach The central argument is theoretical and builds on two main ideas: firstly, the nature of knowledge creation and organizational learning is conditioned by the organization’s main technological characteristics; and secondly, bureaucracy has a dual nature as an instrument of managerial control and as a vehicle of large-scale collaboration. This study uses examples from process industries as empirical illustrations. Findings As products and production systems come to embody deeper and more diverse knowledge, their development takes on an increasingly collaborative character. The need to integrate differentiated knowledge and material artefacts calls for specialization, formalization, centralization and staff roles. Hence, technological complexity drives a bureaucratization of organizational learning. Research limitations/implications The core argument is developed with reference to industries where organizational learning involves the accumulation of knowledge, not its periodic replacement associated with technological shifts. Its relevance outside these industries remains to be assessed. Practical implications Organizations, whose knowledge creation fits the pattern of creative accumulation, should learn to harness formal structures for large-scale collaboration. Originality/value The main thesis runs counter to mainstream perspectives on organizational learning. This paper explores organizational learning in sectors that have received little attention in debates about organizational learning.

Impact of network capability on small business performance

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Zacca ◽  
Mumin Dayan ◽  
Thomas Ahrens
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Knowledge Creation ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Competitive Aggressiveness ◽  
Small Business Performance ◽  
Network Capability ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to measure the impact of network capability (NC) on small enterprise performance via knowledge creation, and two dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation (EO): competitive aggressiveness and innovativeness. Design/methodology/approach – The authors propose a theoretical model that was tested using a survey instrument administered to owners and managers of small-sized enterprises within the United Arab Emirates. Theory development was assisted by semi-structured interviews with an independent sample of owners and managers of small enterprises. Findings – The results show that NC is positively related to knowledge creation and that competitive aggressiveness and innovativeness are key mediators between knowledge creation and firm performance. Research limitations/implications – The study contributes to theoretical development by integrating the domains of NC and knowledge creation to EO and small business performance. The authors show that the conversion from NC to small business performance is mediated by knowledge creation and the two dimensions of EO: innovativeness and competitive aggressiveness. Practical implications – The study findings present interesting practical implications for small business owners seeking to shift their firm’s orientation toward being more entrepreneurial. Originality/value – The study highlights the crucial role innovativeness and competitive aggressiveness play as mediators when the relation between knowledge creation and small business performance is examined.

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