Pedagogic challenges in the learning organization

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 162-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Ohlsson
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Tacit Knowledge ◽  
Learning Organization ◽  
Collective Learning ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Loop Model ◽  
Local School ◽  
Head Teachers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Organizations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to further clarify a conceptual understanding of pedagogic challenges in the learning organization and to propose a model for pedagogic interventions to facilitate organizational learning and managing tacit knowledge. Design/methodology/approach – The “organization pedagogic” approach includes analysis of, and interventions in, learning processes in local school organizations' quality development. The empirical study focuses particularly on identified contradictions and challenges regarding organizational learning. Through a multi-case study design, 39 in-depth interviews with head teachers and teachers were carried out. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted. Findings – Observed obstacles regarding collective learning processes in the local school organizations mirrored underlying contradictions. These contradictions manifest as dilemmas concerning inconsistent and implicit quality analyses and assessments, as conflicting views regarding collaboration and interpretations of teacher’s role and as paradoxical views on managing processes regarding quality work. Originality/value – A conclusion is that dilemmas and paradoxes, more than conflicting views, are difficult to conceptualize and make explicit to create shared knowledge. This means that contradictions remain as underlying tensions in the organization and decrease the potential of both team learning and organizational learning. Therefore, a pedagogic intervention loop model is suggested, aiming at facilitating ongoing collective learning processes and managing tacit knowledge.

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.

Organizations are people: reflections, obstacles and learning opportunities

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 535-548
Author(s):  
Graham Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Learning Organization ◽  
Community Action ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Mastery ◽  
The Face ◽  
Effective Community ◽  
German Sociology

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to place the idea of the learning organization in a historical, multidisciplinary context with the aim of identifying obstacles and opportunities for its greater realization in practice. Design/methodology/approach Marking the 30th anniversary of publication of Peter Senge's “The Fifth Discipline”, the paper reflects on approaches to the study and analysis of organizations over the past century from German sociology, human relations, organization development, the learning organization to responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. Findings It is suggested that distributed leadership is critical to the realization of organizational learning and its absence is a major inhibitor of such learning. Following Argyris, it is argued that high levels of skill (personal mastery) may, in some circumstances, provide a barrier to organizational learning in the face of contextual uncertainty and change. Research limitations/implications While no specific areas of research are proposed, questions are raised which may only be answered in the wake of appropriate (interdisciplinary) research. Practical implications The reflective nature of the paper suggests that significant reform is required in the legislation that encourages short-term thinking on the part of institutional investors to the detriment of strategic thinking and long-term planning. Social implications The Covid-19 pandemic seems to have provided an opportunity to redress a perceived imbalance between traditional organizational thinking and opportunities demonstrated by effective community action, for reappraisal of organizations as communities of people as well as being formalized structures, systems and processes. Originality/value This paper seeks to synthesize diverse theories of organization with the aim of stimulating further innovation in approaches to organizational learning.

Facilitating organizational learning in the Russian business context

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 306-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariia Molodchik ◽  
Carlos Jardon
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Specific Model ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Context ◽  
Doing Business ◽  
Structural Relationships

Purpose – The paper aims to identify particular traits of the Russian context which condition two key enablers of organizational learning: organizational culture and transformational leadership. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on a literature review, the study determines management challenges by implementation of organizational learning in the Russian business context. Taking this into account, the authors suggest specific model of organizational learning which contains organizational learning processes, organizational culture oriented towards learning and transformational leadership. Empirical justification of this model is provided using a sample of more than 100 respondents. Partial least squares-analysis is applied to define structural relationships between the elements of proposed model. Findings – The study reveals the positive and significant influence of transformational leadership and an organizational culture on organizational learning processes. Moreover, transformational leadership is shown to have a positive impact on an organizational culture, confirming the hypothesis regarding the pivotal role of leaders in the Russian business context. Research limitations/implications – The findings of this study can assist managers doing business in Russia to improve organizational learning processes. The size of the sample appears to be the main limitation of this study. Questions that might also be addressed in additional research concern the influence of organizational learning on the performance of Russian companies. Originality/value – The paper contributes to a better understanding of the barriers and stimuli exacted on organizational learning and provides empirical evidence of organizational learning practices of Russian companies.

Organizational learning in context of part-time employment

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 650-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurmet Kivipõld ◽  
Richard C. Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Learning Organization ◽  
Organizational Leadership ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Entrepreneurial Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning In Context ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Part Time ◽  
The Baltic

Purpose Combining trends in employment flexibility, organizational learning, need for improved leadership and entrepreneurship is important in managing today’s organizations. This study aims to explore these relationships within a single media firm in one of the Baltic States. Design/methodology/approach The subject for this exploratory case study is a small Estonian media company having a total of 43 members/employees. Data for the study were collected using two questionnaires (organizational leadership capability and dimensions of learning organizations) and by in-depth interviews. Assessment and analysis of the data included: measurement of organizational leadership (OL) and learning organization; measurement of entrepreneurial behavior; and analysis of the results gained from studying the issues pertaining to OL, learning organization and entrepreneurial behavior. Findings The results of this study reveal that part-time versus full-time employees have more positive attitudes toward the organization’s decentralized leadership and of six of seven learning characteristics. It appears that the entrepreneurial orientation of the part-time employees (PTEs) helps explain the differences observed. Practical implications The implications for practice based on this study is that firms should consider their PTEs as a valuable asset not only because of the flexibility they offer to the workforce but also because of the special skills and outlooks they bring to the organization. Originality/value This paper explores the relationships among organizational learning, OL and entrepreneurship in context of part-time employment.

scholarly journals Mentoring in the concept of the learning organization in higher education – empirical research / Mentoring w koncepcji organizacji uczącej się szkoły wyższej w świetle badań empirycznych

Management ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 273-290
Author(s):  
Martyna Wronka
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Learning Organization ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Knowledge Based Economy ◽  
Research Mentoring

Summary The development of a knowledge-based economy necessitates the search for new methods and tools for enhancing organizational learning processes. In this context, many scholars point to the importance of mentoring as a tool to support individual and organizational learning. The paper is an attempt to answer the question: how mentoring helps to stimulate the process of organizational learning? Therefore, this paper discusses the concept of learning organization, concept of mentoring along with associated concepts, on the basis of which experience result from the process of implementing mentoring at university are pointed out. This objective will be achieved through presentation of the results of the literature study followed by case study on the implementation and realization of mentoring programme at one of the polish universities

From Learning Organizations to Learning Cultures and More: Evolutions in Theory, Changes in Practice, Continuity of Purpose

2019 ◽  
pp. 214-228
Author(s):  
Anthony J. DiBella
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Organizational Effectiveness ◽  
Learning Organization ◽  
Conceptual Development ◽  
Organizational Transformation ◽  
Learning Culture ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Organization Learning ◽  
Learning Cultures ◽  
Over Time

This chapter examines the evolution of concepts pertaining to the criticality of learning in the pursuit of organizational transformation and effectiveness. Over time, the popularity of the learning organization, learning portfolios, learning cultures, and organizational reliability has waned. Some scholars have considered these concepts within a descriptive perspective, others in a prescriptive manner. This chapter does not advocate for one perspective or paradigm over another but promotes awareness of their distinctions and how they offer different frames for comparing “organizational learning” versus the “learning organization” and “learning culture.” While scholars and practitioners are all concerned with organizational effectiveness, they point towards it in unique ways using conceptual labels that can be interpreted in diverse fashions. That often contributes to intellectual churn and further evolutions in conceptual development and popularity. Implications for the morality of learning processes and their benefit to society are considered.

Inter-organizational learning within an organization? Mainstreaming gender policies in the Swedish ministry of foreign affairs

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marte C.W. Solheim ◽  
Sigrun Marie Moss
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Foreign Affairs ◽  
Gender Mainstreaming ◽  
Organizational Processes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Single Complex ◽  
Gender Policies ◽  
Different Parts

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain how theories of inter-organizational learning can create new insights and nuances to how processes of intra-organizational learning come about in a single, complex and multi-sited organization. Design/methodology/approach A constructivist thematic analysis of the “Handbook of Feminist Foreign Policy” produced by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SMFA) is completed, exploring the organization’s own presentation of the complex learning processes that took place when implementing the new policy in 2014. Findings The literature on inter-organizational learning has a so far unexplored explanatory potential to understand learning processes that take place in complex, multi-sited organizations. This case demonstrates why and how this potential is relevant to exploit. Five themes are constructed from the analysis; four pointing out how gender mainstreaming is spread throughout the different parts of the organization and one detailing how the learning process has provided the SMFA knowledge exportable to other organizations. Originality/value Due to the complexity in large, multi-sited organizations today, this paper argues what is classically understood as solely inter-organizational processes could also apply to a single organization, as the learning processes this engages in, transitions intra- and inter-organizational learning. The study advances current understandings through exploring mechanisms of gender mainstreaming.

How a learning organization cultivates self-directed learning

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ida Hutasuhut ◽  
Shahren Ahmad Zaidi Adruce ◽  
Victoria Jonathan
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Learning Organization ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Five Disciplines ◽  
Directed Learning

Purpose This study aims to provide empirical evidence of how the five disciplines of learning organization introduced by Senge (1990) are practiced and how it could cultivate self-directed learning among employees. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study used a case study approach to get an in-depth understanding of how organizational learning is practiced in an innovative motorcycle-manufacturing company in Indonesia. A total of 30 staff and managers were selected purposively and interviewed by using a semi-structured interview to gain information about their experience in practicing the 5 disciplines in their daily work–life. Among the 30 participants, 11 were at the managerial level and 19 were at the staff level. Data collected were analyzed using a content analysis approach. Findings This study provides empirical evidence of how self-directed learning is cultivated in an organization that applies the five disciplines of learning organization introduced by Senge (1990). This study found that to cultivate self-directed learning, an organization needs to build a working climate where the five disciplines are integrated into daily work–life. Organizations need to ensure that its vision is shared by each of the employee, build synergy for personal mastery and team learning, train their employees to continuously refine their mental models and improve their ability to think using a systems approach. Practical implications The implications and recommendations arising from this study, first, provide insight to managers and human resource (HR) practitioners about the importance of creating a conducive working environment for learning. Moreover, with learning facilities in the era of industrial revolution 4.0, organizations need to shift their attention on how to transfer the responsibility of learning to the hands of the employees and HR practitioners should focus on providing more opportunities for employees to direct their own learning. Second, to support a learning environment that is conducive for cultivating self-directedness in learning requires commitment from top leaders in the organization. Originality/value This study observed that Senge’s approach to organizational learning focuses heavily on the individual’s processes and the interactions between them. Further studies are suggested to integrate knowledge management, particularly on how new knowledge is gained, stored, created, used and disseminated under the five pillars of the learning organization. It is also recommended to look at a broader perspective, such as the role of technology in intensifying learning and the role of strategic leadership in learning.

Exploiting market-oriented collective learning cycle to leverage competitive advantage at a foreign subsidiary in emerging markets

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-128
Author(s):  
Gamal Mohamed Shehata
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Emerging Markets ◽  
Market Orientation ◽  
Collective Learning ◽  
Learning Cycle ◽  
Foreign Subsidiary ◽  
Competitive Advantages ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning Practices

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how a foreign subsidiary operates in emerging markets and integrates market orientation with organizational learning to achieve a competitive lead. It is an attempt to fill an evident gap in the literature of integrating organizational learning into a market-oriented competitive strategy through using a four-step collective learning cycle at General Motors Egypt (GME). Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts a qualitative case study methodology to thoroughly examine the viewpoints of 90 respondents via in-depth and unstructured interviews with both managers and employees working in a variety of divisions inside GME. An integrative qualitative data analysis approach is used to explore, synthesize, interpret and derive relationships resulting from the collected data. Findings This work advances the theory of organizational learning by testing the theme of collective learning cycle in a real work setting. It presents a real example of aligning market orientation into a collective learning cycle directed toward achieving competitive advantages. Research limitations/implications This study provides scholars and practitioners alike with a real scenario on how and why a four-step organizational learning cycle functions as a building block to generate a competitive advantage. It also discusses the elements of collective learning that are not captured by the four-step collective learning cycle. Factors facilitating market-based organizational learning are also explored. However, the results generated are contingent on the investigated case study circumstances, which are limited in generalizability. Practical implications The paper addresses a set of directions through which auto assembly firms leverage both collective learning practices and knowledge-driven strategy to gain competitive advantages. The GME paradigm indicates how a firm can use collective learning not only to respond to an internal need for change but also to react to external market forces and constraints. Originality/value This study is the first of its kind to investigate the value of the cyclic learning concept from a strategic viewpoint in a multinational organizational context. It enriches the primarily practitioner literature on aligning collective learning into strategy with rich empirical examination of the learning practices of a leading foreign subsidiary. It resolves a gap in the literature regarding how organizational learning and knowledge management processes are aligned to market-oriented competitive strategy. The paper draws a number of critical research issues that call for refinement of the organizational learning cycle theory.

Learning with startups: an empirically grounded typology

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Annika Steiber ◽  
Sverker Alänge ◽  
Vincenzo Corvello
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Organizational Ambidexterity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Learning Theory ◽  
Correct Model ◽  
Key Characteristics ◽  
Operational Models ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Corporate-startup collaboration is an opportunity for inter-organizational learning. This paper aims to develop an empirically grounded typology to guide researchers and managers in choosing a model that is coherent with the underlying learning processes. Design/methodology/approach The empirical research consisted of three phases. First, 30 large companies were interviewed to identify different models of interaction. Second, eight different models and cases were selected, and a list of key characteristics of each model was drawn based on the empirical data, obtaining a first typology. Third, the typology was tested, improved and validated on nine corporations. Findings The main result of the study is an empirically grounded typology of models for corporate-startup interaction and inter-organizational learning. Six dimensions distinguish each model from the others. Research limitations/implications The paper contributes to extend the literature on inter-organizational learning through different models of corporate-startups interaction. It also contributes to organizational ambidexterity theory, showing how collaboration with startups can improve exploitation and exploration. Practical implications The typology provides an instrument for analyzing and selecting operational models for corporate-startup collaboration and learning. The models can be modified or broadened, creating new hybrids. Originality/value The paper presents a novel way of looking at corporate-startup relations by studying them through the lens of organizational learning theory. It explains the existence of different inter-organizational arrangements and provides guidance in selecting the correct model.

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