On Becoming a Learning Organization

1997 ◽  
Vol 1 (6) ◽  
pp. 5-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judy Sorum Brown

It is a paradox not lost on many in higher education that while the corporate world has embraced organizational learning, higher education lags significantly behind. What would it take for colleges and universities to step up to the challenge of becoming true learning organizations?

Author(s):  
Osman Bayraktar

The most important factor that protects organizations from solidifying is knowledge. In an organization, knowledge is produced by people and these people learn. However, learning alone is not sufficient for the success of the organization. For a lasting and sustainable process, organizational learning is required. The basic condition for the realization of organizational learning is the existence of an atmosphere that encourages individuals to learn. In the organizations that provide the necessary atmosphere for learning, both the individual's learning capacity increases, and learning as a team takes place in the organization. In this study, first, knowledge, knowledge types, individual learning, organizational learning, levels of learning, and learning organization concepts are covered. Second, different models for realizing the learning organization structure are narrated. Last, some examples from learning organization practices are mentioned.


Author(s):  
Amy C. Edmondson ◽  
Francesca Gino ◽  
Patrick J. Healy

Many scholars have proposed factors that inhibit or facilitate organizational learning, yet few of these claims have been tested empirically. To measure differences in learning across organizations or work units within the same organization, this chapters draws on existing perspectives in the organizational learning literature to create and test a Learning Organization Survey (LOS) in two studies. The LOS presents ten constructs in three clusters – learning environment, processes, and leadership. Study 1 examines the reliability and validity of the ten theory-based constructs comprising the learning organization. Study 2 provides further validation that the LOS is a reliable, stable instrument containing items that suit the theoretical criteria for components of learning organizations. Implications for research and practice are discussed.


Author(s):  
Michael John Marquardt

Very few organizations have ever been able to achieve their goal of becoming a learning organization due to the complexity of organizational learning and the impatience and lack of skills of organizational leaders. Over the past twenty-five years, the author of this chapter has discovered that the introduction of action learning programs into the organization is the most effective way of building a learning organization. This chapter briefly summarizes the five subsystems of a learning organization: (1) learning, (2) organization, (3) people, (4) knowledge, and (5) technology. Action learning is a powerful tool that enables a group to learn while in action. It has the unique ability to solve complex problems while simultaneously creating leaders, building teams, and developing each of the five learning organization subsystems.


2014 ◽  
Vol 644-650 ◽  
pp. 5917-5920
Author(s):  
Zi Rui Liu

Organizational learning, learning organizations and even learning society are popular topics among educators and government officials in this so-called knowledge era today. This article will summarize and critique various perspectives on organizational learning and learning organizations in the texts we have covered so far.


1991 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Tiler ◽  
Michael Gibbons

The authors set out their view of the firm as a learning organization, outline the objectives of the Teaching Company Scheme, and assess the ways in which it works in practice. They explore how firms are able to use the scheme effectively to tap in to knowledge held within higher-education institutions and so extend their knowledge base and increase their competitive performance. They look also at the potential for expanding the Scheme to operate in different contexts and for different kinds of knowledge-exchange problems. In particular, they examine the potential for extending the Scheme into greater numbers of small firms, and the problems likely to be encountered in doing so.


Management ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 273-290
Author(s):  
Martyna Wronka

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


Author(s):  
Alexis Jacobo Bañón-Gomis

This chapter proposes that learning improvements in organizations are not just a matter of techniques or aptitudes but are concerned with feelings, attitudes, and, above all, the moral habits of their members. This work suggests complementing currently established conceptions of knowledge management and organizational learning through the explicit inclusion of ethics and ethical learning in organizations. The study describes the explicit need to consider ethics and ethical learning competence among agents in a learning organization context. It then points out the differences between ethically healthy organizations and ethically unhealthy organizations. Finally, the authors argue that the ethical healthiness of an organization is an essential, structural, and necessary condition to achieve a comprehensive learning process in learning organizations on both a technical and human level.


1995 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 63-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanley F. Slater ◽  
John C. Narver

Effective organizations are configurations of management practices that facilitate the development of the knowledge that becomes the basis for competitive advantage. A market orientation, complemented by an entrepreneurial drive, provides the cultural foundation for organizational learning. However, as important as market orientation and entrepreneurship are, they must be complemented by an appropriate climate to produce a “learning organization.” The authors describe the processes through which organizations develop and use new knowledge to improve performance. They propose a set of organizational elements that comprise the learning organization and conclude with recommendations for research to contribute to the understanding of learning organizations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Gouthro ◽  
Nancy Taber ◽  
Amanda Brazil

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of the learning organization, first discussed by Senge (1990), to determine if it can work as a model in the higher education sector. Design/methodology/approach Using a critical feminist framework, this paper assesses the possibilities and challenges of viewing universities as inclusive learning organizations, with a particular focus on women in academic faculty and leadership roles. Findings It argues that, ultimately, the impact of neoliberal values and underlying systemic structures that privilege male scholars need to be challenged through shifts in policies and practices to address ongoing issues of gender inequality in higher education. Originality/value The paper draws attention to the need to bring a critical feminist lens to an analysis of the concept of the learning organization if it is to be perceived as having merit in the higher education sector.


Author(s):  
Ruth Gotian

Higher education has a distinct culture. Subsets of this unique culture are found in specific professional schools, including medical, dental, law, and business schools. Just as every person is different, every institution is also distinctive. Regardless of similarities, successful initiatives at one institution may not translate to another institution. To succeed, a culture of learning, open dialogue, and unbiased, active listening must reverberate through every person and level of hierarchy within the organization. This chapter will delve into the hallmarks of a learning organization and provide useful tools to create successful learning organizations at the program, departmental, and organizational levels while simultaneously being open to transformative learning opportunities for its faculty and staff.


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