Characteristic and Indicator of Learning Organization - Research Paper Example

? Learning Organization Learning organization The growing field of Organizational Learning (OL) studies comes along with a perspective that learning is not only individuals responsibilities but, learning also occur on a group level and is enabled and enhanced by climate of an organization which provides the motivation and environment for learning (Nemeth, 1997). A learning organization can be referred as par (Brabant, 1997). Particular group of people who have interwoven corporate culture with learning capacity,. This is type of organization where learning process is encouraged, analyzed, developed and monitored also aligned with corporate competitive goals (Brabant, 1997). A learning organization learn faster and generate flesh knowledge compared to their competitor , this land them in a strategic advantage where they can out market ,outsell and out manage their competitors.(Brabant,1997). A learning organization goes beyond simple training of employee but rather focus on problem solving strategies and innovation learning (Brabant, 1997). An example is when employee learns a harmful product in the system they go beyond eliminating it, where they analyze the harmful product to find causes with aim of developing solution that can prevent it from occurring again. Expert believes that the only sustainable advantage an organization can have against their competitor is capacity to learn and learn more fast, where this competitive position advantage can be achieved in an organization through transformation into learning organization (Brabant, 1997). “Manufacturing firms that implement organization learning and training programs increase productivity by an average of 17 percent’’(Brabant, 1997). Characteristic of learning organization Personal Mastery: Personal mastery is the core discipline required in building a learning organization. This applies at personal level i.e. Organization can not learn until its member begins learning (senge, 1990). Personal mastery incorporate two components: an individual in an organization need to define clearly the goal he intend to achieve and the second factor is measure of how one is close to the goal intended to be achieved. People who practice personal learning adapt changes in their thinking i.e. they learn to use both reasoning and intuition(senge,1990) they are interconnected to the system around them thus they experience interconnectedness to the whole system. Traditional point of view is that mangers have got all the answers but with learning organization employees have got the answer too (senge, 1990) i.e. answers are derived from synergy of personal learning. Mental Models: This involve the perspective of viewing the world, where individual continuously improve on his view of the world and seeing how to shape one can shape personal decisions and daily practice (senge,1990) it is cognitive process that demine our action and thinking. An example is where employees sees the world in reality and apply the right judgment in term of reasoning and action to be implemented in an organization. Shared Vision: Shared vision start with an individual in an organization i.e. The perspective a person hold as truth (senge, 1990). This brings about sense of commitment in an organization, where a workgroup develop common goals and guiding principle to their endeavor. Shared vision need to build on individual goals of the workgroup moving toward the same direction and this mean that shared vision need to be built from interaction of individual member of an organization. A leader in an organization has a role to share his own vision with members of an organization and encourage them to under take the vision rather than forcing them to adapt it (senge,1990) and from individuals visions organization vision evolve into shared vision. Team Learning: This is discipline that emanate from dialogue. Where it involve particular relevant skills of thinking that enhance group members to develop intelligence and capability that go beyond individual talent capacity hence forming “thinking together” team (senge,1990). This forms fundamental unit of learning organization. Systems Thinking: This incorporates organization language of internalizing and describing forces and interconnection that influence behavior of the system (senge, 1990). It help both managers and employee to view various system in common perspective which lead to common tune of action regarding to various economic and natural processes (Senge,1990). Observable behavior change Transformational behavior change in an organization occur due to organizational learning, behavior change undergo three phase framework (Nemeth, 1997). While transformational impacts in an organization involve continuous cycle of various changes. The result of incorporating organization learning involves both behavior and cognitive development changes both at individual and organization level. These phases are deep learning which reflects unobservable cognitive result in an organization, the learning infrastructure phase which reflects the impact of change due to adapting deep learning phase and the third phase which reflect the behavior that are observable and measurable result (Nemeth, 1997). Observable behavior includes: Changed aspiration: The ability of individual and group work to orient toward what the organization is working toward evolves not because they are forced to but, because they want to move in that direction (Nemeth, 1997). This arises from shared vision characteristic influence in learning organization. Conceptualization behaviors: This is a fundamental impact that results from mental model of organization learning where individual and workgroup develop behavior and ability to see larger forces and internalizing larger system that affect an organization, also testable ways of observing and expressing this system and forces is demonstrated by individuals (Nemeth, 1997). Reflective behaviors: This is behavior change that involve both collectively and individual ability to reflect deeply on various behavior pattern which were not considered there before. It is a behavior that arises from systems thinking characteristic (Nemeth, 1997). Self-development behavior: This is behavior that emanate from personal masterly and it focuses mainly on the possibility or likelihood to access advancement learning opportunities and to initiate personalized development processes (Nemeth, 1997). “This criterion could be related to Senges’ discipline of personal mastery and with Stewart’s requirement of individuals committed to self-development”( Kagan, 2003). Co existence behaviors: With team learning, there is a flow of Information and feedback given freely and eagerly accepted and valued, generative thinking, and innovative problem solving. Conversations are focused on topics or issues without the need for outcomes, but rather to absorb the chemistry of others’ thoughts and perceptions (Nemeth, 1997). In deeper dialogue, people learn to ask questions that help learning instead of individuals making expert points. Result of this behaviors. Self development behavior bring about an excitement opportunities from ‘grown men and women’, which is inferred from typical statement such as: ‘I’m really thinking about my career now’,’ I have been rejuvenated’ with very limited cynicism (Carla, 2006). Team learning translates to action learning groups that are used to tap and distribute learning across various businesses (Carla, 2006). The use of team learning which prove suitable environment of coexistence also provides sharing opportunity for learning, through the use of review processes in team learning (Carla, 2006). System thinking translate to reflective behavior on various factor and forces that affect the organization system , which lead to risk taking fear reduction unlike traditional culture where status quo can not be challenged (Carla, 2006). In learning organization there is very little gap apparently in beliefs and values as measure of cultural change (Carla, 2006). This is brought about by constancy of common purpose resulting from changed aspiration t due to inspired shared vision as result of changed aspiration. Learning organization experience healthy competition that is directed to personal improvement, people who adapt personal masterly go through self improvement that encourage competition and also set competition momentum for others in an organization (Carla, 2006). Barrier to adopting this behavior change Lack of awareness and knowledge of what is needed to change and exactly why (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, 2007), being aware and knowledgeable of things need to are vital first steps in enabling change to occur. Evidence shows those organizational employees are often unaware of desired behavior change Limited Motivation, considering the fact that motivation is a very fundamental part of influencing behavior change. External factors can influence motivation and thus change behavior,(National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, 2007) for example, the provision of reward and incentive or penalties Diverse beliefs, personal beliefs and attitudes affect significantly on the way person behave. Perceptions of the benefits of any proposed change versus the costs, influence possibility of implementing changes desired (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, 2007). Limited Skills, to impact change, individuals need to be aware not only about what needs to change, but also how best to carry out the changes in an organizational (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, 2007). Professionals may need training to ensure they have the skills to deliver desire change of behaviors. Indicator of learning organization A company is known weather it is making progress toward becoming learning organization through various characteristic which serve as indicators (Brabant,1997). This are characteristic that help to enhance learning culture in an organization they include : enhanced structures and system that tap and incubate learning in an organization, improved mechanism and opportunities of distributing learning materials in an organization, an example is excellent high-tech tools for providing a common location for learning. fostering of cross department learning in an organization and cross program learning through various engagement or joint activities, development of strategies and policies in an organization should reflect a learning approach, development of culture and environment that foster learning ,plans and strategies to encourage learning out side organization dynamics, development of clear organization vision that go in hand with individual fulfillment also budgetary allocation in activities related to learning within organization an example is training budget allocation (Brabant,1997). Compelling characteristic 1. System thinking has such compelling effect to an organization since it provide a framework to view things as a unified whole. System thinking helps us to open up our vision and break the current system boundaries in both individual and organization level 2. Personal mastery which enable individuals to master their professions. Also it helps in advancement of one profession since organizational learning is based on how well a person incorporate learning. 3. Mental Models that provide frame of mind that determine our perspectives toward the world and, in turn, influence behavior. An organization can not experience change unless organizational members shift their mental models. 4. Shared vision building since it inspires team members to share an organizational vision. A shared Barriers of implementing organization learning Generic obstacles to learning it deal with centralized hierarchy of power with common emphasis of top down management, this present obstacle to organization learning since decision making process does not give room for innovation though regarded as self suffice and faster, conformity is rewarded not innovation, it further create division of labor between acting and thinking ( Nemeth, 1997). Competition: The current growth of the humanitarian industry has led to stiff competition for fund and refined profile in unregulated market ( Nemeth, 1997) This result into increased pressure to manifest results and this to increased gap between the rhetoric and the reality of performance. Finance: Though there has been an overall increase in funding I recent years in human resource development (Nemeth, 1997). The question that arise is weather human development t will be given priority in profound time of financial insecurity. Systematic problem solving, Problem solving consistent process that in involve methods and tools for data collection, analysis of these data and figure with an open mind and that is able to decide on appropriate action to be taken is needed for continuous organizational learning (Nemeth, 1997). Experimentation with different approaches and Programs that explore innovative approaches to be employed in an organization for purpose of propelling it vision should be used (Nemeth, 1997). These programs are both ones that have been developed and used by other organization and even new program that are risk taking encouraging. Quick effective knowledge transfer this aim at minimizing effort and time of interpretation of various phenomena around organization ( Nemeth, 1997). For organization to achieve this it need to have central communication, standardization programs, personnel rotation and scheduled education and training (Nemeth, 1997). Learning from the best: This is a process that is used to set a bench mark for performance in regard of ensuring that the best practice in the industry are uncovered, scrutinized , adopted and employed for implementation ( Nemeth, 1997). Learning from history: This involve activities in an organization aim at focusing failures and success in the past and draw out important lesson and put them in open and accessible format.( Nemeth, 1997) Conclusion An organizations need transformation into learning organizations by first acknowledging the significant competitive advantage that can be gained through transformation. However, most important, a learning organization needs to encourage individual learning and development. Even though, managers are more interested in large scale corporate learning, there will be no corporate learning without individual members learning. Steps incremental toward organizational learning will eventually succeed in helping an organization learn faster than competitors and transform your organization into a learning organization. A Learning Organization has a lot to offer in term of reform and restructuring of organizations, but building one is an enormous task facing a lot of barriers. However, one can start with the attitude that learning is "a sustainable resource, not a limited commodity” and work toward developing the mentality culture of learning. It must be noted that the visioning process is continuous process, not a single-time event. References An .T. L. Cultural barriers to the learning organization in Chinese society. Retrieved on 8th March 2013 from: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/.../lee.pdf Balazs.N.(1997) .Managing knowledge through organization learning. Retrieved on 8th March 2013 from: http: www.ufrd.co.uk/wordpress/…/6_9.pdf Carla. C. (2006). Organizational learning and organizational design Retrieved on 8th March 2013 from: https://www.repository.utl.pt/handle/10400.5/726 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.(2007). How to change practice. Retrieved on 8th March 2013 from: httpguidepractice.pdf Peter. M. S.(1990) . The Fifth Discipline. Retrieved on 8th March 2013 from:http://findpdf.net/documents/peter-senge-thefifth- discipline.html Read More