Employee Learning in Organisations - Term Paper Example

Introduction It is easy to understand that learning is indeed an individual based effort; both the teacher and taught are individuals. This acquisition and dissemination of knowledge may be done in groups, as in a class or a group of persons interested in a subject, but the final act rests with the individual. But it is rare that the learned individual remains isolated. He is attached to some organisation due his qualification as an acquirer of knowledge and both the individual and the organisation benefit from this association. Environments are dynamic and this makes the organisations, whether working for profit or for philanthropy, look for knowledgeable or learned individuals to promote their respective cause and to pursue their objectives. In the process the individuals that comprise the organisation learn from each other [sharing experiences] and this collective knowledge becomes the building block for further learning. This is when the organisation becomes a Learning Organisation and sponsors learning on the organisational level for better performance or results. However the fact is that learning starts with the individual. Approaches to Learning The five major conceptions of learning are: Increasing knowledge, Memorizing, Acquiring facts or procedures which can be used at a later date, Abstracting meaning, and Interpreting to understand reality (Saljo 1979). The first type of learning strategy where focus is on reproduce information to meet external /assessment demands is called a surface approach, where the objective was to memorize, and the second type where the focus is on developing understanding and making sense of the subject is called a deep approach, where the objective was to understand meaning. There is also a third approach, called an achieving approach in which students identify the assessment criteria and make the learning effort necessary to attain a particular grade (Understanding Student Learning 2007). It has been observed above that there are two aspects of learning; individual and organisational. The individual carries with himself the sum total of education, experience and exposure. However there is a subtler knowledge that is acquired by individuals at a very early stage in life. This is influenced by the culture, religion and customs of the society and the external and internal environment and this learning is almost impossible to change. Hofstede (1993) has described this as the software of the mind, the impressions that a person carries throughout his life. While this may not be called learning, it is the other knowledge acquired by a person that is learning. Organisations are made up of individuals hence the same criteria are applicable to organisational environments. Organisations are run by people who have certain knowledge and manage the organisation according to their knowledge base. The organisation thus depends on their learning acquired from education, experience and exposure. All strategies formed out of such management have a tendency to follow a pattern which later forms the culture of the organisation. Organisational Memory The organisation works on the basis of the collective memory of the individuals that forms the organisation. This called the Organisational Memory (OM) that has been defined as the active and historical information that is worth sharing for present and future management (Megill 1997). Hammel and Prahlad (1994) have defined this as a corporate knowledge that has been stored for reference and use. This is the knowledge base that is used in formulating strategies. It is evident that this knowledge is with the individuals and since an organisation is a conglomeration of individuals sharing is the only way that it gets into collective memory. However all the knowledge possessed by an individual may not qualify for use as OM and an individual’s knowledge is likely to be influenced by the OM and this means unlearning all or part of his knowledge and re-learning more useful knowledge. Spender (1998) has recommended that unlearning starts with the individual where he sheds his knowledge or learning by unlearning it in order to acquire or learn other knowledge that will help him to assist the organisation. Jackson (2005), states that the raw data provided by individuals needs a subjective interpretation since the perception and prowess of each individual differs from another. This is an important since it is understanding that transforms the knowledge into worthwhile actions or strategies. This is called the exploitation of knowledge that produces strategies for the competitive edge. In this stage the individual actually forgoes some part of his learning that he/she had acquired as an individual and acquires the organisational knowledge in order to fit in with the organisation thinking and culture. Learning through the Unlearning Process Cegarra and Dewhurst (2006) have suggested that this exploitation occurs during the process of unlearning and involves the a) understanding of the problem, b) changing of the thought processes and c) by integrating new actions by individuals with the objective of contributing to the organisation’s strategy. Commencing with the understanding of the problem, unlearning begins with failures (Schein 1993) as is inconsistent with perceptions and new events create confusions. However failure is the misnomer here; the proper expression will be creating a new focus. This requires a re-look on issues on a narrower scale to identify the problem which will lead to identification of the solution. A systematic approach that anticipates participation of both individuals and technologies provides the next steps towards unlearning. Indeed the current use of methodologies available for such interventions can be of great assistance in this direction (Jackson, 2003). Organisational Culture Changing of the thought process requires a review of the current knowledge an importing of new knowledge or know-how. Strangely enough the culture of the organisation is the biggest barrier in this issue. Organisational culture is either promoted or backed by the leaders of the organisations and it is they who resent cognitive change as it hurts their hierarchies and challenges their authority (Pfeffer 1998). This can be overcome through promotion of frank dialogues between individuals and groups (Nonaka and Konno 1998) but requires understanding of the problem and the urge to solve it. Systems and methodologies can help in providing participating individuals or groups by generating or simulation of environments and platforms for discussion and reflection to facilitate formation, sharing and variation of knowledge (Jackson, 2005). Methodologies can also support the architecture or any other improvements that require support of information and communication technologies (Córdoba and Midgley, 2006). Thus there is a progressive approach or a step-by-step plan that has to be adopted for renewed learning. Schein (1993) has suggested that employees should be motivated to take risks, innovate and come up with creative solutions to problems to facilitate unlearning as this a stepping stone for becoming a ‘Learning Organisation’. This also provides support for the case for empowerment and brings solutions to achieve better performance of the organisation; and that is one important objective of the Learning Organisation. Unlearning and re-relearning therefore becomes tactic in search for new strategies for competitive edge. It is in this context that Hedberg (1981) stated long back that there is a huge wastage of talent and knowledge in not using the existing knowledge base for promoting organisations. According to him learning, unlearning and re-learning are prerequisites to the development of an organisation. It has to be a continual process, and can even be called an evolution. If either of the three is ignored, development will come to a standstill and probably decline. This needs to change and change is the basis of unlearning. This is the age of Information Technology that has provided a huge window of learning. This is another aspect that aids the learning process, and it could rightly be called the re-learning process. This needs the organisation to be agile. The dexterity with which the organisation is able to meet changing and dynamic situations is the agility of the organisation. The integration of all organisational processes, characteristics, and members with advanced technology is the agility that helps in problem solving. It is this agility that enhances the organisations ability to provide high quality and it is crucial to organisational competitiveness. Kodish et al (1995) define agility as the flexibility and speed at which an organisation can assemble its resources through use of Information Technology, communications and employees in a deliberate and coordinated response to market requirements. Conclusion It is not possible to isolate the individual and the organisation and put them as the two extremes of a single spectrum. This will pose many social and societal problems. Man does not exist in isolation and a group is necessary for its survival, rejuvenation and growth. In earlier times with meagre resources it was the family and the large society that fulfilled this need. In the current era with globalisation and availabilities of fairly large range of resources the organisation has replaced the family. No individual can survive or grow without being part of an organisation. In turn the organisations too thrive on their individual members. Since learning is a continuous process, it occurs both at the individual as well at the organisational level through various methods and modalities, learning, un-learning, re-learning and others. It would therefore be impossible to segregate learning at the individual and the organisational level. They both have to and will always live side by side. The learning Organisation is therefore not irrelevant as is being made out to be but is a vital part of the Learning Individual. 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