Learning Organization through Conceptual Framework - Essay Example

Learning Organization Name: Institution: Date: Learning organization through conceptual framework Introduction Theorists and researchers use a conceptual structure to organize and center their thoughts in ways that can facilitate understanding in a highly complicated phenomenon. Regularly, this is accomplished through separation of a complex whole into a sequence of related aspects or factors. This can facilitate a closer analysis of every part and the connection between them. Through the combination of the findings of every analysis a comprehensive knowledge of the whole can be built as jointly they make the whole phenomena. This paper therefore develops a conceptual framework that will facilitate the understanding of a learning organization. Definition of learning organization Learning organization is a place where individuals persistently expand their ability to produce results they really desire, where fresh and liberal thinking patterns are nurtured, where combined objective is set free and where individuals are constantly learning how to gain knowledge of things (Senge, 1994). It is also an organization that is skilled at forming, acquiring, and exchanging knowledge, and at transforming its behavior to mirror new insights and knowledge. In an organization, learning means the ongoing experience testing, and the modification of the experience that is tested into accessible knowledge to the entire organization, and applicable to its fundamental purpose. The procedure of forming learning organization sets free personal creativity, and nurtures joint learning, which is vital for encouraging, and increasing innovation and quick global competition responsiveness (Belason, 2000). Hence, learning organization is planned, orderly and in coalition with the strategic goals of the organization. Identifying attributes that best define a learning organization The key learning organization’s defining attribute is its culture. The culture of the organization is a support program for learning, improvement and change (Cummings & Worley, 1997). For instance, an authoritarian culture, in which decisions on issues that need to be carried out are controlled by people who are in power instead of people who have the relevant knowledge, suppresses learning thus leading to unconstructive tendencies and behaviors. Initiatives of learning are the tasks of the groups or individuals in the structure of company support. There is nothing that inspires learners more than giving them power to design their own programs of training, choosing what they want to learn and the process of learning it. According to Argyris (1999), controlled programs of human resource rarely generate results, since training is considered as something that employees must do instead of something they decide to do since it is applicable to the matters at hand. In several situations, inability to learn is the system’s fault, not the learner. Learning is likely to be hampered by insufficient learning and collecting facilities. In several practical responsibilities, learning takes place by doing instead of being at one point like attending a lecture or sitting at a table. In an ideal world, there should be a balance between passive learning which entail classroom learning and active learning which is learning by doing participation. Learning through doing is very powerful compared to any other type of training or education when executing solutions, developing products, testing concepts, changing processes and satisfying clients (Jones, 1996). Active learning, which entails personal involvement of the learner with what is being acquired through the learning process, is significantly more effective compared passive learning which is learning in a classroom setting. This is specifically true when obtaining skills like machining. Another identifying attribute that defines a learning organization is teamwork and team think. Learning organizations consider a constructive responsibility in improvement by practicing experimentation, togetherness and trust; basically a team is very competent, able and intelligent than an individual. Members of a team complement one another’s strengths and balance one another’s weaknesses. An institute that has the capacity to learn quickly than its competition embraces a significant competitive advantage (Cummings & Worley, 1997). An enthusiastic team with a vision that is unified, equipped with the delight of systems thinking, can recognize what they require to do to sustain and increase their business. Organizations that do not learn, to some extent learn do not succeed (Argyris, 1999). Therefore learning should be considered as a survival strategy not an option. Work practices that evidence identifying attributes in organizational activity The work practices that evidence identifying attributes in organizational activity is job sharing. This is a kind of work practice in which a job that is full time is shared between two workers who amicably concur the hours between them. In accordance to the identifying attributes, job sharing is likely to enhance team thinking and team work because the two employees who amicably work together easily share information and knowledge. Another work practice in organizational activity is flexi-time. This kind of work practice gives a person the freedom to operate in whichever way they decide outside a standard core of hours established by the employer. According to shared authority which is an identifying attribute, a person is given the freedom to decide what they want to do and how they want it done hence promoting the process of learning provided one works towards the organization’s goals (Cummings & Worley, 1997). Shift swapping as a work practice is where workers program shifts amongst themselves, on condition that all obligatory shifts are covered. This gives the workers freedom to appreciate the organization’s culture whereby they not only depend on authoritarian power but they also can make decisions provided work is done towards attaining the goals of the organization. How identifying attributes can be organized to construct a conceptual framework that accurately represents a learning organization In order to construct a conceptual framework that accurately mirrors a learning organization, it is important to consider how the identifying attributes can be organized. For instance, the identifying attributes should be organized to improve quality, to create excellent performance and to manage change (Cummings & Worley, 1997). They should also be organized for competitive benefit, for the learners, and for workforce that is energized and committed. As a result, the identifying attributes should be organized in a SMART approach which is one of the strategic management towards achieving the organizational goals (Dickie & Dickie, 2007). This means they should be sensible, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Through this, the conceptual framework will facilitate easy understanding of matters that are complex since complex whole is divided into simpler related components. The Five Disciples Framework How the framework can be used to make judgments about the capacities and performance of a learning organization Learning organization can be evaluated in terms of performance and capacity by incorporating the five disciplines framework. According Senge (1994), five disciplines is categorized in five parts. First is the personal mastery. This involves learning to enlarge people’s ability to generate results that are mostly desired and forming an organizational setting which encourage every member to grow themselves toward purposes and goals they choose (Senge, 1994). The second is mental modes which basically entails reflecting upon, constantly clarifying, and enhancing the world’s inner pictures, and visualizing how they shape decisions and actions. Thirdly is the shared vision. This is about constructing a sense of commitment in a cluster, through development of mutual images of the future people seek to build, and the beliefs and directing practices by which people hope to reach there. Team learning is the fourth discipline through which the framework can be used to make judgments concerning capacities and performance of a learning organization. Team learning involves changing conversational and joint thinking skills, with the intention that groups can dependably develop aptitude and capacity greater than the amount of talents of individual member. Lastly, there is system thinking. This is a method of contemplating and a language for explaining and comprehending interrelationships and forces that form the performance of systems (Senge, 1994). Since the conceptual framework brings about easy understanding of what is viewed as complex, integration of the five disciplines will also aid in understanding matters concerning learning organization hence evaluating the performance and capacities of a learning organization. Conclusion Conceptual framework enables researchers and theorists to easily understand phenomena that are viewed as complicated. Learning organization is also viewed as a complicated concept but through development of conceptual framework, it is easily understood. For instance, as discussed above, there are identifying attributes that define learning organization. One of the identifying attributes is the organizational culture. In order to promote learning in an organization, the organizational culture should spearhead the change and improvement. Work practices like swapping shifts evidence the identifying attributes in an organizational activity. This is seen when employees have the authority to program how they work provided all the essential shifts are covered which is part of the organization’s goal. Proper organizing of the named identifying attributes to develop a conceptual framework can accurately represent learning organization. Finally the framework can be used to evaluate the capacities and performance of the learning organization through the five disciplines as discussed above. References Argyris, C. (1999). On Organizational Learning. Second Edition. Oxford: Blackwell Business. Belason, A.T. (2000). Leading the Learning Organization. New York: State University of New York Press. Cummings, T., & Worley, C (1997). Organization development and change (6thed.). Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western College Publishing. Dickie, L. & Dickie, C (2007) Cornerstones of strategic management. Prahran: Tilde University Press. Jones, S. (1996). Developing and learning culture: Empowering people to deliver quality innovation and long term success. New York: McGraw Hill. Senge, P. (1994). The fifth discipline fieldbook. London: Nicholas Brealey. Read More