Confernce 5 - Personal Statement Example

February 13, Organizational Learning and a Learning Organization Organizational learning and a learning organization are similar in principles because they both stimulate organizational changes, sometimes even leading to widespread organizational re-invention, so that the new organizational structure can produce and facilitate continuous learning and creativity through fostering open communication, shared learning, collaboration, and common vision-building (Dalkir and Liebowitz 4). Organizational learning and a learning organization, however, are different, wherein organizational learning is a process, while a learning organization is a “product,” an end state, or a desired organizational structure and culture (Schwandt and Marquardt 26).

Organizational learning is composed of all dynamic human practices and processes that are needed to increase the knowledge management capacity of organizations (Dalkir and Liebowitz 6).It is important to make the distinction between organizational learning and a learning organization because it meaningfully connects theories to practices and processes, and these actions, in turn, are related to the goals of developing a learning organization (Schwandt and Marquardt 26). One of the problems associated in the practice of learning organizations is that when managers and firm owners read about learning organizations, they implement only the end result of a learning organization without understanding and responding to underlying theories on organizational learning, thereby being unable to connect the relationship between theories and learning organization outcomes (Schwandt and Marquardt 26).

These managers become myopic in thinking because they may perceive only the descriptive model of organizational learning, instead of seeing it as a dynamic model (Schwandt and Marquardt 26). Knowing that organizational learning is different from a learning organization is the first step to recognizing that organizational learning is needed to create a learning organization. Works CitedDalkir, Kimiz, and Jay Liebowitz. Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice. 2nd ed. Massachusetts: MIT Press, 2011. Print. Schwandt, David, and Michael J.

Marquardt. Organizational Learning: From World-Class Theories to Global Best Practices. Florida: CRC, 2000. Print.