Definition of a Learning Organization - Essay Example

Introduction Every organization learns as it grows. As it grows changes are incorporated. Normally organizations are apprehensive to adopt changes; they are perceived as risks but the organization has to accept that change gives greater flexibility to explore and exploit new oppurtunities. Change is difficult to implement and organizations are slow to accept change. Strategic management lies in the firm’s ability to identify, accept, and incorporate change within the organization. Gender issue is one such aspect which has been greatly neglected by organization for long. Every organization’s main concern is to create and maintain productive employment. While concerns have been stated over gender issues, actual change has not taken place. Organizational learning was supposed to help organizations respond better to the demands of the environment. Today organizations are expected to be more gender equitable and improve their capacity to undertake development or human rights work that is not gender-biased (Kelleher, n.d.). This essay will identify the link between gender and learning at work, and finally discuss how organizations, which fail to consider gender issues, cannot become effective learning organizations. Definition of a learning organization According to Khandekar & Sharma (2005) companies realize that the way an organization learns is the key determinant for sustainable competitive advantage. According to Griego et al., (2000) today a learning organization reflects the aspirations of its leaders. A learning organizations focuses on the characteristics, principles and systems of an organization that produces and learns collectively. Learning organizations lead to turn-around success stories in major companies. Through learning all the members continuously transform themselves. It is better able to collect, manage and use knowledge. Such organizations allow their people to expand and explore their creativity, where new patterns of thinking are nurtured, and where people learn how to learn together (Griego et al., 2000). According to Griego et al., (2000) five HRD functions have been categorized as key aspects of a learning organization. These include training and education, rewards and recognition, information flow, vision and strategy and individual team development. Training and education is a tool for learning and learning facilitates performance improvement. Recognition boosts employees’ esteem and gives them a greater sense of ownership in the organization. This results is reduced turnover and absenteeism, greater employee interest and involvement, and increased focus on organizational goals and values. Flow of information is critical to organizational learning and success. When managers are not willing to share information, organizational failure is inevitable. Learning organizations necessarily have a vision, which provides them a direction to navigate. Learning organizations would seek ways to motivate their employees, aid individual development, as well as teamwork (Griego et al., 2000). According to Kelleher (n.d.) learning organization should ideally empower the staff to maximize their potential; they should be able to meet their own missions, they should be in a position to break down functional barriers, be prepared for risks. The organization culture, in addition, should encourage learning and innovation, and equip themselves to thrive in a challenging environment. They should also be permeable to influence and ideas from external to the organization although adopting them has to be after careful analysis (Kelleher (n.d.). Research According to CCCPCP (2000) pre-existing assumptions and biases in any organization include that women can do only certain kinds of work as they need protection, women cannot be promoted as much as men as they have family responsibilities (CCCPCP, 2000). According to GIEA (2000) gender based discrimination in an organization is due to lack of education, training and access to credit. Employers need to focus upon encouraging equality in employment, and upon increasing the participation of women managers and business entrepreneurs. This discrimination is detrimental to the growth of an organization as women’s contribution to an organization can be invaluable. In fact, increased participation of women would enable optimum utilization of human resources for economic and social development (GIEA, 2000). The Beijing Platform for Action (1995) mentions, “Without the active participation of women and the incorporation of women’s perspectives in all levels of decision-making, the goals of equality, development, and peace cannot be achieved” (cited by Mishra-Panda, n.d.). Miller et al., (2002) reiterate that by not taking advantage of the potential of the female employees, organizations lose out. Apart from losing out on the benefits of the feminine qualities, the difference in leadership styles of men and women essential due to the changing trends towards flatter organizational structure, team-based management and globalization. Organization spend equally on training women but promotions are not forthcoming. As a result, they do not derive the benefit of the expenses incurred on training them. Previously the feminine qualities were supposed to be deficiencies and gave messages of incompetence. These were the reasons why women could not make it to the top but today the trends have reversed. Women with certain masculine characteristics stand equal chances in an organization. The irony of the fact is that women are labeled as less than women if they ‘act like men’. Organizations that favour stereotypical masculine values and reward practices, pose a threat to women. Such organizational cultures cannot change overnight and they create a stifling atmosphere for women. Women then give up hope of promotion and switch jobs, which again is a loss for the organization as they fail to recognize the value of human capital they employ (Miller et al., 2002). According to CCCPCP (2000), China has a high percentage of women engineers than Canada but they have a low profile. They work mostly as laboratory technicians or as office staff with few found at the higher management levels. Studies revealed that attitudinal change was necessary to recognize women’s capabilities and for allowing them oppurtunities to develop and hone their skills. Women are in a better position to identify tasks and behavior that are typical or unusual for their gender. Changes in working conditions can help resolve women’s domestic issues, thereby leading to enhanced participation by women (CCCPCP, 2000). Abrahamsson (2001) carried out a study of organizational changes at eight medium and large industries in the pulp and paper, food, electronics and laundry industries in Sweden. The study involved repeated visits and the results were segregated into male-dominated workplaces, gender segregated workplaces and gender-balanced workplaces. Studies showed that women have greater possibilities to function professionally in group oriented and network organizations (Kvande and Rasmussen, 1995; Blomqvist, 1994; Gunnarsson, 1994, cited by Abrahamsson). The climate in such organizations is congenial for men and women to work together with greater possibilities of gender equality. Flat, open boundary-less organization indicate that organizations can benefit by making changes in the gender order but Abrahamsson asserts that companies revert to the original status and this is specially pronounced in the case of gender pattern. There are obstacles in changing organizations becoming learning organizations but if the companies do not overcome these barriers, they lose out on the oppurtunities to learn or have greater flexibility in production, integrated maintenance, improvement of the most injury-prone work environments, which were often women’s work (Abrahamsson, 2001). According to GIEA (2000) equal oppurtunities programs are considered good business practices in addition to recognizing ethical practices. From the economic perspective too, discrimination is counter-productive. It prohibits either sex from realizing their full development potential and usefulness within the organization. By addressing gender issues effectively, an organization has a wider choice in selecting the right employee, which could improve efficiency and productivity (GIEA, 2000). According to Callahan et al., (2005) another important aspect in the gender issue is emotions. Emotions and leadership have been linked together although organizations attempt to create a highly impersonal and cognitive structure. The fact that human beings are both rational and emotional cannot be overlooked. Studies have revealed that in general, women are better in both coding and encoding emotions that is they are better at expressing emotions (Gallois, 1993 cited by Callahan et al., 2005). Increased emotional expression increases the effectiveness of leaders, which in turn leads to greater organizational effectiveness. Emotions play a key role in the relationship between the manager and the employee. Recognition and appreciation empowers employees in an organization. The ability to show care and concern is vital to establishing a learning organization (Callahan et al., 2005). Sheaffer et al., (2004) also agree that women executives differ in leadership styles. They tend to me more empathetic rather than authoritative with subordinates. They further quote that women differ from men in their being more caring, collaborative and enhancing participative decision-making while men are more rational and competitive. These feminine leadership qualities are beneficial for any organization in the highly competitive and challenging task environments today. Women managers would tend to use the people-oriented management, which favors a decentralized structure and promotes participatory teamwork. However Butterfield and Grinnell (1999) express apprehensions whether men and women differ as leaders (cited by Sheaffer et al.,). Studies confirm that there is a difference in how men and women would handle a crisis. Besides, women are more likely to adopt a holistic approach facilitating the application of CM strategies (Sheaffer et al., 2004). Women are better equipped as they handle dual responsibility of home and workplace; they have to prove their position in a male-dominated environment and they are definitely better at perceiving and anticipating crisis. By addressing the gender issue, by removing the functional barriers and by recognizing the capabilities of women, by acknowledging the feminine leadership qualities, women can be entrusted to senior HR functions where emotional expressiveness plays a vital role in facilitating organizational learning. Pounder & Coleman (2002) observe that women are making a significant impact on national economies. Modern organizations would benefit by change in leadership, which should be non-coercive, based on teamwork, and adept at building relationships. This style of leadership comes naturally to women but there is a negative perception of women as managers or leaders. Women tend to follow the transformational leadership pattern where they nurture the subordinates through a process of socialization while men are inclined towards transactional leadership. Because of the socialization process, women have developed certain characteristics, which are distinctly different from the traditional competitive, controlling, aggressive leadership behaviors of men. Grant (1998) too argues that women have developed extremely valuable psychological qualities relevant to leadership based on relationships, encouragement, and support (cited by Pounder & Coleman). Pounder & Coleman (2002) further state that organizations that differentiate between men and women in terms of job, status, duties, tenure and promotion oppurtunities, in fact cause men and women to behave differently at work. Due to this discrimination, women tend to feel isolated in a male-dominated environment. This can have a detrimental effect on women’s mental health, can lead to increased visibility resulting in attracting undue attention. This in turn increases the performance pressures on women. Women work under stress, which finally results in displaying leadership behaviors that are different from men. Such organizations are not able to maximize the benefit from women’s potential. There are limitations to the findings as Luthar (1996) observes that most of the research and findings on gender and leadership are based on data obtained from USA where democracy is embedded in the culture (cited by Pouner & Coleman, 2002). Powell & Butterfield (2003) observe the changed trend, which has led to more women aspiring for top management positions. Women today feel more empowered than before, and the barriers to women’s rise in organizations seem to have diminished. Nevertheless, various authors determine that top management remains heavily male-dominated. Mismatch between the managerial role and the female gender role ultimately lead to discrimination against women when decisions are made about top management positions. Women under such circumstances tend to start their own businesses (Powell & Butterfield, 2003). According to Liu & Wilson (2001) while training and development should be an ongoing process in any organization, such initiatives are still tailored to the 20th century and women in management are still firmly buried in the last century. While women continue to increase their share of the workforce in UK, inequalities persist in every field, which stunts women’s careers. Studies brought to light the obstacles that women face in progression and career development. When women returned to the labor market after a gap of a year or more, their skills were outdated and no longer suited to the labor market. Women in senior management positions revealed that they were paid significantly lower than the male counterparts were. This pay gap affects women in all industries and occupations. The differential earnings worsen women’s subordinate status in the workplace. Preconceived notions that women are not genetically programmed to succeed in the workplace continue to prevail in the society and in the minds of those in authority at workplace. The biases are so strong that women are not even expected to achieve parity with women and receive awards and recognition. Such notions influence the employer’s mind and decisions (Liu & Wilson, 2001). Discussions and conclusions All the research, data collection and studies discussed above, do not conform to the definition of a learning organization. Women are still expected to shoulder the responsibility of the child, the home and at the same time not given the due training and development oppurtunities at the workplace. According to Liu & Wilson (2001) studies show that gender is one of the most significant obstacles to women’s development and career progression. Men still carry an image of women as wives and mothers and are unable to accept them as equal to men. To dissuade women from workplace or promotions, men in position often burden women with extra or difficult work. If women show efficiency, men resent this because this threatens their masculinity. Instead of being rewarded or recognized, women are publicly reprimanded (Liu & Wilson, 2001). Family responsibility is seen as an obstacle to promotion. Organizations have to accept that women will and are responsible and capable of dual responsibilities. This is fact should enhance the image of women at workplace. Organization who do not provide the same training and education to women employees, do not realize the potential of women. A learning organization would ideally encourage learning as an ongoing process and hence discrimination only reduces the efficiency of the organization. Such organizations lose not just the capital spent on initial training but valuable human capital as well. Gender issues have to be accepted by every organization. Women are more expressive of their emotions and are in a better position to handle the subordinates. They are better equipped to understand and motivate the subordinates as compared to the male counterparts. They too deserve the same recognition and rewards. Failure to do so results in women feeling dejected and de-motivated. They do not feel a part of the organization; they are not involved. This leads women to become entrepreneurs, which effectively means that the organization is not a learning organization. A learning organization would effectively deal with gender issues with compassion and understanding. When women return after long absence, they have to be updated on the new skills to catch up with the trends. Everyone is a learning organization should collectively learn together, but women are only frowned upon. Women are under stress to perform as well as men. There is discrimination in information sharing also, which keeps women away from involvement. There is no individual development, no teamwork and no group feeling in such organizations. Change is difficult but not impossible. Change can be slow but possible. To be a successful learning organization, gender issues have to be addressed effectively. Gender issue, if not addressed, will continue to be a barrier to the growth of an organization. References: Abrahamsson L (2001), Journal of Workplace Learning, Vol. 13 No. 7/8, 2001 pp. 298-307 CCCPCP (2000), Gender Equality, 06 Aug 2006 Callahan J L, Hasler M G & Tolson H (2005), Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 26 No. 7, 2005 pp. 512-528 GIEA (2000), ILO, International Seminar, St. Petersburg, 06 Aug 2006 Griego O V, Geroy G D & Wright P C (2000), The Learning Organization, Vol. 7 No. 1, 2000 pp. 5-12 Khandekar A & Sharma A (2005), Journal of Small Business & Enterprise Development, Vol. 12, No. 2. 2005 pp. 211-226 Kelleher D (n.d.), Gender at Work, Organizational Learning: A Borrowed Toolbox? 07 Aug 2006 Liu J & Wilson D (2001), Equal Oppurtunities International, Vol. 20 No. 4 2001 Miller J C, Appelbaum S H & Audet L (2002), Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 24 No. 2, 2003 pp. 43-51 Mishra-Panda S (n.d.), Generic Issues in Governance, 06 Aug 2006 Powell G N & Butterfield D A (2003), Women in Management Review, Vol. 18 No. 1/2, 2003 pp. 88-96 Pounder J S & Coleman M (2002), Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 23 No. 3, 2002 pp. 122-133 Sheaffer Z & Mano-Negrin R (2004), Women in Management Review, Vol. 19 No. 2, 2004, pp. 109-122 Read More