Learning Organization Theory and the Potential to Retain Knowledge Workers - Essay Example

The purpose of the research design was to investigate the practices and elements of learning organization models pertaining to voluntary turnover as mediated through job satisfaction. The new economy has been defined as one which is technology-based. In the new economy, knowledge workers are the most important employees for any organization because they facilitate the creation of knowledge which is critical for maintaining the competitive advantage. Therefore the findings from the paper would enable managers in the new economy to manage turnover intent so that an organization can create a long-term strategic advantage by creating human capital.

The importance of knowledge management can be seen in the case of Starbucks, the leading brand in the specialty coffee industry (Pearlson & Saunders, 2008, pp. 56-60). The company has implemented web 2.0 technology which has enhanced cooperation between employees throughout the organization. Web 2.0 facilitates knowledge management by enabling employees to collaborate online through information sharing. As a result, the employees are able to participate in the decision-making process. This increases job satisfaction and decreases turnover intention. The company maintains a continuous process of innovation that is guided by knowledge management. For this reason, HR managers have to formulate strategies aimed at motivating knowledge workers who can make the innovation process effective. The managers at Starbucks can apply the findings from the present journal. From their research, the authors have found that learning organization disciplines are linked to turnover intent via different dimensions related to job satisfaction such as reward and challenge (found to have the most significant associations). Starbucks can draw upon these findings to improve HR practices.

The importance of knowledge workers in the new economy cannot be overestimated. Therefore it is one of the key success factors for an organization in the new economy to formulate HR strategies aimed at maximizing the job satisfaction of knowledge workers. The research project has established the relationship between LO disciplines and job satisfaction facets in the first stage. The second stage of the project explored the relationship between different factors of job satisfaction and knowledge worker retention. The facets to emerge as important were comfort, challenge, reward and relations with co-workers. This indicates that it is important to introduce LO disciplines in order to manage the retention of knowledge workers. Although the importance of LO disciplines had been investigated in the existing literature, this research project further contributes to the literature by analyzing the different elements of LO disciplines. As a result, managers can gain a better understanding of how to change organizational processes to introduce LO disciplines in a manner that maximizes the job satisfaction of knowledge workers.