which promote the learning process for organizations. There is an emphasis placed upon systematic problem solving, experimentation with new approaches, making meaning of past experiences and quickly and efficiently transferring knowledge and best practices within an organization. To be able to accomplish those learning tasks Kezar encourages organizations to be decentralized with a high degree of trust with strong relationships and solid communication between colleagues. These qualities help establish an environment that encourages the sharing of information and promotes appropriate risk-taking as a way of solving problems. Overall, he shares that it is important to create a learning culture with a shared vision for success.
Finally, Senge (1990) contributes to our understanding of how organizations learn by examining the role of the leader. One of the key roles for leaders is to build a collective vision and continue to sculpt that vision over time. A key element in setting the vision is ensuring that creative tension exists thus that there is an appropriate gap between the vision and the current reality that inspires the organization. Leaders must also challenge the existing mental models and through doing so create change and learning. Finally leaders must focus primarily at the systems level and focus less on the day-to-day. By doing so, they are able to take stock of the underlying trends and become a force for bigger change and a greater level of learning.
While the authors have established compelling arguments for learning organizations there are several areas for concern. Information sharing across organizations is vital to the learning process, yet there are many barriers to information sharing. While technology is greatly assisting in the communication of vital information within organizations, bureaucracy still remains in the way of the idealistic flow of information. Additionally, while there is a need for organizations to view the learning process as holistic and system-wide, it is difficult for individuals to expand their view beyond their single scope. Organizations need to work on investing all individuals in the greater goals and vision to ensure a successful learning process. Finally, organizational learning is complicated and there seems to be a common underestimation of its complexity. There needs to be a greater understanding at all levels about the complexity of the learning process. To best accomplish organizational learning, groups must fully realize the challenges they must overcome to ensure the greatest outcomes in the learning process.
Morgan (2006) Chapter 4 - Organizations As Brains
Gareth Morgan uses the brain metaphor because of several characteristics.
The brain displays holographic qualities. That is, multiple areas of the brain are able
to reproduce multiple functions, at least to some level of precision. The brain also has
areas that specialize in particular skills. The complexity of brains raises many
possibilities when viewing organizations as brains. Morgan discusses these possibilities
in the three interconnected areas outlined below. For a detailed summary of Morgan's chapter on the organization as brains and definition of key terms, click BRAINS.
Katz & Kahn (1996) - Organizations and the System Concept
|Common Characteristics of Open Systems:
|Importation of Energy
|Systems as Cycles of Events
|Information Input, Native Feedback, and the Coding Process
|The Steady State and Dynamic Homeostasis
Classroom discussion with Katz & Kahn
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Kezar (2005) What Campuses Need To Know About Organizational Learning and the Learning Organization
Organizational Learning (OL): study of whether, how and under what conditions organizations can learn (Fiol & Lyles, 1985).
Learning Organization (LO): An organization that can be adaptable, flexible, experimental, and innovative
|Shared concepts between organizational learning and learning organizations:
|Differences between organizational learning and learning organizati