...the different forms of organisational learning and how can these concepts be useful? Organisations today are faced with a constant change and very turbulent economic environment. Due to fast growing economies and need to survive in such a “hostile” environment organizations are enforced to continuously seek for different approaches on how to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. As Senge (1990) remarks: "The rate at which organizations learn may become the only sustainable source of competitive advantage." Continuous learning in organisations was presented as a requirement and advocated by Argyris and Schon in 1978. “Organisational learning has been viewed as a source of competitive advantage that helps organisations respond to changes in their institutional environments via adopting and diffusing innovations that will contribute towards improving their performance”. (Sisaye and Birnberg, xiii) Pressures from globalization, technology developments, mergers and acquisitions are testing organisations and forcing them to learn how to anticipate and respond to these rapid changes, complexities and most importantly uncertainties that are hard to predict. Schein (1983) argues that there are three levels of organizational learning culture, cognitive, behavioral and artifactual, where: 1. Behavioral learning deals with the capacity of organizational processes, structures and systems to support learning. 1. Cognitive learning opposite to behavioral...
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...Organisational Learning Organisational learning is a continuous process that enhances its collective ability to accept, make sense of, and respond to internal and external change. Organizational learning and is more than the sum of the informationheld by employees. It requires systematicintegration and collective interpretation of new knowledge that leads to collective action and involves risk taking as experimentation. It is an area within organisational theory that studies models and theories about the way an organisation learns and adapts. Ultimately, the belief is that learning will enable organisations to develop superior strategies – learning to allow firms to gain competitive advantage – behaviour has to change in response to what is being learned. E.g. Apple. Argyris and Schön were the first to propose models that facilitate organizational learning; others have followed in the tradition of their work. They distinguished between single-loop and double-loop learning, related to Gregory Bateson's concepts of first and second order learning. In single-loop learning, individuals, groups, or organizations modify their actions according to the difference between expected and obtained outcomes. This is the first type of learning – ‘Adaptive Learning’. This type of learning involves going through a process more than once to become more efficient – errors are corrected and it becomes familiar so the first process is changed to make the second faster. This process is not...
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...…………….…………………………………….3 2. Definition of Organisation……………………………………..………………………….3 3. Organisational Behavoiur…………………………………………….......……………….4 4. Definitions of Learning……………………………………………………………...…….4 1. Classical Conditioning Theory………………………………...………………….5 2. Operant Conditioning Theory……………………………….…………………….5 3. Social Learning Theory………………………………….………………………..6 4. Cognitive Theory……………………………………...…………………………..6 5. Organisational Learning…………………………………………………………………..6 1. Organisational Learning contribution from Educational Psychology………….....7 2. Organisational Learning contribution from Sociology…………………………....7 3. Organisational Learning contribution from Economics…………………………..7 4. Organisational Learning contribution from Anthropology………….…………….8 5. Organisational Learning contribution from Political Science…………...………..8 6. Organisational Learning contribution from Management Science………….…….8 6. Learning Organisation…………………………………………………………………….9 1. Team Learning……………………………………………………….……………9 2. Shared Visions…………………………………………………………………….9 3. Mental Models…………………………………………………….………………9 4. Personal Mastery……………………………………………………...………….10 7. Executive Summary on Organisational Behaviour within Kyambogo University……....10 1. Manifestation of Organisational Behavoiur Learning issues in the Kyambogo Case Study……………………………………………………………………….11 2. Recommendations………………………………………………...
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...Cycles of Organisational Learning: A Conceptual Approach Dr Peter Murray Senior Lecturer Division of Economic and Financial Studies, Department of Business, Macquarie University, NSW. Australia. Phone +61 2 98508468 Email: p.murray@mq.edu.au Key Words: unbounded learning, integrated learning cycles, competencies Abstract In an environment of rapid change, organisational learning theory appears to offer much for organisations trying to grapple with change and growth. Not all theorists agree on the methodologies of organisational learning however, and there is little consensus about how organisations achieve both change and growth simultaneously. This paper attempts to expand the simplistic idea that organisational learning is an adaptive approach supported by individualized and stand-alone strategies of learning. The paper demonstrates how various conventions of learning can be understood as integrated learning cycles from which organisations can chart new paradigms of learning in practice. Current theories of organizational learning are imbued with their own sense of history making, clever manifestos that support a workshop or case study approach, and questionable rather than empirical validations of internally consistent phenomenon. Existing theories of learning however are valuable to the extent that they collectively represent a community of practice from which scholars and practitioners benefit. New conceptual approaches are needed...
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...How can your mental models about your world both assist and limit your perceptions when you meet a person for the first time? Mental models are psychological representations of real, hypothetical, or imaginary situations (Princeton, 2013). The first known recorded postulation of the mental models theory came from the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce, who stated that reasoning is a process by which humans "examine the state of things asserted in the premises, forms a diagram of that state of things, perceives in the parts of the diagram relations not explicitly mentioned in the premises, satisfies itself by mental experiments upon the diagram that these relations would always subsist, or at least would do so in a certain proportion of cases, and concludes their necessary, or probable, truth.” Similarly the Scottish psychologist Kenneth Craik suggested that the human mind constructed small scale models of the world for which it used to anticipate events, to reason and to underlie explanation. Modern Cognitive scientists have since debated that the human mind constructs mental models due to perception, imagination and knowledge. Mental models are created through various avenues such as personal experience, social values, religious beliefs, cultural attitudes and norms. Therefore mental models are how we determine and make sense of reality; these can be range from simple generalisations to immensely complex ideas and theories. These models thus underpin all...
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...To evaluate this statement we first need to define what the mechanistic and learning approach is. Then define exactly what organisational learning is and what impact the characteristics of the mechanistic approach will have on it. The two approaches involve theories and models about the adaptability and the learning skills of organizations. Bureaucracies clearly lack these characteristics in comparison to other approaches. The mechanistic approach operates the organisation in the same way a machine operates - efficient, specialised, reliable, predictable, logical and with no opinions (has no heart). The model which refers to this approach would be the Taylor model (Taylorism - 21st century scientific management). Frederick Winslow Taylor was a mechanical engineer who strived to improve industrial efficiency. He was a pioneer in the field of scientific management. The Taylor model consists of 4 components. 'Division of labour' where responsibility is shifted from worker to manager. 'One best way' where the scientific methods determine the most efficient way to operate. 'Scientific selection and training' which means the best person is selected depending on experience and qualifications. They are trained to work as efficiently as possible. Finally, 'monitor performance' where operations and performance is observed and monitored through an organisational hierarchy and through supervision. This basic concept further developed into Fordism and finally into TQM. The...
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...that all human beings hold. In today’s global economy, Knowledge has become essential and it creates significant competitive advantage for any organisation (Gunnlaugsdottir, 2003). By using KM, organisations are able to attain or construct valuable knowledge and to make it accessible to those who can utilise it correctly to accomplish utmost efficient procedure in order to completely control organisational performance. Organisational Learning (OL) is corresponding to KM. In the early centuries, OL are referred to as decoding suggestion from learning into practice that direct performance (Levitt and March, 1988). In other words, OL has to execute with embedding what has been taught into the framework of the organisation. 2. Definition of Knowledge Management and Organisational Learning 3.1 Knowledge Management Knowledge management (KM) refers to the process in which organisations acquire or create useful knowledge and make it available for employees to utilize at the proper time and place in order for them to achieve the most effective usage in for optimal organisational performance. It involves planning, organizing, motivating and controlling of workers and arrangements in the firm to make sure that knowledge related assets are improved and effectively employed. Two types of knowledge are emphasized in KM practices. fig 2.1 Tacit knowledge is ingrained in the minds of employees and is difficult to articulate (Argote, 2000). Most knowledge is tacit in nature...
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...________________________________________________ A Review of the Concept of Organisational Learning By Catherine L Wang & Pervaiz K Ahmed Working Paper Series 2002 Number ISSN Number Catherine L Wang WP004/02 ISSN 1363-6839 Research Assistant University of Wolverhampton, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1902 321651 Email: C.Wang@wlv.ac.uk Professor Pervaiz K Ahmed Chair in Management University of Wolverhampton, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1902 323921 Email: pkahmed@wlv.ac.uk © University of Wolverhampton 2002 - All rights reserved A Review of the Concept of Organisational Learning _________________________________________________________________________________________ Copyright © University of Wolverhampton 2002 All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, photocopied, recorded, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of the copyright holder. The Management Research Centre is the co-ordinating centre for research activity within Wolverhampton Business School. This working paper series provides a forum for dissemination and discussion of research in progress within the School. For further information contact: Management Research Centre Wolverhampton Business School Telford, Shropshire TF2 9NT !01902 321772 Fax 01902 321777 2 Management Research Centre 2002 A Review of the Concept of Organisational Learning _________________________________________________________________________________________ ...
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...ability to learn faster than the competition” (Senge 1990:1) Peter M. Senge is a pioneer in the field of learning organizations and the author of “The Fifth Discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization“ (Senge 1990) which was declared as one of the most powerful books in the past 75 years by Harvard Business Review in 1997 (Smith 2001). The book illustrated that the only way to gain competitive advantage is through making an organisation a learning one. However, is the learning organisation approach really linked to an organisation’s competitive advantage and the one and only approach to enhance an organisation’s performance and, therefore, run a successful company? Or is it more like a brilliant theory but not a viable one in practice? By highlighting the main characteristics of a learning organisation and using organisational examples, this essay will critically discuss and analyse its role in terms of enhancing performance. Learning organisations are companies that aim at improving their performance by providing their employees with on-going learning opportunities. As they are utilising learning to achieve their objectives, learning can be seen as part of an organisation’s strategy. They make their employees learn constantly and, therefore, learning must become an essential component of employees’ work (Bratton and Gold 2007) In order to achieve that, learning organisations invest an enormous amount of money in training activities. Jack Welch, the then-CEO of...
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...Key Learnings from OB-2 course (Submitted by Rajat Dhingra, Roll No 26, PGPM-PT April 2014 batch) An organisation consists of individuals and each person has an inherent need to understand it because much of each individual's time is spent working in or around an organisation. Organisation Behaviour plays an important role in the management of business. It is that field of study which finds out the impact that individuals, groups and structure have on behaviour within an organisation and it applies that knowledge to make organisations work more effectively. Organisations are open social systems and have complex structures. Companies use various structures such as- functional, divisional, matrix to achieve the flexibility that they require in terms of goals being met, faster decision making, adjust rapidly to the changing environment and reducing conflicts. There is no one size fits all approach and the structure is decided by various factors such as the environment, resources available, competitive position etc. We have also learnt about the role of business environment in influencing strategy of the company. To what extent strategy depends on the environment and how strategy shapes the structure. We have analysed the McKinsey 7s model which is a tool that analyzes firm’s organisational design by looking at 7 key internal elements: strategy, structure, systems, shared values, style, staff and skills, in order to identify if they are effectively aligned and allow organisation...
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...well as individual employees to benefit from increases in productivity, safety at the work place and well-being as a result of improved skills and enhanced knowledge. According to Armstrong (2001), training is defined as “planned and systematic modification of behaviour through learning events, programmes and instruction” that allows the individual achievement of skills, competencies and knowledge required for effective working. Within this definition, there are two aspects which might be seen as the most significant elements of training. At first, the fact that training is supposed to be planned and systematic needs to be highlighted. Moreover, the second aspect to be highlighted is related the objective of training, which is described as enhancement of specific work-related abilities. A simple but systematic model which captures the characteristics of training and development described above is the so called training cycle. It is characterised by displaying training not as a single and occasional event with a fixed starting and end point, but as a continuous process and an infinite circle. (Tayler, 1991) Since the 1970s and to the present the training cycle is the conventional model for organisational training and development. Originally and referring to Armstrong (2001), Donelly (1987) as well as Kenney & Reid (1986) the training cycle can be divided into four stages. As a first step in the cycle, training needs need to be analysed in order to specify which skills or knowledge...
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...------------------------------------------------- Assignment 2a Comprehensive Essay Plan with Journal Article SummariesMarch 14, 2014 March 14, 2014 Essay Plan * Introduction/Purpose of Essay The purpose of this assignment is to explain why companies use job specialization approach to job design and to use the Job Characteristics model to describe how specialised jobs can be modified to eliminate the boredom and low job satisfaction associated with them. This essay will define, analyse and put forward methodologies that will aid in remedying the issues related to job specialisation. * Body/Background 1) Define Job Specialisation. Include quotes and provide examples of Job Specialisation. Describe the advantages and disadvantage of Job Specialisation. 2) Define Job Design. Define the aspect related to Job Design. Include quotes. 3) Define Job Characteristics Model. Describe its elements of the Job Characteristics Model. Describe the effect of each element. 4) Describe how jobs can be modified to eliminate boredom and low job satisfaction. Use quotes and define solutions to the problem. Refer to solutions put forward by the journals. * Conclusion In conclusion it can be seen that the essay has met all goal and objectives that was set out for it at the outset. Job Specialisation, Job Design and the Job Characteristics Model have been defined in detail and the advantages and disadvantages along with the various elements of each...
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...that entails the acquisition of knowledge, sharpening of skills, concepts, rules, or changing of attitudes and behaviours to enhance the performance of employees.” McNamara (2010) agrees that training is an educational process, further adding that it involves the presentation and learning of content as a means for enhancing skill development and improving workplace behaviours. To add more onto this, learning is a lifelong process of transforming information and experience into knowledge, skills, behaviours, and attitudes. It could be described as a process whereby experience results in behaviour changes (Rogers, 2003). Lastly, development is a framework that helps employees broaden their personal and interpersonal skills, knowledge and abilities (Heathfield, 2011). It includes such factors as employee training, career development, mentoring and organisational development. It is pointed out by (Heathfield, 2011; Rogers, 2003) that it gives employees the opportunity to perform to their best abilities. This essay will discuss the training, development and learning in human resources. It...
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...Delivering Learning and Development Activities Level 31 Credit value 6 Unit code 3DLA Unit review date Sept. 2011 Purpose and aim of unit This core unit will provide the knowledge and skills required to deliver planned learning and development (L&D) activities, for example one-to-one, small group and large group sessions. The need for learning and development arises for diverse reasons, including both individual self-assessment and organisational assessment. A learning and development needs analysis may identify organisational challenges or problems affecting employees, for example major organisational change; the introduction of new operations or systems and/or the maintenance of existing operations or systems. The identification of learning and development needs may also arise during an induction process. This unit will review adult learning principles and the learning cycle, but the main focus will be on the importance of creating and maintaining a positive learning environment and the knowledge and skills required for the actual delivery of an activity or session. This unit is suitable for persons who: are aspiring to, or embarking on, a career in HR/L&D are working in the field of HR/L&D in a support role and wish to develop their knowledge and skills have responsibility for HR/L&D activities and decisions within an organisation without a specialist function wish to develop their knowledge, skills and capabilities in delivering learning and development...
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...and across all levels of Human Resources (HR) and Learning and Development (L&D). Information on this map is shown (below) by a circle made up of a core and 3 layers, and also 4 bands which are displayed to the side. Starting from the core, I’ll work my way out through the layers to the outer edge of the circle, and then discuss the bands, one by one. The core of the circle is applicable to all HR professionals, and is central to all roles. There are two aspects of the core – the very centre, labelled, ‘Insights, strategy and solutions, and the ring around this, which is defined as ‘Leading HR’. The centre reminds us that the HR professional have continuous awareness of business strategies and areas of weakness and have the skills and capability to provide genuine business solutions that fit with organisational values. Professionals should be able to consider a range of needs and factors, such as customer needs, financial constraints and political climate. This links closely to ‘Leading HR’ which follows, as to be in a position to influence strategy from on the offset, professionals must have first built the necessary trust, relationships and have proved their ability to lead and positively contribute to business goals. They must lead first themselves, then others, and ultimately the resolution of issues themselves. The second ring around the core, relates to professional areas within HR ranging from Organisational...
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