CHAPTER 4: ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE
4.5 Organisational learning versus learning organisation
“out there” to seeing how one’s own actions create the problems one experiences.
According to Senge a learning organisation is a place where people are continually discovering how they create their reality and how they can change it.
In summary, the learning organisation incorporates five distinct subsystems-learning, organisation (structure), people, knowledge and technology. Attempting to understand or become a learning organisation without all five these dimensions will lead to only a partial appreciation of the processes and principles necessary to move from a non- learning to a learning organisation.
The core subsystem of a learning organisation is learning – at the levels of individual, group and organisation, with the skills (or disciplines as Senge refers to them) of systems thinking, mental models, personal mastery, team learning and shared vision.
Each of the other subsystems – organisation, people, knowledge and technology – are required to enhance the quality and impact of learning on a corporate-wide basis.
The learning actions and activities, which are needed to lead to a learning organisation, are summarised in Table 4.1:
Table 4.1: Actions which are needed to lead to a learning organisation
Organisation Learning (Action)
Leads to Learning Organisation
Ability of organisation to gain insight and
understanding from experience through experimentation,
observation and analysis.
Learning within the organisation.
Learn about learning and understand the processes by which individual, group/team and organisational learning take place.
Change organisational capacity for doing something new.
Capacity to adapt and change.
Improved organisational performance.
Development of new knowledge/insights.
Generation of new
knowledge.
Changes in actions at individual, group/team and organisational level.
Potential to influence behaviour.
Changes in actions at individual, group/team and organisational level.
Self-managed teams, product innovations and new
technology development.
A cognitive approach is adapted.
Learners see relationships between elements in a situation.
Learning occurs through shared mental models, sharing of relevant
knowledge, learning based on continuous improvement.
Learning influenced by organisational culture, structure and
infrastructure.
Transforming and change to manage learning and knowledge more effectively.
Altered flatter, less
hierarchical structure, shared values, a supportive culture;
failures are faced and frankly discussed. Utilise techniques and technologies to maximise learning and to create and share knowledge.
Change from old
organisational paradigm to new paradigm.
Change and improvements.
Strategic learning capacities are widespread, leaders at all levels, empowered
employees, open
communication, operational and financial measurement system in place.
Create/adapt learning organisational models.
Implementation of learning organisation models.
Learning organisation models incorporates five distinctive subsystems; learning, organisation, people, knowledge and technology.
In summary, a learning organisation responds to changes in the environment by proactive organisational learning; moreover, it deliberately aims at improving its ability for learning. In order to learn on an organisational level a learning organisation makes use of every employee; therefore, it strives to create a work environment which supports learning.
4.6 Organisational learning and the learning organisation in the knowledge management context
Organisational learning and the learning organisation intersect with knowledge management in several ways. As Senge (1990a) explains it, organisational learning anchors the process of knowledge management in the core phenomenon of how new knowledge is generated. The fundamental unit for generating knowledge in any enterprise has always been regarded as a working team. Thus, working teams create knowledge in the sense of capacity for effective action. It is teams who collectively have to do something to produce a desired outcome.
.
Organisational learning also emphasises the enhancement of learning capabilities, particularly the quality of interpersonal relationships, dialogue, collective
understanding of interdependence and common vision. All these capabilities tie into qualities that make internal networks effective – and knowledge diffuses and
intermingles through internal networks. Like knowledge generation, knowledge diffusion is also a learning process (Gilley & Maycunich, 2000: 103-104).
Knowledge management also adds something new to organisational learning. In Senge’s (1990b) view one of the main things which is achieved through knowledge management, is to get people to think about “the larger scale” for example to look at interrelationships of the system. Organisational learning has been focused on
relatively small groups, which is a powerful starting place for catalysing significant change. Many times important learning fails to spread beyond a group or team to the larger organisation. Knowledge management forces people to pay attention to the actual processes that expand the diffusion of new learning or new knowledge.
According to Ahmed, Kok and Loh (2002: 112) the type of benefits that can be derived by managing knowledge and learning are:
• Improved efficiency.
• Improved market position by operating more intelligently.
• Professionals learn more efficiently and more effectively.
• Improved communication between knowledge workers.
• The organisation focuses on the core business and critical company knowledge.
Regardless of how people understand the concepts knowledge management and organisational learning in a learning organisation or whether they consider it a fad or the next wave, it has done much to get people thinking about how they can support
large-scale change in their organisations. Change and knowledge sharing that spread to the outermost boundaries of organisations may be the most important waves of all times.