organized learning, organizational learning and learning organization: how organizations can embrace organizational learning

Author: Iloka Benneth Chiemelie

Published: 5th of March 2014

Introduction

In the 1990s, the concept of organizational learning (OL) and learning organization (LO) were alluring concepts. Even in the present setting, the growing number of books and research papers (e.g., Carnegie Mellon University in 1989; INSEAD in 1990; Western Business School in 1992) on these concepts represent evidence of high interest in these areas. Such interests are supported with special call for papers (e.g., International Journal of Organizational Analysis in 1995); and te establishment of research institutes (e.g., Peter Senge’s Center for Learning Organizations at MIT; Academy for Applied Research in Organizational Learning in George Washington University) focused primarily on studies related to these concepts.

Notwithstanding the high level of interest on the concept, knowledge on OL and LO still remain contrasting. Attempts have been made in literatures to integrate the two concepts (Duncan and Weiss 1979; Fiol and Lyles 1985; Levitt and March 1988; Huber 1991; Dodgson 1993; Adreyev, 2007) and researchers have made identifications from each of these prior attempts. Some of these discoveries will be adopted in this research to differentiate between organizational learning, organized learning, and learning organization. Such discoveries serve as the foundation of this research.

Differences between the concepts

	ORGANIZED LEARNING	ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING	LEARNING ORGANIZATION
Definition	These are the sequences of activities that an organization have decided to adopt in order to teach its employees new skills and competences that will help enhance overall performance of the organization.	This emphasis on the sequence of activities that an organization undertakes in order to learn.	This is used to lay emphasis on the unique structural features of an organization that has the ability to learn. The focus is less on actions that result in learning and more on the attributes of structural dimensions that characterizes the organization as learning.
Antecedents	This is triggered by the company’s objectives and perception of such activities as having the potential to help them meet such objectives.	The need to meet certain objectives (such as increased profitability or productivity)	The presence of structural dimensions and characteristics that enhances learning.
Outcomes	A given activity is chosen over the other for the learning process.	New skills and competence are acquired to meet the objectives of the company.	The structural dimension and characteristics makes learning process easy.

Source as adapted from: Soon and Damien (1996)

Possibilities of organizations to embrace organizational learning: Learning Culture in review

The possibility of an organization to embrace organizational learning is undoubted, doubts only come in the level of commitment and desire such organization has to make it possible. This is because with the right learning culture established, an organization can easily embrace learning (Allen and Keith, 2006; Appelbaum and Gallagher, 2000; Appelbaum and Groansson, 1997; Ap-pelbaum and Reichart, 1997).

Learning culture is another concept that frequently emerges in the discussion of organizational learning. The term culture is somehow nebulous on its own. The matter won’t be made any easier by attaching the quantifier “learning” to it. This is because there is no precise edge to the term. When applied to an organization, it is used to refer to set of behavioral patterns, values and belief that determine the way people in the organization go about undertaking their assigned tasks (Betts and Holden, 2003; Curado, 2006; Direc-tor General Learning and Professional Development, 2003; Goh, 2003).

The importance of learning culture in the present discussion is expressed in the understanding that the drive to building a learning organization is normally perceived as a sustained transformation of the learning culture with the organization. In any case, the actual process of building learning culture is very deep as the individuals, groups, and the organization as a whole must assess their present beliefs and come to a consensus on a new way of learning if the learning culture is to be transformed (Gorelick, 2005; Jamali, Khoury, and Sahyoun, 2006; Learning and Development Committee, 2002; Phil-lip, 2003; Senge et al., 1994; Stoyko, n.d; The Canadian Centre for Management Development, 2001; Yeo, 3005).

From the same view of change, it is very important to first understand the learning culture of any given organization before undertaking any attempt to transform it. While such point has been debated, it would easily be agreed by most people that it is not wise to attempt transforming all cultures of any given organization at the same time. However, there are three steps that organizations can adopt to build learning culture and they include:

Individual dimension – this involves the management encouraging the individuals in the organization to take up the responsibility and risk of learning into their own hands and also providing them needed support to grow personally and professionally.

Team dimension – referencing Williams O’Brien, the CEO of Hanover Life Insurance, it has been noted that key attributes 21^st century companies must have is conversation (Canada Public Service Agency, 2007). It is not just conversation as the art of small talks, instead it is conversation that is grounded in respect, desire and dedication to succeed and learn as a team. Organizations that want to adopt learning culture need to allow teams the same degree of freedom to take responsibility and risk of learning into their hand as well as provide them with necessary supports to make such possible.

Organizational dimension – on the concluding part, efforts to design and build learning organization is made effective only when the organization is able to see itself as a system of such view. The organization must establish interrelationship between the individual, team and itself in order to become an effective whole.

Conclusion

It is possible for organizations to embrace organizational learning but factors in individual, team and organizational levels can have influence on success or failure of such concept.

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