Differences between organizational learning, organized learning, and learning organization and how corporations can embrace organized learning
https://ilokabenneth.blogspot.com/2014/10/differences-between-organizational.html
Author: Iloka Benneth Chiemelie
Published: 24 - October - 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 21st 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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