Czesław Mesjasz Cracow University of Economics Kraków, Poland e-mail: mesjaszc@ae.krakow.pl

1. Czesław Mesjasz Cracow University of EconomicsKraków, Poland e-mail: mesjaszc@ae.krakow.pl Do We Know What We Do Not Know? Main Weaknesses of the Discourse on Management of"Complex Learning Organization" 4th Metaphorum Conference: University of St. Gallen, Institute of Management 9-10March, 2007

2. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Determinants of development of the concept of „Complex Learning Organization” • increasing role of “intangible assets” • changing methodology – impact of post-modernism, post-structuralism, constructivism • reflexivity, self-reference as a replacement for mechanistic, “external” metaphors

3. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 In applications of models, analogies and metaphorsthe following approaches can be identified: descriptive explanatory predictive normative prescriptive retrodictive regulatory

4. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 • Limitations of metaphors – reflexivity and self-reference • TRADITIONAL APPROACH • – FIRST ORDER CYBERNETICS, • „HARD SYSTEMS THINKING” • MODERN APPROACH • – SECOND ORDER CYBERNETICS, • „SOFT SYSTEMS THINKING”, • „LEARNING ORGANIZATION” • REFLEXIVITY, SELF-REFLEXIVITY, RECURSION • („GOING INTO METAPHORS”)

5. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Typology of writings in management: • “traditional” scientific research – mathematical models, empirical research • post-modernist discourse with well-grounded arguments • applied research with less rigorous yet well-defined categoriesand methods

6. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Typology of writings in management, cont’d: • technical works – methods, techniques without deeper theoretical insights • “airport literature”, „managerial preaching”, usually with careless applications of concepts (no definitions, and/or broadly defined categories), „slogans”, „buzzwords”

7. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Main challenges: Confusion of approaches Post-modernism vs. ignorance

8. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Advantages of postmodernist approach in management theory: -Inter-subjectivity • Reflexivity, recursion • The role of „discourse”

9. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Post-modernism vs. ignorance: The Sokal Hoax Abuses of scientific terminology: • Imprecise use of analogies and metaphors • Quasi-technical language • Manipulation of phrases and sentences („intoxication with words”) • Intimidation of readers with a „technical” terminology

10. Do We Know What We Do Not Know? Post-modernism vs. ignorance: The Sokal Hoax, cont’d However: Numerous specialists in science, biology and engineering apply a kind of „mirror” approach when dealing with social issues („quantum politics”, stability, turbulence in management and in international security, financial stability)

11. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Main areas of abuses of systems thinking in management theory and practice • Chaos and complexity • Catastrophe theory • Turbulence • Learning organization, knowledge management

12. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Chaos and complexity - definition of complexity, ca. 40 attempts • abuse and/or misunderstanding of metaphors and analogies • reification of organization

13. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Learning organization, knowledge management • What is information? • What is knowledge? DIFFICULTIES WITH CLASSICAL DEFINITIONS OF KNOWLEDGE (DEFINIENDUM, DEFINIENS) SEVERAL DEFINITIONS OF INFORMATION

14. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Learning organization, knowledge management • What are the mechanisms of individual learning? • What are the mechanisms of collective learning? NO CLASSICAL DEFINITIONS (DEFINIENDUM, DEFINIENS)

15. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Learning organization, knowledge management • Broad meaning of the terms and reflexivity make the discourse (communication) either very sophisticated, or on contrary, simplified and trivialized • Ineffective communication

16. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Learning organization, knowledge management • Paradoxes of performative utterances („acts of speech”) • Multi-layered self-reference (reflexivity, self-reflexivity and recursion) • Multi-level knowledge

17. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Learning organization, knowledge management Two methods of improvement of dicourse on learning organization: • individualist-cognitive approach • structural approach

18. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Learning organization, knowledge management 1. Individualist-cognitive approach • Enhancing studies on cognitive mechanisms and their applications in identification of learning by individuals in organizations (advanced agent-based modelling with cognitive mechanisms) • Identification of learning mechanisms in organizations • Synthesis of both methods

19. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Learning organization, knowledge management 2. Structural approach: • Identification of organizational mechanism facilitating the processess of individual learning • Development of methods of measurement of intangible attributes of organization ( a compromise between objectivity and reification of definition of knowledge in individual and collective sense)

20. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Learning organization, knowledge management Heuristic value of abuses? What to do if there is a demand by practitioners, for low intellectual quality ideas applied as a heuristic inspiration in training, e.g. company as bicycle?

21. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Learning organization, knowledge management Consolation: The same problems in other, rationalist, technical fields: Finance: financial (system) stability, „healthy financial systems” (no definitions, abuses of the term system but applied in policy making!!!), e.g. Financial Stability Forum

22. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Learning organization, knowledge management Question: Will the future of discourse in management theory and practice be dominated by even „softer” issues: healthy organizations, telling tales, spirituality, etc.?

23. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Learning organization, knowledge management CONCLUSIONS: • Management theory and policy is currently strongly influenced by „rational” post-modernism and „abusive” and „ignorant” quasi-post-modernism • Rigorous research and policy in management must take into account those new phenomena • In some cases „ignorant” discourse may be accepted as a heuristic instrument for practitioners

24. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Learning organization, knowledge management CONCLUSIONS, cont’d: • Management theorists must be aware that of the discourse on learning organization, organizational knowledge, etc are especially prone for abuses by „ignorant” post-modernism. • Development of cognitive approaches, is the main challenge contemporary management theory is facing. Subsequenly, there emerges necessity to study reflexivity, self-reflexivity self-reference and recursion as well as their consequences for methodology, not only of management, but of all social sciences.

25. 4th Metaphorum Conference, St. Gallen, 9-10 March 2007 Thank You for Your Attention! Any questions, please!