A Framework for Understanding Organizational Learning

1. A Framework for Understanding Organizational Learning Adapted from Dixon, N. 1992. Organizational learning: A review of the literature with implications for HRD professionals. Human Resource Development Quarterly, (3), 1, 29-49

2. Increased Emphasis on Organizational Learning • Changing nature of work • jobs involve creating and processing knowledge • Global economy • Increasing pace and unpredictable nature of change • to survive have to learn faster than rate to change

3. Organizational learning is defined as the process by which knowledge about action outcome relationships between the organization and the environment is developed. • Learning viewed as a process • Learning at systems level • Distinctive feature is sharing at organizational level

4. Five Ways to Look at Organizational Learning • Information acquisition • Information distribution and interpretation • Making meaning • Organization memory • Retrieval of information

5. Five Ways to Look at Organizational Learning • Elements can be sequential • More often interacting and continuous

6. Internal Congenital Founders Prevailing technology Experiential Successes and mistakes Experimenting R&D Pilot projects Continuous process improvement Process improvement teams Critical reflection Dialogue Action Science Questioning assumptions Information Acquisition

7. External Borrowing Conferences Consultants Printed materials Searching Reports, economic, technological, social Customers Competitors Grafting New members Acquisitions, mergers Collaborating Joint ventures Consortiums Information Acquisition

8. Distributing Information Intentional Individual written communication Memos, reports, letters Open access bulletin boards Training Internal consultants Formal courses On-the-job training Internal conferences Briefings Internal publications Video Print audio Distribution and Interpretation of Information

9. Distribution and Interpretation of Information • Distributing Information • Unintentional • Job rotation • Stories, myths • Task forces • Informal networks

10. Distribution and Interpretation of Information • Interpreting Information • Dialogue • Critical reflection • Process checks • Taking action • Unlearning

11. Model of Organizational Learning Modes High Self-Designing Organization Experimenting Organization Interpretation Extended Bureaucracy Traditional Bureaucracy Low Low High Amount of Information

12. Making Meaning • Interpreting Information • Dialogue • Critical reflection • Process checks • Taking action • Unlearning

13. Making Meaning • Analyzing Information • Rational analysis • Problem-solving processes • Extrapolating from past events • Strategy formulation • Decision support tools

14. Organizational Learning Model Individual Action Individual Beliefs Environmental Response Organizational Action

15. Internal Intentional Expert systems Records, reports Policies Core competence Transformations Tacit Culture Structure Ecology Theories of action Organizational Memory

16. External Competitors Government records Financial reports Former members Organizational Memory

17. Controlled Individuals Groups of individuals Automatic Culture Ecology Structures Individual tacit knowledge Retrieval of Information