Organizational learning and learning in companies

1. How to adjust to companyculture Organizationallearning and learning in companies

2. Learning points • Understandingorganizations • Language • Story-telling • Examples of changeprojects in organizations • Power withoutglory • Implications in relation to learning • Dewey model for learning • Someconclusions

3. Sproglig forståelse af organisationer Language, language games, playingwithlanguage: Language as a toolbox for the construction of reality. Hannah Arendt: The Human Condition, 1998, pp. 178-179). Peoplearecharacterized by theirability to construct and reconstructstories. Storiesareco-constructed, sincestoriesemergeintersubjectively. To speak a language = Actor: “…the action that he begins is humanly disclosed by the word, and though his deed can be perceived in its brute physical appearance without verbal accompaniment, it becomes relevant only through the spoken word in which he identifies himself as the actor, announcing what he does, has done, and intends to do” (Arendt 1998, pp. 178-179).

4. Organisationer er skabt gennem medfortælling og samkonstruktion • David Boje: storytelling is the preferredsense-makingcurrency of human relationships. • Organizations: Peopleareengaged in dynamic interpretations and chains of interpretations wherebyorganizational and institutionalartefacts, words, concepts, paststories, strategies, systems and symbols are given meaning

5. Two interview excerpts • From a bank case • Employee from a localdepartment • Employee from the IT-department • What kind of organizationalphenomena do younotice in these excerpts? • Professional values • Relations of power

6. What is a story? • Storiesaresituated in a culture • Traditions, practices, conventions, institutions • Situated in a historical and geographicalcontext • Stories give temporal and spatialsignificance to the activities in whichpeopleparticipate. • Actors understand themselvessocially • Storiesareimportant for peoples motivation for action and learning.

7. Someconclusions • Spontaneous and interactive • The storiesarefilledwithgaps/holes • Conversation – negotation of meaning. Participants arefilling in the holes, theyuseeachotherswords, concepts to add to the storyline. • Collectivestorytelling – spontaneousconversations • The storiescannotbeunderstood in isolation. There is a lack of past, present and future.

8. Organizationsconsists of layers of language • Organizationsare the results of interpretations piled upon interpretations piled upon interpretations. • Participants in organizationallanguage games: competence – communicate and collaboratewithothers – add to stories, fill in the gaps, interpretewhat is in between the lines etc. • Organizationsbecomethroughcontinuousinteractionsbetweenactors in different positions and withdifferent intentions: managers, employees, customers, suppliers, authoritiesetcs. • Complexity and pluralism of differentvoices and positions.

9. One question • Whatdoesthismean in relation to learning?

10. Someconclusions • Complexity of organizationallife • Interconnectedness of organizationallife • Motivation for participating in learning • Position • Intention • Storiesexpressvalues: good - bad, appropriate – non-appropriate, moral – immoral • Individualvalues vs. organizational system • Learning and changesareoftencontroversial: Spin-off of storiesthat support, contradictorresistlearningactivities • Courseactivities has to betranslated to the organizational system in order to gainlegitimacy and power. • They have to become part of language in organizations as well as trying to changethislanguage.

11. Case example of an organizationalchangeprocess • Power withoutGlory: A Genealogy of a Management Decision • Plot: Management decision in 1997 about the implementation of a new functional and geographical division of labour • 1993-99: The valueproject, the technologyproject. • My project: My story wasabout the management decisions as a result of manydifferentstories in the organization

12. Case example of organizationallearning • Manager, facilitator, consultant etc. • Organization of suchchanges • Co-construction of organizationallife. Manager, facilitators, consultants have specificroles to play • Co-constructorof reality – as part of a game and trying to reachdesiredends. • Didacticquestions • Whoareinvolved and whatroletheyplay/shouldplay? • Whatlearningtoolsareused? • Howarethese situations organized? • Whatare the circumstances

13. Organizationallearning The valueproject • Problem • Unclear problem • Organization • The role of the externalconsultant • Internalorganization of the project • Language • Abstractwords, concepts, tools The technologyproject • Problem • Clear problem • Organization • The role of the externalconsultant • Internalorganization of the project • Language • Bank language, veryconcrete, translation of abstractconcepts to bank language.

14. Individuallearning – organizationallearning • Individuallearning • Simplicity • Focus • And something to workwith • Loosen the organizationalbondson the learning situation • Youmake the organizationstronger by making the individualsstronger • Organizationallearning • Complexity • Interconnectedness • Relations of power

15. Individuallearning vs. Organizationallearning • Transform the organizationallearningproject to an individuallearningproject • Focusonactors • Focuson the context and circumstances in whichtheyact

16. John Dewey’spragmatism Close affiliationwith PBL • Problem orientation • Thinking

17. Problem orientation • Education and learning has to befocusedonconcrete problems. • Problems: complexity, uncertainty, contradicion and valueconflicts • Concrete problems areinfluenced by manydifferent forces.

18. Thinking • Thinking is a tool to solve the practical problems of the world • Thinking is man’stoolfor adapting to the environment • Thinking is wherewe put abstractconcepts and models to work in relation to practical problems.

19. Thinking • Habitualthinking is not thinking in Dewey’ssense of the word • Reflectivethinking: systematic and analytic approach to problem solvingbasedoninquiringinto the problem • Integration betweentheory and practice • Thinking = intelligent practice – systematicallyexplorative and thereforealsoexhausting

20. Someimplications • Specificcompetencies vs. General competencies • Learninghow to learn • Collaboration • Methods for systematiccollaboration • Methods for project management • Double nature of all kinds of learning • The specific problem thatwewant to solve • The more general skills in problem solvingthat is acquiredthroughthisprocess.