The Role of Learning Organization in Knowledge Management Process

Many companies are very keen and ready to clinch Work Base Learning in an organization, not mainly because it provide you with lifelong learning, but also it is an important ingredient of what Senge (1990) has termed as the ‘learning organization’. A learning organization is a place in which the learning and flair of persons is backed and promoted so that the organization itself be able to form its future and it also very important to gain competitive advantage.

For most companies, identifying what a learning organization should be and actually becoming one is tricky at best, impossible at worst. One way that manager's and companies can promote the concept of being a learning organization is to assess whether the company is in need of a short-term fix or whether it is more focused on long-term results. Organizational learning is a long-term activity that will build competitive advantage over time and requires sustained management attention, commitment, and effort. Learning organizations maximize their competitive positions during strong economic times and they prudently train their employees and prepare for change even in turbulent times. As a result, learning organizations and learning

A learning organization is an organization that can change quickly, adapting to the new rules that the market environment has created. Businesses that know how to learn and develop quickly and effectively will thrive; those that don’t will not survive. It is easy to think of newer companies like Apple and Google as being the best learning organizations. Yet, some of the best examples of organizational learning practices are found in more mature organizations, such as the U.S. military. Throughout our lives we collect tidbits of information, knowledge through what we experience, we try to apply the lesson from these experience as we grow, we are curious by nature, adventurous we are learners and for many of us the process of learning never stops.

Learning at an organization is more of a self-conducted activity, and is a continuous process that lasts the entire cycle of the organization and the tenure of the employee. Nevertheless, each organization must effectively employ certain training and development activities for new as well as seasoned employees in order to accomplish different objectives:-

Just as students are learning at Post, organizations and the personnel within them need to continue to learn. Organizations need to continue to refine processes and focus on innovation. Organizational learning gives companies the ability to create, remember, and share knowledge within an organization. In order for an organization to be an effective learner they need to make it a focus on everyday work, practice it through all levels of the organization, create a focus on the creation, retention and transfer of knowledge through the organization, and solve problems where they begin, Organizational learning provides an opportunity to effect positive change throughout the organization. A company that is an organizational learner is one that is innovative, continually refining its processes and learns from its mistakes. Personal learning within an organization greatly enhances the organizations core competencies. It can be done through education and training programs. Such programs consist of schooling, training seminars, mentorships and on

Senge, P. M. (1990/2006). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York: Doubleday/Currency.

Week 9 lecture on Individual learning we came across that in an organization learning derives from the individual learning from each member of the organization. Consequently, individual learning is crucial for organizational learning. Learning is defined as gaining knowledge or skill. Thus, learning incorporates two meaning 1) knowing how-to which is implies the ability to act and 2) Know-why, which shows the

Throughout our final semester of study at Maryville, our cohort has studied Peter Senge’s, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. Rather than set of management practices, the book describes how organizations, especially those that are sustainably competitive, know how to learn. These “learning organizations” are continuously learning how to work together, where the norm is producing their best. In the book, Senge identifies five essential elements, that when practiced together, create perfect conditions for an effective learning organization. These five practices are Personal Mastery, Mental Models, Shared Vision,

     In his book The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge emphasizes his model of a "learning organization," which he defines as "an organization that is continually expanding its capacity to create its future." A learning organization excels at both adaptive learning and generative learning.

At one time or another, in an individuals’ working life, they will be expected to learn about at least one aspect of operations the of the company in which they are employed with. Burns (1995, p 99) ‘conceives of learning as a relatively permanent change in behaviour with behaviour including both observable activity and internal processes such as thinking, attitudes and emotions.’ Learning is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as ‘the acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, experience or being taught.’ Therefore, if we are to take into consideration these two viewpoints, we can deduce that there is more than one approach to learning. The learning approach used will vary due to several factors which can include the size of the

This paper, therefore, explores, discusses and analyzes the integrated role of Learning organization (as a structural entity) and the organizational learning (as an intrinsic know-how process) that

Peter Michael Senge is the founding chairman of the Society for Organizational Learning (SoL). This organization delivers the services of advises about the communication of ideas between large organizations (as cited in Vliet, V.V., 2013, p.4). He is the author of the bestselling book The Fifth Discipline: ‘The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization’. (1990). Peter Senge theory of learning organizations promote an environment where people are engaged in their work and committed to the vision of the organization. In addition, at the MIT Sloan School of Management, he is a scientist and director in Center for Organizational Learning. Besides, he served as senior lecturer at the System Dynamics Group at MIT Sloan School of Management and co-faculty at the New England Complex Systems Institute. (http://howold.co/peter-senge)

In a Learning Organization, change is seen as an opportunity to learn through problem solving. Shifting Focus; many agencies are changing their focus from a role of ensuring compliance to one of serving customers. A Learning Organization can ensure that there is a strategic alignment between customer needs, organizational goals, individual learning, and resource allocations. Eroding Knowledge Bases; the recent attrition of employees; reductions-in-force, and expected retirements are eroding the organizational knowledge bases. A Learning Organization fosters information exchange and captures expertise from all levels of personnel. Limited Training Resources; employee training budgets are shrinking while staff members have less time to attend formal training sessions. A Learning Organization can make use of alternative strategies that integrate learning into the workplace. These alternative methods cost less and are effective. Evolving Roles of Supervisors; Supervisors are assuming increasing responsibility for traditional human resource functions. In a Learning Organization, managers serve as teachers and each individual is empowered to be responsible for his or her own learning.

Nonaka believes that cultural knowledge, implicit knowledge and the role of an enterprise fosters the learning process of an organization. While Gavin suggests measurable indices and standard processes are indispensable to measure the learning processes to build a learning organization. He criticizes the approach of Nonaka and suggests that without a track and audit it is difficult to introduce and manage the learning culture in a corporation. Learning needs a concrete change in the behavior among people. Garvin suggests that a learning philosophy is quite ideal and lacks an operational plan to execute it. He suggests a model and presents his thought on how to advance standard operating procedure guidelines to build a learning organization. But before explaining his view, he emphasis on the need of defining a proper framework at a place to develop new ideas such that disparate idea strategies can be commensurate at a particular scale. First, he suggests a framework of the 3M’s: Meaning, Management, and Measurement. The visualization being that since ‘learning’ is an equivocal philosophy which has no quantifiable and unified approach to measuring any learning strategy. And, it also deficits a best practice to regulate a learning organization. Therefore, the preeminent issue is not to bring up these ideas, but to develop a framework to test the issues and build a new learning organization. Garvin suggests that an organization should first set up the definition what ‘learning’

Peter Senge argues that not only we humans learn, but organizations also. However, learning itself may not be enough for the organization to survive in this ever-challenging era. In his book, The Fifth Discipline, Senge introduced five ‘disciplines’, namely systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, building shared vision, and team learning, that characterizes an organization as a learning organization.