ASSIGNMENT

Topic: Learning Organization

Subject: Advance Readings and Management

Submitted To:Mr. Shaheer Alam

Submitted By:Bilal Ahmad (C.No 11)

Class: MBA (Group “A”)

Date: 25th April 2011

INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES PESHAWAR

Before defining what a Learning Organization is, we must define what Learning School Of Thought is.

WHAT IS LEARNING SCHOOL OF THOUGHT?

According to learning school of thought strategy formation is seen as an emergent process. Emergent process means that where the outcomes are not obvious so managers must continuously keep a check on the situation and decide in real time on the next step to take.

Features of learning school of thought:

There is no deliberate strategy making, it involves a process of learning over time in which formulation and implementation start to merge.

The management pays close attention over time to what does work, and what doesn’t work.

They incorporate the “lessons learned” into their overall plan of action.

Strategies emerge in small steps as an organization adapts or “learn”.

People think retrospectively and make sense of their actions.

The role of leadership is not to create strategy but to manage the process of strategic planning.

Now after having some sort of knowledge and background of learning school of thought we define what a learning organization is.

WHAT IS A LEARNING ORGANIZATION?

A learning organization is the term given to a company that facilitates the learning of its members and continuously transforms itself. Learning organizations develop as a result of the pressures facing modern organizations and enables them to remain competitive in the business environment.

CHARACTERISTICS OF LEARNING ORGANIZATION

A learning organization has five main features. Systems Thinking. Personal Mastery. Mental Models. Shared Vision. Team Learning.

LEARNING ORGANIZATION AS DEFINED BY DIFFERENT AUTHORS:

"Organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to learn together"

Peter M. Senge, 1990 The Fifth Discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization.

“a model of strategic change in which everyone is engaged in identifying and solving problems so that the organization is

continuously changing, experimenting and improving, thus increasing its capacity to grow and achieve its purpose.”

Rowden R.W. 2001, The Learning Organization & Strategic Change, S.A.M. Advanced Management Journal, Summer 2001.

I believe that learning approach to strategic management is better than top down approach because

Organizations become adaptive to their external environment

Continually enhance their capability to change/adapt Develop collective as well as individual learning Use the results of learning to achieve better results Cope with rapid and unexpected changes where

existing 'programmed' responses are inadequate Provide flexibility to cope with dynamically changing

situations Allow front-line staff to respond with initiative based

on customer needs vs. being constrained by business processes established for different circumstances