organisational learning

Organisational Learning Organisational Learning

Technology is not sufficientTechnology is not sufficient

Today e-organizations are striving towards Today e-organizations are striving towards transforming themselves into Learning transforming themselves into Learning Organizations to thrive in the competitive Organizations to thrive in the competitive global economy. global economy.

Learning organizations Learning organizations

those organisations which continuously keep those organisations which continuously keep on learning to adapt themselves to changes in on learning to adapt themselves to changes in the environment in and around them. the environment in and around them.

Conventional measures taken today Conventional measures taken today at workplaceat workplace

Knowledge management Knowledge management Team work Team work Training, Seminars, Workshops Training, Seminars, Workshops Flexible structure Flexible structure Employee participation Employee participation Supporting infrastructure & facilitiesSupporting infrastructure & facilities

LearningLearning occursoccurs??

Employees are more aware than ever before about the Employees are more aware than ever before about the recent developments in their respective field of work; recent developments in their respective field of work; and are more responsive to changes. and are more responsive to changes.

However, real learning does not occur unless However, real learning does not occur unless people in the workplace question their as well as people in the workplace question their as well as others’ habitual patterns of thoughts and practice others’ habitual patterns of thoughts and practice

Psychological-comfort-seeking Psychological-comfort-seeking Workplace:Workplace:

Eagerness to pleaseEagerness to please Remain ‘nice’ in eyes of everyoneRemain ‘nice’ in eyes of everyone Keep ‘sentiments’Keep ‘sentiments’ Avoid discomfortAvoid discomfort

Basic dilemmaBasic dilemma

Organizations have the most difficulty at learning-Organizations have the most difficulty at learning-

when the problems are difficult, embarrassing or when the problems are difficult, embarrassing or

threatening – precisely when they need learning threatening – precisely when they need learning

most !most !

Basic dilemmaBasic dilemma Highly skilled professionals, because they rarely failed, have Highly skilled professionals, because they rarely failed, have

never learned how to learn from failure. They are unaware that never learned how to learn from failure. They are unaware that their own problem solving approach can be a source of their own problem solving approach can be a source of problem in its own right! They use their highly honed problem in its own right! They use their highly honed skillfulness without being aware of discrepancies that might be skillfulness without being aware of discrepancies that might be existing between intent and impact.existing between intent and impact.

This is called skilled incompetence.This is called skilled incompetence.

Stifled execution of workStifled execution of work

Collective welfare gets sacrificed in the Collective welfare gets sacrificed in the process owing to personal safeguard of process owing to personal safeguard of interests and ‘sentiments’. interests and ‘sentiments’.

Tendency to produce desirable rather than Tendency to produce desirable rather than logical consequence.logical consequence.

Tendency to use defensive rather than logical Tendency to use defensive rather than logical reasoning.reasoning.

The two kinds of reasoningThe two kinds of reasoning DefensiveDefensive ProductiveProductive CharacteristicsCharacteristics

Soft data Hard dataSoft data Hard dataTacit, private inferences Explicit inferencesTacit, private inferences Explicit inferencesConclusions not publicly testable Conclusions publicly testableConclusions not publicly testable Conclusions publicly testable Supported by Supported by Tacit theory of dealing with threat Explicit theory of strategy Tacit theory of dealing with threat Explicit theory of strategy

formulationformulationSet of tacitly interrelated concepts Set of directly interrelated Set of tacitly interrelated concepts Set of directly interrelated conceptsconceptsPrivate rules and criteria Set of rules for inferring and Private rules and criteria Set of rules for inferring and validatingvalidating

According to Argyris (1999)According to Argyris (1999)

the better organizations are at learning, the the better organizations are at learning, the more likely it is they will be able to detect and more likely it is they will be able to detect and correct errors and to see when they are unable correct errors and to see when they are unable to detect and correct errors to detect and correct errors

Single vs. double loopSingle vs. double loop

Single Vs Double loop learningSingle Vs Double loop learning

Whenever an error is detected and corrected Whenever an error is detected and corrected without questioning or altering the underlying without questioning or altering the underlying values of the system, the learning is values of the system, the learning is single loop.single loop.

If the underlying program is questioned and then If the underlying program is questioned and then the action is taken to correct the error, the action is taken to correct the error, it is it is double loop learningdouble loop learning

Role of leadershipRole of leadership

To save the organization from this perpetual To save the organization from this perpetual world of seeking psychological comfort and world of seeking psychological comfort and security, the top management has to play a security, the top management has to play a leadership roleleadership role..

For complex matters that characterize today’s For complex matters that characterize today’s jobs, managers must encourage double-loop jobs, managers must encourage double-loop learning for themselves as well as employees. learning for themselves as well as employees.

Managers today understandManagers today understand

learning is not only something to be carried learning is not only something to be carried out continuously but also a competence itself out continuously but also a competence itself to be developed by the organization to be developed by the organization

Steps for org. LearningSteps for org. Learning

Questioning for initiating changeQuestioning for initiating change:: Higher-order questioning and probingHigher-order questioning and probing Communicate without camouflaging intended Communicate without camouflaging intended

meaningmeaning Ensure genuine empowerment Ensure genuine empowerment


Help employees to become aware of how they use automatic reasoning Help employees to become aware of how they use automatic reasoning process that lead to counterproductive skilled responses. It’s a top-down process that lead to counterproductive skilled responses. It’s a top-down process.process.

Implement project teams and matrix organizations which are fundamentally Implement project teams and matrix organizations which are fundamentally valid for complex and risky decisions, that require integration of many valid for complex and risky decisions, that require integration of many different inputs and long-range commitment of everyone.different inputs and long-range commitment of everyone.

Steps for org. LearningSteps for org. Learning …..contd …..contd A leadership style that develops risk taking and trust A leadership style that develops risk taking and trust

in employeesin employees Management of tension: Productive tension that an Management of tension: Productive tension that an

individual can control and which comes from individual can control and which comes from accepting new challenges, taking risks and expanding accepting new challenges, taking risks and expanding one’s competencies etc.one’s competencies etc.

Managers have to learn how to define internal Managers have to learn how to define internal environment that challenges people, stretch their environment that challenges people, stretch their aspirations realistically and help them face aspirations realistically and help them face interpersonal reality.interpersonal reality.

Steps for org. LearningSteps for org. Learning …..contd …..contd Rewarding people for risk taking and excellence (not average Rewarding people for risk taking and excellence (not average

performance)performance) Work designs that uses people’s complex abilities.Work designs that uses people’s complex abilities. Creating competence requires creating an enabling Creating competence requires creating an enabling

environment and not manipulating people themselves.environment and not manipulating people themselves. People should have the freedom and responsibility to choose if People should have the freedom and responsibility to choose if

they will enter the new environment.they will enter the new environment.


Management of intergroup conflict: Managers have to learn how to bring Management of intergroup conflict: Managers have to learn how to bring groups together to exchange and clarify role expectationsgroups together to exchange and clarify role expectations

Training : should focus on org. and system diagnosis, renewal and Training : should focus on org. and system diagnosis, renewal and effectiveness. Managers are not being effectiveness. Managers are not being ““away from workaway from work”” during training during training but but ““pulled away in order to workpulled away in order to work””

Planning organizational change should be a bottom-up process by Planning organizational change should be a bottom-up process by involving teams at all levels for diagnosing the present problems and what involving teams at all levels for diagnosing the present problems and what can be done. This way, the change is accepted without resistance in the can be done. This way, the change is accepted without resistance in the long runlong run

organisational learning

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