Organisation Learning Essay

Where Argyris and Schon were the first to propose models that facilitate organizational learning, the following literatures have followed in the tradition of their work: Argyris and Schon (1978) distinguish between single-loop and double-loop learning, related to Gregory Bateson’s concepts of first and second order learning. In single-loop learning, individuals, groups, or organizations modify their actions according to the difference between expected and obtained outcomes. In double-loop learning, the entities (individuals, groups or organization) question the values, assumptions and policies that led to the actions in the first place; if they are able to view and modify those, then second-order or double-loop learning has taken place. Double loop learning is the learning about single-loop learning. ?March and Olsen (1975) attempt to link up individual and organizational learning. In their model, individual beliefs lead to individual action, which in turn may lead to an organizational action and a response from the environment which may induce improved individual beliefs and the cycle then repeats over and over. Learning occurs as better beliefs produce better actions. ?Kim (1993), as well, in an article titled â€Å"The link between individual and organizational learning†, integrates Argyris, March and Olsen and another model by Kofman into a single comprehensive model; further, he analyzes all the possible breakdowns in the information flows in the model, leading to failures in organizational learning; for instance, what happens if an individual action is rejected by the organization for political or other reasons and therefore no organizational action takes place? ?Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) developed a four stage spiral model of organizational learning. They started by differentiating Polanyi’s concept of â€Å"tacit knowledge† from â€Å"explicit knowledge† and describe a process of alternating between the two. Tacit knowledge is personal, context specific, subjective knowledge, whereas explicit knowledge is codified, systematic, formal, and easy to communicate. The tacit knowledge of key personnel within the organization can be made explicit, codified in manuals, and incorporated into new products and processes. This process they called â€Å"externalization†. The reverse process (from explicit to implicit) they call â€Å"internalization† because it involves employees internalizing an organization’s formal rules, procedures, and other forms of explicit knowledge. They also use the term â€Å"socialization† to denote the sharing of tacit knowledge, and the term â€Å"combination† to denote the dissemination of codified knowledge. According to this model, knowledge creation and organizational learning take a path of socialization, externalization, combination, internalization, socialization, externalization, combination . . . etc. in an infinite spiral. ?Nick Bontis et al. (2002) empirically tested a model of organizational learning that encompassed both stocks and flows of knowledge across three levels of analysis: individual, team and organization. Results showed a negative and statistically significant relationship between the misalignment of stocks and flows and organizational performance. ?Flood (1999) discusses the concept of organizational learning from Peter Senge and the origins of the theory from Argyris and Schon. The author aims to â€Å"re-think† Senge’s The Fifth Discipline through systems theory. The author develops the concepts by integrating them with key theorists such as Bertalanffy, Churchman, Beer, Checkland and Ackoff. Conceptualizing organizational learning in terms of structure, process, meaning, ideology and knowledge, the author provides insights into Senge within the context of the philosophy of science and the way in which systems theorists were influenced by twentieth-century advances from the classical assumptions of science. ?Imants (2003) provides theory development for organizational learning in schools within the context of teachers’ professional communities as learning communities, which is compared and contrasted to teaching communities of practice. Detailed with an analysis of the paradoxes for organizational learning in schools, two mechanisms for professional development and organizational learning, (1) steering information about teaching and learning and (2) encouraging interaction among teachers and workers, are defined as critical for effective organizational learning. ?Common (2004) discusses the concept of organisational learning in a political environment to improve public policy-making. The author details the initial uncontroversial reception of organisational learning in the public sector and the development of the concept with the learning organization. Definitional problems in applying the concept to public policy are addressed, noting research in UK local government that concludes on the obstacles for organizational learning in the public sector: (1) overemphasis of the individual, (2) resistance to change and politics, (3) social learning is self-limiting, i.e. individualism, and (4) political â€Å"blame culture. † The concepts of policy learning and policy transfer are then defined with detail on the conditions for realizing organizational learning in the public sector. Organizational knowledge What is the nature of knowledge created, traded and used in organizations? Some of this knowledge can be termed technical ? knowing the meaning of technical words and phrases, being able to read and make sense of economic data and being able to act on the basis of law-like generalizations. Scientific knowledge is ?propositional’; it takes the form of causal generalizations ? whenever A, then B. For example, whenever water reaches the temperature of 100 degrees, it boils; whenever it boils, it turns into steam; steam generates pressure when in an enclosed space; pressure drives engines. And so forth. A large part of the knowledge used by managers, however, does not assume this form. The complexities of a manager’s task are such that applying A may result in B, C, or Z. A recipe or an idea that solved very well a particular problem, may, in slightly different circumstances backfire and lead to ever more problems. More important than knowing a whole lot of theories, recipes and solutions for a manager is to know which theory, recipe or solution to apply in a specific situation. Sometimes a manager may combine two different recipes or adapt an existing recipe with some important modification to meet a situation at hand. Managers often use knowledge in the way that a handyman will use his or her skills, the materials and tools that are at hand to meet the demands of a particular situation. Unlike an engineer who will plan carefully and scientifically his or her every action to deliver the desired outcome, such as a steam engine, a handyman is flexible and opportunistic, often using materials in unorthodox or unusual ways, and relies a lot on trial and error. This is what the French call ? bricolage’, the resourceful and creative deployment skills and materials to meet each challenge in an original way. Rule of thumb, far from being the enemy of management, is what managers throughout the world have relied upon to inform their action. In contrast to the scientific knowledge that guides the engineer, the physician or the chemist, managers are often informed by a different type of know-how. This is sometimes referred to a ? narrative knowledge’ or ? experiential knowledge’, the kind of knowledge that comes from experience and resides in stories and narratives of how real people in the real world dealt with real life problems, successfully or unsuccessfully. Narrative knowledge is what we use in everyday life to deal with awkward situations, as parents, as consumers, as patients and so forth. We seek the stories of people in the same situation as ourselves and try to learn from them. As the Chinese proverb says â€Å"A wise man learns from experience; a wiser man learns from the experience of others. † Narrative knowledge usually takes the form of organization stories (see organization story and organizational storytelling). These stories enable participants to make sense of the difficulties and challenges they face; by listening to stories, members of organizations learn from each other’s experiences, adapt the recipes used by others to address their own difficulties and problems. Narrative knowledge is not only the preserve of managers. Most professionals (including doctors, accountants, lawyers, business consultants and academics) rely on narrative knowledge, in addition to their specialist technical knowledge, when dealing with concrete situations as part of their work. More generally, narrative knowledge represents an endlessly mutating reservoir of ideas, recipes and stories that are traded mostly by word or mouth on the internet. They are often apocryphal and may be inaccurate or untrue – yet, they have the power to influence people’s sense making and actions. Individual versus organizational learning Learning by individuals in an organizational context is a well understood process. This is the traditional domain of human resources, including activities such as: training, increasing skills, work experience, and formal education. Given that the success of any organization is founded on the knowledge of the people who work for it, these activities will and, indeed, must continue. However, individual learning is only a prerequisite to organizational learning. Others take it farther with continuous learning. The world is orders of magnitude more dynamic than that of our parents, or even when we were young. Waves of change are crashing on us virtually one on top of another. Change has become the norm rather than the exception. Continuous learning throughout one’s career has become essential to remain relevant in the workplace. Again, necessary but not sufficient to describe organizational learning. What does it mean to say that an organization learns? Simply summing individual learning is inadequate to model organizational learning. The following definition outlines the essential difference between the two: A learning organization actively creates, captures, transfers, and mobilizes knowledge to enable it to adapt to a changing environment. Thus, the key aspect of organizational learning is the interaction that takes place among individuals. A learning organization does not rely on passive or ad hoc process in the hope that organizational learning will take place through serendipity or as a by-product of normal work. A learning organization actively promotes, facilitates, and rewards collective learning. Creating (or acquiring) knowledge can be an individual or group activity. However, this is normally a small-scale, isolated activity steeped in the jargon and methods of knowledge workers. As first stated by Lucilius in the 1st century BC, â€Å"Knowledge is not knowledge until someone else knows that one knows. † Capturing individual learning is the first step to making it useful to an organization. There are many methods for capturing knowledge and experience, such as publications, activity reports, lessons learned, interviews, and presentations. Capturing includes organizing knowledge in ways that people can find it; multiple structures facilitate searches regardless of the user’s perspective (e. g. , who, what, when, where, why,and how). Capturing also includes storage in repositories, databases, or libraries to insure that the knowledge will be available when and as needed. Transferring knowledge requires that it be accessible to everyone when and where they need it. In a digital world, this involves browser-activated search engines to find what one is looking for. A way to retrieve content is also needed, which requires a communication and network infrastructure. Tacit knowledge may be shared through communities of practice or consulting experts. It is also important that knowledge is presented in a way that users can understand it. It must suit the needs of the user to be accepted and internalized. Mobilizing knowledge involves integrating and using relevant knowledge from many, often diverse, sources to solve a problem or address an issue. Integration requires interoperability standards among various repositories. Using knowledge may be through simple reuse of existing solutions that have worked previously. It may also come through adapting old solutions to new problems. Conversely, a learning organization learns from mistakes or recognizes when old solutions no longer apply. Use may also be through synthesis; that is creating a broader meaning or a deeper level of understanding. Clearly, the more rapidly knowledge can be mobilized and used, the more competitive an organization. An organization must learn so that it can adapt to a changing environment. Historically, the life-cycle of organizations typically spanned stable environments between major socioeconomic changes. Blacksmiths who didn’t become mechanics simply fell by the wayside. More recently, many fortune 500 companies of two decades ago no longer exist. Given the ever-accelerating rate of global-scale change, the more critical learning and adaptation become to organization relevance, success, and ultimate survival. Organizational learning is a social process, involving interactions among many individuals leading to well-informed decision making. Thus, a culture that learns and adapts as part of everyday working practices is essential. Reuse must equal or exceed reinvent as a desirable behavior. Adapting an idea must be rewarded along with its initial creation. Sharing to empower the organization must supersede controlling to empower an individual. Clearly, shifting from individual to organizational learning involves a non-linear transformation. Once someone learns something, it is available for their immediate use. In contrast, organizations need to create, capture, transfer, and mobilize knowledge before it can be used. Although technology supports the latter, these are primarily social processes within a cultural environment, and cultural change, however necessary, is a particularly challenging undertaking. Learning organization The work in Organizational Learning can be distinguished from the work on a related concept, the learning organization. This later body of work, in general, uses the theoretical findings of organizational learning (and other research in organizational development, system theory, and cognitive science) in order to prescribe specific recommendations about how to create organizations that continuously and effectively learn. This practical approach was championed by Peter Senge in his book The Fifth Discipline. Diffusion of innovations Diffusion of innovations theory explores how and why people adopt new ideas, practices and products. It may be seen as a subset of the anthropological concept of diffusion and can help to explain how ideas are spread by individuals, social networks and organizations.

Informing ourselves to death by Neil Postman Personal Statement

Informing ourselves to death by Neil Postman - Personal Statement Example As long as we were Neanderthals, planet earth was a cleaner, greener and a safer place to live in. The environment was void of hazards, disease, danger and pollution and the world was free from poverty, hunger, homelessness and crime. All these are our gifts to ourselves, which come in a package deal with the technological zenith that we have achieved. We perceive the present scenario as the best of all possible worlds because this the farthest we have come in terms of advancement. There is no dearth of anything in this rose colored world of ours. (The "children of the lesser God " might not think so but have we ever given them a care!). We are so busy wallowing in this shallow, materialistic and cushioned lifestyle of ours that it has never occurred to us that we have lost a very precious part of us along the ages- we have lost our humanity! We might have attained knowledge but we are still far far away from wisdom. That is the reason why our world has become a "either -mine-or- yours" place. What if we never knew that the earth was such a vast planet with so much land and so much water, would we have then cared to split it up into blocks we call "countries"' Had there been no "mine and yours" territories" would the word "WAR" even exist in or dictionaries' What is it about our knowledge that instills in us the greed to simply possess apiece of land even if that means killing all our fellow beings living on it' From here started our dividing spree and we have never stopped ever since. In our attempt to systematically organize the human existence we bred complexities that we have never been able to come out of. First we made countries, divided them into states, broke the states down to cities, towns and districts, built huge walls around ourselves thus physically isolating ourselves from the rest of the world. . In the process and without our awareness, the mental and spiritual component of our being got entangled deeper and deeper into the web of "worldly wisdom". When we were done with physical divisions and the pieces of earth could not get any smaller, we never let ourselves give up. Our knowledge never let us deter and inspired us to go on. Then, we came up with this concept of religions (I call them "mass gangs") and for obvious reasons we had gang wars although they were at a much smaller scale than the nuclear or biological wars of today. First we fought over" mine- and- yours" and then we fought over " mine-is-better -than-yours" and the vicious cycle went on. Our intelligence (or rather the lack of it) has blown the light of knowledge into an satanic fire which is eating into the heart of humankind and emptying the core of our existence. Spiritually we have turned into weak, in secure, greedy, selfish and conceited individuals. Our conditioned psyche does not allow us to think beyond possessing and climbing up the ladder of success irrespective of whose face we step on in the process. I don't cal this living life; I consider it just a spiritually worthless existence. Imagine, our present day generation needs special classes and seminars on "soul searching". Isn't that ridiculous' Does it mean that we are so disconnected with out souls that we need to search them all over again'We are not to be entirely blamed for our plight.

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder - Essay Example ated with the disorder are often fixated on such effects as inflicting harm upon another person or creature, dealing with failures in one’s personal life, or sexuality. Very often those who must deal with obsessions and compulsions over which they have no control begin to feel as they might be slipping into insanity. The compulsions can be wide-ranging, but almost all are typically situated within the psyche as a means to relieve anxiety. OCD is often described as an exaggeration of the quite common ability of the human mind to force one to obsess upon a single idea. For instance, who hasn’t found themselves absently humming the same tune over and again in an almost compulsive manner? The difference between the normality of obsessive and compulsive desires like these is that when the average person become aware of the act they are capable of stopping themselves. The sufferers of OCD, by contrast, cannot. Though designated as a mental disorder, current research indicates that the cause of OCD is neurobiological. Neurons in the brain of those who suffer from OCD have been discovered to have a high sensitivity to serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical that assists in the transmission of signals to the brain. Further research indicates that the trigger of OCD may be the onset of puberty, the effect of mental stress, and possibly even a genetic predisposition toward the development of the diseases (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Part I). Successful treatment of OCD in the past few years has been accomplished through the use of medication, specifically that family of antidepressant drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The most popular drugs for treating OCD have been clomipramine (Anafranil), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), and sertraline (Zoloft) (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Part I). These medications treatment the symptoms of OCD through altering the level of serotonin utilized in the transmission of signals to

Health and Wellness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Health and Wellness - Essay Example â€Å"The total cost of osteoporosis in the United States alone is estimated to be over $14 billion per year† (Christodoulou & Cooper 133), and is expected to increase with the growing proportion of elderly people. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to identify the symptoms of Osteoporosis, examine how the disease develops, review the latest research on the topic, investigate the costs to community, and express one’s beliefs on the subject. Bone mass is the chief determinant of bone strength. Loss of bone occurs silently and progressively, often without symptoms until the first fracture occurs (IOF, 2006). When bones have been weakened by osteoporosis, the symptoms of the disease present as â€Å"back pain which can be severe† (Manila Bulletin, 2009) in the case of a fractured or collapsed vertebra, gradual loss of height with increasingly stooped posture, and fractures of the vertebrae, wrists, hips, or other bones. In the case of women, bone loss in the spine begins shortly before menopause, and as early as the mid-30s in the femoral neck (Christodoulou & Cooper 133). The years following menopause bring about radical depletion in bone mineral density as a result of decreased estrogen levels (Lineback 43). In both men and women, bone density and strength depend greatly on the extent of mineral content, such as calcium and phosphorus (Manila Bulletin, 2009). The size and density of bone are mainly dependent on genetic factors, but lifestyle factors also play a significant part. Recommendations from latest research for building and maintaining bone matrix and reducing the risk of osteoporosis are as follows: 1. Nutritious Diet: A balanced nutritious diet which includes not only sufficient calcium and vitamin D, but also adequate protein as well as vitamins and minerals (Feinstein, 1996). A healthy body weight is essential, since being underweight with a body mass index less than 18.5 kg/ m2 is a strong risk factor for osteoporosis

Are minority perspectives in psychology a option for the reduction of Essay

Are minority perspectives in psychology a option for the reduction of prejudice - Essay Example To be sure, prejudice against ethnic and gender minorities impedes upon the progression of the social sciences. Solutions to this substantial problem have been proffered. One such recommendation has been that an increase in minority perspectives in psychology may reduce the amount and level of ethnic-based prejudice in the field. On many levels, this seems like a viable option; minority doctors are more socially equipped to handle the cases of minority patients. There is, however dissent from this theory. Here we will discuss both the problem and this possible solution to minority and gender prejudice in the field of psychology. The traditional framework for psychological assessment uses Eurocentric masculine behavior as the standard of normality. The western male model is not only seen as universal, but as ‘good’. Eurocentric standards of mental health are often inappropriate for ethnic minorities, because they are based on the philosophies, values and other aspects of the European culture, and these combinations are used as a basis for normative standards of mental health. These standards are routinely used for assessment and diagnosis. Likewise, masculine standards have proven to be somewhat ineffective in the diagnosis and treatment of women What is considered as sane or insane behavior, mental health or mental illness, normal or abnormal behavior is therefore always in relation to a white male normative standard. These standards are applied to minorities, and result in increased rates of misdiagnosis. The Eurocentric approach does not take into account cultural and language differences and how minorities express their inner feelings. The masculine approach does not take into account feminine sensitivities and varied modes of thinking and feeling. In the earlier days of Eurocentric practice, diagnosis like drapetomania (the escape behavior exhibited by enslaved Africans) was

Alhajry Unit 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Alhajry Unit 5 - Essay Example Causes of global warming According to research, the human population has created a significant imbalance between living and planet earth in which the result has been the occurrence of natural disasters reported over the past a hundred years. Ideally, the rise of global temperature started mid twentieth century because of the increase in greenhouse gas emissions to earth’s atmosphere (Maslin 9). Environmentalists agree with the fact that the global temperature’s have increased by 0.5 degrees and will be on an increasing trend for years to come. Researchers indicate that 1990 was the hottest year of the twentieth century with scientists indicating that the global temperatures would rise by at least 3 degrees within the next a hundred years. First, air pollution and the greenhouse effect are the principle causes of global warming as the former is through factory emissions and vehicle gases (Maslin 10). The latter is through the entrapment of gases by green houses that help the sun to cool off, hence influencing the globe to experience higher temperatures. Over the years, the ozone layer has also experienced depletion as the atmosphere has allowed the penetration of harmful gases that heat up the earth. In essence, the ozone layer is the outermost layer of the atmosphere that prevents the damaging of the earth’s surface from radiations that are cancerous. The depletion of the ozone layer due to the heating up of the atmosphere and the resulting puncturing of the same (Ozone Holes) has allowed cancer-causing radiations to penetrate the earth leading to global warming. Further, the sulfur dioxide gas released during volcanic activities also causes global warming as they tend to cause blockage of the sunlight from reaching the earth’s surface hence distorting the global temperatures. With the rise of the global population, there has been an increase in human activity especially on forest as many strive to attain lands to settle in, which ha s led to the increased deforestation levels and decreased crop cover. Deforestation causes global warming because the cutting down of trees decreases the production of oxygen by plants and increases the concentration rates of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Essentially, plants take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen during the process of photosynthesis in which if forest cover decreases then there would be plenty of harmful carbon dioxide for human beings. On the other hand, the increased use of fertilizers that contain nitrogen oxide as compared to the conventional animal manure has also paved way for increased global temperatures as these fertilizers have heat storage capabilities. Nitrogen oxides have higher heat retention capacities as compared to carbon dioxide and when they get into the atmosphere, they destroy the ozone layer faster hence allowing the penetration of ultraviolet rays. The burning of fossil fuels on a daily basis is another cause of global warming because t hese fuels contain high levels of carbon (Haldar 11). Burning them increases carbon levels in the atmosphere as there is no complete consumption of the same. In the end, the increased establishment of industries and continued human activities continues to rise, the global temper

CRITICAL CONTEXTS of LAW- STORY( answer the questions) Essay

CRITICAL CONTEXTS of LAW- STORY( answer the questions) - Essay Example In turn, this conflict is further mirrored by the confusion regarding the difference between a civil liberty and a human right. It is submitted that the criticism of the philosophical concept of human rights as a reality centres on the dichotomy between the deontological â€Å"shared ethics† paradigm and the utilitarian approach (Donnelly, 2003, p.7). On the other hand, a â€Å"civil right† whilst related to human rights is completely distinct and specifically relates to a legal right which can be protected and exercised under civil law (Foster, 2008, p.10). As such, a civil right may include a human right but is completely distinct from a human right (Foster, 2008). For example, under the civil law common law jurisdiction in the UK, individuals have rights not to be injured or the victims of negligence or nuisance as part of a civil right (Foster, 2008). Whilst civil rights are exercisable and protected by the state, human rights on the other hand are not automatically exercisable, which in turn has perpetuated a debate as to whether the concept of human rights are in fact a â€Å"fiction† of modern, western liberal democracies (Reed, 2007, p.11). ... Indeed, this very point is the fundamental distinction between a civil right, which is enforceable and exercisable on the one hand in contrast to the individualistic concept of a human right on the other. Furthermore, Donnelly highlights the point that the â€Å"the ability to claim rights, if necessary distinguishes between having a right from simply being the (rights-less) beneficiary of someone else’s obligations. Paradoxically, then â€Å"having† a right is of most value precisely when one does not have the right† (Donnelly, 2003, p.8). It is submitted that this observation is arguably crucial to the practical success of the shared ethics paradigm in terms of the innate morality informing human adherence to basic fundamental rights. Moreover, Donnelly questions the notion of â€Å"shared† rights as in a â€Å"Hobbesian state of nature, rights would never be respected; at best disinterest or self interest would lead duty-bearers not to deny the right h older the object of her right (Donnelly, 2003, p.8). Accordingly, Donnelly’s points highlight the point that whereas ethics refer to the morality of human rights, this can contrast with the actual enforcement of morality as defined by ethical theory, which again highlights the fundamental distinction between an enforceable civil rights on the one hand and human rights on the other. Indeed, Donnelly highlights the point that â€Å"â€Å"Human rights traditionally have been thought of as moral rights of the highest order. They have also become, as we will see in more detail later, international legal rights† (Donnelly, 2003, p.11). As such, this has led to commentators questioning the concept of human rights in international