Theme Four, Part Three Organizations as brains

Moving towards the learning organization [ Organizations] would, in short, be intelligent, self- organizing brains that reflect all the qualities of what we have described as a learning organization. Morgan, 2006:98

Principle 1 – build the whole into all of the parts Corporate DNA Networked intelligence Holographic structure Holistic teams and diversified roles

Principles 2, 3 and 4 … Principle 2 the importance of redundancy Principle 3 requisite variety Principle 4 minimum specification

Principle 5 – learn to learn

Marsick, VJ & Watkins, KE Envisioning new organizations for learning. IN Boud, D & Garrick, J, Understanding learning at work. New York: Routledge Lens of Learning Implications for Managers Implications for Employees Implications for HRD BrainModel learning; integrate work and learning; provide for job enrichment and rotation; encourage cross-functional teams Diagnose system’s needs; challenge assumptions; initiate/monit or learning to meet own and system’s needs Design work to integrate learning across functions; provide for variety and continuous learning; build capacity to cross boundaries

This metaphor helps Provides guidelines for the learning organization concept Emphasis on interrelatedness Thoughts on the use of information technologies Rethinking of key management principles However Brains are intangible We cannot forget the workings of power What are the implications of this metaphor at a societal level?

Core reading … Morgan, G Images of Organization. Thousand Oaks: Sage Chapter 4: pp

Learning Activity Some commentators have noted that the kinds of principles that underpin the learning organization: that is, limited policy and procedures, lots of creativity and innovation, networking to achieve and move around big ideas, are the same principles that fostered the corporate collapses and cover-ups of recent years. Consider and post your response to the Theme Four forum. Post a comment to the Forum (200 words maximum).

Theme Four References 1 Argyris, C Double loop learning in organizations. Harvard Business Review. September/October, pp Becker, F Organizational ecology and knowledge networks. California Management Review. 49(2), pp Broos, E. & Cronje, J Information society needs of managers in a large governmental organisation. Educational Technology & Society, 12(1), pp Brown, J & Duguid, P The social life of information. Boston: Harvard Business School Daft, R Understanding the theory and design of organizations. 10th ed. South-Western: Cengage Learning (pp.30-5) Davenport T & Glaser, J Just-in-time delivery comes to knowledge management. IN: Prusak, L. & Matson, E. Knowledge management and organizational learning. Oxford: Oxford University Press (pp ) Fullan, M The school as a learning organization: distant dreams. Theory into Practice, 34(4), pp.230-5

Theme Four References 2 Grint, K & Woolgar, S, 1997.The machine at work. Technology, work and organization. Cambridge: Polity Press (pp ) Macpherson, A. Elliot, M, Harries, I. & Homan, G E-learning: reflections and evaluation of corporate programmes. Human Resource Development International. 7(3), pp Marquardt, M Building the learning organization. 2nd ed. Palo Alto: Davies Black Publishing Marsick,V.J. & Watkins, K.E Envisioning new organizations for learning. IN Boud, D & Garrick, J, Understanding learning at work. New York: Routledge. Reeves, J. & Boreham, N What’s in a vision? Introducing an organisational learning strategy in a local authority’s education service. Oxford Review of Education, 32(4), pp Wenger, E Knowledge management as a doughnut: shaping your knowledge strategy through communities of practice. Ivey Business Journal.