Core issues, themes and role of IT on Learning organization

Contents Introduction Core issues and themes in building a learning enterprise Vision and Strategy Nature of the Organization Structure Infrastructure for Knowledge Management Role of Information technology in knowledge management.

Introduction The concept of an learning organization in which: Continuous learning and Creation of knowledge Are the core sources of innovation, excellence and competitiveness Represent a new approach and philosophy of management. It has received a great deal of attention and thought from some of the best business minds in the world.

Core issues and themes in building a learning enterprises. There is no universal theory or a set of established guidelines towards designing and building learning organization. Core issues and themes involved in building learning organization may be identified logically from a systematic set of related questions framed as follows: Why a particular enterprise needs or wants to become a learning organization How many enterprises sustain itself as a learning organization

Cont… What goals and tasks or foci it needs to envisaged for continuous learning What kind of internal structure would it require for this purpose What type of support system would it require for managing its knowledge resource How would it induce its employees to embrace the change What phases of change the organization may need How may the organization foster the crucial linkage between learning and creativity towards innovation.

The Agenda of Core Issues and themes involved in building learning organization Vision and Strategy of the organization Creation of knowledge culture Defining the FOCI of organizational learning Nature of the Organization Structure An infrastructure for knowledge management Managing and Sustaining Change The role of managerial leadership Transition phases Alignment of learning and creativity

Vision and Strategy What is the core purpose of the organization? For whose benefits are all these efforts? What is its guiding ideal self-image? What unique value do they bring to their customers? These questions define mission and vision. The basic approach or operational logic employed by the enterprise towards realizing its mission and vision defines its strategy.

Cont… The learning organization approach in this context defines that to survive and thrive, companies must continuously learn, evolve and innovate new knowledge and alternatives. Creating and exploiting new knowledge about new products, markets and technologies make it necessary for the firm to: Make corresponding internal changes Device their control and co-ordinating mechanisms. Way their members relate and interact with each other. The quite essence of learning organization lies in converting information into shared knowledge and capabilities.

Knowledge Culture A knowledge culture characterized by An organizational ethos of sustained questioning and inquiry, Improvement and development in every sphere of the organizational working Learning and working continuously to improve current performance. Learning how to learn and foster the generation of new ideas and insights. Receptiveness to change Mechanisms' that synergize individual learning collectively and channel it for the benefit of people and teams.

Cont… Knowledge culture pays formal attention to what is termed as the “knowledge grid”. What the enterprise knows that it does not knows What the enterprise knows that it knows What the enterprise does not know that it does not knows What the enterprise does not know that it knows.

Foci of Organizational Learning Organization Learning is not random process It is a purposive endeavor guided by business strategy on one hand and generic improvement strategies on the other hand. Business Strategy is governed by the perceived needs of market and involves identification of critical success factors. Generic improvement Strategies are primarily classifiable as rectifiable or repair refinement and innovation.

Nature of Organization Structure High Performance firms in complex and dynamic industries adopt an ‘Organic Form’. An organic structure by nature is: Non-Static Highly Flexible Capable of evolving in many ways. There is no fixed job description Communication intensity is high and content structured.

An infrastructure for knowledge management KM infrastructure is deemed to have the following objectives: The organization understands what knowledge it has, it needs and should seek. The available internal repository is easily available to those in work. New knowledge is rapidly made assessable Knowledge needed can be generated as and when needed. Organizational knowledge is tested, validated and updated regularly.

Managing and sustaining change Building a learning organization involves a major process of change and transforming in both the mindset and working of the organization. This in turn means the members of an organization must understand the need for such change and feel motivated towards implementing it.

The Role of Information Technology in Knowledge management In the transition of mass based production era to knowledge economy, intellectual capital comes before money and equipment. In the new economy the flow of information is more critical than the flow of material. ROI would increasingly be determined not based financial asset but on return on enterprise. Which is knowledge based capabilities of an organization’s members.

Information technology and knowledge transactions Knowledge and skills , innovation and invention are the assets Upon which the companies in today's knowledge economy depends upon for gaining and retaining their competitive edge. For use of intellectual capital by a learning organization, IT can play an effective facilitating role towards to management. In this context every organization has the responsibility of establishing a IT based infrastructure for knowledge management.

Kinds of transaction in learning organization Knowledge is generated from internal operations. Knowledge is accessed as needed from internal and/or external sources. Knowledge is transferred and shared across individuals, teams and organization units. Knowledge is represented, recorded and stored for access or retrieval as often as necessary. Knowledge is incorporated in processes, systems and controls.

Examples of IT based Knowledge Management Systems Bain & Company’s International sharing system called Bain Resource Access for Value Addition (BRAVA). Mansanto’s biotech unit Ceregen uses Lotus Notes Database on which sales people share information. Booz, Allen & Hamiliton an international consultancy firm is implemented knowledge mangement system to tap experts knowledge and ideas.

IT Tools for KM Lotus Notes Notes is meant to enable “people in business to collaborate with one another and to share knowledge or expertise unbounded by factors such as distances or time zone differences”. Notes disseminates knowledge from those who have it to those who need it most.

Learning Experts System Changes in an organization environment can be initiated externally by government agencies, customers, competitors, suppliers and research centres through policy and strategy adjustments. These changes need to be reflected in various knowledge databases and decision models of the organization’s expert system. To accomplish this, a learning expert system linked to the external environment is used.

Cognitive Computing Models These powerful tools developed by research in artificial intelligence, comprise fuzzy logic, expert system, data mining, genetic algorithm and neural network. Fuzzy logic enable computers to utilize natural imprecise and reason about ambiguous situation. Data mining refers to extracting previously unknown information. Expert systems refers to a group of rules that define a reasoning process.

Genetic algorithm refers to type of computer programmes that uses random mutation to improve itself.