1. Knowledge Management and eLearning for Learning Organization
Fethi Ahmet Inan
The University of Memphis
Maki Obana
The University of Memphis

2. Learning Organization
“Organization where people continually expand their capacity to create the result they trully desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how learn together” (Senge, 1990)

3. Learning Organization
“Strategies and initiatives for improving organizational effectiveness through emphases on developing the capabilities, capacities and qualities of the staff, and on approaches based on behavioral and attitudinal, as well as skills, enhancement” (Pettinger, 2002)
“The learning organization can mean two things; it can mean an organization which learns and/or an organization which encourages learning in its people. It should mean both” (Robin, 1998)

4. Five disciplines
Senge’s(1990) describe five disciplines that enable a company to become a learning organization
Mental Modeling
Shared Vision
Personal Mastery
Team learning
System thinking

5. Why a Learning organization
Resource based Perspective: Better respond the environment by dynamic changes. Keeping up-to-date.
Knowledge based Perspective: Develop organizational memory particularly firm-specific knowledge (tacit knowledge).
Importance of systems thinking: Better way to see wholes and relationships between the task components.
(Reigeluth, Pershing, & Park, 1998)

6. Learning organization structure
Classical Organization
Learning Organization
Institutions
Routinized; static; maintain the current organizational structure
Always in question; fluid; constantly changing; innovative
Institutional Practices
Following directions; Localized and fragmented thinking; workers responsible for own tasks; managers responsible for own section. Get the job done
Explicit and shared mental modeling Systems thinking Shared vision Public learning; team learning Dialogue generatively Acting in high levels of ambiguity Personal mastery; ask: ‘how should we get the job done?’
Culture
All above institutional practices taken as givens
Principles of the learning organization routinized to become unconscious action
Growth and Change
Static; lack of change
Constant and continuous change
* Adapted from Guthrie(1996)

7. Knowledge Management (KM)
Data: Factual information (as measurements or statistics)
Information: Meaningful form of data
Knowledge: Understanding and/or using of information
Knowledge management is a process of creating, capturing, and using knowledge to enhance organizational performance (Stacey, 2000)

8. Knowledge Transformation ProcessTo
Tacit Knowledge
Explicit Knowledge
From
Tacit
Knowledge
Socialization
(Sympathized Knowledge)
Externalization
(Conceptual Knowledge)
Explicit
Internalization
(Operational Knowledge )
Combination
(Systematic Knowledge)
* Adapted from Nonaka and Konno (1998)

9. eLearning
“The use of technologies to create, distribute and deliver valuable data, information, learning and knowledge to improve on-the-job and organizational performance and individual development” (Dublin,2004)
“Using new multimedia technologies and the internet to improve the quality of learning” (European Communities, 2004)

10. Benefits of eLearning Increased productivity Time savings
Staff satisfaction and retention
Cost benefit
Learning culture
Customer satisfaction
(Knight, 2004)

11. Recommendation for eLearning development
Define learning philosophy
Consider individual needs
Train the trainer
Consider pedagogy/andragogy
Develop interactivity strategies
Evaluate to improve
Meet the standards (European Communities, 2004)

12. Example: IBM Basic Blue
Challenge: Train managers scattered around the world (IBM has more than 30,000 managers in more than 50 countries).
Solution: A blend of online and classroom experiences. Managers go through a learning process that combines innovative web learning modules with face-to-face workshops

13. Example: IBM Basic Blue
Strategies:
Community of practice (workshops)
Online collaboratation
Simple web design with allowing self-pacing
Interactivity (simulations & learning-by-doing)
E-mentoring
Online self-assessments and feedback

14. Example: IBM Basic Blue
Result:
More than 4,000 managers have completed the training
Basic Blue won a 2000 American Society for Training & Development "Citation" Award
The program is expected to save IBM more than $16 million in 2000 (Jeurissen, 2004)

15. Question & Recommendation
Please contact for questions and suggestions
Fethi A. Inan
Instruction and Curriculum Leadership
The University of Memphis
406 Ball Hall
Memphis, TN 38152
(901)