Issues and Challenges in Learning Organization

 Literature pertaining organisational learning appear to be ‘volcanic’ and in turn plunged into definitional confusion and concept perplexing (Lewis & Snyder, 2002). The amass of research came to make the concept become more mystifying and vexingly to measure in the organization (Friendman and Popper, 2005). The failure to understand the different lens of organizational learning contribute to this shortcomings.  Conceivably, the reason for this puzzle is that that the approaches to conceptualizing learning in the organization revolving between behavioural, cognitive and cultural setting (Tsang 1997). Further more  the lack of agreement  on the nature of learning  in the organization has  allow the blooming of many opposing  of  opinion which appears around the lack of the theoretical integration, agreement  on measuring and producing of practical knowledge to navigate effective establishment of organizational learning. Even the concept is not consider of simple linear effort, but it is important for  organisation leaders to prescribe practical and modest steps  to becoming a learning organization , rather than just accumulate of what works  to the organization (Watkin & Dirani,2013)

 

Many issues have been spotlighted within the concept, mainly to understand the distinction between organization learning and learning organization. Many scholar either equate or conflate the both and have used the term interchangeably (Warner, 2017). Initially the research on what organization is performing and how it is behaving are not same from the study how to change to become more effective. Later part shown more towards intentional undertaking of changes by the organization which identify what prior as unintentionally behaviour. This was agreeable by Jones and Henry (1992) to consider learning organisation as direction that being taken an organisation while organisation learning is seen as empirical device to explain  and quantify learning activities and event.

More often Learning Organisation is describe in the ideal state of organization want to becoming. It is the sets of goals that work towards achieving the intended vision. Organisation always will find existing  gaps in the current state and generally believed that they are a long way from creating pure learning organizations. Therefore , it become extreme challenge for HRD personnel to continuously grasping and embrace focus in searching evidence-based practice that empower an organization  to learn more excellently rather  prescribing or jumping into any quick fix solution.

 

Future of Learning Organisations

In this part I intend to look forward and find what lies in the future for the concept of learning organisation, what become promsing insight embracing the concept and predicted trend going to be. Along with current issues, what are wise way forward by the organisation planner to adopt and adapt the fresh look of Learning Organisation.

Foremost researchers are now meticulously dimensionalizing organization performance to understand better on elements that have significant corresponding to organization learning until to date, studies on DLOQ as reliable and valid construct and indicator of Learning Organisation still prolonging and becoming interesting.  From the DLOQ studies in performance had empirically proves that there was significant correlation between learning organization dimensions with perceived financial knowledge, mission and adaptive performance (Davies &Daley, 2008). While from structural equation  modelling discovers that learning organisation dimension  has positively correlates to intangible performance for instance like knowledge and adaptive performance (K.Kim, 2016).  Thus this pointed  that learning culture contribute to enhance knowledge creation and innovation system of the organization . In promising note,  existing learning organisation  dimension strongly reliable in portraying and  diagnosing the health of organisation in achieving  full potential of becoming learning organization.

 

There was also emerging founding on the influence of national culture characteristics in learning organization dimensions. According to research by Kim and Watkin (2017) it is found that individualism was negatively correlated to the concept thus is clear that organization learning inclined to support team or group learning which had initially claimed. In another publication report, Watkin and Dirani (2013) data and mean scores clearly stated there are cultural differences in how it relate to each of important dimensions. Therefore it is suggest for researchers continuously investigate cultural substantial factors and further examining cross-cultural construct validity for better understand the cultural influence. From another research results, there are also evidence of strong connection between strategic leadership and establishing systemic connection with their environment as   essentials prerequisites of learning organizations.

Another promising future of learning organisational is the role of informal learning in creating learning culture. Nurmala (2014) in her study found a significant correlation between learning culture and participation in informal learning and incidental learning opportunities. . While another research by Y.S Kim & Marsick (2013) strengthens this relationship, by implementing SME organization data, they discover that informal learning on the job created as part of the initiatives channelling to organizational performance benefits.  This trend become more obviously important as organisation try to adapt to changing and flexible culture to enhance new talent among organization members. HRD planners must consistently identify viable intervention to create a learning organization through this lens.  Its suggests for researcher to take social network approach thus applying mixed -levels analyse are one of bright area of research in the future.

Another area that worth examine are the social relations and network analysis of learning organization.  Kang, Morris and Snell (2007)  denote  human resource function can assist structural and cognitive approaches to creating value , where it  depend on strength of  network, trust , knowledge which derive from exploratory or exploitive learning . In the latest research, findings state that HR practice help built social relations among organisation members in improving opportunity, motivation and chance to retrieve another member knowledge.  According to Watkin et al. (2009) it also essentials for researchers to ensure the level of analysis because organization are made up of sub-cultures or division.

 

As for new exploration and further scrutiny, there is potential mediated relationship of learning organization especially in promoting tangible financial performance through intangible knowledge performance. Additionally, studies also currently moving towards examination of mission performance in highly relational, global, interorganizational non-profit collaboration (Suh and Watkin 2016). They also furthering the ideas trying to understand in public for profit entities such university housing departments. Finally as conclusion, Learning Organisation will consistently and remained answering the question in the his realm: (1) How do organizations make transition to be a learning organization (2) Where in an organization are its learning process centred (3) What are the benefits and cost to being learning organization (4) What are critical contextual factor effecting learning organization (5) When should one or should not seek to create a learning organization.

 

Ongoing Journey of Learning Organizations

 Many reason organisation shifting their main effort in management into the concept of Learning Organisation is due it concrete and natural way of developing for success that is through learning. Learning organisation has been stable construct in the studies of HRD for over 20 years (Lundberg, 1989; Senge 1990) and still highly debated at wide and globally.  The concept also regarded as a first-order adaptation to changing environment based on experience, learning from the past and errors that occur in the organization. Today, voluminous of research are conducted under field of Learning Organization in exploring what organization need to do in order to become learning organization. The only sustainability and survivability for organisation to keep breathing and propelling for success is to develop and understand how to manage learning in the organization.  An organization with necessary learning organizational structures and capacities are able to create environment that will encourage and stimulate knowledge and ultimately boasting financial performance (Watson and Warsick, 1993)

 

Many underlying theories which constantly emerge in support of Learning Organization concept. From early 60’s there was continuous effort from management scholar to define and unravel the embedded theories that hidden under this concept. Crossan et al. (2000) proposed a framework of organizational learning by emphasising on changing process that driven by intuition and interpretation at the individual level, subsequently integration of new knowledge at the group level and eventually institutionalization at the organizational level as formed as Learning Organization.  While March (1991) agreed that learning in the organization involve the activity of exploiting current knowledge and exploring new knowledge that leads to growth and improvement in organization. Earlier, Levitt & March (1988) had claimed learning as inference drawn from both formal and informal experiences which fuelled organization to find new routines.in another aspects, Huber (1991) sees organisation learning as processual chain of acquisition, distribution and interpretation to organizational memory. By this process, organization will identify meaningful knowledge that are valuable to retained and stored in the organization memory. As time take place and gradual understanding of the concept, scholars more seeing Organisation as catalyst of change and transformation (Watkins & Marsick 1993).  Subsequently incoming of Twenty-first century, this concept has move beyond their own capacity by embrace the learning across the organizations which supported by many researcher namely Jerez Gomez (2005), Senge (1990) and Goh (1998).  This new phenomena of alliances has allow connection with its own external environment thus lead to more favourable condition for becoming a learning organization. Tendencies of looking at Leadership also came along to the concept which immensely required to support creating the conditions and controlling financial resources needed to become learning organization (Jeres-Gomez, 2005)

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