Learning Organisation (LO) Considerations in Higher Learning Institution

There are tension in managing strategies when involve dollarship and scholarship. Initiatives become undermined due to pressure to achieve results. In turn it jeopardize the relationship both structural and personal which stood as fundamental in operating the learning Organisation. Today we seen LO has been astray from its supposed culture in term of system properties and behaviour.

University as organization that stood for promotion of learning are identified by their display of management culture, structure of goal setting, policies and administrations. Current funding constraints demand act of good faith in establish and implement policies in extreme pressure.

University strategic plan should covers target area that include reputation, learning & teaching quality , excellence of research, strong community relationship and effective management resource. As for performance indicator, they should implicitly or implicitly express in term of goal and time scale that determine the rate of achievement for existing standard. For instance, the published research paper can be indicated as desired numbers of paper to be published in 5 year time. Or also percentage target over the current state.

Universities have to be aware of artificial internal structure. This structure may indicate whether the institution in debt or surplus. Some structures are amendable because it derive from institution own creation and at will can be altered.  Normally a faculty in debt when they impose appointment freeze in order to eliminate its debt.

Another paradox, is known as false dichotomy.  In this case, an active researcher is not replaces because they feel no longer have expertise in the area. They may think the policies are salary saving but it also a loss of future revenue.

In situation, a positive loop occur when a faculty enrolment increase hence increase the income earned. In contra it also reducing the money value received per student when total funding is become limited, which is consider as negative loop. This tremendously effect the slowest growing in the institutions and led to emerging of university and losers.

Increasing workloads that occur on reduced staff creating further loss of funds and pressure for more staff reduction. The decision toward short term appointment meaning to exercise flexibility may impact the whole process.

Managers must aware the universities context of LO which to a degree different from the business community. Business has portray most example of LO culture that draw enough to evaluate of the outcomes compare to higher learning organisations.

It’s suggested for a university to enshrine its strategic plan by continuous update. Hierarchical management structures require faculties to construct plans in line with the overall purpose, while schools consistently do the same for their faculty. University structure must create teams rather than committee.

In nutshell, the biggest challenge to the application of LO is in deciding its leverage points. They have to start thinking how optimum input in turn generate greater output force. At this point, the boundaries of institutions are stretch further