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ASSIGNMENT

Topic: Learning Organization

Subject: Advance Readings and Management

Submitted To: Mr. Shaheer Alam

Submitted By: Bilal Ahmad (C.No 11)

Class: MBA (Group “A”)

Date: 25th April 2011

INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES


PESHAWAR
Before defining what a Learning Organization is, we must define
what Learning School Of Thought is.

WHAT IS LEARNING SCHOOL OF THOUGHT?

According to learning school of thought strategy formation is seen


as an emergent process. Emergent process means that where the
outcomes are not obvious so managers must continuously keep a
check on the situation and decide in real time on the next step to
take.

Features of learning school of thought:

 There is no deliberate strategy making, it involves a process of


learning over time in which formulation and implementation start
to merge.
 The management pays close attention over time to what does
work, and what doesn’t work.
 They incorporate the “lessons learned” into their overall plan of
action.
 Strategies emerge in small steps as an organization adapts or
“learn”.
 People think retrospectively and make sense of their actions.
 The role of leadership is not to create strategy but to manage the
process of strategic planning.

Now after having some sort of knowledge and background of


learning school of thought we define what a learning organization
is.
WHAT IS A LEARNING ORGANIZATION?

A learning organization is the term given to a company that


facilitates the learning of its members and continuously
transforms itself. Learning organizations develop as a result of the
pressures facing modern organizations and enables them to
remain competitive in the business environment.

CHARACTERISTICS OF LEARNING ORGANIZATION

A learning organization has five main features.


 Systems Thinking.
 Personal Mastery.
 Mental Models.
 Shared Vision.
 Team Learning.

LEARNING ORGANIZATION AS DEFINED BY DIFFERENT


AUTHORS:

"Organizations where people continually expand their capacity to


create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive
patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set
free, and where people are continually learning to learn together"
Peter M. Senge, 1990 The Fifth Discipline: The art and practice of the
learning organization.

“a model of strategic change in which everyone is engaged in


identifying and solving problems so that the organization is
continuously changing, experimenting and improving, thus
increasing its capacity to grow and achieve its purpose.”
Rowden R.W. 2001, The Learning Organization & Strategic Change,
S.A.M. Advanced Management Journal, Summer 2001.

I believe that learning approach to strategic management is better


than top down approach because

 Organizations become adaptive to their external environment


 Continually enhance their capability to change/adapt
 Develop collective as well as individual learning
 Use the results of learning to achieve better results
 Cope with rapid and unexpected changes where existing
'programmed' responses are inadequate
 Provide flexibility to cope with dynamically changing situations
 Allow front-line staff to respond with initiative based on customer
needs vs. being constrained by business processes established for
different circumstances

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