KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES AND COMMUNICATION

LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

COURSE WORK

MUSIKA IAN 18/U/LIE/20190/PE

TUMWESIGYE MARTIN BAZIGU 19/U/LIE/16854/PE

TURYAHABWE WINNIE 19/U/LIE/16855/PE

KAWUDHA PATRICIA 19/U/LIE/16827/PE

KATUMBA BRUCE 18/U/LIE/11213/PE

BAIRE SUSAN 19/U/LIE/16816/PE

BUSINGE MOSES 18/U/LIE/21487/PE

SSEBUGYA RUTH NABUKALLU 19/U/LIE/16852/PE

WAGENDA JOEL 19/U/LIE/16859/PE

KYASHEMERE TABITHA 19/U/LID/18118/PD

BALIMWINGIZA HAMPHREY 18/U/LIE/11280/PE

McGill et al. (1992) define the Learning Organization as "a company that can respond to new
information by altering the very "programming" by which information is processed and
evaluated. According to Senge a learning organization is a place, in which people “continuously
deploy their capabilities, fulfill their true targets, in which new ways of thinking are supported
and new common hopes are delivered, so organizations, in which people are learning how to
learn together (Senge 2011: 13). According to Unger a definition of a learning organization can
be summarized, that the organizational ability to learn is the potential of an organization which
(cf. Unger 2002: 19).

Learning organizations give employees the power to solve problems autonomously, as well as to
benefit from the experience of their peers. They have the opportunity to share their ideas and
insights without fear of being judged, and to expand their knowledge, and work together to
achieve common goals. The organization is the primary benefactor of this creative and free-
thinking approach. Here are 5 ways to identify learning organizations, inspired by Peter Senge's
research

1. Collaborative Learning Culture (Systems Thinking)

A successful learning organization is supported by a collaborative learning culture. Every

individual is honored, but they also play a vital role in the overall framework. According to
Senge's system thinking principle, organizations are made up of smaller units, much like the
pieces of a puzzle. Corporate learners must understand the system as a whole, as well as each
individual component that's involved.

2. "Lifelong Learning" Mindset (Personal Mastery)

On an individual level, learning organizations require a forward-thinking mindset. According to

Senge, this involves personal mastery. Corporate learners must develop a lifelong learning
perspective, wherein they value and understand the importance of continual growth.

3. Room For Innovation (Mental Models)

This trait of learning organizations is actually two-fold. First, corporate learners must be able to
evaluate and assess their current cognitions through self-reflection. This allows them to
challenge limiting beliefs that are standing in the way of progress. Every individual is then able
to see how they fit into the big picture, and how they can serve the "greater good". Secondly,
corporate learners must be encouraged to test out new theories and approaches. Risk is all part of
the equation, as it allows people to learn from their mistakes and continually improve.

4. Forward- Thinking Leadership (Shared Vision)

The fourth way to identify a learning organization is to look for forward-thinking leaders. The
enthusiasm and dedication start from the top. Managers, supervisors, and trainers must be
committed to the process and have a "shared vision". Leaders must challenge assumptions,
encourage self-reflection, and set an example for their team members. They should let corporate
learners make mistakes that build real-world experience. Then, they should discuss alternative
approaches so that they don't repeat the same mistakes in the future.

5. Knowledge Sharing (Team Learning)

Collaboration is key in learning organizations. Every member of the group must be aware of the
learning objectives and desired outcomes, and then work as a collective problem-solving team to
achieve their goals. In most cases, this calls for a knowledge sharing infrastructure. For example,
an online training repository where corporate learners can share links and learner generated
online training content with their peers. Everyone benefits from the expertise and skill sets of the
group. Likewise, they are able to deepen their own comprehension by sharing information with
peers, as it involves active recall and reinforcement.

Effective learning organizations share these 5 common traits. They foster lifelong learning and
ongoing collaboration, which fuels the success of the entire group. Everyone has the chance to
make mistakes and learn from them, which leads to new groundbreaking ideas and profit-
building opportunities. As such, learning organizations have the power to improve online
training and employee satisfaction.
A learning organization is classified as an open system, because these are in mutual relationships
with their surroundings and information reach inside the system of the organization. But the
organization is not able to influence the system-surroundings by own learning processes. The
continuous changes, which are generated by learning processes, have a share in the dynamic of
the learning organization. Because of the stamping of the organizations, in terms of establish
rules and structures, it works to use learning processes in an effective way but also to hinder
them, why you can speak about determined stampings in this case. That an organization is able to
survive, it is important, that it can soak a possible freeze by self-regulating processes. To
implement this, learning organizations are structure determined and self-organized. (cf. Liebsch
2011: 29 f.)

Features of Learning Organization

Boundary-less organization:

It does not have a defined structure. The organization design is not limited to horizontal, vertical
or external boundaries. Horizontal boundaries create departments and vertical boundaries create
organizational levels and hierarchies. A learning organization remains flexible and unstructured.
Employees cooperate in performing organizational activities.

Members share information throughout the organization across functional areas (horizontal
boundaries) and organizational levels (vertical boundaries). Structural and physical boundaries
are minimized.

Teams

Employees do not work for specific departments at specific levels. They work in teams and
perform all organizational activities. Managers create cross-functional teams to organize
activities around work processes instead of functional departments. This removes horizontal
boundaries in the organization.

They create cross-hierarchical teams and promote participative decision-making. This removes
vertical boundaries in the organization. People subordinate personal interests and fragmented
departmental interests and work together to achieve the organization’s shared vision.

Empowerment
 Employee teams in learning organizations are empowered to make decisions about work-
related issues. Need for bosses or direct supervisors gets reduced. Managers facilitate, support
and advocate employee teams rather than direct them. Team working results in better
performance.

 Information sharing

In a learning organization, employees learn by sharing information (knowledge management).

There is timely, accurate and open sharing of information in the organization. As there are no
structural boundaries, people openly communicate with each other (across vertical and horizontal
boundaries). This leads to extensive information sharing amongst members. People discard old
ways of thinking and develop new ways of working. Organizational policies also encourage
learning amongst members.

Shared vision

Leaders of learning organization facilitate shared vision in the organization. Members develop
common vision of organizational goals and strategies and collectively work towards that vision.
It enables the organization to respond to future opportunities and benefit from them.

Collaboration

A learning organization has strong and committed leaders. They create, support and encourage
people to collaborate with each other. This creates a motivated workforce which learns
continuously from experience and environmental factors.

Organizational culture

Organizational culture is a system of shared meaning within the organization that determines
how employees act. In a learning organization culture, members think of organizational
processes, activities, functions and interactions with the environment as a system of inter-
relationships.

Everyone agrees on shared vision and develops strong mutual relationships. They develop
community, caring and trust for each other. The culture is supportive in nature. It questions
existing assumptions and creates an environment of learning
Conclusion

A learning organization distinguishes itself by the fact that its actors think often, consciously and
together about her its-draft, its action and the achieved results. Besides, they develop ideas for
changes and move this in structures, processes and measures. The aim of a learning organisation
is a continuous organisational development. With this the organisation extends constantly its
ability to form own future creatively and to adapt itself to changed market conditions. The
various concepts for "learning organization" describing organizational learning, to constantly
expand the learning ability of organizations and, consequently, the skills to solve problems from
individuals and organizations itself. By implementing a learning organization the advantages are
a higher problem solving ability, a value increase of the human capital, reduction of risks within
decision-making processes and a higher satisfaction of the employees.
References

Argyris, Chris; Schön, Donald A. (1999): Die Lernende Organisation, Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta.
Bertels, Thomas (1997): Lernstrategien entwicklen: Lernen greifbar machen, In: Wieslhuber,
Norbert (1997): Handbuch Lernende Organisation, Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien.

Bertels, Thomas (2008): Modell für das Management des Wandels im Wissenszeitalter, In:
KreminBuch, Beate; Unger, Fritz, Peter; Walz, Hartmut (Hrsg.): Lernende Organisation, 3.
Aufl.; Sternenfels: Verlag Wissenschaft und Praxis.

Bock, Friedrich (2007): Lernen als Element der Wettbewerbsstrategie, In: Kremin-Buch, Beate;
Un ger, Fritz, Peter; Walz, Hartmut (Hrsg.): Lernende Organisation, 3. Aufl.; Sternenfels: Verlag
Wissenschaft und Praxis.

Hacker, Winfried; Skell, W. (1993): Lernen in der Arbeit, Bonn: Bundesinstitut für
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Heftberger, Simone; Stary, Christian (2004): Partizipatives organisationales Lernen, Wiesbaden:

Deutscher Universitätsverlag.

Knipp, Alexander (2014): Learning by knowing, Hamburg: Diplomica Verlag GmbH.

Kröll, Martin; Schnauber, Herbert (Hrsg.) (1997): Lernen der Organisation durch Gruppen- und
Teamarbeit, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag.

Liebsch, Beate (2011): Phänomen Organisationales Lernen, München und Mering: Rainer
Hampp Verlag. Little, Arthur Dehon (1995): Management der Hochleistungsorganisation, 2.
Aufl., Wiesbaden: Gabler / GWV Fachverlage GmbH. Pfeiffer, Werner; Dögl, Rudolf (1986):
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Unternehmensplanung, Stand und Entwicklungstendenzen (4. Aufl.). Heidelberg, Wien, S. 149 -
177.

Pieler, Dirk (2001): Neue Wege zur lernenden Organisation, Wiesbaden:

Betriebswirtschaftlicher Verlag Dr. Th. Gabler GmbH.
Pedler, Mike; Boydell, Tom; Burgoyne, John (1986): Auf dem Weg zum „Lernenden
Unternehmen“, in: Sattelberger, Thomas (1991): Die Lernende Organisation, Wiesbaden:
Betriebswirtschaftlicher Verlag Dr. Th. Gabler GmbH.

Senge, Peter M. (2006): THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE, Published by DOUBLDAY a division of

Random House, Inc.: The Crown Publishing Group.

Senge, Peter M. (2011): Die fünfte Disziplin, 11., völlig überarbeitete und aktualisierte Aufl.,
Stuttgart: Schäffer-Poeschel Verlag.

Unger, Helga (2002): Organisationales Lernen durch Teams, 2., verbesserte Auflage, Mering:
Rainer Hampp Verlag.

Wahren, Heinz-Kurt E. (1996): Das lernende Unternehmen. Theorie und Praxis des
organisationalen Lernens, Berlin: Verlag Walter de Gruyter.Walz, H; Bertels, T. (1995): Das
Intelligente Unternehmen - Schneller lernen als der Wettbewerb, In: Kremin-Buch, Beate;
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Wissenschaft und Praxis.

Unauthenticated
For example, they must comprehend how compliance and company policy foster a more efficient
workplace, and ensure employee safety. Collaborative learning cultures also thrive on differing
viewpoints. Corporate learners should respect and honor the ideas of their peers. Every voice
must carry weight, and there is always room for innovation.

The focus is on practical skills and knowledge they can apply in real-world environments. For
example, soft skills that allow employees to improve customer service tasks. Individuals must
also display commitment and dedication to personal goals, as well as company-wide learning
objectives.

References

[1] Senge, Peter. 1990. The Fifth Discipline: Τhe Art and Practice of the Learning Organization.
New York: Doubleday