How Does Organizational Learning Start? Two Cognitive Perspectives.

NOTE: These two perspectives were based on the theories of cognitive psychology, therefore positing
that there is a link between what it means for an individual to learn, and how organizations learn.
● Top-Down Approach
● Bottom-Top Approach

But What is “Cognitive Perspective”?

Note: Before we understand the two approaches, we have to understand what “cognition” is and why it
applies to both approaches.
● Based on the “Theory of Cognition/Cognitive Theory” from psychology. It refers to the study of
information processing of the mind.
● The word “cognition” refers to our thinking processes. The act of acquiring knowledge through
perception, thinking, imagination, remembering, judging, problem-solving, and selective
attention.
● It ultimately posits that thoughts, feelings, and beliefs sometimes determines our behaviors.

Cognitive Theory in Organizational Learning

● Within the context of organizational learning, it posits that individuals within an organization is
pushed by its environment—therefore influencing their beliefs, thoughts, and feelings—to learn
and develop behaviors that ultimately dictate the organization’s culture.

Top-Down Approach
● Organizational learning and reform is initiated by key individuals—often leaders, and
disseminate knowledge from top to bottom.

Bottom-Top Approach
● The lower echelons of the hierarchy, confronted by problems, pressure change to occur from the
bottom until recognized and accepted by the top.

The Flaws of Both Approaches:

● Both approaches view organizational learning from an individualistic perspective—that
organizational learning starts with the individuals in it.
● Views organizational learning from a “cognitive perspective”—applying theories of individual
learning to whole groups. Therefore not conceptually or empirically the same as individual
learning.

Cultural Perspective:
● Developed by Scott D. N. Cook and Dvora Yanow
● Seeks to complement the cognitive perspective, rather than supplant it.
● Views large organizations as “cultural entities” akin to tribes due to them being human groups
that develop their own beliefs, symbols, and behaviors.
 ● The cognitive perspective mainly focuses on the study of individual action. Cultural perspective
focuses on the study of “group action”, with individuals working within a “net of expectations”
inherent within an organization’s own culture.

Changing Organizational Culture

WAYS OF THINKING ABOUT CULTURE CHANGE

Organizational Culture
● Refers to the intangible manifestation of an organization such as its behavior, rituals, and habits.
It is the personality of your organization.
Changing Organizational Culture
● According to the Gartner glossary, cultural transformation is the process by which a company
promotes its personnel to adopt attitudes and actions that are in line with its values and objectives.

Reasons as to "Why" and "When" is it Necessary to Change the Organization's Culture:

● Overall business performance
● Shift in leadership

Three Types of Culture Change

Types of Culture Change Placement on Dimensions
Revolutionary, Pervasiveness: High
comprehensive Magnitude: High
Innovativeness: Variable
Duration: Variable
Subunit or subculture Pervasiveness: Low
Magnitude: Moderate to high
Innovativeness: Variable
Duration: Variable
Cumulative, Pervasiveness: High
comprehensive, or Magnitude: Moderate
reshaping Innovativeness: Moderate
Duration: High
1. Revolutionary or Comprehensive
Refers to a cultural shift that spans the entire organization with great implications of
change in essence, structure, and mentality. One such example of revolutionary change occurring
was the French Revolution and the 1987 People Power Revolution. May happen peacefully or
violently depending on the circumstances.
2. Subculture or subunits
Cultural or organizational shifts with changes so small it only limits themselves to a
specific subgroup of people within an organization or society. One such example was the
American “Hippies” during the 80s, who were primarily characterized by pacifistic, anti-
capitalistic values as a response to America’s involvement in the Vietnam War.
3. Gradual or incremental
 Change that spans a large amount of time. One such example is the so-called
“generational gap.” People tend to be conservative in the past, with some of their values being
considered “socially questionable” today. While their descendants went on to develop more
liberal values that largely differed from their ancestors.

Assessing Amount of Change

● If culture change is viewed as an ongoing process and not a discrete event or outcome, it becomes
easier to disaggregate different aspects of the process.

The 4 Dimensions of Change

1. PERVASIVENESS - The pervasiveness of an envisioned culture change is the proportion of the
activities in an organization that will be affected by it.
2. MAGNITUDE - The pervasiveness of an envisioned culture change is the proportion of the
activities in an organization that will be affected by it.
3. INNOVATIVENESS - Innovativeness refers to the degree to which the ideas and behaviors
required by the desired culture are unprecedented or have some similarity to what already
happened somewhere.
4. DURATION - Duration refers to how long change efforts are likely to take and how permanent
the change will be. While all radical organization-wide culture changes take years, some are more
protracted than others.