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 Ratings
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| Reviewed: |
Jun 18, 2008 by Business Editorial Board |
| Overview: |
Understanding Organizations as Learning Systems is a research paper from the Society for Organizational Learning. The research is a framework for examining a company based on learning orientations and facilitating factors for how learning occurs. The paper outlines the various learning orientations and facilitating factors based on research with four model companies. The paper is applicable to lecture and research. |
| Learning Goals: |
Not directly stated, but it effectively summarizes the authors' Sloan Management Review Article:
Understanding organizations as learning systems.
Sloan Management Review, December, 1995 by Nevis, Edwin C.; DiBella, Anthony J.; Gould, Janet M.
Partial Abstract: With the decline of some well-established firms, the diminishing competitive power of many companies in a burgeoning world market, and the need for organizational renewal and transformation, interest in organizational learning has grown. Senior managers in many organizations are convinced of the importance of improving learning in their organizations. This growth in awareness has raised many unanswered questions: What is a learning organization? What determines the characteristics of a good learning organization (or are all learning organizations good by definition)?
The site addresses questions such as:
What is a learning organization? Characteristics of a learning organization. Core competencies of a successful learning organization. A review of Learning Orientations A review of Facilitating factors or the structures and processes affecting a learning organization. |
| Target Student Population: |
College Undergraduate courses in Business |
| Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills: |
none |
| Type of Material: |
Reference Material |
| Recommended Uses: |
Excellent reference material. Possibly mis-characterized as "tutorial." |
| Technical Requirements: |
Web Browser--Shows up as one long web page.
Note: The MERLOT address is wrong in the "material Location" link. THe correct link (and the one on which this review is based)
http://www.solonline.org/res/wp/learning_sys.html
EDITOR: Please update database on this link. |
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| Strengths: |
The research is clear and concise and provides valuable tools to assess
organizational learning. Excellent capsule of authors' Sloan Management Review article. |
| Concerns: |
Students could get a more in depth understanding by reading the original article in Sloan Management Review |
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Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool |
Rating:    |
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| Strengths: |
The tool, "organizational learning inventory" has great potential to help firms. The research is well defined and organized in a logical sequence. |
| Concerns: |
How could SMEs use these tools without spending too much money on costly consultants? Practical aspects of implementation are lacking in the discussion. |
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Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty |
| Rating: |
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| Strengths: |
Well-organized, hierarchically structured, hyperlinked references and solid writing make this a very user-friendly article-summary. |
| Concerns: |
Might be nice to add (at the top of the discussion) a hyperlinked set of headings that reflect the overal structure of the piece.
Also, where is this piece residing? The ONLY good link I found (see above) is different than the one provided by MERLOT, but there is a message from the server that this link is the "old" site. Puzzling. Recommend Editor contact author for definitive site address. |
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| Other Issues and Comments: |
An excellent overview for understanding the elements of organizations as Learning Systems. |
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