The learning organization: myths and realities

Any type of organization can be a learning
organization (LO) if it possesses certain characteristics: provide
continuous learning opportunities, use learning to reach its goals,
link indivicual performance with organizational performance, foster
inquiry and dialogue, embrace creative tension as a source of energy
and renewal, and be continuously aware of and interact with its
environment. Businesses that practice LO principles are Johnsonville
Foods, Harley-Davidson, Motorola, Corning, AT&T, and Fed Ex. Sullivan
Elementary School in Tallahassee (Florida) has applied LO quality
principles to transform itself. Despite theoretical support and some
real-life examples, some critics claim the learning organization is a
myth, not a reality. Some cite a lack of critical analysis of the
theoretical framework of the LO. They suggest that few studies
support the relationship between individual and organizational
learning. Another critic sees the primary purpose of most
organizations as the production oE goods and services, not the
acquisition of knowledge/learning. Schools that have been eva2uated
along Senge's five disciplines have also been found lacking. B,irriers
that prevent the LO from becoming a reality include the following:
lack of effective leaders, the inability to recognize and change
existing mental models, learned helplessness, tunnel vision,
truncated learning, individualism, and a culture of disrespect and
fear. The LO may best thought of as a journey, not a destination; a
philosophy, not a program.