Diverging assessments of learning organizations during reform implementation

Abstract

Purpose-This study explores whether hierarchical position and organizational size affect perceptions of a learning organization during reform implementation. Design/methodology/approach-An electronic survey was distributed in four Norwegian police districts at an early stage of reform implementation. One of the objectives of the reform was to develop the police towards being more knowledge-based and there had been specific calls for the police to become a learning organization. The respondents were 753 top managers, middle managers and employees. Findings-Respondents rated their organizations lower than benchmark scores on supportive learning environment, learning processes and practices, and leadership that reinforces learning. The perceptions diverged across hierarchical levels: middle managers and top managers gave higher scores to the organization as a learning one than employees did. Respondents from large police districts gave higher scores to their organizational units as learning organizations than respondents from small police districts. Research limitations/implications-The study captures perceptions of characteristics of a learning organization at one point in reform implementation, and further studies are needed to fully understand explanations of diverging views within an organization as to whether it can be characterized as a learning organization. Practical implications-Actual differences in local learning practices or different assessments of learning practices within the organization should be considered when developing learning organizations. Originality/value-The study contributes to our knowledge of learning organizations by showing diverging views within the same organization in a context of reform implementation.

Effect of organizational learning and effectiveness on the operations, employees productivity and management performance

“…This research study was deemed important after reviewing several peer-reviewed articles written on learning and organization and observed that most of these studies have not to focus on the effect of organizational learning and effectiveness in the bank industry especially studies focusing on bank operations, employee productivity and management performance in an organization. Some of the earlier studies done include learning organization orientation, innovation, capabilities and firm performance (Calantone et al, 2002), organizational learning culture, learning transfer and perceived innovation (Bates and Khasawneh, 2005), organizational learning as a key role of organizational success (Saadat and Saadat, 2016), the influence of organizational learning on innovative behavior and work engagement (Lin et al, 2017) and diverging of assessments of learning organizations during reform implementation (Borge et al, 2018). It is based on this review and gap that this study XJM research question aims to find out whether organizational learning and effectiveness has an effect on the bank operations, employee's productivity and management performance.…”

“…The study done on organizational learning by Retna and Jones (2013) focused on the learning organization and its context with Singapore culture. The work done by Borge et al (2018) shifted their study's attention to examining the diverging assessments of learning organizations during reform implementation in some selected firms while the study done by DiBella (2019) focused on the interactions between organizational learning and learning cultures in some selected firms. The motivation for this study is based on the fact that the studies discussed above and other studies examined have looked at organizational learning from a different perspective and sector, the studies also depicts limitations to a particular region or industry but none has mainly focused its study on the effect of organizational learning and effectiveness on the bank operations, employee's productivity and management performance especially from the African context.…”

Using fieldwork to deepen understanding of organizational learning and/or the learning organization

“…Some investigators try to get around the absence of clear, agreed criteria by asking senior managers (Haight and Marquardt, 2018) or employees (Borge et al, 2018) for their opinions about OL/LO. However, in my view, studies that poll largely uninformed managers and/or employees about aspects of organizational learning are unlikely to add conceptual clarity to the field.…”

Localized learning

“…The article “Diverging assessments of learning organizations during reform implementation” by Borge et al (2018) paints a rather bleak, if realistic picture of learning organizations not meeting the standards they have set themselves. It is particularly disappointing to see middle and top management’s view of their own organization so out of step with that of their employees, however credit should be given to the authors for highlighting these problems, and much can be learnt from the article by reading about them.…”