What it means to be a learning organization
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14754390910946521 |
| Published date | 17 April 2009 |
| Date | 17 April 2009 |
| Pages | 12-16 |
| Author | Colin Newbold,Nicky Pharoah |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
What it means to be a learning organization
Colin Newbold and Nicky Pharoah
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore practical and sustainable ways of implementing small
to large scale integrated organizational talent development programs in the form of a learning plan.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses the work of psychology-based consultancy,
The Learning Curve (TLC), including its five-point plan and two case studies, and Peter Senge’s book,
The Fifth Discipline, as a basis to demonstrate the importance of the learning plan within an
organization’s culture and business strategy.
Findings – Productivity and profit increase in organizations that embrace the concept of a learning
plan.
Practical implications – Many of the methods employed by TLC have bred independence among
client organizations, which go on to sustain the learning plans in cost-effective ways.
Originality/value – This paper takes a new look at what it means to be a learning organization, while
recognizing the importance of budgetary and resource constraints.
Keywords Learning, Human resource development, Career development
Paper type Research paper
Peter Senge’s vision of a learning organization as a group of people who are
continually enhancing their capabilities has been deeply influential. According to
Senge, learning organizations are those ‘‘where people continually expand their
capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking
are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually
learning to see the whole together’’ (Senge, 1990). Senge argued that an organization must
be treated as a complex whole rather than as a collection of separate entities. If we judge a
learning plan according to this criterion a successful plan is one that weaves learning into the
cultural fabric of an organization.
At TLC we believe in aligning individuals, teams and cultures with the business strategy.The
best learning organizations make learning part of their culture rather than a series of
disconnected programs or activities, and it is a stated objective in the business strategy.
Such organizations regard learning as a journey, not a destination. The learning culture
should extend to all job roles not just to leaders or high potentials. In learning organizations,
learning objectives are reflected in the performan ce management system, reward
mechanisms and career progression scheme. The learning plan should pay as much
attention to personal development as professional development, valuing emotional and
social intelligence as highly as functional and technical skills.
Throughout the information age organizations have increasingly moved to a de-centralized
approach to learning and, as a consequence, different divisions within organizations tend to
behave more like separate businesses. This has been unhelpful to other parts of the
organization and often unaligned with the overall business strategy. A practical learning plan
is a useful tool in creating a common approach to learning across an organization. To be
PAGE 12
j
STRATEGIC HR REVIEW
j
VOL. 8 NO. 3 2009, pp. 12-16, QEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1475-4398 DOI 10.1108/14754390910946521
Colin Newbold and
Nicky Pharoah are both
based at The Learning
Curve (TLC) Ltd, Tunbridge
Wells, UK.
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