Jennifer Burns asked:


The second model of learning organization emerged in 1970s and 1980s. This model attempted to make up for the drawbacks of the previous model and placed emphasis on plan implementation. At this point in time, middle level managers were engaged in plan development with increased consideration given to financial, human, technical resources. Still, companies encountered significant difficulties such as delays, resistance, and inadequate progress because of the inability to realize the uncontrollability of external change resulting from innovation and global economic and political forces.

The third version of learning organization views successful strategic change as a factor dependent on a certain degree of readiness within an organization. Consequently, steps must be undertaken to enhance organizational readiness. The steps include:

• building awareness among company employees by communicating vision of the change;

• creating positive organizational climate to ensure support from employees through internal culture, policies and rewards, systems, norms, and procedures;

• ensuring that company employees are equipped with the necessary skills for meaningful participation; concern was shifted to frontline workers.

The fourth and final version of learning organization is primarily distinct from the third version in that it treats readiness and preparatory process not as a one time event, but as a continuous ongoing process. In a learning organization, every employee is directly engaged in problem solving and identification; thus, company is able to continuously experiment and grow based on own experience. High level of flexibility is achieved through the four characteristics of a learning organization: constant readiness, ongoing planning, improvised implementation, and action learning. Fulfillment of the four conditions signifies readiness of organization to accept and easily adjust to changes.

Having assessed to evolutionary process in development of the concept of a learning organization, we now shift out focus to issues surrounding practical implementation



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