Concept of Learning Organization: Facilitators and Flow of Learning

S Sachan, S Aroura et al. Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications www.ijera.com
ISSN: 2248-9622, Vol. 6, Issue 2, (Part - 2) February 2016, pp.42-47
www.ijera.com 42|P a g e
Concept of Learning Organization: Facilitators and Flow of
Learning
Shruti Sachan*, Sonakshi Aroura**, Dr. Suruchi Pandey***
* (Department of Human Resources, Symbiosis International University, Pune-411020)
** (Department of Human Resources, Symbiosis International University, Pune-411020)
*** (Department of Human Resources, Symbiosis International University, Pune-411020)
ABSTRACT
Purpose – The purpose of this study is to ascertain that various facilitators of learning such as learning culture,
climate, semantic web technology, information communication technology and knowledge management hold
importance to facilitate the flow of learning, which begins at individual-group-and ultimately at organizational
level in an organization.
Design/methodology/approach – This review paper is based on the research papers written by other authors,
who have studied the concept of learning organization, importance of conducive learning culture and climate,
impact of facilitators on the flow of learning in an enterprise. A model is developed to illustrate the impact of
the facilitators of learning on the flow of learning in an organization.
Findings – The study expresses that a conducive and harmonious learning culture and climate, web technology,
knowledge management leads to smooth flow of learning at individual-group- and organizational level. Such a
culture and climate contributes to an ethical organization, has a direct relationship with the performance of an
enterprise, learning capability and competitive advantage.
Limitations –This study is based on secondary research which has been published by reputed authors in this
field.
Acronyms – LO (Learning Organization), OL (Organization Learning), KM (Knowledge Management), SWT
(Semantic Web Technology), ICT (Information and Communication technology).
Keywords – knowledge management, learning organization, learning culture, learning climate, organizational
learning.
Paper Type – Review paper
I. Introduction
Organizations facing uncertain, changing, or
ambiguous market conditions should be able to learn.
In the absence of learning, organization, individuals
and groups, simply repeat old practices. Change
remains superficial and improvements are short lived.
The concept of learning organization has received
growing attention as one source of competitiveness in
both financial as well as non-financial performance
of an enterprise.For an effective implementation,
managers need to know what a learning organization
is exactly. They need a reasonable, well founded
definition which must be functional and easy to
apply.
The concept of learning organization was introduced
over 40 years ago, but received recognition with the
publication of „The Fifth Discipline‟ by Peter Senge
(1990). He developed the concept of learning
organization by relating the concept of organization
learning to the concept of system thinking and mental
models. Hedefines the five route to a learning
organization, which gives a power tool to a learning
organization to develop three learning abilities:-
 ability to inspire aspiration
 ability to start reflective conversation
 ability to understand complexity
Thus, a learning organization is an organization
which requires expansion of the duties and
responsibilities of an individual in order to achieve
the desired outcomes, it also requires individuals to
work as a team and have a common vision. Further, a
learning organization should focus on the following
areas:
 collective thinking
 individuals should gain mastery on their job
 common vision
 importance of team learning
 mental models
An LO, promotes innovation, in which group of
people continuously try to learn and grow. Here, the
development is continuous to create a successful
future (Anna Baines, 1997).A good learning
organization is the one which has the ability to
respond positively to: change, interaction, sustainable
development and complexity of the situation (Hengfu
Wen, 2014). He has also designed the strategies for a
learning organization:
RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS

 leaders first, leadership transition and learning
leadership team
 to promote learning and personal mastery
 the double-loop learning, systems thinking and
the improvement of mental models
 to develop organizational capacity, learning
teams and the deep dialogue
 to promote the practice of learning
 to enhance the effectiveness of learning
 to establish the “three in one” mode of work
 to aim at sustainable development
 to establish the leading group
However, the concept of LO existed in history
even before the concept of LO was introduced by
Senge in 1990 (Kjell and Robert, 2012), by quoting
various examples of spectacular experiments and
inventions. They mentioned the example of Japanese
factories. Americans visited the factories in year
1970s to check what makes them to stick to
remarkable quality. They found that difference lies in
how each member contributes and whether top
management considers diverse opinion or not. They
came to the conclusion that Japanese not only
welcome diverse opinion but also implement the
good ones.The organizational learning mechanisms
lead to the construction of a learning organization
and LEQ helps in designing and interpreting the
structures that helps in the formation of a learning
organization, and thereby, evaluates the progress of
these support structures (Anona and Patrick, 2003).
According to author (John Peters, 1996), six areas
constitute the syllabus of a learning organization.
These areas are as follows: having knowledge about
one‟s job in an organization, learning how to perform
without any external help, gaining knowledge
regarding the future with the help of competence
development, understanding of the operating
environment, learning to challenge existing models of
an organization and establishing an effective memory
such that the organization is able to store and retrieve
the knowledge, skills and experience. The authors (A.
Akin and Bahattin, 2005) view that every
organization is LO, the only thing which separates
them is the way they acquire knowledge and how
they are utilizing it. Two types of learning takes place
in an LO:
 single loop learning
 double loop learning
For effective learning, the following sequence
should be followed:getting the right information,
distribution of information, which means sharing
information within groups, interpreting the acquired
information and transferring the interpreted
information to the memory of an organization.
However, a study shows that LO differs across the
various levels of an enterprise (Teresa and William,
2010). Through their study, they have interpreted that
employees at the lower level of an organization do
not have access to the information or database as
there are no information system installed at this level
therefore, they rank low in the areas of knowledge
management and financial performance. They
suggested that in order to enable the lower level of an
organization to have access to the database,
information system should be installed,the
management should promote two way
communication and also encourage the employees to
participate in the problem solving process of the
organization.
Knowledge Management enables a learning
organization to achieve its vision and mission. A
research conducted by (Anna, 1997), focuses on
knowledge management in which organization uses
the experience of others as a part of their learning.
Knowledge management organizations follow a set
of steps to preserve knowledge:-
 acquiring knowledge
 storing the acquired knowledge
 utilization of knowledge
 problem solving using knowledge
 and finally decision making
People generally get confused with learning
organizations and organization learning. People use
these two terms as synonyms of each other but in
reality both are two different concepts (Anders,
2001). A learning organization talks about an
organization whereas organization learning talks
about different practices of learning which are used
by an organization to enhance learning. Second
difference is that for an organization to transform
itself to a learning organization a lot of effort is
required whereas organization is an integral part
which is followed by most of the organizations. LO
helps in providing a conducive learning climate,
culture, for organizational learning to take place. On
the other hand, OL involves generation of
knowledge, ideas at individual, team and
organizational level (Ji Hoon, Chang‐Wook and
SeiHyoung,2011).
For an organization to survive in the changing
environment and seek solutions to the various
organizational problems, creativity and learning
should go hand in hand. Creative learners are able to
view their job with a broader horizon, as they have
gained knowledge from a number of fields and
subjects. They make efforts to understand the concept
of creativity and contribute to the world in a more
meaningful way, such that it has a powerful impact
(Martha, 1994).
Learning is inseparable from those who are
engaged in the process of learning (Sharon and
Steven, 2004). The flow of learning in an
organization starts at the individual level, followed
by team and organizational level. When individuals
share their past experiences, insight with others, it

contributes towards group learning, and ultimately
organizational learning. (A. Akin and Bahattin, 2005)
found that an organization‟s culture plays an
important role in organization learning. Both culture
and climate facilitate and shape the flow of learning
and corporate learning in an organization. To test this
concept, the following two objectives were formed:-
Primary objective:The flow learning takes place at
the individual level-group level-and ultimately
organizational level.
Learning in a LO takes place by two ways:
 inside the individual‟s head
 learning of organization -by members who are
new to the organization and have knowledge
which is not within the organization and by
learning of its members (Yew-Jin Lee & Wolff-
Michael Roth: 2007).
According to (A. Akin and Bahattin, 2005),
learning can happen individually, in a team, within
the organization. For an organization to develop it is
important to ensure that individual development is
also happening at the same time. Since individuals
are roots of so called tree organization it is our duty
to strengthen these roots. Learning at different levels
(individual, group and organization) influences
organization performance and effectiveness. When it
comes to learning at different level, individual learns
by sharing innovative ideas and insights and group
learning is a continuous process which holds
importance for organizational learning to take place
(Mohan and Sang, 2015).
Secondary Objective:Organizational culture,
climate, semantic web tools, ICT and knowledge
management impacts the flow of learning in an
enterprise.
According to (A. Akin and Bahattin, 2005),
organization culture refers to sharing same values,
ethics and social ideals by members of the
organization. On the other hand, climate, is regarded
as a subset of organization culture. It refers to the
employees‟ perception of their work environment.
Both climate and culture impact or help in shaping
the flow of corporate learning in an enterprise
(Nasima and Johan, 2013).
Figure: facilitators of learning and its impact on the flow of learning in an organization
II. Facilitators of learning
Learning Culture –The culture in a learning
organization should be supportive, it should promote
equality and transparency and it should seek
continuous improvement through change. According
to (Anna Baines, 1997) a learning organization
should have culture in place in order to make learning
habitual. (A. Akin and Bahattin, 2005). A learning
culture in an organization sets a conducive
environment for learning by promoting employee
engagement and motivation in employees (Ji Hoon,
Doo Hun, In Guand Woocheol, 2014).It helps in
generation of knowledge, ideas at individual, team
and organizational level. A culture oriented towards
learning helps in creation of positive outcomes.
Learning Climate –Climate is the subset of the
organization culture but both work at different level.
An organizational climate is the perception of the
atmosphere of the organization by its members,
procedure, awards and practices. A best
organizational climate helps in encouragement of
behavior and continuous learning. Managers play a
very important role in setting the organizational
climate by sticking to the following rule( A. Akin and
Bahattin, 2005):

i. coming up with planned learning
opportunities
ii. being a role model in their behavior
iii. finding ways to integrate learning with
organizational processes
iv. readiness to learn
According to (Nasima and Johan, 2013) climate
should be such that it can adapt to the various
changes in order to create a sustainable organization,
which keeps doors open for various changes to occur
and continuously make use of its capacity to enhance
the process.
Semantic Web Technology – Semantic tools help
in the creation of an infrastructure that leads to the
improvement of learning processes and mechanisms
in an organization. Besides this semantic web tools
should also be used to effectively change behavior
(Miguel-Ángel and Miltiadis, 2005).
ICT – This technology provides a system that
enables employees to interact and share knowledge
through various devices such as voice mail, e-mail,
video conferencing etc. ICT provides many
opportunities for on – job learning and knowledge
transfer in an organization. However, implementation
of too many or too few systems poses danger and
leads to dissatisfaction among employees. Thus, the
employees should have adequate knowledge
regarding efficient utilization of devices and the right
motivation approaches (Lilla and Adrienn, 2015).
Knowledge Management– As per (Deepak and
Himanshu, 2011)knowledge management is very
important for any learning organization. It helps to
regulate the flow of learning and leads to effective
storage of knowledge within the organization.
Knowledge management aids in current scenario of
growing complexity in business, mobile in the
workforce, prevention of assets and faster pace with
which innovation is happening. For companies
implementing knowledge management, it is very
important to follow the right process for it, which
includes the following steps:
i. creation
ii. storage
iii. sharing
iv. sharing and evaluation
v. generation
vi. internalization
vii. transfers
III. Flow of Learning
Individual Level –It depicts the importance of
learning of individual members of an organization,
for an organization which aspires to become a
learning organization. There are various steps taken
or introduced to strengthen the roots by emphasizing
the importance of individual learning, one of them is
executive MBA. To facilitate learning in individuals
executive MBA was introduced as a concept to
improve the performance of the employees working
in an organization either at managerial level or
executive level with up to 5 years of experience, to
enhance their performance as an individual. Reason
being that with the changing business environment,
managers need to be extra smart who can help the
organization during complex situations and changing
business needs. MBA executive came with the
concept of action learning to bridge the gap between
theory and practice because here the utilization of
competence of each and every employee is required
for an organization to learn and succeed since
traditional MBA course is incapable of developing
managers who are smart. Other objective of
executive learning was to facilitate team building and
knowledge sharing. According to the study conducted
by (Sharon and Steven, 2004), most of the
individuals learn through social learning, they learn
by observing their other members of the organization.
They say that in most of the organizations people are
not ready to learn by social learning. So it is very
important to set a culture conducive to social
learning. Another way of fostering individual
learning has been expressed by(Anders, 2004) in his
paper; the paper explains that a learning organization
should focus on the following activities to accelerate
individual learning:
i. organization learning
ii. creating learning structures
iii. learning at work
iv. developing a learning organization
Importance of individual learning is also
depicted in the paper written by (Penny West, 1994)
where he describes the importance of the individual
learning by making a reference to the Kolb‟s learning
cycle, which says learning in a LO is a cyclical
process where most of the modifications are based on
past experiences; individuals are the carriers of these
past experiences.
Team learning –As per the study conducted by
(Ji Hoon, Doo Hun, In Gu and Woocheol, 2014),
team work plays a crucial role in organization‟s
success. It bridges the gap between individual and
organization performance. The concept of success in
an organization with effective learning is extended by
(Penny West, 1994) in his paper, where he mentioned
that if an organization is undergoing change as a
result of various changes in the business then team
learning is best option to deal with it. Team
performance is also affected by employee
engagement and learning within the organization.
Effectiveness of team happens when people in a team
share their learning experience.Team learning also
plays a very important role in creative thinking, as
per (Martha, 1994) best learning happens when
people work in a group and exchange or share each
other‟s knowledge. This sharing fosters creative
thinking within the group which travels upwards

towards the organizational level and helps an
organization to flourish.
Organization learning –(Yew-Jin and Wolff-
Michael, 2007), stated that learning of an
organization as an individual is also very important
for a LO. An organization learns with the learning of
its members and by members who are new to the
organization and have knowledge which is not with
the organization, which is further shared among
individuals through team learning.
IV. Conclusion
According to (Swee and Peter, 2008), there
exists a positive relationship between learning
capability and competitive advantage. The learning
organization outperformed in the market of rising
share prices as well as bear markets. Hence, these
companies are a better option for investment. There is
a positive relationship between the way companies
identify, utilize knowledge and organizational
performance. Hence, learning capacity affects
financial as well as non-financial performance. The
study also proves that innovation and job satisfaction
has highest positive relationship with learning
capability (Swee, Catherine and Tony,
2012).Learning organization helps in providing a
conducive learning climate, culture, for
organizational learning to take place and also has a
stronger impact on personal learning, followed by
sharing of knowledge at group and ultimately,
organizational level. The LO model: - leadership
style, the process that helps in communication, values
and beliefs of the organization, lead to the
development of an ethical organization. These
features of LO along with norms, standards and
ethics training increases the employee commitment
towards ethical practices (George, Kathleen and
Claudia, 2014). In the end a learning organization can
be assessed with the help of diagnostic tool, learning
environmental survey tool, learning audit, DLOQ
tool, importance of team based learning , values and
philosophy of an organization (Dima, Yusuf and
Charbel, 2009).
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