SCULPTING THE LEARNING ORGANIZATION. Lessons in the Art and Science of Systemic Change

Karen E. Watkins & Victoria J. Marsick

Agreement that the Learning Organization:

1. Is not just a collection of individuals who are learning - instead, learning also occurs simultaneously at various collective levels within business units and sometimes within an entire company.
2. Demonstrates organization capacity for change.
3. Accelerates individual learning capacity but also redefines organizational structure, culture, job design, and mental models (assumptions about the way things are; see Senge, 1990).
4. Involves widespread participation of employees, and often customers, in decision making, dialogue, and information sharing.
5. Promotes systemic thinking and building of organizational memory.

The authors think that the following factors have lead to the need for learning organizations:

• Total Quality
• Technological Changes
• Service Orientation
• Autonomous Teams
• Participative Management
• Time Savings
• Global Turmoil and Competition

Critical characteristics of Learning Organizations:

• Learning at all levels (Individual, Team, Organization, Society)
• Learning transforms or changes organization

Action imperatives for creating Learning Organizations:

• Create continuous learning opportunity
• Promote inquiry and dialogue
• Encourage collaboration and team learning
• Establish systems to capture and share learning
• Empower people towards a collective vision
• Connect the organization to its environment

Prepared by Kai R. Larsen

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