Replying to LO24806 --
Dear Hannah,
here is my recommendation as one of those who do in practice what you
intend to do reserch about. Think of me when you get your results! As a
motto could serve: Planning is all, the plan is nothing.
- W Edwards Deming: The New Economics
The system of profound knowledge is what any organization should strive
for. Any knowledge which is not rooted in such a system is not knowledge
but mental pollution (as most of the outcome of our economic system is
material pollution).
I know of two approaches which include pretty much of this high demand:
First is Learning Organizations movement in the form given by Peter Senge
- Peter Senge: The Fifth Discipline
There are many more resouces like the Fieldbood and Dance of Change which
cover a lot. Also the society of learning organizations (SOL) has a web
site with lots of material.
Second is Theory of Constraints (TOC) movement. It started 25 years ago as
a production and scheduling method initiated by Eliyahu Goldratt - may be
you know his The Goal - but since then and especially in the last 5 years
the approach of the thinking processes and generic solutions has been
developed into a far reaching approach to management by a constantly
growing community. APICS has a special interest group on TOC and much
material including references to resources are available at
The case studies presented there and may be a few phone calls will provide
you with potential best practices and probably input for criteria on how
to measure best practice.
In your case I would recommend as starting points:
- Eliyahu Goldratt: It's not Luck
- Eli Schragenheim: Management Dilemmas
(What would be strategic learning good for if those dilemmas could not be solved with it? Should also provide sensible criteria to measure best practice.)
Here are some more resources which may not solve your questions directly,
but which give you a pretty good context to set you in a position to
develop specific plans as needed:
- Henry Mintzberg: Strategy Safari
- Gareth Morgan: Images of Organization
- Collins and Porras: Built to Last (including a good extended appendix on the research method and results) It illustrates a lot of what
- Arie de Geus: Living Company
is writing about more conceptually.
Best wishes for your reseach.
Liebe Gruesse,
Winfried
--"Winfried Dressler" <winfried.dressler@voith.de>
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