IMHO, to equate what an organization learns with the sum of what members
of the organization learn (and also the learning of individuals with the
learning of organizations) ignores the insights of sociology and
anthropology. Organizations are contexts in which the behavior of its
members forms distinctive social patterns and ways of being and learning.
'Organizational learning' is what remains in the organization even as
individual members come and go. Such learning is embodied in explicit
knowledge such as written procedures, or tacit knowledge such as
underlying cultural values and assumptions.
Can organizations learn? A resounding yes!!!
regards,
Tony DiBella
www.orgtransitions.com
--AJDIBELLA <AJDIBELLA@aol.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>