Session Information
01 SES 04 C, Collaborative Action Research
Paper Session
Contribution
The paper focuses on several specific aspects of organizational learning in schools, namely organizational learning capacity. Our attempt to uncover the organizational learning capacity is based on two assumptions.
(1) For purposes of discussion on organizational learning capacity it is helpful to clarify the answer to the question “at what level of organization does the learning take place ”. This question has two aspects: what are the levels of organizational learning and what is the learning potential of these levels of organization. Organizational learning is considered to be multi-level and is described at the individual level (or inter-individual), group (or inter-group) and organizational (Argyris, 1999; Bapuji & Crossan, 2004; Verbiest, 2002), which creates an apparent paradox (organizational level as one of the levels of organizational learning). It has been repeatedly demonstrated (typically by Argyris and Schon, 1996), that individual learning processes of individuals in the organization and organizational development are mutually conditioned, and strong imbalance of these two processes limits the organization's ability to overcome barriers to the development and to adapt to changes in the external environment (Harrison, 2000). It has been also demonstrated that there are groups of people within the organization, within which the knowledge critical to the organization's ability to develop is created and shared (Harrison, 2000). Moreover, Hoeve and Nieuwenhuis (2008) emphasize that the learning process is based on interaction between the learner entity and his environment, and this interaction is stronger than each individual element itself.
(2) In this context, it seems to be useful to separate organizational learning processes such as learning from the capacity for learning, i.e. from preparedness of mechanisms of creation and sharing of knowledge, culture and climate conducive to sharing mechanisms, and finally mechanisms of the "coordinated systemic change" in the organization (Marsick, 1994).
While the measurement of organizational learning capacity is difficult, if not impossible, research may answer the following question:
What levels of organization in the school (inter-individual level, group level, or organizational level) constitute mechanisms of organizational learning?
Based on the data collected by authors (team led by Milan Pol) during the work on the project Processes of Organizational Learning and their Leadership and Management in Schools, we try to answer the above question. The research project was supported by Czech Science Agency.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Argyris, Ch. (1992). On organizational learning. Malden/Oxford : Blackwell Publishing. Argyris, Ch., & Schön, D. (1978). Organizational Learning: A Theory of Action Perspective. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley. Bapuji, H., & Crossan M. M. (2004). From Questions to Answers: Reviewing Organizational Learning Research. Management Learning, 35(4), 397–417. Goh, S. C., Cousins, B., & Elliott, C. (2006). Organizational Learning Capacity, Evaluative Inquiry and Readiness for Change in Schools: Views and Perceptions of Educators. Journal of Educational Change, 7(3), 289–318. HOEVE, A., NIEUWENHUIS, L. Researching routines; innovative lessons from a consultancy firm. In NIJHOF, w.j., NIEUWENHUIS, l. (eds.). The Learning Potential of the Workplace. Netherlands: Sense Publishers, 2008. s. 279-294. ISBN 978-90-8790-370-1. Leithwood, K., & Louis, K. S. (Eds.) (1998). Organizational learning in schools. Lisse: Swets & Zeitlinger. Marsick, V. J., Watkins, K. E. The Learning Organization: An Integrative Vision for HRD. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 1994, roč. 5, č. 4, s. 353-360. Novotný, P. (2009). Učení pro pracoviště. [Workplace learning.] Brno: Masarykova univerzita. Verbiest, E. (2002). Collectief leren in scholen. Fontys: Tilburg.
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