Resources for Organization Learning

• Welcome to BOL's Organizational Development Forum! by John Grohol, 9/8/96
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Tony Kortens has done an outstanding job of collecting web sites related to understanding Organization Learning. This was originally posted on the Fielding Institute web site for the Fielding Community. Tony has agreed to it being placed over here as well. This constitutes the first part of his work. Depending on your response, I will hope to attract other 1-4 page documents which are of general interest here and are of a substantive nature rather than a Q&A or chat mode. What do you think?

ORGANIZATION LEARNING BOOKMARKS -

- created by Tony Kortens, HOD Program student, Fielding Institute, December, 1996

Introduction:

This work is meant to be a live document, for use for Fielding students/faculty/alum's, et al. It is by no means an exhaustive list, rather than a start to greater things. One of the dilemmas of producing this work has been the recurrent surfacing of new exciting sites and useful full text materials. As soon as one gets into the use of the web for scholarly work it quickly becomes a multidimensional cobweb due to the hypertext links forming the strands. By maintaining a clear emphasis on OL I hope to have retained some level of clarity. Some duplication of links unavoidable in any such list. My hope is that we will find ways to use our developing technological capabilities within Fielding to actively and continually update and rewrite this document.

I prioritized the list in terms of the relevance and quality on contribution to OL research by number of asterisks (1-3, more being better). Clearly this is my own subjective assessment and each person will have their own personal needs, this annotated list is simply a search aid. I have recently tested all of these links - though obviously they may not always be either functional or "alive"!

If anyone has any further links to Argyris and Schon's work that would help balance out what I see as an unhealthy stress on Senge's material.

Good luck

Tony

Part 1 - those sites or web pages wholly dedicated to OL.

Learning-Org Dialog on Learning Organizations - http://world.std.com/~lo/ Overall value*** This is the archive site for the LO list that is resourcefully moderated by Rick Karash, who is an associate of Innovation Associates (URL later), who also fund the cost of running the list and the database. Searchable and highly organized so that it is easy to find particular subjects and then follow the thread of information that participants wrote on the subject. Also has links to a discussions on definitions of OL and the LO and instructions on how to join the LO list (expect about 10-20 messages a day - or 2 long digests) This list - and its resultant archive is a superb resource, with hundreds of references, case examples, links and extended dialogue. It is also well frequented by leading authors, practitioners and researchers both nationally and internationally.

TQM, Learning Organizations, Culture & HRD - http://world.std.com/~lo/Crick/ Overall value *

This web page is found in the LO archives maintained by Rick Karash at a part of the extensive archives at world.standard.com. The content was written by Stewart Crick as a focused review of the printed material for a HRD course at George Washington University. About 20 pages long. It explores the evidence for links between TQM and OL as this quote from one book shows:

"Sohal and Morrison believe that learning is an output of a successful TQM program, and that no TQM initiative can be regarded as successful if organizational learning does not occur".

The Learning Organizations Homepage - http://www.albany.edu/~kl7686/learnorg.html

Overall value** This is a very simple site which includes the following links to full text articles, etc.:

•David Bohm Address on Dialogue by thread •Creating a Learning Company among a Community of Professional entrepreneurs •Developing a Learning Organization at the University Level •3 Strategies for Learning Organizations •Ideas On "Learning Organizations": The "What", "Why", "How", and "Who" •CIO Perspectives Conference •The Learning Organization

Learning Organizations. Developing Cultures for Tomorrow's Workplace The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook - http://www.fieldbook.com/index.html

Overall value***

An excellent source, although primarily oriented to practice issues. Has links to find local study groups in your area, case studies, and much more. A section of the front page is shown here:

•In 1994, the Fifth Discipline Fieldbook was published by Doubleday/Currency. The Fieldbook is a collaborative book of strategies and tools for building the "Learning organization." These ideas and techniques are all rooted in actual practice and experience. •We (the Fieldbook authors) have set up this web site, as not just an extension of that book, but as an ongoing way to more effectively serve the worldwide community of learning organization practitioners. •A "learning organization" is any organization focused on marrying the development of every member with superior performance toward the organization's collective purpose -- whatever it is. The more the organization's members increase their ability to learn collaboratively, the more they can accomplish, the higher their performance, and the more effectively they can hope to change the world for the better. •Learning organizations can include corporations, small businesses, schools, hospitals, government agencies, non-profits -- or indeed, any enterprise where people gather to accomplish something that they could not create alone.

In the various pages of this site, you can learn more about the Fieldbook and other valuable books and tools; you can download or read unpublished material or segments from future Fieldbooks; you can hook up with Fifth Discipline or Fieldbook "study groups" in your area; and you can follow links to other Internet sites that seem relevant to making organizations better.

Learning Organisations : WWW Links and Book References - organisation/referencelinks.html">http://www.ee.ed.ac.uk/~gerard/MENG/MEAB/learningorganisation/referencelinks.html Overall value*

A simple list of bookmarks. Is a UK site with a UK focus. Includes some links not listed here. Ideas on "Learning Organizations" Overall value ** A full text document (20 pages) from Bob Willard of the IBM Leadership Development Center in Canada designed as prework for an internal course on Learning Organizations.

University sites:

MIT Center for Organizational Learning - http://learning.mit.edu/

Overall value*** Probably the most exhaustive and comprehensive site currently available on OL. If you have time to go to only one site - this is it. It is a fairly new site, well designed with excellent graphics and links around the mass of information that is available here. The Center is based at MIT in Cambridge and has Peter Senge resident as one of its main protagonists (Schein is also involved, as well as many others). An example of the learning histories that the center has been writing is at:

The Learning Initiative at AutoCo - http://learning.mit.edu/pra/pro/aut/epsilon.html

Overall value***

One of the most useful full text illustrations of the actual work that the center for Organization Learning has been doing. Includes excellent diagrams and charts.

This is the home of the Western Business school who ran a major OL conference in 1993 with Karl Weick, John Seely Brown, etc. At this site it is possible to down load a 60 page OL annotated bibliography! As well as order some superb resources from authors like Mary Crossan, etc. who have done extensive literature reviews and critique's of the OL field.

Stanford Learning Organization Web (SLOW) - http://www-leland.stanford.edu/group/SLOW/#intro_who

Overall value**

Contains an excellent (even definitive?) selection of OL book titles, split by topic and desired level.

*** The Future Fielding Institute Felix web page /forum dedicated to OL!***

OL Products, books, video's, simulations, etc.

Resources Connection Inc. - http://www.resourcesconnect.com/rescat.htm Overall value**

A mail order site, completely dedicated to OL materials, books, videos, simulations, etc.;

Commercial Consultancies:

Innovation Associates Pathways 1996 - http://world.std.com/~ia/index.html Overall value**

This is the consulting practice formed by Senge, Keifer and others based in Cambridge. As such it is the leading practitioner arm of the "Senge movement", which has the saying, "We are the implementers of the Fifth Discipline", as its leading statement. Information available includes an extensive list of OL and related publications (including the excellent introduction to systems paper by Kaufman that is out of print!) that can be mail ordered. A course schedule for their (very expensive) courses is also available.

European Organization for LO (and e-mail address for the General Secetary - 101667.456@compuserve.com )

`The European Consortium for the Learning Organisation (ECLO) was established in 1993 as a not- for-profit organisation based in Belgium. Its orgins were founded in an IBM organised conference together with the Katholik University of Leuven (Be) on Instructional Design held in 1991. The success of the conference generated great interest in the establishment of a network for supporting corporate training and human development. After several meetings ECLO was born with IBM, K.U.Leuven, K.U. Nijmegen (Nth), CIMID becoming prominent members of a small organization. Led by its then General secretary, Pierre De Potter, an ex IBM executive, ECLO organized its first annual conference in May 1994.

One of the key aspects of the network is its European nature. Europe has a number of different cultural, institutional and historic factors that generate differences which are a tremendously rich source of ideas and practices. It is the transitional nature of the membership which gives it an extra dimension in the learning that takes place. In addition the consortium explicitly seeks to provide opportunities for corporations, researchers and consultants to come together in a community of practice. This is particularly manifests itself at the May conference where speakers from each of these separate communities provide feedback and shared experiences with each other. Its has been known for all three sets of parties to present a joint paper, as was the case with one presentation on learning through marketing presented in Copenhagen in 1996. Membership has grown, rather slower than expected, and now stands at 30 organizations and networks from nine different European countries. A new category of membership was created this year which provides opportunities for self-employed consultants to join ECLO. Corporate membership includes:

IBM (Europe) (Be), ICI (Europe) (Be), Rover Learning Business (UK), Sara Lee (Nth), Deutsche Telekom (D), Zurich Insurance (Ch), SmithKline Beecham Biological Services (Be), European Patent Office (D) Anglian Water (UK), Janssen Pharmaceutica (Be), Confederation of Danish Industries (Dk), GIVI (Be), Electricitie de France (F) and Innovation Associates (Be).

Research and consultancies include:

Pearn Kandola (Ire), Scandanavian Training Design (Dk), Gwent Tertiary College (UK), Staffordshire Open Learning Unit (UK), Team International (Ch), K.U. Leuven (Be), K.U. Nijmegen (Nth), Vantaa Institute - University of Helsiniki (Fin) and the Helsinki University of Technology (Fin).

Networks include: European Foundation for Management Development (Be) and the European Lifelong Learning Initiative (Be). ECLO is currently in discussion with several other organisations who are interested in joining the consortium. In addition to the conference in the South of France 21 -23 May 1997 - the call for papers was posted to the list a couple of months ago - we are currently preparing for a combined AGM and workshop in February and an open event in November. These are likely to take place in the UK. We are also preparing proposals for research and development projects which will be submitted to the European Commission for financial support and are planning to start a small number of projects in 1997 which have been awarded grants.

Members meet bilaterally. Indeed, as a result of contacts made at the 1996 conference a secondment has been made from one of our member organisations to the UN Staff College in Turin.

ECLO established a newsletter in 1996 which will be published three times per year. So far it has been freely circulated, however, it is possible that there may be a charge for this during 1997. The next edition is published in January and will include the programme for the May conference. If anyone would like a copy of this edition, please get in touch before Christmas.

Dr. Michael Kelleher General Secretary European Consortium for the Learning Organisation"

Michael Kelleher <101667.456@compuserve.com>

LEARNING NETWORK LAUNCHES IN THE UK - For information, please contact: Lilly Evans Tel: +44 1344 842418 Alheri, Woodlands Road West, Virginia Water, Surrey, England GU25 4PL e-mail: 100451.3477@compuserve.com

At the House of Lords in London, on 31 October, Lord Thurlow hosted a dinner for representatives of major UK companies and public sector institutions seeking to create a new initiative to cooperate in research and the application of individual and organizational learning. Executives from Anglican Water, BP, Bull Information Systems, ICL, ICI, NatWest Markets, the National Health Service, Premier Oil and Royal Sun Alliance were among those present.

The new entity will comprise a network of practitioners and a not-for-profit directorate acting as a catalyst for building the next generation of leaders and developing the concepts and practice of 'learning organizations'. It will be a member of ENFOLD, the European Network for Organizational Learning Development.

For information, please contact: Lilly Evans Tel: +44 1344 842418 Alheri, Woodlands Road West, Virginia Water, Surrey, England GU25 4PL e-mail: 100451.3477@compuserve.com

Part 2 - Non-dedicated sites or web pages with directly relevant content

Personal web pages with useful links to related web sites:

The Thinking Page - http://world.std.com/~thinking

Overall value **

The Thinking Page is dedicated to providing information about ways for individuals and organizations to improve their thinking. The Thinking Page is divided into five sections: Reflexions, Systems Thinking, Cybernetics, Creativity and Palimpsest. Each section addresses a different aspect of thinking. For more information, see Introducing the Thinking Page. The Thinking Page is proud to have received the PRN Radio Network Award of Excellence.

The Systems Thinking section is about the emerging world view known as "systems thinking" and how it can help us understand the connections and interrelationships that shape the world and our experience.

Overview of Systems Thinking - http://world.std.com/~thinking/Overview_ST.html

Worldview and Economics: A Systemic Analysis

Learning How to Learn Collectively New

This last paper is an excellent reconnection to Gregory Bateson's earlier work and its application to Organization Learning I particularly noted and enjoyed the summary statement from the author, Marilyn Darling, "I encourage my colleagues to not accept a normative model that defines OL itself as the context against which OL is to be measured. We need to frame OL as a methodology in service of the organization's business goals in order to measure whether or not it is working. Rather than setting the goal as, "We will become a Learning Organization," we need to define it as, "We will seek to sustain and build our ability to accomplish our business objectives in the future by building our capacity to learn collectively."

• Compliments and greetings by Art Kleiner, 1/17/98
  • Footnote - Age of Heretics by Art Kleiner, 1/17/98