What I suggest, following Deming, is that what is wanted is an
"operational definition" - not the "right" definition. An operational
definition is one that distinguishes something in a useful way and that is
agreed to be the definition by those playing the particular language game
until a change is announced. It has pragmatic rather than truth value.
Before the definition, we need to create the field or domain of the
definition. That is, I suggest that we consider that "organisation" here
does not refer to a corporation or some other specific example of
organisation. Rather, that we consider the phenomenon of organisation in
its own existence.
So a learning organisation is an emergent phenomenon which has the
attributes of being able to receive data or stimulation, to interpret that
stimulation according to the receiver's internal structure or systems and
store that as knowledge for possible future action.
This definition will now have a category of entities that learn _by their
nature or design or organisation_ and a category of entities that do not
learn. We can now consider that our companies, etc are either one or the
other. If they are entities that do not learn by their nature, then the
design challenge is too large to deal with. If they are entities that
_do_ learn by their nature, then we are faced with the questions of how to
enhance their ability to learn and their effectiveness in learning. A
much simpler job - and difficult enough.
I do not find the definition provided by Senge one that I like to work
with or find empowering and enabling. There is too much personal
judgement about things like "what is worth learning" and too much question
of whether or not an organisation _is_ a learning one.
I find it much more powerful and useful - pragmatic - to start with the
assumption of my operational definition and begin to work from there.
Given my assumption, I no longer talk about "a learning organisation".
The focus shifts to the phenomena of organisational learning.
--
Mike McMaster <Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk>
"Intelligence is an underlying organisational principle
of the universe. The 'logos principle' is hidden and
perceptible only to the intelligence." Heraclitus