Re: Fruits of Learning LO1455

Ron2785@eworld.com
Wed, 31 May 1995 08:10:54 -0700

Replying to Johanna Rothman's LO1428: she asks whether I'm looking for
"something more than anecdotal evidence" linking organizational learning
to, e.g., competitive advantage.

Answer: I guess I'm looking for ways in which some or all of the
components of organizational learning -- as represented, for example, by
the contributions on this list -- are or can be couched in a broader
business context. Some not-so-rhetorical questions: what has been the
impact on product development/speed to market of organizational learning?
Beyond the by-now-standard obeisance to the "voice of the customer," in
what ways has the customer been brought into the box so that co-creation,
and therefore new learning, becomes a reality?

Within the last nine months or so, there have been several conferences on
organizational learning (most notably, one co-sponsored by Ernst & Young
and The Planning Forum in Boston; a second is scheduled for Chicago in the
Fall); the same speakers, more or less, tend to show up at these events,
leading me to wonder whether it's still to early to come up with a broad
range of case studies. I guess what I'm asking for is a sense that we can
at least begin to construct these business cases. As a start, anecdotes
aren't bad, as long as we continue to explore their ramifications both
within and outside the organizations in question.

Thanks, Johanna, for your question; I hope this helped.

--
Ron Mallis
12 Chestnut Street
Boston, MA  02108
617-723-8362
ron2785@eworld.com