Re: Individual vs. Org Learning LO1500

Wiggo Hustad (Wiggo.Hustad@vf.hisf.no)
Fri, 02 Jun 1995 10:44:28 +0200

Replying to LO1473 --

Michael M wrote:
>But what about organisational learning? How is it distinct from=20
>individual learning? How does being an independent agent relate to=20
>that?
>
some stuff deleted
>
>I think there's a related a deeper point. That is, the possibility=20
>of organisational knowledge not being contained in any individual and=20
>thus existing outside of individual learning or any individual=20
>thinking at all. This possibility is contained in the idea that the=20
>knowledge of an organisation is embodied in its structures and the=20
>content that the structures keep alive independent of the agents in=20
>the system. In this possibility, the agents benefit - as Ivan=20
>points out - by the continued existence and development of the=20
>organisation and, I'd add _whether or not they are permanent members=20
>of that community_.=20

more stuff deleted

"Knowledge not being contained in any individual" is usually termed as
organizational learning as institutionalized experience. Shrivastava ( A
typology of organizational learning systems, Journal of Management Studies,
1/1983) mentiones another three distinct and contrasting perspectives in
organization learning studies (up to 1983):

1) OL as adaptation
2) OL as assumption sharing
3) OL as developing knowledge of action-outcome relationships

In addition the article identifies

A) levels of learning in socio-technical systems
B) a typology of OL systems based on two dimensions:

1) the individual - organization dimension
2) the evolutionary - designed dimension

The Learning Organization seem to fit in the organization - evolutionary
combination of the matrix (you get if you combine the two dimensions).

have a nice day !

--
WIGGO HUSTAD
Researcher/Ph.d. candidate
Organization and learning

Work address: Private:

Western Norway Research Institute FORTUN 2 =20 BOKS 163 - N 5801 SOGNDAL N 5890 LAERDAL=20 NORWAY NORWAY

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