Developing an Organizational Learning initiative developing a common understanding

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Developing an Organizational Learning initiative
developing a common understanding Bob McCown,
Fiona Solomon, Dan Walker
Areas where common understanding
needed Socio-economic Integration
Organizational Learning Social science
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Developing an Organizational Learning initiative
developing a common understanding
Our aim here Explore ideas that might offer a
spacious framework for discussion and planning.
Socio-economic Integration
CSIRO adapting to change
Organizational Learning
Social science
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Meanings of Socio-economic Integration
Australian Life Governance
CSIRO RD
Systems practice
Mode 2 Science
Natural science RD
Social science
Social and economic practice
Economics
General social and economic well-being
Multidisciplinary SEI
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Organisational Learning to adapt to change
An organisation surrenders todays business
when it gets smaller faster than it gets
better.
An organisation surrenders tomorrows business
when it gets better without getting
different.
Hamel and Prahalad (1994) Competing for the
Future
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A model of Organizational Learning
Identity and interests, values and norms, goals
and objectives
Double-loop learning ? getting
different--adaptation
Processes
Single-loop learning ? getting better
--excellence.
Changed external environment
Argyris and Schon (1978) Organizational Learning
A Theory of Action Perspective
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Socio-economic Integration
Organizational Learning
Social science
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CSIRO
Policy Research The production of knowledge that
guides practice, with the modification in
practice of a given reality occurring subsequent
to the research process.
Natural Science
Nomothetic Research Attempts to explain and/or
predict phenomena with regard to the external
relations between a given phenomenon and one or
several variables and constants.
Descriptive Research Delimits phenomena within
typologies of facts and events.
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CSIRO
Policy Research The production of knowledge that
guides practice, with the modification in
practice of a given reality occurring subsequent
to the research process.
Nomothetic Research Attempts to explain and/or
predict phenomena with regard to the external
relations between a given phenomenon and one or
several variables and constants.
Descriptive Research Delimits phenomena within
typologies of facts and events.
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The Sociology of Radical Change
Organisational learning Organisational
behaviour Theory of organisation
Objective
Subjective

• all theories of organization are based upon a
• philosophy of science and a
• theory of society.

The Sociology of Regulation
Natural science
Burrell and Morgan, Sociological Paradigms and
Organisational Analysis (1979)
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The Sociology of Radical Change

Radical humanist
Radical structuralist Redesign of social
structures (e.g. Marxism)
Raising awareness of social inequalities imbedded
in dominant ideologies.
(e.g. some styles of feminism, environmentalism,
anti-globalisation)
CRITICAL THEORY
Objective
Subjective
Interpretive
Functionalist
Objective knowledge about social structure
behaviour re organisational performance.
Understanding social behaviour within the frame
of reference of participants.
EXPLANATION, PREDICTION, POLICY DESIGN
PARTICIPATORYACTIVITIES ACTION RESEARCH
Action Research The production of knowledge that
guides practice, with the modification in
practice of a given reality occurring as part of
the research process
The Sociology of Regulation
Natural science
Based on Burrell and Morgan, Sociological
Paradigms and Organisational Analysis (1979)
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A comprehensive typology of research
Paul Oquist (1978) The Epistemology of Action
Research. Acta Sociologica 21 143-163
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Sectors for Socio-economic Integration
Public Sector
Industry, community, government practice
CSIRO Research
Private Sector
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Functionalist social science
Public Sector
Commercial Sector
Scientifically economically rational offerings
interventions
Natural science research
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Sectors for Socio-economic Integration
Public Sector
Industry, community, government practice
CSIRO Research
Third Sector
Private Sector
Uphoff (1984) Local organisation as a third
sector between the public and the private
sectors.
(Conceptually related to Tony Blairs Third
Way Community, opportunity, responsibility, and
accountability)
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Characteristics of the Third Sector
Mode of decision making

• Voluntaristic mobilising

Decision makers

• Groups

• Members goals and
• interests

Criteria for decisions

• Group rules

Sanctions
Mode of action

• Bottom-up

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Horses for Courses -- Social Science in SEI
Critical social science
Justification of scientific/ economic
intervention re those affected but not
involved.
Third Sector
Public Sector
Functionalist social science Scientifically
economically rational offerings interventions
Interpretive social science
Commercial Sector
Relevance and significance in the practice
situation of scientific/economic offerings
interventions
Natural science research
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Horses for Courses -- Social Science in SEI
Critical social science
Detection of unfair side-effects
Justification of scientific/ economic
intervention re those affected but not
involved.
Third Sector
Public Sector
Functionalist social science Scientifically
economically rational offerings interventions
Interpretive social science
Commercial Sector
Rigourous knowing
Relevance to practice
Relevance and significance in the practice
situation of scientific/economic offerings
interventions
Natural science research
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Meanings of Socio-economic Integration
Australian Life Governance
CSIRO RD
Systems practice
Mode 2 Science
Natural science RD
Social science
Social and economic institutions
economics
General social and economic well-being
Multidisciplinary SEI
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External SEI by doing science differently
Gibbons et al. (1994) The New Production of
Knowledge The dynamics of science and research
in contemporary societies
Traditional science practice ?
Mode 1 science
A different, adaptive science ?
Mode 2 science
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It includes a wider, more temporary and
heterogenous set of research practitioners,
collaborating on a problem defined in a specific
and localised context. Such knowledge is
intended to be useful to someone whether in
industry or government, or society more generally
and this imperative is present from the
beginning. Knowledge is always produced under an
aspect of continuous negotiation and it will not
be produced unless and until the interests of the
various actors are included.
Gibbons et al. (1994) The New Production of
Knowledge
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Mode 2 shows no particular inclination to become
institutionalised in the conventional pattern.
The scientific establishment can be expected
to be concerned about this and about how quality
control will be assured in a socially distributed
knowledge production system, but it is now a fact
of life. Mode 2 is a response to the needs of
both science and society. It is irreversible.
The problem is how to understand it and manage
it.
Gibbons et al. (1994) The New Production of
Knowledge
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Organizational Learning Tips from experts
Argyris, C and Schon, DA (1978). Organizational
Learning A Theory of Action Perspective.
Addison-Wesley Reading, Mass.
Preskill, H and Torres, RT (1999) Evaluative
Inquiry for Learning in Organizations. Sage
London
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Organizational Learning Tips
Organizations dont remember, act or learn.
Such terms are metaphors (AS, p11). Just as
individuals are the agents of organizational
action, so they are the agents of organizational
learning (AS, p19). But in order for
organizational learning to occur, learning
agents discoveries, inventions, and evaluations
must be imbedded in organizational memory. They
must be encoded in the individual images and the
shared maps of organizational theory from which
individual members will subsequently act. If
this encoding does not occur, individuals will
have learned, but the organizations will not have
done so (AS, p19).
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Organizational Learning Tips
Organizational learning is dependent on
individuals and teams sharing their learning in
an ongoing, systemic way. Evaluative inquiry
provides the organization a means for (a)
developing a community of inquirers (b)
harnessing the knowledge capital of its
members (c) addressing problematic issues that
faces the organization (PT,p43).
The achievement of stable solutions is not an
appropriate criterion for organizational
learning it is in the very nature of
organizational problem solving to change
situations that create new problems (AS, p42).
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Perpetual Organisational Learning
CSIRO Adapting
Second-order learning
A learning organisation regarding SEI
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Question
How can adaptive SEI learning be enhanced?
Identity and interests, values and norms, aims
and objectives
Double-loop learning
Strategies,
Processes
Single-loop learning
Outcomes
Aims Norms
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One credible answer
With difficulty
The biggest motivational problem in learning
from experience can be stated simply everyone
wants to learn, but nobody wants to be wrong.
Learning from experience requires being wrong at
least part of the time, but both public and
private organisations tend to punish mistakes.
In many organisations the evidence needed to
learn from experience may be deliberately ignored
(or hidden) because it would be damaging to the
individual in charge (Feldman, p284).
Jack Feldman (1986) On the difficulty of learning
from experience
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Effective SEI is difficult, and many of our
efforts have been disappointing. If this were
not so, there would be no need for this special
initiative. Although CSIRO is not notably
punitive re failure to achieve expected outcomes,
especially in a competitive funding environment,
discussion of such outcomes is uncommon.
Although those involved undoubtedly learn from
the experiences of falling short of SEI targets,
organisational learning is hampered by reluctance
to discuss openly. In the learning
organization, feedback from experiences,
especially disappointing ones, are communicated
and discussed to learn how better outcomes might
be achieved in the future. People are rewarded
for the thoughtfulness of their analysis and the
extent to which they properly evaluate failings
and plan solutions.
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Resource Diverse SEI experiences
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Resource
Plurality of scientific world views and
corresponding views of proper place and nature of
SEI in CSIRO.
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An SEI organizational learning project
Preskill, H and Torres, RT (1999) Evaluative
Inquiry for Learning in Organizations. Sage
London
Evaluative inquiry can contribute to the
development of learning communities by providing
organization members with a vocabulary and set of
processes with which to address important
organizational issues.
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Evaluative Inquiry Process

• 1. Dialogue
• 2. Reflection
• 3. Asking questions
• Identifying and clarifying values,
• beliefs,
• assumptions
• knowledge

Preskill and Torres (1999) Evaluative Inquiry for
Learning in Organizations
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Preliminary sketch of a process

• Meetings between CSIRO research teams, mainly
  using video-conferencing
• Forum for debate about norms for SEI in CSIRO
• Showcasing and probing of significant SEI team
  histories
• Negotiation of differences between research
  partners during planning of SEI
• Inclusion of clients
• Professional facilitation
• Evaluation of outcomes and processes
• by participants in terms of value to them
• of the process in terms of effectiveness for
  learning and of reproducibility
• of the enabling electronic technology
• Ready access of the project to the wider CSIRO
• Opportunity for non-participants to observe
• Documentation and publication

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Evaluative Inquiry Process
Culture
1. Dialogue 2. Reflection 3. Asking
questions 4. Identifying and Clarifying Values,
Beliefs, Assumptions Knowledge
Leadership
Communication
Systems Structures
Preskill and Torres (1999) Evaluative Inquiry for
Learning in Organizations
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Some possible questions for discussion
How does CSIRO rate as a learning
organization? Does our greatest learning need
concern internal SEI or external SEI? How
might an organizational learning project
contribute? How might social scientists
contribute? What would an effective project look
like?
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Some ideas for an SEI Project on Organisational
Learning
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A positive learning process -
An interpretive inquiry process which respects
the meaning and value of the experiences to those
involved. Learning emerges from exposure to
others experience and interpretations as well
as discussion of interpretation of ones own
experience. The process is inherently
non-threatening in the sense that there is no
intent to impose change. Questioning and debate
are important to the learning process. Assumes
personal knowledge construction in interactive
experience and tacit acceptance of the primacy of
the better argument or evidence.
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Outline of A Possible Process

• Call for SEI show and tell presentations by
  teams
• Capture SEI profiles from show and tell
  interview of research team by SEI project team.
• SEI action theories and strategies of
  individual teams
• Experiences, problems and learnings
• Visions and plans
• Publish SEI profiles
• Multimedia internet presentations
• Facilitate discussions among teams stimulated by
  profiles
• Expressions of interest from teams
• Instigation by project team of potentially
  fruitful meetings
• Expedited using video-conferencing
• Capture content and outcomes of discussions
• Publish (web) summaries of discussions from
  perspectives of each participant team and project
  team.

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Some questions to discuss ...
Is this an appropriate or useful model for an
organisational learning project? Who should be
involved? Who wants to be? How common/different
is the collective SEI experience of the
organisation? What sort of organisational
structures/systems could support the
project? What are the first next steps?
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Mode 2 Science Practice

• Not set in disciplinary framework
• Organised as systems of interactions that are
  distributed, heterogenous, and transient
• More socially accountable with reward systems
  that reflect this
• Carried out in the context of application

Gibbons et al. (1994) The New Production of
Knowledge
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Reward people for the thoughtfulness of their
analysis and the extent to which they properly
evaluate their diagnoses and proposed solutions.
This may seem to fly in the face of political
reality, but no one really knows the degree to
which stakeholders would respond to a sincere
emphasis on SEI experimentation and honest
evaluation (Feldmanp 284)
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Socio-economic Integration in CSIRO
Traditionally peripheral to research
What is expected from this (unusual) corporate
initiative? What would be viewed as
success? Redesigned SEI processes? Reinvented
SEI relationships and regenerated
strategies? These questions can be discussed
using the concept of Organizational Learning.
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Hypothesis Enhanced SEI of CSIROs research
efforts will require a new reliance on
appropriate social science.