Advantages of Learning Organization Homework

The Skokie library (Illinois) is special in that it has won several awards including the 2008 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The library functions on the premise that it is there to assist its users in finding and gaining information and all of its ambits circuit around that purpose.

There is a special vocational counselor who attends once a week as well as an Employment resource Center where there is information on career development, job opportunities, and self-employment. Consumers are involved in presenting informative and entertaining lectures about their work. Competitions are held so that users of all ages, from teens upwards may compete and win prizes. Competitions include piano recitals, poetry and so forth. During the summer months, the library runs a range of different workshops categorized according to ages and featuring a wide selection that is sure to inform and entertain. Throughout the year, the library holds recitals or movies on the lawn where late at night families gather to picnic and watch particular movie.

Different to most libraries, the library adequately covers each and every subject running from neuroscience to sociology and archeology and beyond so that each regardless of profession and interest can find the fundamental material of his or her interest. To that end, the library has gathered a coterie of professionals from each specific field and consults them regularly regarding additions. Additions are often and well selected.

Earphones are strategically placed in the various sections so that users can hear prospective music. There are at least two movie screens where instructive documentaries are continuously played for children and adults education. The children’s section is laid out with a puppet show, a Lego section, and computers for various ages that for the very youngest age showcase games and read-along books. There are chess sets for adults and children, and in the summer times and during various seasons special toys set up aligned with the particular season. The children and adolescent section is divided into three segments with furnishing reflecting the particular age: the very young, junior high, and adolescent. In each, computers, workstations, seating reflects the age and interest content of that particular age.

Computer resources for adults and teens are available throughout the library and free Internet access is available too. The library also loans out laptops. There is another station, the Digital media lab, where clients can produce their own movies, compose their specific music, and create posters. It has in fact all the trappings of desktop publishing. To help users acquire basic and advanced computer skills, the library runs regular courses for various levels, all free, besides which there is a special section with literacy material for ESL students

To ensure that clients are helped as thoroughly as possible, they also have a round — the clock inquiry station (Information Services) where people can call, e-mail, or engage online with researchers.

I have, in this description, touched upon only the surface of what the library offers. Its credo is to promote lifelong learning, discovery, and enrichment through a broad spectrum of materials, technologies, and experience; it certainly goes far in providing that. When being asked therefore to provide a learning center, there is none that more readily springs to mind than the Skokie public library.

Outline of the framework used to examine the organization and justification of the attributes chosen as focus of the study

The outline here is community level learning where the library, centering in on its locality, focuses on the community in general, but also takes individual level learning into account by carefully inquiring into the needs and interests of individual members.

Although Cross and Israelit (2000) suggest that community and team levels of learning parallel each other, in this case there seems to be a distinction. Although in many organizations the differences between the two may not be so clearly delineated or so apparent, distinctions here are clear in that team-level learning generally represents learning organized or conducted within the perimeters of an industry in order to facilitate enhanced performance of the industry. The library is independent of any commercial profit and rather than focusing on employees who are central to its scheme, focuses on a clientele that is external to its ‘industry’.

The framework that I choose here is the ‘community of practice’ where an organization becomes a learning organization by virtue of its teachers, support personnel; and administrators who interspersed throughout the organization actively practice and disseminate the training and knowledge (Orr, 1990; Lave and Wenger, 1991; Brown and Duguid, 1991; Wenger, 1998). The community of practice incorporates teachers, support personnel and administrators — all practitioners — who have similar workplace skills and knowledge.

Communities of practice can sometimes be cross-functional teams and their similarity in objective and skills, despite their differences in particular jobs, make for optimum problem-solving and integration of specialist knowledge along the wide swath of their field (Cross and Israelit, 2000). The practitioners in this community of practice need to nurture and maintain two kinds of knowledge: firstly their vocational knowledge, i.e. that they will pass on to others. They, therefore, must be current and knowledge on the subjects that they teach. Secondly, they have to upgrade their pedagogy, i.e. their skills that enable them to pass on their knowledge.

The effectiveness and resilience of the community for practice primarily depends on the team members successfully developing and retaining these two kinds of knowledge.

Furthermore, although most agree that the organizations themselves cannot learn but that they composed of individual learning that migrates to the organization (Kim, 1993), the larger organization can help — and needs to help – by having supportive structures and mechanisms in place in order to assist both practitioners and their clients (the one in giving, the other in receiving). In this way, both consumers and practitioners themselves are learning as they impart (Brown & Duguid, 1991).

A synopsis of your findings with data examples that illustrate your conclusions

I chose the library as ideal instance of the ‘community of practice’ since its workers all constitute and indicate a ‘core competency’ centered around the enthusiasm for and knowledge of literature, music, cultural themes and anything that may serve to instruct others. All of its employees have different skills: some working as librarians, whilst others service the research section, work in the computer stations, direct workshops, catalogue the material, instruct children, or operate the machines but all have the one defining element in common: they all love and are interested in books. Secondly, all also optimize the two kinds of knowledge they are current and knowledgeable on the subjects that they teach — the librarians are obviously informed about their books and current topics disseminate their knowledge and informing consumers about the most recent up-to-date reads whilst also guiding inquiries into available resources that can help them. Likewise, personnel who staff the individual computer stations are also well informed on their subject matter. Secondly, all also contain the necessary skills that allow them to impart their knowledge. Each is college or university trained in his or her specific expertise — generally, although not necessarily, librarian skills, and the librarians who staff the children’s section also have .

Finally, the library, as a whole, through its generous and impressive range of resources enables the ‘community of practice’ to most effectively reach out to its consumers by provide them with the tools, supportive structures and mechanisms with which to do so.

4. A set of justified recommendations that address,

(i) to what extent the organisation is already a learning organisation

Hardly distinct from the concept of organizational learning in that the employees learn as they impart (Easterby-Smith, Araujo & Burgoyne, 1999), the organization is a learning organization in that it aims to present learning in the most effective and entertaining way possible and has this capacity to learn which Cohen & Levinthal (2000) term ‘absorptive capacity’. Each and every one of its services is geared towards education from its workshops and competitions to its recitals or movie on the lawn.

The library adequately covers each and every subject running from neuroscience to sociology and archeology and beyond so that each regardless of profession and interest can find the fundamental material of his or her interest.

The library also features book discussions, films and film discussions, exhibitions of the performing arts in its 200-seat auditorium; and original programs, movies, educational fare, and listing of upcoming vents.

To ensure that clients are helped as thoroughly as possible and that all their questions are answered, they also have a round — the clock inquiry station where people can call, e-mail, or engage online with researchers.

As one of its educational aims, the library directs readers to ‘books of its choice’ (including movies and cassettes that it thinks will entertain and most inspire the reader. In each category, certain material is selected and a brief summary describes the product. On its website too and catalogue, not only is a summary of each product stated, but library staff rate the product too, and oftentimes excerpts are showcased so that users can review the product beforehand.

Most significantly, too, the library runs a free service and a book mobile to reach those who are unable for various reasons (such as being handicapped, ill, or elderly) to use the library. The book mobile has its own selection of books, toys, and a teacher who is available to instruct those who desire instruction and those who need help with their homework.

The library’s vision statement is that it seeks to help people pursue lifelong leaning and discovery, as well as enjoyment of popular culture and the arts. It also seeks to help residents become well informed, to engage each other in dialogue and respectful discourse, and to actively participate in the life of the community. All of this makes it an organization that disseminates learning in the fullest sense of the word.

In a practical way — and as per its mission statement — it does this by promoting lifelong learning, discovery, and enrichment through a broad spectrum of materials, technologies, and experience. It helps people have access to information, helps them exchange ideas, and helps build an educational, learning community.

In short, the library functions on the premise that it is there to assist its users in finding and gaining information and all of its ambits circuit round that. Organizational learning is part of its process. Not all organizations that pursue organizational learning achieve their aims and become a learning organization (Schwandt & Marquardt, 2000). The Skokie library is an exception to the case.

(ii) strategies that could improve the effectiveness of the learning organisation

Service-dominated logic would be effective in improving the capabilities of this particular — or any, for that matter — learning organization. Generated as marketing tool, Service dominated logic can be applied to any industry and service with impressive results. Service dominated logic looks to the long-term, end-result of the business or service. Applying this argument to automakers, for instance, one can argue that automakers are not in the business of producing cars but are rather involved in providing mobility service to the customer (Vargo & Lusch, 2004). All of this reverses the idea of marketing and business effectively placing the consumer in the center of the equation (Mittusis, O’Malley, & Paterson, 2006) and shifting one’s focus to discovering the needs and interests of the consumer to the major purpose at hand (in this case, producing and selling vehicles). The perspective and definition of “services” and “goods” is turned inside out, although both remain important in the field but in a different way (Vargo & Lusch, 2004).

SDL places the customer in various different roles (Mittusis, O’Malley, & Paterson, 2006). The norm is to view consumers through a single lens; viewing their actions as results of the trading communication (ibid.) can provide greater and unprecedented value to both consumers and to organization.

All services, and the Skokie library included, orbit around the four Ps of business. It seems as though marketers could improve their service by combining the four Ps with service-dominated logic. The four Ps are product, place, price, and promotion (Gronroos, 1994) and each should be perceived from the vantage point of the client — of how they are meeting the client’s ultimate need (Gronroos, 1994) in the Library’s case in making him or her more intelligent, literate, etc. The movie in the library, for instance, that is set up to entertain children could be centered on intelligence-promoting factors. Furthermore, an idea may be to provide individual earphones so that children could benefit from the movie without interruption. The library may be, thereby, expanding its service to new, almost radical types of business altogether but this is the inevitable offshoot of Service-dominated logic.

Another service that may be introduced is a greater eclectic mix of librarians who not only speak a polyglot of languages but also represent the huge ethnic mix of clients that visit the library. Clients will, therefore, learn more and feel less intimidated in approaching them. Classical but dingy items can be repackaged in order to appeal to kids who, generally, zone for the packaging. A play-area can be introduced into the library too to enable accompanying parents and caregivers to devote themselves to their study whilst their kids play. Computers can be set up for children with protected Internet access, and pictures on the walls of the library may reflect educational themes or army center around competitors where borrowers themselves are involved and, possibly, rewarded for their offerings. At the same time, advertised activities may include book readings and orchestras where clients are encouraged to showcase, therefore, develop their abilities.

(iii) barriers to implementing these strategies (iv) how these barriers might be overcome

The essential barriers are that all this costs money. The library, too, has to acknowledge the importance and value of service dominated logic as I see it. Thirdly, there has to be a strong enough demand for the library to earnestly consider incorporation of these suggestions.

These barriers may be overcome in various ways. Firstly, the library is often soliciting feedback and recommendation for improvements from users. Secondly, the library contains a significant management section where users are encouraged to interact with managers for betterment of the facilities. I have become acquainted with at least one of the premier managers and can present my suggestions to the manager. Thirdly, I can approach the library staff regarding hosting a class on service dominated logic. During my presentation, I can connect it to the library and show the library how they would profit from implementing one or more of my suggestions. I could also collect a sizeable amount of names of people who would be interested in receiving these services. Ultimately, money is not the greatest concern for the Skokie administration, being justifiably proud of its library, places it as one of its foremost concerns. Money has to be allocated wisely, but I can show the library the profit that it will gain from expending in these services and that it may start and acquire these services piecemeal, monitoring and testing results before proceeding further.

These are merely a sample of the ways in which the barriers to implementing my suggestions can be overcome.

5. A summary of your overall view of the organisation as a learning organisation

The organization is a learning organization in that it aims to present learning in the most effective and entertaining way possible. Each and every one of its services is geared towards education form its workshops and competitions to its recitals or movie on the lawn.

The library adequately covers each and every subject running from neuroscience to sociology and archeology and beyond so that each regardless of profession and interest can find the fundamental material of his or her interest.

To ensure that clients are helped as thoroughly as possible and that all their questions are answered, they also have a round — the clock inquiry station where people can call, e-mail, or engage online with researchers. Computers with Internet access, office software, multimedia capabilities, and research databases are available throughout the library. Internet classes for adults are also scheduled monthly, whilst one-on-one assistance with using computers are available by appointment. The Braille Book Collection and foreign languages exists for all ages and the latter covers more than 20 different languages in total and extends to DVDs and CDs.

As one of its educational aims, the library directs readers to ‘books of its choice’ (including movies and cassettes that it thinks will stimulate and most inspire the reader. In each category, certain material is selected and a brief summary describes the product.

Most significantly, too, the library runs a free service and a book mobile to reach those who are unable for various reasons (such as being handicapped, ill, or elderly) to use the library. The book mobile has its own selection of books, toys, and a teacher who is available to instruct those who desire instruction and those who need help with their homework.

In short, the library functions on the premise that it is there to assist its users in finding and gaining information and all of its ambits circuit round that. As example of learning organization, I could find none better.

Applying service-dominated logic to its objectives, in line with certain presented suggestions, will make it the learning organization per excellence.

References

Brown, J.S. & Duguid, P. (1991). Organizational learning and communities-of-practice: Towards a unified view of working, learning and innovation. Organization Science. 2(1): 40-57.

Cohen, W.M. & Levinthal, D.A. (2000). Absorptive Capacity: A new perspective on learning and innovation. In R. Cross and S. Israelit (eds) Strategic learning in the knowledge economy. (pp. 39-68) Boston: Butterworth Heinemann.

Comley, L., Arandez, L., Holden, S & Kuriata, E. (2000). Are TAFE organisations learning organisations? Do they ‘walk the talk’? The Centre for Curriculum Innovation and Development. Melbourne: Victoria University

Cross, R. And Israelit, S. (2000) Strategic learning in the knowledge economy. Boston: Heinemann.

Easterby-Smith, M., Araujo, L., & Burgoyne, J. (1999). Organisational Learning and the Learning Organisation: Developments in theory and practice. London: Sage Publications

Gronroos, C., (1994), From marketing mix to relationship marketing management decision, Marketing Management, 32, 4-20

Kim, D. (1993). The link between individual and organizational learning. Sloan Management Review. (fall): 37-50.

Lave, J. & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Matthews, P. (1999) Workplace Learning: developing an holistic model. The Learning Organization. 6 (1), pp 18-29.

Mittusis, D., O’Malley, L. & Paterson, M. (2006), Mapping the re-engagement of CRM with relationship marketing. European Journal of Marketin’ 40,

572-589

Orr, J.E. (1990). Sharing knowledge, celebrating identity. In D.S. Middleton and D. Edwards (eds) Collective Remembering (pp 169-189). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Pedler, M., Burgoyne, J, & Boydell, T. (1991). The Learning Company. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Pitt, L. Berthon, P. Watrson, R & Zinkhan, G. (2002), The Internet and the birth of real consumer power Business Horizons, pp.7-14

Schwandt, D.R. & Marquardt, M.J. (2000). Orgainsational Learning: from world class theories to global best practice. Boca Raton: St. Lucie Press.

Senge, P. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organisation. New York: Doubleday Century.

Smith, T. (n.d.) Managing the learning organisation Study Guide, Griffith University

Tsang, E. (1997). Organizational Learning and the learning organization: a dichotomy between descriptive and prescriptive research. Human Relations, 50 (1): 73-89.

Vargo, Stephen L. & Lusch, Robert F. (2004). ‘The Four Service Marketing Myths: Remnants of a Goods-based Manufacturing Model’, Journal of Service Research, 6, 324 — 335.

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press