Learning Organizations and Change: The Case of Scandinavian Airlines System

1890 Words4 Pages

Organizations need to maintain their competitive advantage by quickly adapting to change and promoting new and innovative strategies to ensure their success. Researchers have determined that since most popular strategies focus on people and knowledge as assets in order to improve performance, learning at all levels is necessary for an organization to succeed (Kotter, 2012). Therefore, organizations should function as Learning Organizations (LOs) by creating an environment where members can learn continuously (Slater and Narver, 1995). Senge (1990: 3) considered a LO to be an organization “where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together.” Others, such as Pedler et al. (1998: 3) simply defined it as “an organization that facilitates the learning of all its members and consciously transforms itself and its context”. A learning organization needs to embrace change and promote the development of leadership abilities (Senge, 1990). According to Hannagan (2005, quoted in CLMS, M3 U2: 6), Leadership is "...the process of motivating other people to act in a particular manner to achieve specific goals" or simply the ability to influence others (Pedler et al, 1998). Senge (1996: 36), defined leaders as those “who are genuinely committed to deep change in themselves and in their organizations”. As organizations evolve, leaders face more complex challenges and it becomes necessary for managers and employees at different levels in the organization to step into a leadership role when needed in order to move the company forward (Stringham... ... middle of paper ... ...ment (2nd edn). London: McGraw-Hill. Senge, P. (1990) The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organisation. Doubleday/Currency: New York. Senge, P. (1996) 'Leading Learning Organisations', Executive Excellence 13(4): 10-11. Senge, P. (2006) The fifth discipline (2nd edn). New York: Doubleday/Currency. Slater, S. and Narver, J. (1995) 'Market orientation and the learning organization', Journal of Marketing 59(3): 63-74. Stringham, S. (2012) Strategic leadership and strategic management. Bloomington, Indiana: iUniverse.com. TMI Australia (2007) Scandinavian Airlines System. TMI Australia: Melbourne, Australia [online]. Available: http://www.tmiaust.com.au/track_record/case_studies/scandinavian_airlines.htm [2014, May 20]. Vera, D. and Crossan, M. (2004) 'Strategic leadership and organizational learning', Academy of Management Review 29 (2): 222-240.

More about Learning Organizations and Change: The Case of Scandinavian Airlines System

Open Document