The article ‘Culture and organizational learning’ by Cook and Yanow explores the issue of organizational learning and the types of learning that they undergo as well as answers an intriguing question on if organizations learn.
The writer’s argument from the cultural viewpoint is that an important characteristic of human beings is their potential to act or capacity to operate in teams or groups. Groups of individuals, who share a common practice or experience, are considered to be of the same culture.
A culture is constructed on the basis of inter subjective meanings where constituents get across in their joint practice through actions, language, and objects (Cook & Yanow 2005, p. 368). The meaning-holding language, acts, and objects are cultural relics through which the combined knowledge possessed by an organization is utilized, expressed, and transmitted.
Organizations are persistently engaged in actions that uphold or transform their cultural identity. These activities create organizational learning since organizations, which are viewed as cultures, undergo learning via activities that involve cultural relics.
Learning involves organizational attainment, preservation, or changing the capabilities of undertaking initiatives that should be fully understood (Cook & Yanow 2005, p. 370).
There are four key points raised in the article regarding organizational learning and culture. One of the points states that there is a possibility that an organization may have numerous cultures, none of which may be dominant or among its numerous cultures, there may be one dominant over the others.
Another significant point is that cultural comprehension of organizational learning is an important way of creating appropriate channels of exploring new ideas. The third point states that in most cases, organizations acquire new members who provide a great learning opportunity for the organization.
According to the article, error detection and correction are important subjects in organizational learning because a company can learn by detecting its own faults so it is easy for it to seek fir appropriate remedies (Cook & Yanow 2005, p. 378).
In my opinion, there are a number of questions that the article raises. The issues are if organizations learn given the fact that they are made up of many people who have different goals and opinions, and if different cultures can promote organization learning as people come from different cultural backgrounds.
Thus, if the organizational culture contradicts the values of its members’ cultures, it becomes difficult for them to adopt it. That is why the next questions are if the fear of change affects group learning since this process involves changes in the way people perceive each other and their surrounding, and if detecting errors and correcting them assist in organizational learning aimed at bringing innovations.
Moreover, the knowledge gained is not only through learning some facts about the things that go wrong, but also considering the positive changes that are essential for organization growth.
Organizational learning is important for managers when implementing organizational change because by adopting strategies that enhance acquisition of new knowledge, it would be easier to develop and adopt strategies that bring changes without much resistance from other members.
In order to achieve a meaningful change, organization culture should be dynamic so as to accommodate other cultural inputs and promote cultures that assist the company in achieving its goals.
Since an organization involves people and groups, it can learn if its members agree to work as a group and chart out a common course in developing and adopting change strategies (Cook & Yanow 2005, p. 370-378).
Reference
Cook, SDN & Yanow, D 1993, ‘Culture and organizational learning’, Journal of Management Inquiry, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 373-390.