Introduction
Organizational learning can be defined to be an ongoing process of creation, attainment, and transfer of knowledge, coupled with an adjustment in behavior to result to fresh insight and knowledge beside producing an asset of higher level (Nielson, 1997, p. 2). The experience of large western developed nations has been the backbone for the development of organizational learning. However, there has been an underrepresentation of the learning experience of firms that are based in non-western countries.
Aims and Purpose
Part of the aims of the this project will be to draw a critical analysis regarding the differences between the conventional view of the learning process and the learning processes and strategies that are based in other regions of the world, particularly in the Asian part of the world including China.
The purpose of the entire project is to avail information to foreign investors who intend to establish their business operations in my region and nation. This is believed to go a long way into helping managers develop an organizational learning strategy that will enable them incorporate the local staff and be able to establish a feasible business operation.
Literature Review
The Asian policy makers have been compelled to devise fresh development strategies following the severe economic downturn in the region. As a result of the reassessment, the focus has been redirected to the main Chinese based economies: Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong. These economies are perceived to be more resilient as compared to their main export competitors such as Japan and South Korea (Dierkes, et al, 2003, p. 716).
This resiliency is caused by the ability of the Chinese based firms to be corporately flexible and adaptable that enables them to put up with fluctuations in the market (Wolf, 2000, p. 8). Most Chinese firms are small and medium – sized.
Scholars have been expressing their concerns with regard to whether these firms are competitive and innovative enough to deal with both social structural changes and economic downturn. For quite some time now, focus has been mainly aimed at the large firms rather than these small and medium sized ones (Dierkes, et al, 2003, p. 716).
Characteristics, Learning Strategies and Processes
The Chinese based firms that are found in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan have three main characteristics. First, the enterprises are small and medium in size (Yeung, et al, 2011, p. 34). They under the management and ownership of a single person, relatives or family. Second, their access to the key sources of advanced technology and markets of developed nations is limited.
Their entry into the production process takes a reverse of the product life cycle. Third, majority of the firms are integrated into production networks at the local and global level (Dierkes, et al, 2003, p. 719-720). Focus on the learning strategies of the firms based in China has been a latest one. Its focus has been on the economic progress of these nations for about the last thirty years.
The attention has been mainly on models of transfer of western based organizational systems and technology to these economies. However, the learning process of the local enterprises has been forfeited by these models. Researcher shows that latecomer technological firms such as China based ones can do well through imitation (Yu, 2007, p. 18; Watkins & Ehst, 2008, p. 103-104).
It is revealed that Asian based firms had shown progress in their processes and growth by use of interfirm cooperation. These firms had grown through imitation of the innovation process and as such had refuted the western concept of the product life cycle which attributes business growth to the market place product innovation (Dierkes, et al, 2003, p. 721).
Conclusion
Chinese based firms are small and medium in size, have a limited admittance to advanced technology and are incorporated into production networks at local and global level. Their attention has been recent due to their economic progress.
The focus has been on the diffusion of western technology and systems of management into them. Their growth has through creativity and imitation of innovation which is different from the western perspective of the product life cycle.
Reference list
Dierkes, et al., 2003. Handbook of Organizational Learning & Knowledge. NY: Oxford Publishers.
Neilson, R., 1997. Collaborative Technologies and Organizational Learning. London Idea Group Inc.
Watkins, A.J. & Ehst, M., 2008. Science, technology, and innovation: Capacity building for sustainable growth and poverty reduction. Washington DC: World Bank Publications.
Wolf, C., 2000. Asian Economic Trends and their Security Implications. Arlington: Rand Corporation.
Yeung, et al., 2011. The Globalization of Chinese Companies: Strategies for Conquering International Markets. Singapore: John Wiley & Sons.
Yu, F.T., 2007. Taiwan’s economic transformation in evolutionary perspective: Entrepreneurship, innovation systems and government. NY: Nova Publishers.