Enhancing Organizational Learning and Quality: A Modern Approach

1. Organizational Learning and Quality Gary F. Templeton Mississippi State University

2. Organizational Learning • Many definitions • Our definition: “the group cognition that leads to purposeful organizational change” • Examples: • Sam Walton visiting competitors • Systems analysis • ‘Managing by walking around’

3. Organizational Learning • Preconditions • Org structure • Org culture • Contexts • Internal • External • Consequences • Changes in behavior • Changes in technology • Shifts in competitive advantage • New technology adoption • Improved knowledge base • Improved organizational effectiveness

4. Quality • History and Deming’s influence • Hierarchical thinking • In education (master teaching over master learning) • In industry (assumes ‘boss knows everything’) • Japan’s WWII aftermath (Article) • The birth of Deming’s Quality Revolution (Article) • The philosophical difference (book)

5. Quality: Philosophical Distinctions • Quality is an investment, not an expense • Quality emphasizes processes, rather than results • Problem with hierarchical models • Militaristic thinking won’t work for Amazon.com and other modern business models • Profit maximization embodies short-term thinking: • Profit = Revenues - Expenses • John Wooden on quality (essay excerpt)

6. Organizational Learning: A Model

7. The OL Model: Summary • It shows the philosophical difference between a quality and hierarchical approach • It shows specific ‘group cognitive’ tasks necessary for process improvements • It therefore emphasizes quality over hierarchy • It therefore fits quality-oriented competitive environments • It is therefore a more modern perspective on organizational design as compared to the hierarchical view

8. Organizational Learning and Quality Gary F. Templeton Mississippi State University