HMGT5100 – Organizational Design

Brianna Lee
Research Dossier Summary - Learning Organization

In a VUCA world, organizations must incorporate systems in their design that allow them

to be agile and adaptable (Kreissl, 2019). Contemporary designs like the learning organization

have become more attractive for this reason. The design of a learning organization is based on

the continuous learning, development, and improvement of its employees (Kreissl, 2019). This

structure has five key disciplines that facilitate its learning: (1) systems thinking (2) personal

mastery (3) mental models (4) shared vision and (5) team learning (Rowley & Gibbs, 2008).

Systems thinking is about understanding an organizations knowledge and collective

learning. An organization is composed of interdependent parts that work and learn together to

drive organizational change, collaboration, and innovation (Rowley & Gibbs, 2008).

Personal mastery stresses the importance of committed employees (Fateh et al., 2021).

People must demonstrate a willingness to work on self-improvement, the motivation to learn,

and the receptiveness needed to support an organization in its operation (Fateh et al., 2021).

Mental models expose the generalizations and assumptions that influence organizational

decision making (ELM Learning, 2021). It is important to have these models in place since the

existence of generalizations and assumptions are not always obvious.

It is critical that everyone within an organization has a common goal, in other words, a

shared vision. A shared vision leads to positive organizational outcomes such as increased

employee engagement, and productivity (Boyatzis et al., 2015).

Learning organizations utilize team learning to maintain competitive advantage amongst

other organizations. This means withholding biases to be open to the criticisms and feedback as a

means to gain insight on innovation and change (Wiese & Burke, 2019).
 HMGT5100 – Organizational Design
Brianna Lee
References

Kreissl, B. (2019, December 17). What is a learning organization? Talent Canada. Retrieved

November 5, 2021, from https://www.talentcanada.ca/what-is-a-learning-organization/.

Rowley, J., & Gibbs, P. (2008). From learning organization to practically WISE organization.

The Learning Organization, 15(5), 356–372. https://doi.org/10.1108/09696470810898357

Fateh, A., Mustamil, N., & Shahzad, F. (2021). Role of authentic leadership and personal

mastery in predicting employee creative behavior: A self-determination perspective.

Frontiers of Business Research in China, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s11782-021-

00100-1

What is a learning organization? Complete Guide. ELM Learning. (2021, May 7). Retrieved

November 5, 2021, from https://elmlearning.com/what-is-a-learning-organization/.

Boyatzis, R. E., Taylor, S. N., & Rochford, K. (Eds.). (2015). The impact of shared vision on

leadership, engagement, and organizational citizenship. Frontiers Research Topics.

https://doi.org/10.3389/978-2-88919-671-5

Wiese, C. W., & Burke, C. S. (2019). Understanding team learning dynamics over time.

Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01417