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Introduction

What can organisational learning, and the search for the learning organisation, offer to companies seeking improved financial performance in the modern workplace? ________________ Contents Table Abstract p. 4 Chapter I: Introduction Overview of the review p. 5 Context of the review p. 6 Statement of the issue p. 8 Purpose of the review p. 9 Chapter II: Literature Review Introduction p. 13 Organisational learning and the learning organisation ? issues of definition p. 16 Organisational learning and the learning organisation ? Evolving thoughts p. 19 Organisational learning and the learning organisation ? Culture p. 20 Organisational learning and the learning organisation ? Change p. 21 Organisational learning and the learning organisation ? Value p. 23 Organisational learning and the learning organisation ? Action p. 26 Organisational learning and the learning organisation ? Measurement p. 27 Organisational learning and the learning organisation ? Financial performance p. 29 Chapter III Conclusions and Recommendations Conclusions p. 40 Recommendations p. 43 Chapter IV: Methodology The Systematic Review Process p. 44 Search Strategy p. 44 Databases p. 44 Other sources of information p. 45 Keywords p. 45 Search String p. 45 Results from the Search Strategy p. 46 Selection Criteria p. 46 Selection Criteria for Titles and Abstracts p. 46 Section Criteria for Full Text Papers p. 47 Quality Appraisal p. 48 Data Analysis and Synthesis p. 48 Chapter V: Limitations and ideas for future research p.49 Chapter VI: References p.50 Appendices p.56 Abstract It is widely accepted that corporate organisations must pursue and achieve growth to prosper. Companies are involved in a relentless search for organisational initiatives that will create competitive advantage which can be translated into and evidenced by improved financial performance. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature relating to the conviction; that to achieve and sustain growth organisations must learn, and that the optimum way of ensuring such learning is for organisations to aspire to the characteristics of the learning organisation. ...read more.

Middle

But what is required in this area is the continued work of academic writers in this area as it is only with the increase in meaningful data to knowledge about the learning organisation that practitioners will be able to advance proposals to organisational leaders which correctly allows them to allocate financial support for knowledge initiatives that will drive organisational performance and bottom-line improvements. While convincing statements have been offered, there remains a prospect for applicable research to support the value intentions of academics in learning organisation theory. Ellinger et al. (2002) recognised a central issue challenging supporters of learning programs when he drew attention to the fact that organisations that adopt the strategies associated with a learning organisation are supposed to achieve improved performance. This was that few empirical studies have studied the relationship between learning organisation theory and an organisation's financial performance and that without a business case linking learning to improved financial performance, other functional improvement initiatives with a more identifiably positive financial return will likely be taken up by organisational leaders. However, even though empirical data is still lacking, the list of academic writers willing to advocate the learning organisation as a route to enhanced financial performance continues to grow. King (2001) stated that organisations committed to learning can convert new knowledge into financial performance improvement and a learning organisation can be considered as one that emphases on developing and processing data to improve financial results. Ellinger et al. (2002), stated a progressive relationship between learning and financial performance was required to lend credibility to the business case for acceptance of learning organisation practices. More work is required to collect satisfactory data concerning the associations between learning and financial performance and when managed and executed properly, learning initiatives may offer important financial benefits to a company. Further work by Kaleka and Berthon (2006) proposed that organisational learning performs a significant function in relation to financial performance through an organisation?s enhanced ability to evaluate new information, make more rapid decisions and grow financial returns. ...read more.

Conclusion

establishment of a selection criteria and a quality appraisal standard; 3. data analysis and synthesis; The Systematic Review Process A systematic review can be considered a type of research project, with defined research questions and methodology. The systematic review methodology helps to identify studies in a particular area, to establish and appraise which studies will be selected for the review, to extract, analyse and synthesize the evidence in the selected studies, and to describe the findings about the current state of knowledge. These techniques have been employed in this paper in order to determine what is known and not known about the usefulness of the concepts of organisational learning and the learning organisation to the achievement of competitive financial advantage in the modern workplace. Search strategy The first stage of the systematic review is to determine a search strategy, which will determine the documents that will be analysed in the review. The search strategy is composed of the search strings, keywords, and sources of information such as databases and other sources of information, including books and articles, that will form the resources used to retrieve the data that will be analysed and synthesised in the systematic review. Databases Two main databases were selected for this review. These two databases were, ABI/INFORM Global and Business Source Premier, which were explored, while another two JSTOR and SwetWise Online Content, were examined quickly to determine if they provided any additional sources of information not retrieved by the first two main databases. The choice of databases for a complete analysis was based on their relevance for the literature investigated. ABI/INFORM Global and Business Source Premier constitute two of the main sources of information for business and management literature, and thus contain the major publications dealing with the concept of organisational learning. Other sources of information In addition to articles retrieved in the database search, books cited in important articles on the concept of organisational learning and the learning organisation were also considered for inclusion in the review. ...read more.

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