Organizational Change and Learning

Organisational change refers to the change in the structure and culture of the organisation in order to adapt to the changes in the extrernal enviroment. Organisation Learning refers to the process of aquiring and sharing of knowledge within the whole organisation.

Organisational change and learning always go together hand-in-hand. Oragnisational change gives rise to the learning in the organisation, resulting in further changes in the organisation, arising out of the learning. In the ever so growing world of technology and the global development and ever rising competition, changes in the enviroment is the only constant and adapting to the same, the only option. To adapt to the changes and change the structure of the internal organisation, one must be aware of the means to do so.

Organisational learning enables the members to lead changes to overcome challenges faced outside of the organisation, grow in their domain and hence accomplish their own individual and the goals of the organisation, as a whole.

Eventhough, every organisation is in cosntant practice to upgrade and adapt to the changes, only a few are able to do so. This problem arises due to the restriction in the level of both, organisational change as well as learning.

Some of the common problems with organisational changes are :

1.     Not facing the reality and living in the illusion that their organisation is perfect and need not be changed or upgraded with the external factors.

2.    Partial Changes : Partial change in an organisation is the same as “Half knowledge is more dangerous than no knowledge”. For instance, a company due to the changes in technology decides to provide every sector of the hierarchy in an organisation with the same upgraded softwares. Unaware of the fact that how much it has increased their overall costs, it starts to make more losses. Just to adapt, it was considered as an “organisational change” but in reality made it worse for the organisation. A wise decision to adapt to the changes would’ve been to give it in a hands of few employees who would have the knowledge and skills to utilize them to its full potential and at the same time, being cost efficient.

 

Another set of problems arise due to the inefficiency in organisational learning:

1.    Ego-Centrism : Ego centrism arises when everyone in the organisation believe that their knowledge is sufficient in the field and that they can continue running the organisation through their past experiences, without any need of upgradation of skills. Another way in which ego-centrism acts as a hurdle is where everyone in the organisation who are situated at the top level of the hierarchy, feel that they are superior to their subordinates. Hence, aquring knowledge through their juniors comes in between their ego and they restrict the idea of peer-learning and growing.

2.    Accumulation of Knowledge : Accumulation of knowledge arises when there is unhealthy competition in an organisation. Everyone wants to get promoted, and everyone wants a higher position. The thought that if they share their acquired knowledge with their fellow employees, they would lose their upper hand in the competition is what restricts knowledge into few chosen hands only.

In conclusion, for the overall growth of an organisation, it is extremely important that organisational learning and change occur at larger scales and not just partially within the periphery of a few people of the organisation.

                                                                                           Sources : Google Images