Organizational Learning II: Theory, Method, and Practice

The burgeoning literature that has grown up around organizational learning in the past twenty-five years is either uncritical (treats the phrase "learning organization" as a catchword for whatever it is the front-running Japanese or other organizations are doing and whatever the rest of the world needs to do to catch up with them) or distant from practice, skeptical and non-perspective.In this book, the approach to organizational learning is normative and practice-oriented. The authors are mainly interested in productive organizational learning: how this kind of learning can be generated in real-world organizations and how practitioners can help to foster it.The theory given in this book is primarily based on two types of learning: single-loop and double-loop. The authors have borrowed the distinction between single and double-loop learning from W. Ross Ashby's "Design for a Brain" (1960).On case studies of known companies, such as Intel, General Motors, etc., the authors show "primary inhibitory loops" that inhibit organizational learning, and "conditions for error", and how to avoid them. The following list gives the most common "conditions for error" and how to avoid them:- Vagueness : Specify- Ambiguity : Clarify- Untestability : Make testable- Scattered information : Concert- Information withheld : Reveal- Undiscussability : Make discussable- Uncertainity : Inquire- Inconsistency/incompatibility: ResolveIn part I, the authors introduce the conceptual framework, both for organizational learning and for the relationship between research and practice. In part II, they introduce and illustrate concepts central to limited learning. Part III presents a brief classroom-based example. Part IV is the review of the recent history of the field of organizational learning.Despite of the brilliant content, the book which is marked as "Reprinted with corrections August, 1996", which I have (paperback), is awfully printed. It is really the eye-killer. And nevertheless, it has some typos. Please try to find a version which is not "Reprinted with corrections August, 1996".

As expected

Nice book

Before Peter Senge, Argyis and Schon showed us how an organization can learn through the use of its human capital...All Organizational Development students and practioners, should read this book and treat it as required reading!

this is by Chris and Donald Schon, not David and the link for Author should go to Donald who has done great workFantastic work - great for all org dev researchers.

The book came on time but wasn't the best book I read

Good Stuff

Very informative and understandable - great learning tool