Learning Organizations - Research Paper Example

Learning Organizations Introduction The idea of learning organization has gained significant attention in the area of business. Learning organizations are those organizations which hold not only adaptive capability, but also aptitude to construct a different future for themselves as well as the people around the world i.e. their consumers. A learning organization facilitates the education of every member and therefore constantly renovates itself for satisfying the strategic objectives. Learning organizations can make, obtain and transform knowledge and adjust the performance of the employees in order to reflect new knowledge and understanding (Yang, Watkins, & Marsick, 2004).

The paper will describe two United States based organizations i.e. IBM and Motorola, which are considered as learning organizations, with proper evidence. The objective of the paper is to understand the aspects of learning organization. IBMIBM is considered as a prudent example of a learning organization. The company incorporates the modern developments in strategic variation, administrative leadership, constant enhancement of business and learning along with development of employees. The major evidence for claiming IBM as a learning organization is its training and learning strategies.

IBM is dedicated towards developing the knowledge of the employees and it considers that learning is critical for the success of its business. Through learning, IBM ensures that the members constantly enhance their skills for adjusting with new business environments or new working conditions. In the year 2004, IBM had invested almost US$64 million for training and development of its workers which is considered to be a part of the learning activity of IBM. IBM provides training to the personnel by numerous ways such as on-the job training and classroom exercises.

As a learning organization, IBM provides the facility of e-learning which offers employees the prospect to learn by using a new technology equipped with internet (American Jewish University, 2012). MotorolaThe other significant example of a learning organization is Motorola. The reason for considering Motorola as a learning organization is that it also provides training to the employees and develops itself in order to construct productive principles in the organization. In order to become a learning organization, Motorola has established Motorola University in the year 1981, which provides learning in order to generate a good corporate value.

Motorola seems to be dynamic in bringing in innovation in terms of new products and incorporating business procedures of other companies such as benchmarking and Total Quality Management (TQM) which reflects its learning capability. Similar to IBM, Motorola also makes huge investments on learning. The company expends almost 3.6% of its income on education. At present, Motorola has become more team focused and is providing greater concentration on cooperative learning. Motorola has developed two managerial groups in order to raise cooperative learning based on two strategic characteristics affecting the whole organization.

Motorola University constantly attempts to derive new learning approaches as a part of becoming a learning organization. Motorola is recognized as a leader in modernizing the training process. It provides on–the-job and class trainings to the managers so that they can improve and develop themselves (Nevis, Ghoreishi, & Gould, n.d.).ConclusionConclusively, it can be stated that every organization is a learning organization, as it can take up new business activities and new ways of engaging with commercial practices.

Every organization has its own official or unofficial procedures of learning which is shared by utilization of information and skills. Both IBM and Motorola have their own procedures of learning and developing employees. The characteristics of learning in an organization are determined by the organizational culture. The culture of an organization stimulates learning behavior among the employees and the members, which is crucial for sustained growth. ReferencesAmerican Jewish University. (2012).

IBM case study. Retrieved from http://www.ajula.edu/Content/ContentUnit.asp?CID=1644&u=6147&t=0Nevis, E. C., Ghoreishi, S., & Gould, J. M. (n.d.). Understanding organizations as learning systems. Retrieved from http://www.drghoreishi.com/doc/LO.pdfYang, B., Watkins, K. E., & Marsick, V. J. (2004). The construct of the learning organization: dimensions, measurement, and validation. Human Resource Development Quarterly 15(1), pp. 31-55.