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Article
Publication date: 16 January 2019

Elena P. Antonacopoulou, Christian Moldjord, Trygve J. Steiro and Christina Stokkeland

This paper aims to revive the old idea of the Learning Organisation by providing a fresh conceptualisation and illustration. The New Learning Organisation is conceptualised…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to revive the old idea of the Learning Organisation by providing a fresh conceptualisation and illustration. The New Learning Organisation is conceptualised, focussing on the common good through responsible action. It is positioned as responding to the VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity, Bennett and Lemoine, 2014) conditions with a VUCA approach to Learning Leadership fostering Institutional Reflexivity and High Agility Organising .

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a new organisational learning framework – the 8As – Sensuous Organisational Learning framework. It illustrates the operationalisation of this framework in PART II through the educational practices and learning culture of the Norwegian Defence University College, Royal Norwegian Air Force Academy’s (RNoAFA) approach to growing (Military) leaders.

Findings

The Sensuous Organisational Learning – 8As – framework illustrates how attentiveness, alertness, awareness, appreciation, anticipation, alignment, activation and agility form an integral part of the New Learning Organisation. Their unique contribution as aspect of a Sensuous Organisational Learning framework is that they explicate how the three principles of Institutional Reflexivity, High Agility Organising and Learning Leadership can be operationalised to serve the common good.

Research limitations/implications

The paper presents a novel way of reviving the Learning Organisation beyond an ideology as a practical approach to responding to VUCA conditions. It introduces a new learning theory and injects a fresh perspective in our understanding of the role and impact of learning in the workplace.

Practical implications

By focussing on Learning Leadership practices that extend previous Organisational Learning frameworks, The New Learning Organisation promoted here focuses on responsible action to serve the common good through Institutional Reflexivity and High Agility Organising.

Social implications

By focussing on how the common good can be better served, the New Learning Organisation becomes a mantra for social change to identify the higher purpose that social actions must serve.

Originality/value

The need for fresh contributions in the Organisational Learning debate is long overdue. This paper marks a new chapter in Organisational Learning research and practice by demonstrating the value of sensousness as a foundation for improving the practical judgements across professional practices.

Details

The Learning Organization, vol. 26 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-6474

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 January 2019

Elena P. Antonacopoulou, Christian Moldjord, Trygve J. Steiro and Christina Stokkeland

The purpose of this paper – PART II – is to present the lived experiences of Sensuous Organisational Learning drawn from the educational practices and learning culture of the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper – PART II – is to present the lived experiences of Sensuous Organisational Learning drawn from the educational practices and learning culture of the Norwegian Defence University College, Royal Norwegian Air Force Academy’s (RNoAFA) approach to growing (Military) leaders.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reflects the co-creation of actionable knowledge between military officers, academics at the RNoAFA and international scholars engaged as research collaborators. The objective is to present the benefits of “practising knowing through dialogical exchange” (MacIntosh et al., 2012) as an approach to co-creating knowledge for responsible action. In this case, the authors present the conceptualisation and illustration of the idea of the New Learning Organisation they advance.

Findings

The Sensuous Organisational Learning – 8As framework explains how Attentiveness, Alertness, Awareness, Appreciation, Anticipation, Alignment, Activation and Agility form an integral part of the educational strategy that enables the RNoAFA to respond to the wider Educational Reforms and Modernisation programme of Norwegian Defence. The RNoAFA is presented as an illustration of how the New Learning Organisation serves the common good if Institutional Reflexivity and High Agility Organising were key aspects of the Learning Leadership it fosters.

Research limitations/implications

Consistent with MacIntosh et al.’s (2012) dialogical exchanges the authors present the relational and intersubjective nature of meaningful dialogue between the co-authors that provides scope for integrative stories of practice. The resulting illustrative example of the New Learning Organisation, is an account of the learning experienced. Hence, this paper is presented neither as a traditional empirical paper nor as a self-disclosing or even auto-ethnographic account. Instead, it is one of a series of research outputs from innovative research collaboration between the authors all committed to “practising knowing”.

Practical implications

The New Learning Organisation promoted here focuses on responsible action to serve the common good. Investing in Institutional Reflexivity becomes critical in continuing to broaden the ways of being and becoming. As individuals, communities and organisations, that comprise the institution (in this case Norwegian Defence) grow and elevate their practical judgements to serve the common good the capacity to engage in reflexive critique heightens organisational agility and leadership.

Social implications

Embedding care as the essence of learning not only enables accepting mistakes and owning up to these mistakes, but reinforcing the strength of character in doing so demonstrating what it means to be resilient, flexible and ready to respond to the VUCA. This is what permits High Agility Organising to foster learning on an ongoing basis driving the commitment to continually renew operational and professional practices. By focussing on how the common good can be better served, the New Learning Organisation cares to pursue the higher purpose that social actions must serve.

Originality/value

Advancing leadership as a personal, relational and organisational quality supported by an orientation towards practising goes beyond single, double and triple loop learning. In doing so, the Learning Leadership that drives the New Learning Organisation energises Attentiveness, Alertness, Awareness, Appreciation, Anticipation, Alignment, Activation and Agility. This paper marks a new chapter in Organisational Learning research and practice by demonstrating the value of sensuousness as a foundation for improving the practical judgements across professional practices.

Details

The Learning Organization, vol. 27 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-6474

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 August 2015

Christian Moldjord and Anne Iversen

The purpose of this paper is to explore one vital aspect of team performance, the development of vulnerability trust in temporary high-performance teams (HPTs), within the context…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore one vital aspect of team performance, the development of vulnerability trust in temporary high-performance teams (HPTs), within the context of after-action debriefing sessions.

Design/methodology/approach

In-depth interviews were conducted with military aircrew members about sharing vulnerable and personal experiences after action in a war scenario. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze the qualitative material.

Findings

The study identified six themes that influence the development of vulnerability trust in temporary HPTs: creating familiarity, caring attitude and recognition of other crew members, the power of transparency, fear of rejection, contradictions between team members and the number of listeners in a sharing session. All these themes appeared to have an effect on the development of vulnerability trust.

Practical implications

The study shows how vulnerability trust may affect team development and team performance.

Social implications

The paper not only specifically provides an insight into the development of trust in HPTs but also helps to broaden the understanding of the importance of trust for team development in general.

Originality/value

The paper contributes knowledge on the development of vulnerability trust that is new to research on HPTs, and the study explores how vulnerability trust may affect team development and team performance. The data material for this research has been collected from military operators’ experiences in a war context. Such environments are often shielded from and minimally available for qualitative research.

Article
Publication date: 21 February 2020

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds his/her own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

Organizational learning is one of those themes that everyone within a firm can get on board with. It sounds important and logical, and no one is going to argue against organizational learning, are they? Once the HR department declares your firm a “learning organization” and ensures that knowledge management processes are updated, new training is rolled out and mentoring introduced across hierarchies, everyone will be happy in the knowledge that they are now part of a learning organization.

Practical implications

This paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Details

Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal, vol. 34 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7282

Keywords

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