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1 – 10 of 41One of the major challenges an organization faces is to manage its knowledge assets. Increasingly, the use of knowledge is seen as a basis for competitive advantage. This paper…
Abstract
One of the major challenges an organization faces is to manage its knowledge assets. Increasingly, the use of knowledge is seen as a basis for competitive advantage. This paper explores the key factors that have been cited as significant influences on the ability to transfer knowledge, an important area of knowledge management. Each of these factors is discussed separately and then integrated into a conceptual framework to explain how effective knowledge transfer can be managed in an organization. A set of managerial implications, or a qualitative assessment approach, is also discussed. It is framed as organizational characteristics and managerial practices required to establish an effective knowledge transfer process in an organization. Conclusions are drawn about the complexity of managing knowledge transfer and the need to take a balanced approach to the process.
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This paper proposes a framework for understanding the concept of a learning organization from a normative perspective. A questionnaire was developed to operationally measure the…
Abstract
This paper proposes a framework for understanding the concept of a learning organization from a normative perspective. A questionnaire was developed to operationally measure the described management practice attributes of a learning organization. Using a sample of four organizations and 612 subjects, support was found for three a priori predictive hypotheses derived from a conceptual framework. Implications of the results and further empirical research are discussed, especially for linking learning organization attributes to performance using larger samples and multiple measures.
A growing body of literature on organizational learning suggests that companies or organizations with a learning capability can gain a competitive advantage. The argument is that…
Abstract
Purpose
A growing body of literature on organizational learning suggests that companies or organizations with a learning capability can gain a competitive advantage. The argument is that learning organizations are better at knowledge transfer and generating new knowledge to solve problems. The objective of this study is to examine empirically if learning companies are more competitive and better performers than their competitors.
Design/methodology/approach
This study examines a portfolio of learning companies and a set of their competitors, looking at their financial performance over a significant period. Learning companies were selected based on content analysis of the published literature. Competitors were selected from an existing top 500 companies listing matched to the learning company's business domain. This study compares their performance using both market and accounting financial data.
Findings
The data show that learning companies demonstrate strong performance in financial markets over time, beating the traditional market indexes in both bull and bear markets. The accounting data show similar results. On a majority of the financial measures, the long‐term financial performance of learning companies is significantly superior to that of their closest competitors.
Research limitations/implications
This study discusses and explores the implications of these results in studying the link between learning companies and organizational performance. A limitation of the study is the small sample size of learning companies in the study. Also some potential alternative explanations for their performance cannot be completely ruled out due to the longitudinal nature of the study.
Originality/value
This study shows that there is a positive link between learning capability and competitive advantage, as measured by long‐term market financial performance of a group of learning companies.
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Swee C. Goh, Catherine Elliott and Tony K. Quon
The purpose of this paper is to present a meta‐analysis of a subset of published empirical research papers that measure learning capability and link it to organizational…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a meta‐analysis of a subset of published empirical research papers that measure learning capability and link it to organizational performance. It also seeks to examine both financial and non‐financial performance.
Design/methodology/approach
In a search of published research on learning capability and organizational performance, the authors identified 33 articles that met criteria for inclusion in the meta‐analysis. Both objective and perceptual measures of organizational performance were considered to be acceptable. The data were analyzed using the Hunter and Schmidt meta‐analysis software.
Findings
The findings support a positive relationship between learning capability and organizational performance, with stronger results for non‐financial than financial performance. This has significant implications for justifying the investment in building a learning capability in organizations. Recommendations for managers are provided, such as the use of learning capability measures and the need to measure performance.
Research limitations/implications
The paper discusses the implications of these results for further theory building and development to advance knowledge in the field. This includes addressing the need for new research designs, the issue of causality, potential mediating effects and the impact of context in better understanding this complex relationship. It suggests that research is also needed to increase our understanding of how to effectively build this learning capability.
Originality/value
This meta‐analysis provides empirical evidence to support the value of building a learning capability in organizations.
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Swee C. Goh, Christopher Chan and Craig Kuziemsky
This article aims to encourage healthcare administrators to consider the learning organization concept and foster collaborative learning among teams in their attempt to improve…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to encourage healthcare administrators to consider the learning organization concept and foster collaborative learning among teams in their attempt to improve patient safety.
Design/methodology/approach
Relevant healthcare, organizational behavior and human resource management literature was reviewed.
Findings
A patient safety culture, fostered by healthcare leaders, should include an organizational culture that encourages collaborative learning, replaces the blame culture, prioritizes patient safety and rewards individuals who identify serious mistakes.
Practical implications
As healthcare institution staffs are being asked to deliver more complex medical services with fewer resources, there is a need to understand how hospital staff can learn from other organizational settings, especially the non‐healthcare sectors.
Originality/value
The paper provides suggestions for improving patient safety which are drawn from the health and business management literature.
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This paper describes a diagnostic tool to benchmark improvements in an organization’s learning capability over time. This diagnostic tool was used by two different organizations…
Abstract
This paper describes a diagnostic tool to benchmark improvements in an organization’s learning capability over time. This diagnostic tool was used by two different organizations that embarked on a change program to improve their learning capability. Access to these two organizations has allowed a diagnostic measure of their learning capability on a longitudinal basis. Measures were taken prior to change efforts being implemented to improve learning capability and then two to three years later to assess whether any improvements have been achieved. Other qualitative information on the interventions they implemented to improve their learning capability was also obtained. The paper draws from these two case studies some conclusions and implications for managing change and specifically for improving the learning capability of an organization.
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Catherine J. Elliott and Swee C. Goh
The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential learning consequences of AACSB accreditation as perceived by administrators and faculty members at four Canadian university…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential learning consequences of AACSB accreditation as perceived by administrators and faculty members at four Canadian university business schools.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative, multiple case study approach was employed. A purposive sample of four Canadian business schools was selected and data were collected from multiple sources. The data were analyzed using NVivo7 and a cross case analysis was performed.
Findings
The results indicate that AACSB accreditation facilitated organizational learning in three of the four schools. Respondents felt that accreditation promoted strategic alignment, a re‐assessment of the school's mission, and an emphasis on performance management; others identified an increased focus on quality and/or research. Accreditation also served as a catalyst for change, one which motivated program improvement. In terms of contextual factors, leadership was found to be the most pervasive influence on organizational learning effects. Resource dependence was also found to be influential.
Research limitations/implications
This research highlights the importance of educational leadership in facilitating organizational learning through evaluative inquiry. Because of the qualitative methodology, the sample size is limited to four university business schools.
Practical implications
This study has practical implications for management education internationally, as AACSB accreditation is increasingly a global phenomenon. The findings will be of interest to educational administrators, policy makers, managers, and accrediting bodies who are interested in facilitating learning through accreditation
Originality/value
This research offers a novel approach to studying the question of AACSB accreditation and its learning effects. By using a qualitative multiple case study method, this research provided a unique opportunity to focus more keenly on context and its role in influencing the potential learning consequences of accreditation.
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Performance management in public sector organizations is a growing phenomenon worldwide. Increasingly, questions are being raised as to its effectiveness in achieving the…
Abstract
Purpose
Performance management in public sector organizations is a growing phenomenon worldwide. Increasingly, questions are being raised as to its effectiveness in achieving the objective of improving the performance of public sector organizations. Research has shown that there seems to be questionable benefits and many barriers, challenges and problems with implementing performance management and measurement in the public sector environment. The purpose of this paper is to argue that this is due to the lack of focus on the process of managing the implementation of performance measurement. The author aims to review the relevant extant literature to support these assertions and to provide a conceptual framework that integrates these ideas.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reviews the extant literature on public sector performance management and measurement and develops a conceptual framework to explain how public sector performance measurement systems can be made more effective in light of the research evidence.
Findings
This paper suggests that three important factors need to be considered in the effective implementation of a performance measurement system in the public sector. They are managerial discretion, a learning and evaluative organizational culture and stakeholder involvement. These three factors are discussed and its impact on performance measurement is explored.
Research limitations/implications
A proposed integrative framework is presented that supports the assertion of the importance of these three factors in influencing how performance measurement can lead to improved performance in public sector organizations. Some potential environmental and institutional constraints are also discussed in implementing some of the suggestions proposed.
Practical implications
The paper provides a model that explains three important facors that need to be considered in implementing an effective performance measurement system in public sector organizations and suggestions for how it can be implemented effectively.
Originality/value
The paper integrates and synthesizes the literature on public sector performance measurement into a comprehensive conceptual framework that explains more explicitly the factors that can influence the effectiveness of a performance measurement system in the public sector.
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Irene Budi Prastiwi and Martinus Tukiran
This study aims to identify the strategic leadership and change management used to obtain the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditations as well…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify the strategic leadership and change management used to obtain the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditations as well as the research development on AACSB in the past decade.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a systematic literature review following Petticrew and Roberts’ study. The articles were limited to empirical studies published from 2013 to 2022, taken from the Dimensions AI database.
Findings
The findings suggested that two leadership styles were used to obtain AACSB accreditation: dominance-oriented transformational and financial leadership, alongside three traits of academic leaders: commitment, engagement and encouragement. Additionally, three change management models/processes were found in the articles: teaching evaluation framework, temporary isomorphism and authenticity. Finally, they discovered that the object of the studies on AACSB accreditation had been narrowed down from the organizational level to smaller objects consisting of schools’ identity, teaching, learning and business schools’ key players.
Research limitations/implications
As this study only used Dimensions AI, potential articles related to the topic outside the database could not be obtained. Thus, it limits the scope of the findings of this paper.
Practical implications
This study informs academic leaders in business schools about the role of strategic leadership and change management in obtaining AACSB accreditation.
Originality/value
Through a systematic scoping review, this study presented a decade of research development on AACSB in addition to the strategic leadership and change management needed to obtain it.
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In this paper, the author explores his research journey into the learning organization and its impact on his academic career. This paper describes how Peter Senge’s book The Fifth…
Abstract
Purpose
In this paper, the author explores his research journey into the learning organization and its impact on his academic career. This paper describes how Peter Senge’s book The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of The Learning Organization (1990) was the spark that led to the author’s focus on empirical research in the field.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper provides author’s personal reflections on how this decision put him on a path to a variety of serendipitous experiences, exciting research areas and also enabled him to engage in productive collaborative research with many of his colleagues.
Findings
The findings conclude with a discussion on what the author see as new challenges and perspectives for advancing research into the learning organization.
Originality/value
This paper provides a unique perspective on how The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge has influenced an academic career. It presents a personal reflection of a research journey into the learning organization that spans over 30 years.
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