Handbook of Research on the Learning Organization: Adaptation and Context(Research Handbooks in Business and Management series)

This timely Handbook establishes the 'contextualization' of the learning organization idea as a research field.In contrast to much of the previous literature, which has approached the learning organization as a panacea that every organization could and should adopt, this major new Handbook puts the learning organization into context. It examines the relevance of the learning organization idea to organizations in various specific contexts, employing examples from a wide variety of cultures including China and Islamic nations, and from industries as diverse as the police force, care services for the elderly and family firms. Scholars and students with an interest in organizational learning will find this important Handbook enriching. Human resource practitioners will also find plenty of invaluable information in this resource. Contributors: C. Abrahamson Löfström, A. Ahmad, M. Babur, Y. Baruch, N. Birdthistle, D.A. Blackman, C. Blantern, P. Bogolyubov, T. Boydell, H.T.M. Bui, J. Burgoyne, X. Cong, D.J. Delgado-Hernández, M. Drobnjak, M. Easterby-Smith, Z. Fan, C. Filstad, T.N. Garavan, P. Gottschalk, J.F.L. Hong, S.-w. Hsu, D. Jamali, B. Li, Z. Li, M. Lin, C. Lloyd, D. McDowall, A. Örtenblad, C. Peng, Y. Sidani, R.S. Snell, C. Stothard, S. Talbot, M. Torokoff-Engelbrecht, K.E. Watkins, D. Weir, J. Zhou

Table of Contents:
Contents: Preface Anders Örtenblad PART I: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1. Introduction: Putting the Learning Organization into Context: An Emerging Research Field Anders Örtenblad 2. What do we Mean by ‘Learning Organization’? Anders Örtenblad 3. Putting the Learning Organization into Context: Contributions from Previous Works Anders Örtenblad, Ziyun Fan, Chenghao Peng, Boying Li, Ziyan Li, Xiaoying Cong and Jie Zhou 4. Contextualizing the Learning Organization: Approaches to Research Design Anders Örtenblad 5. Obstacles to the Learning Organization David Weir and Anders Örtenblad PART II: THE LEARNING ORGANIZATION IN CONTEXT Section A. Culture and Religion 6. National Culture and the Learning Organization: An Integrative Framework Pavel Bogolyubov and Mark Easterby-Smith 7. Developing Learning Organizations in China Jacky F.L. Hong, Robin Stanley Snell and Mian Lin 8. Learning Organization Practices in Mexico: An Empirical Study David Joaquín Delgado-Hernández and Made Torokoff-Engelbrecht 9. Islamic Perspective of the Learning Organization Aini Ahmad Section B. Industries and Sectors 10. Learning, Trust and Change within the Australian Army: The Development of the Army Learning Organization Questionnaire (ALOQ) Maya Drobnjak, Christina Stothard, Steven Talbot, Karen E. Watkins and Denise McDowall 11. The Police Force: To be or not to be a Learning Organization? Cathrine Filstad and Petter Gottschalk 12. The Learning Organization in Elderly Care – Can it Fit? Carina Abrahamson Löfström 13. Family Firms as Learning Organizations Naomi Birdthistle and Thomas N. Garavan 14. Universities as Learning Organizations: Internationalization and Innovation Hong T.M. Bui and Yehuda Baruch Section C. Mixed Contexts 15. Public Sector Organizations as Learning Organizations: Insights from the Education System in Pakistan Muhammad Babur 16. The Learning Organization: Opportunities and Challenges for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Developing Countries Dima Jamali, Yusuf Sidani and Charissa Lloyd PART III: REFLECTIONS ON THE LEARNING ORGANIZATION 17. The Universality of Learning Company Principles: A Critical Realist Approach John Burgoyne 18. Who is the Learning Organization For? A Stakeholder Contingency Approach to Contextualizing Managerial Panaceas Anders Örtenblad 19. ‘The Learning Organization’ – Drop the Dead Metaphor! Performing Organizing and Learning in Networks (So to Speak) Chris Blantern, Tom Boydell and John Burgoyne 20. Alternative Learning Organization Shih-wei Hsu 21. Contextualising the Learning Organization: How will it Help us Learn in the Future? Deborah Ann Blackman 22. Towards a Contingency Model: Recommendations for Further Research Anders Örtenblad Index

About the Author :
Edited by Anders Örtenblad, Professor of Work Life Science, University of Agder, Norway

Review :
‘The uniqueness of this book compared to other books on the topic of learning organizations is threefold: it offers a pragmatic perspective; it supplies evidence from different contexts; and it has the vision of creating a contingency model of the relevance of the learning organization idea.. . .I would recommend this book not only to scholars engaged in organizational research but also to practitioners at every organizational level. Managers or MBA students can use this book to enhance their understanding of the learning organization and gain valuable ideas about how to design their own organization for optimal long-term performance and adaptability.’ ‘Örtenblad offers a contingency framework differentiating the idea of the learning organization as portrayed in research and practice to shed light on context as key to the idea’s relevance. The contingency framework anchors chapter authors’ interrogation into adaptation of enduring, underlying principles by divergent context–in industry, sector, national culture, religious orientation, and philosophical underpinnings. Readers will value analysis and synthesis of what is known from research as well as informed probing of what could be learned through the lens of provocative viewpoints. Scholars will appreciate Örtenblad’s assessment of extant research and arguments made for “researcher-assisted adaptation” to balance rigid prescriptions with informed guidance in navigating contextual differences when deciding to enact the learning organization.’ ‘The Handbookis a very well researched and excellent tool for anyone interested in the concept of learning, and particularly in the global organizational context. I highly recommend this book to managers of companies both large and small wanting to compete in the global landscape by highlighting the important learning that occurs in their organizations.’ 'This handbook has moved the field of learning organization research forward considerably. It has paved the way for future research by providing a more nuanced conceptual framework than hitherto existed. This framework will make it easier for future studies to compare findings and contribute to a contingency framework of the learning organization concept. Moreover, the book also offers new, alternative perspectives on the learning organization which, if implemented in practice, may stimulate more innovation and change. I would recommend this book not only to scholars engaged in organizational research but also to practitioners at every organizational level. Managers or MBA students can use this book to enhance their understanding of the learning organization and gain valuable ideas about how to design their own organization for optimal long-term performance and adaptability. Employees who wish to figure out what is going on at the top level of management can use this book and the contingency approach as an inspiration to find meaning in management language and strategies.'