Running Head:IT AND ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING

IT and Organisational Learning: A Review And Assessment Of Research

Table of Content

Chapter 1: Introduction1

Background of research1

Problem Statement2

Research Question2

Aims and Objectives2

Significance3

Rationale3

Chapter 2: Literature Review4

Defining organisational learning4

Measurement of learning: Outcome measures7

Process measures8

The role of experience9

Formal training12

Social context of learning13

Chapter 3: Methodology16

Research Design16

Sample16

Data Collection Method16

Data Analysis16

Chapter 4: Anticipated Result18

Chapter 5: Conclusion20

References22

Chapter 1: Introduction

The turn of the century conveniently punctuates history, marking end of the prior era and provoking new visions of future. For organisational scientists, end of twentieth century has witnessed an unprecedented obsession with organisational transformation and improvement. Traditional bureaucratic forms have been declared the competitive liability, and proposals for radical new forms have appeared with striking regularity(Zhu 2007:302). Many theoretical arguments underlie current proposals for organisational reform: economists assert supremacy of markets over hierarchies; technologists advocate process-centered, virtual organisations enabled by information technologies; and behaviorists promote renewal through organisational learning and knowledge management. Although popularity of alternative approaches shifts rapidly, parallel interests in information technology and organisational learning have been sustained for last quarter century. Only recently, however, has research begun to address information technology and organisational learning together.

Background of research

It is easy to account for current popularity of organisational learning. For many, organisational learning offers an optimistic and humanistic antidote to problems plaguing organisations as they struggle with transition from an industrial age to an information age. The images of an organisation learning new behaviors and mindfully managing its knowledge resources certainly offer more palatable metaphors for organisational transition than radical surgery of process reengineering or hollow created by outsourcing and downsizing. Organisational learning emphasises managerial vision, leadership, communication, and teamwork within human systems(Yglesias 2003: 615). By contrast, Hammer's (2001) original salvo in reengineering movement called for obliteration of existing work processes and creation of radically different processes enabled by new information technologies. Subsequently, Hammer revised his arguments to include the substantial role for learning in process of organisational change. Thus, organisational learning's persuasive appeal touched even 2001s' most outspoken organisational engineer.

Problem Statement

The images of an organisation learning new behaviors and mindfully managing its knowledge resources certainly offer more palatable metaphors for organisational transition than radical surgery of process reengineering or hollow created by outsourcing and downsizing.

Research Question

Can ways in which organisations learn to use information technology effectively potentially contribute to resolving problems?

Can the stream of research develop applications of information technology to support processes of organizational learning and knowledge management?

Aims and Objectives

The successful implementation of technologies that enable organizational learning depends on an organization's present capacity to learn. Thus, organizations that already exhibit learning capabilities should find it easier to increase their capacity to learn because they are more likely to experiment with new technologies. Conversely, organizations that desperately need to develop learning capacity will probably find it more difficult to implement necessary technologies.

Significance

Although link between information technology and organizational learning has only begun to be explored, two related streams of research can be identified. The first adopts organizational learning as the means for explaining and resolving problems of implementing and using new information ...