SGDU 5033

SCHOOL MANAGEMENT AND

SUPERVISION
Credit Value: 3

LECTURER : MEJ (B) MUA’AZAM BIN MOHAMAD PhD

School as Learning
Organizations

Learning Outcomes
 After following this lecture, you should be able to:
The meaning of school and school as organization and discuss the
characteristics of school as an organization.
Summarize the meaning of learning including the structure of
organization, and established the relationship between tall and flat
organization.
Summarize and evaluate the new learning in organizations,
differentiate between learning organization and organizational
learning, important dimensions and characteristics of a learning
organization.
Summarize and evaluate the system-linked organization model,
building dynamic learning throughout the organization and the learning
system.

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 Learning Outcomes
 After following this lecture, you should be able to:
Summarize and evaluate the five learning disciplines, and
learning capacity of organization, and notes its different
between learning and training.
Discuss the organization transformation for learning
excellence, and 10 strategies for organization
transformation to learning.
Identify and describe empowering and enabling people in
the organization, knowledge management in learning
organization, and impact of technological power for
organizational learning.
Identify how to maintain and sustain the learning
organization and school as effective learning organization.
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Lecture Outline
 School as Learning Organization
What should we mean by school
School as organization
What is learning.
Components of organization structure
 The Emergence of Learning Organization
Learning Organization versus Traditional
Organization
The new learning organization
 The System-Linked Model
System learning organizational model
Building dynamic learning throughout the
organization
 The 5 Learning Disciplines or Skills
Senge Big 5
Action Learning: Coaching & Continuous
learning framework
Top 10 Strategies to builds Learning
System
 The Organization Transformation for
Learning Experience
Organization subsystems
Top 10 Strategies for organization
Transformation to Learning
The Quantitative Management
Perspective Today
 Empowering and Enabling People
People subsystem
New leadership skills
 Knowledge Management in Learning
Organization
Knowledge subsystem
 Harnessing Technological Power for
organizational Learning
Technology subsystem
EPSS
16 steps in becoming learning
organization
Building and maintaining and sustaining
the learning organization.

Perception Challenges: What Do You See?

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 What should we mean by a school?

Everett Reimer (1971:35) defines

schools ‘as institutions that require
full-time attendance of specific age
groups in teacher-supervised
classrooms for the study of graded
curricula’.
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The school then, is an

organisational embodiment of a
major social institution whose
prime function is to bring about
development changes in
individuals. (Dreeben, 1968:3)

Schools as Organization.
Organizations may be regarded as a group or
cooperative system that has the following five
characteristics:
 An accepted pattern of purposes- Members
recognize the primary need or reason for the
organization to exist.
 A sense of identification or belonging- All
members, regardless of their position, have an
identity with their work and see themselves as an
integral part of the organization

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  Continuity of interaction- Members of the
organization interact with each other with a
degree of regularity and continuity; there are
established patterns or channels of
communication.
 Differentiation of function- Members of the
organization perform different and/or
specialized roles.
 Conscious integration of organizational goals-
Members of the organization work together with
deliberate efforts to achieve organizational
goals.
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What is learning?

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Learning is a social activity. We gain

knowledge, make sense of our world, or
find out about things through our
involvement with other people (or their
books, emails, or videotapes). The
social nature of learning is evident in
what we learn as well as how we learn.

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 Structure
 Streamlined, flat hierarchy
 Seamless, boundary-less, & holistic
 Project form of organizing & implementing
 Networking
 Small units with entrepreneurial thinking
 Bureaucracies are rooted out

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Components of Organization Structure

Barney, Jay B. and Ricky W. Griffin, The Management of Organizations. Copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Used with permissions.

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Tall Versus Flat Organizations

Tall Organization
Principal

Flat Organization
Principal

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 Establishing Reporting Relationships:
Tall Versus Flat Organizations
 Tall Organizations  Flat Organizations
Are more expensive
because of the number of
managers involved.
Foster more
communication problems
because of the number of
people through whom
information must pass.
Lead to higher levels of
employee morale and
productivity.
Create more
administrative
responsibility for the
relatively few managers.
Create more supervisory
responsibility for
managers due to wider
spans of control.
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Emergence of Learning
Organizations
“Only by venturing into the unknown do we enable new ideas
& new results to take place.” Margaret Wheatley

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Organizations must learn

faster & adapt to the rapid
changes in the environment….
Otherwise, remember them?

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 Many organizations do not
grasp what a learning
organization is.

Six blind men

“No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that

created it; we must learn to see the world anew.” Albert Einstein

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Emerging Issues in Organization Design

 The Learning Organization

An organization that works to facilitate the lifelong
learning and development of its employees while
transforming itself to respond to
changing demands and needs.

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Elements of a Learning Organization

The essential idea is problem solving, in contrast to the traditional
organization designed for efficiency.

Learning
Organization
Empowered Open
Employees Information

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 School as a Learning Organization
Organizational learning is the process of
gaining knowledge and developing skills
which empower us to understand, and
thus to act effectively within, social
institutions such as schools.

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Peter Senge (1990) first floated the concept of

the learning organization. According to him
learning organizations are:

“…organizations where people continually

expand their capacity to create the results they
truly desire, where new and expansive
patterns of thinking are nurtured, where
collective aspiration is set free, and where
people are continually learning to see the
whole together.”

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Kenneth Leithwood’s conception of learning

organization is defined as “a group of people
pursuing common purpose (individual
purposes as well) with a collective
commitment to regularly weighing the value
of those purpose, modifying them when makes
sense, and continuously developing more
effective and efficient ways of accomplishing
those purpose.” (Leithwood & Aitken,
1995:63)
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 The basic rationale for such
organizations is that in situations of rapid
change only those that are flexible,
adaptive and productive will excel.
For this to happen, organizations need to
‘discover how to tap people’s
commitment and capacity to learn at all
levels’

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Learning Organization versus Traditional Organization

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The New Learning in

Organizations
 Learning is performance-based (tied to objectives/results).
 Importance is placed on learning processes (learning how to
learn).
 The ability to define learning needs is as important as the
answers.
 Organization-wide opportunities are created to develop
knowledge, skills, & attitudes & VALUES
 Learning is part of work, a part of everyone’s job description.
 What organizations know is less important to what & how
quickly they can learn.

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 The New Learning in Organizations
(cont’d)
 Learning is, in part, a product of an activity, context, & culture in which it
is developed.
 People are more willing & able to learn the skills which they have
created.
 A critical skill is the ability to know what one must know & learn on one’s
own.
 Continuous learning is essential.
 Facilitators can accelerate learning by helping people think critically.
 Learning should accommodate & challenge different learning style
preferences.
 Learning involves a cyclical, iterative process of planning, implementing,
& reflecting on action.
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A learning organization has

the capability to:
 Anticipate & adapt more readily to environmental impacts.
 Accelerate the development of new processes & services.
 Become more proficient at learning from others.
 Expedite the transfer of knowledge from one part of the organization to
another.
 Learn more effectively from its mistakes.
 Make greater organizational use of employees at all levels of the
organization.
 Shorten the time required to implement strategic changes.
 Stimulate continuous improvement in all areas of the organization.
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Difference between “learning

organizations” & “organizational
learning”

 Learning organizations focussed on the

what, & describes the systems, principles, &
characteristic of organizations that learn &
produce as a collective entity.
Learning Organizational
 Organizational learning, refers to how organization learning
organizational learning occurs, i.e., the skills
& processes of building & utilizing
knowledge.
 Organizational learning is just one
dimension or element of a learning
organization.
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 Important dimensions &
characteristics of a learning
organizations
 Learning is accomplished by the organizational system as a whole,
almost as if the organization were a single brain.
 Everyone recognize the critical importance of on-going organization
learning for the current as well as future successes.
 Learning is a continuous, strategically used process – integrated
with & parallel to work.
 Focus on creative & generative learning.
 Systems thinking is fundamental.
 Everyone has access to information & data sources.
 Encourages, rewards, & accelerate individual & group learning.
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Important dimensions &

characteristics of a learning
organization (cont’d)
 Everyone network in an innovative, community-like manner inside &
outside the organization.
 Change is embraced, & unexpected surprises & even failures are viewed
as opportunities.
 It is agile & flexible.
 Everyone is driven by a desire for quality & continuous improvement.
 Activities are inspired by aspiration, reflection, & conceptualization.
 There are well placed core competencies that serve as take-off point for
new initiatives.
 Able to continuously adapt, renew, & revitalize itself.

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The Systems-Linked
Organization Model
“Learning inside must be equal to or greater than
change outside the organization or the organization
is in decline, & may not survive”. Reg Revans.

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 Systems learning organization
model

people
organization

learning

knowledge technology

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Five closely interrelated subsystems that

interface & support one another

 The core is learning which permeates the other

subsystems.
 Each of the other subsystems are necessary to
enhance & augment the quality & impact of
learning.
 The five subsystems are dynamically inter-
related & complement each other.

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Building
Dynamic Learning
Throughout the
Organization
“Learning is the new form of labour.” Shoshana Zuboff

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 Levels Types
• Individual • Adaptive
• Group • Anticipatory
• Organization • Deutero
• Action

learning

Skills
• Systems
Thinking
•Mental models
•Personal Mastery
•Team learning
Learning •Shared vision
•Dialogue
subsystems
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Learning subsystem
 Core of the learning organization.
 Composed of 3 complementary dimensions:
1) Levels of learning (individual), group, &
organizational)
2) Types of learning (adaptive, anticipatory, deutero,
single & double loop, & action-reflection)
3) Skills (systems thinking, mental models, personal
mastery, team learning, shared vision & dialogue)

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 A process by
3 Domains
which individuals
gain new Cognitive (intellectual)
knowledge &
insights that result
in a change of Affective
behaviour &
Learning
(emotional)
actions.
psychomotor (physical)

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 Habit & skill learning Knowledge acquisition
Slow, calls for practice, Acquiring information &
opportunities for practice, knowledge through various
& making errors, & cognitive activities.
Consistent rewards But,
learning can only happen,
Three kinds if the learner recognizes a
of learning problem & is willing to
learn; the learner often
cannot produce the right
type of behaviour or skill;
Emotional conditioning insight does not
& learned anxiety automatically change
Most potent, continue for behaviour.
a long time
Edgar Schein, Harvard
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“Learning has very little to do with taking in

information. Learning, instead, is a process
that is about enhancing capacity. Learning is
about building the capability to create that
which you previously couldn’t create. It’s
ultimately related to action, which information
is not.” Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline
 Learning, ultimately, is a social phenomenon-
our ability to learn & what we can know is
determined by the quality & openness of our
relationships with others.” Michael Marquardt

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Three levels of learning

•Empower people
•Integrate quality &
Quality of work life
organizations •Create free space
For learning

Collaborate
teams &
share gains

•Promote inquiry
•Create continuous
individuals learning opportunities

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 Learning organization
 Is a union of individuals (the lower triangle) &
organizations (upper triangle)
 The key is the overlap, which where teams
function & benefit the learning organization.
 The utilization of the combined resources &
energies of the individuals, teams & the
organization creates the learning organization.

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Adaptive

Four Types of
Learning
Anticipatory in Deutero
Organizations

Action
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Adaptive learning
action outcome results data reflection

 Single Loop learning: focused on gaining information to

stabilize & maintain existing systems, emphasis on error
detection & corrections; obtaining direct solutions to the
immediate problem; used in most organizations
 Double Loop learning: more in-depth & involves
questioning the system itself; looks deeper at norms &
structures; raises questions about their validity;
organizations unwilling to engage in double loop learning
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 Anticipatory learning
vision reflection action approach

 Learns from expecting the future;

 Seeks to avoid negative results &
experiences;
 “Planning as learning” approach

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Deutero learning

 Learns from critically

reflecting upon its taken-
for-granted assumptions;
 “Learning about learning”;
 Members become cognizant about previous
organizational contexts for learning

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Comparisons
 Adaptive learning is more a coping form of
learning
 Anticipatory & deutero learning are much more
generative or creative - the organization is
greatly empowered since staff is more proactive,
reflective & creative in their learning

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 Action Learning
 Involves working on real problems, focusing on the
learning acquired, & actually implementing solutions
 “There is no learning without action, & no action without
learning”
 L = P + Q; where
 L = learning
 P = programmed instructions (knowledge in current use)
 Q = questioning (fresh insights)

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learning disciplines or skills

Personal Team
mastery learning

Systems
thinking

Mental Shared
models vision

Peter Senge, Fifth Discipline

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Systems Thinking

 “It is a discipline for seeing wholes, a framework for

seeing interrelationships rather than linear cause-
effect chains, for seeing underlying structures rather
than events, for seeing patterns of change rather than
snapshots. “
 Small well focussed action can sometimes produce
significant enduring improvements.
 Changes planned or unplanned in one part of the
organization can effect other parts with surprising ,
often negative consequences.

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 Personal Mastery
 Essential cornerstone of a learning
organization.
 Entails a commitment to continuous learning at
all levels.
 A discipline of continually clarifying & deepening
personal vision, energies & patience.

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Team Learning
 The process of aligning & developing the
capacity of a team to create the learning &
results that its members seek.
 Involves the need to think insightfully about
complex issues.
 Need innovative coordinated action.
 Must encourage & stimulate learning in other
teams.

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Mental Models

 An image or perspective of an event, situation,

activity or concept.
 A deeply ingrained assumption that influences
how we understand the world & how we take
action.
 Turning the mirror inward, of learning how to
unearth internal or images of the world & then to
bring them to surface.

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 Shared Vision

 Provides a focus & energy for learning.

 Leads to generative learning.
 People tend to excel & learn, not because they
are forced to, but because they sincerely want
to.
 Foster heartfelt commitment by people
throughout the organization to seek, to improve,
to learn.

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Learning Capacity of
Organizations
 Speed: how fast the organization is able to rotate around
the learning cycle (planning, implementing & reflecting &
complete the iteration.
 Depth: the degree to which organizations are able to
learn at the end of each iteration of the cycle by
questioning underlying assumptions & improving their
capacity to learn in the future.
 Breadth: how extensively organizations are able to
transfer new insights & knowledge derived from each
iteration of the learning cycle to other issues & parts of
the organization.

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Learning & Training

Training
 Outside in, done by others,
assumes relative stability
 Focuses on knowledge, skills &
job performance accomplishment
 Appropriate for developing
competencies
 Emphasizes improvement
Learning
 Inside out, seek to do for self,
assumes continuous change
 Focuses on values,attitudes,
innovation & outcomes
 Helps organizations & individuals
learn how to learn and create own
solutions
 Emphasizes breakthrough

 Not necessarily linked to  Directly aligned with organization’s

organization’s mission & strategies vision & requirements for success
 Structured learning experiences  Formal & informal, long-term
with short-term focus future-oriented, learner-initiated

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 Action Learning: Coaching &
continuous learning framework

planning

learner coach

reflection application
Shared responsibility
Open communication

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Top Strategies to Build

Learning Subsystem
1. Develop Action Learning
Programmes throughout
the organization
2. Increase individual’s ability
to learn how to learn
3. Develop a discipline of
dialogue
4. Create career development
plans for employability
5. Establish self-development
cash programmes
6. Build team-learning skills
7. Encourage & practice
systems thinking
8. Use scanning & scenario
planning for Anticipatory
Learning
9. Encourage & expand
diversity, multicultural &
global mindsets & learnings
10. Change the mental model
relative to learning

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Organization
Transformation for
Learning Excellence

“The prime business of teaching is learning.” Harrison Owen

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 Vision Culture

Organization
organization subsystems

Structure Strategy

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Vision
• “Stars to steer by”
• Energize the organization
• Exhilarating
• Create the spark & excitement
• Shared by everyone
• Learning must be part of the vision
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Culture
 Distinctive ways of believing, thinking & acting manifested by
symbols, heroes, rituals, ideology & values
 A learning organization encourages & rewards learning
 Responsibility for learning is shared by all
 People trust & care for each other
 People are willing to take risks & innovate
 Financial & human resources are provided for learning
 Different learning styles are recognized & appreciated
 “How can this be done better?” is always asked
 Responsive to changes & chaos

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 Strategy

 Intertwine & align organization-wide learning with business &

personal success.
 Build learning into all operations & activities.
 Relate staff policies to becoming a learning organization.
 Recognize & reward learning.
 Measure & broadcast impact & benefits of learning.
 Generate a large number of learning opportunities.
 Set aside time for learning.
 Create physical environment & space for learning.
 Maximize learning on the job.
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Continuous Workplace learning process

Uses assignments, business
workplace problems & experiences as
learning model learning opportunities

Plan
Transfer Identify what needs
to be learned to deal
Record lessons
With new & unfamiliar
learned and share
situations
with others
Manages Ask questions
self as a Identify & use tools
& resources to gain
learner knowledge

Reflect on Plan
Reflect on Restructure problems
Action by incorporating
Obtain and use different
feedback to improve perspectives
performance Act

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Workplace learning process

Continuous
Uses assignments, business
workplace problems & experiences as
learning model learning opportunities

Plan
Transfer Establish an environment
Record lessons conducive to workplace
learned and share learning
with others
Help Assist others in setting &
meeting goals
Others Help others identify tools &
Learn resources

Reflect on Reflect on Plan

Action Help others
Encourage reflection restructure problems
by incorporating
Provide feedback to different
others on learning Act perspectives
accomplishments

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 Top Strategies for Organization
Transformation to Learning
1. Hold a Future Search 6. Make learning a part of all
Conference policies & procedures
2. Gain top level management 7. Establish centers of
support excellence & demonstration
projects.
3. Create a corporate climate 8. Use measurement of
for continuous learning financial & non-financial
4. Reengineer policies & areas as a learning activity
structures around learning 9. Create time, space, &
5. Recognize & reward physical environment for
individual & team learning learning
10. Make learning intentional at
all times & in all locations
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Empowering
&
Enabling People
“People are the masters.” Edmund Burke

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Employees

People
Managers/ Customers
Leaders

people
subsystems
Alliance
Vendors & partners
Suppliers
Community

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 People need to be empowered
& enabled. Otherwise ….
Empowered Enabled
but not but not
enabled empowered

“mad pilots” “caged eagles”

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Principles & guidelines for

empowering & enabling staff
 Treat them as mature, capable workers & learners
 Encourage freedom, energy & enthusiasm
 Maximize the delegation of authority & responsibility
 Involve employees in developing strategies & planning
 Strike a balance between individual & organization
needs

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Striking a balance between

individual & organization needs

Performance capability Performance

Needs of the individual Needs of the
organization

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 Changes In Organizations
From To
Continual change Transformation
Quality Improvement Process engineering
Matrix Network
Performance appraisal Performance management
Technophobia Application of technology
Functions Process
Control Empowerment
Employment Employability

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New Leadership Roles

 Instructor, Coach, Mentor

 Knowledge Manager
 Co-learner & model for learning
 Architect & designer
 Co-ordinator
 Advocate & champion for & projects learning
processes
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New Leadership Skills

 Build a shared vision
 Co-ordinate multiple, task-focused Teams
 Surface & test mental models
 Engage in systems thinking
 Encourage creativity, innovation, & willingness to
risk
 Conceptualize & inspire learning & action

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 Top Strategies for Empowerment &
Enablement
1. Institute personnel policies 6. Balance learning & development
that reward learning needs of the individual &
organization
2. Create self-managed work 7. Encourage & enhance client
teams participation in organization
3. Empower employees to learning
learn & produce 8. Provide education opportunities
4. Encourage leaders to for the community
model & demonstrate 9. Build long term learning
partnerships with vendors &
learning suppliers
5. Invite leaders to champion 10. Maximize learning from alliances
learning processes & & joint ventures
projects
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Knowledge
Management in
Learning
Organizations
“Knowledge is power.” Francis Bacon

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Acquisition Creation

knowledge Knowledge
subsystem
Transfer
Storage &
utilization

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 External Sources
• Benchmarking from other
organizations
• Attending conferences
• Hiring consultants
• Reading print materials
• Viewing TV, video & film Knowledge Internal
• Monitoring economic, social & Sources
technological trends Acquisition • Tapping into
• Collecting data
knowledge of its staff
• Hiring new staff
• Learning from
• Collaborating with other
experience
organizations
• Implementing
continuous change
process

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Two Important Points

 There is not a one-to-one correspondence
between what is happening & what is
collected due to the numerous filters that
influences what information the organization
listens to & ultimately accepts;
 Acquiring knowledge is not always intentional
but learning organizations build more
intentionality into the acquiring of knowledge.

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Knowledge Creation
 Generative & imperative for learning
organizations
 Should be at the epicenter of an organization’s
corporate strategy

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 Explicit-to-Explicit
Tacit-to-Tacit
Tacit knowledge:
The knowledge we hold
inside, but have difficulty in
expressing Four
patterns of
producing
Explicit knowledge: creative
The formal, systematic & knowledge
easily shared form of
knowledge

Explicit-to-Tacit
Tacit-to-Explicit

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Activities an organization can take

to create knowledge
 Action Learning
 Systematic Problem Solving
 Experimentation
 Learning from past experiences

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Knowledge Storage & Knowledge Retrieval:

Retrieval
Knowledge stored should
be:
• structured & stored so that
the system can find & deliver it
quickly & correctly
• Divided into categories on a
learning-needs basis
• Organized so that it can be
delivered in a clear & concise
way to the user
• Accurate, timely, & available
to those who need it
• Either controlled (by memory or
records of individuals or groups) or
automatic
• Processes must be designed to
ensure that the retrieval of
information occurs accurately
Functional & effective Knowledge
Storage systems are categorized
around:
• Learning needs
• Work objectives
• User Expertise
• Function/Use of information
• Location – where & how the information is
stored

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 Intentional Transfer
1. Individually written communication
2. Training
3. Internal conferences
4. Briefings
Knowledge 5. Internal publications
6. Tours
Transfer & 7. Job rotation/transfer
Utilization 8. Mentoring
• mechanical
• electronic &
• interpersonal
movement of
information &
knowledge

Unintentional Transfer
1. Job rotation
2. Stories & myths
3. Task Forces
4. Informal Networks

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Limiting factors in transfer of

knowledge
 Costs
 Cognitive capacity of receiving unit
 Message delay due to priorities of sending
knowledge; and distortion of meaning
 Message modification or either intentionally or
unintentionally

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Learning “Less than 10% of the learning that occurs in the

classroom is ever transferred to the job”
Transference Broad & Newstrom

Strategies
Before the course:
(guidelines for what to
expect from the course &
how to prepare for it)
Manager Familiarize oneself with the
course & discuss planned
use of learning
During the course:
(what skills & tools to
practice)
Protect learner from work-
related interruptions
After the course:
(follow-on activities)
Develop opportunities to
use new behaviours
immediately on the job

Learner Confer (discuss) with the Maintain an ideas-&- Regularly assess

manager & previous
trainees on course
objectives, content, process
& job application
Trainer Confer with supervisors on
possible barriers to transfer
of training back on the job &
identify ways to reduce or
eliminate.
application notebook to
note key concepts &
applications to the job
Help learners for mutual
support groups to learn
together & help each other
back on the job
performance & give
“stokes” for progress
Contact learners to provide
support & help with
problems in transferring
new skills to the job
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 Top Strategies for Knowledge
Management
1. Create expectation that 6. Train staff in storage &
everyone is responsible for retrieval of knowledge
collecting & transferring
knowledge 7. Encourage team mixing &
2. Systematically capture job rotation
relevant knowledge external 8. Develop a knowledge base
to the organization around values & learning
3. Organize learning events to needs
capture & share knowledge
9. Create mechanisms for
4. Develop creative & collecting & storing
generative ways of thinking &
learning
learnings
5. Encourage & reward 10. Transfer classroom
innovations & inventions learning to the job
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Harnessing Technological
Power for Organizational
Learning
“Organizations that know how to harness technology to
enhance their learning capacity will possess a decided
competitive advantage.” Micheal Marquardt

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IT Technology-
Based learning

technology

Electronic
Performance

Technology Support
System

subsystems (EPSS)

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 Information Technology

 Present new strategic opportunities for

organizations to learn
 It enables organization to automate, informate &
transform themselves

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New rules of management,

change, development &
learning
 Information can appear simultaneously in as many
places as needed
 A generalist can do the work of an expert
 Organizations can simultaneously reap the benefits of
centralization & decentralization
 Decision-making is part of everyone’s job
 Field personnel can send & receive information
wherever they are
 Plans can be revised instantaneously

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IT & flow of
knowledge
 Improves the ability of people to communicate with one
another because it blurs the boundaries & increase the
possible relationships beyond hierarchies
 Makes it easier for people to communicate directly with
one another across time & space
 Reduces the number of management levels needed &
yet provide an enhanced potential for span of control
 Contributes to the flexibility

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 Impact of IT on
organizations
 IT changes the way work is done
 IT enables integration of business functions
 IT causes shifts in the competitive climate
 IT presents new strategic opportunities
 IT demands basic changes
 IT forces transformation

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Technology-based
learning
 Includes computers, multimedia, interactive
video, & distance learning
 The corporate learning environment will be:
 Modular
 Multi-sensory
 Portable
 Transferable
 Interruptible

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Electronic performance
support systems (EPSS)
 The learning tool of the 21st century
 Use computers to capture, store & distribute
knowledge throughout the organization, helping
workers to reach the highest level of performance
in the fastest possible time, with the least
personnel support
 The goal of EPSS is to “provide whatever is
necessary to generate performance & learning at
the point of need”
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 Components of EPSS

System Link to external Competency

information applications profile

Monitoring,
assessment & Expert knowledge
On-line
feedback system base
documentation

Integrated
Electronic training & job On-line help
integrated aids
reference system

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EPSS & the organizational

learning process
EPPS can support learning directly on:
 Performance-centred design
 Performance
 Individual learning
 Generation of new knowledge
 Knowledge capture

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Top Strategies for Technology

Application
1. Encourage & enable all staff to 6. Install EPSS
connect into the information 7. Plan & develop a just-in-time
highway
learning system
2. Develop multi-media
technology-based learning 8. Build internal courseware
centers technology & capability
3. Create or expand video 9. Develop awareness &
instruction appreciation of technology as a
4. Use technology to capture powerful tool for organization-
knowledge & ideas from wide learning
people within & outside the 10. Increase technological
organization responsibilities of Management
5. Acquire & develop & Human Resources Staff
competencies in groupware &
self-learning technology
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 Steps in Becoming

A Learning Organization

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 There is no single, guaranteed way for becoming a

learning organization
One never is fully a learning organization
Change always continues & therefore the need for
learning is never finished.
 Learning organizations practice & perform the
disciplines of learning in all five sub-systems

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Steps in the ladder

of organizational
learning
16. Continuous adaptation, improvement & learning
15. Learn more about learning organizations
14. Encourage, expect & enhance at all levels
13. Acquire & apply best of technology
12. Capture learning & release knowledge
11. Extend organizational learning to the entire business chain
10. Empower & enable employees
9. Cut bureaucracy & streamline the structure
8. Establish Organization-wide strategies for learning
7. Transform the organizational culture to one of continuous learning
6. Leaders demonstrate & model commitment to learning
5. Recognize the importance of systems thinking & action
4. Communicate the vision of a learning organization
3. Assess capability in each of the 5 sub-systems
2. Connect learning with business operations
1. Commit to becoming a learning organization

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 Building, Maintaining &
Sustaining the Learning
Organization
“The toughest thing about being a success is keeping on
being a success.” Irving Berlin

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1. Where within the

organization do we Four
begin the effort? significant
Questions

4. How do we 2. How do we
maintain the new successfully
learning continue the
organization? transformation?

3. What are the facilitating

factors that encourage the
building of a learning
organization?
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1. Where within the organization

do we begin the effort?
 Begin at any entry point that has
the potential to affect others! Whatever you do, don’t
 Top management wait around & hope
 Human Resources Department something magical
Joint management-union initiative

happens on its own. Take
 Task Forces
the initiative & start
 Consciousness-raising development programme
 Strategic planning cycle
climbing the ladder!
 Diagnosis of Learning Organization profile
 Organization Conference
 Focus on one of the key organization’s issues
 Start with one department

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 2. How do we successfully continue
the transformation?

I. Establish a strong sense of urgency

II. Form a powerful coalition
III. Create the vision
IV. Communicate & practice the vision
V. Remove obstacles that prevent others from acting on the new
vision
VI. Create short-term wins
VII. Consolidate progress achieved & push for continued
movement
VIII. Anchor changes in the organization’s culture
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3. What are the facilitating factors that

encourage the building of a learning
organization?
I. Scanning Imperative (importances)
II. Performance gap
III. Concern for movement
IV. Experimental mindset
V. Climate of openness
VI. Continuous education
VII. Operational variety
VIII. Multiple advocates (support) or champions
IX. Involved leadership
X. Systems perspective

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4. How do we maintain the

new learning
organization?
Caterpillars, Pupas &
Butterflies – Transition to
a Learning Organization organization knowledge

learning

technology people

caterpillar pupa
butterfly

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 Learning organizations are
where success is more
possible, where quality is
more assured, & where
energetic & talented people
want to be.
Best of success in building your
learning organization!

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If schools are to be effective learning organizations,

they must…(Hoy & Miskel, 2003: 33)

 Find ways to create structures that continuously support

teaching & learning and enhance organizational adaptation;
 Develop organizational cultures and climates that are open,
collaborative, and self regulating;
 Attract individuals who are secure, efficacious, and open to
change;
 Prevent vicious (cruel) and illegitimate politics from displaying
the legitimate activities of learning and teaching.

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Mechanisms to create effective learning

organizations… (Hoy & Miskel, 2003:33)
 Transformational leadership
 Open and continuous communication
 Shared decision making

Challenge:
 Create schools that have the capacity to respond
effectively to not only contemporary problems, but
also to new and emerging issues of school
effectiveness.

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 Management Competencies of Today
 Embrace ambiguity
 Create organizations that are:
Fast
Flexible
Adaptable
Relationship-oriented
 Focus on:
Leadership
Staying connected to teachers and students (customers)
Team building
Developing a learning organization

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