TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING.docx
- 文档编号:4000415
- 上传时间:2022-11-27
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:8
- 大小:20.85KB
TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING.docx
《TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING.docx(8页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
TRANSFORMATIVELEARNING
TRANSFORMATIVELEARNING
TRANSFORMATIVELEARNING:
APPLICATIONSFORTHEDEVELOPMENTOFLEARNINGORGANIZATIONS
SheilaMcCutchan
Abstract
HumanResourceDevelopment(HRD)strategiestogetherwithadultlearningpracticescansupportthedevelopmentoflearningorganizations.Thispaperwillexploretheconceptoflearningorganizations,learningculture,andthelearningdisabilitiesandbarrierswithinorganizations.Iwillexaminetransformativelearningasitpertainstoadultsengaginginactionlearning,criticalreflection,andexperientiallearningthatleadsadultstorecognizeandreshapetheirpatternsofbelieving,thinking,andfeeling.
Introduction
Thekeycharacteristicforthesuccessofanorganizationisitsabilitytolearn.Intoday'sorganizationsthefundamentalsourceofcompetitiveadvantageisshiftingfromresourcestoknowledgeandfromrelativelystablesourcesoftechnologicalandmarketadvantagetothecapacitytocreatesuchadvantages.Thetraditionalhierarchicalmanagementstructuresseemtobedesignedforcontrolling,ratherthanforlearning.Thefundamentalchallengefororganizationsistotransformthecapacitiestocreateknowledge.
Organizationsmustfocusonhowtocreatetheconditionsforlearninginsteadofinvestinginpreciselydefinedorganizationalstructuresquicklymadeobsoletebychangingconditions.Alearningorganizationissupportedbyalearningculturewherepeopleworktogethertonurtureandsustainaknowledge-creatingsystem.Peoplewithintheorganizationwillneedtobecomeworldclassadaptersinaworkenvironmentthatisfluid,fuzzy,andfast.Theywillhavetolearntoexaminetheirvalues,co-createvisions,redesigntheirapproachtosolvingproblems,andthinksystematically.
Howwillorganizationssupportthischangeamidstbusinesspressures,entrenchedbureaucracy,Americanindividualism,anddownsizing?
Howwillorganizationsredirectlearningeffortstowardslearningthatisdeepanddevelopmental?
Humanresourcedevelopersalonecannotcreatealearningorganization.HumanResourceDevelopmentispartofthesystemandisinterdependentwiththeotherstrategicpartsoftheorganization;however,HRDstrategiessupportedbytransformativelearningpracticecansupportandsustainthedevelopmentofalearningorganization.ThepurposeofthispaperistoexaminetheapplicationoftransformativelearningandotheradulteducationpracticestotheHRD
strategiesneededtodevelopalearningorganization.
AdultLearningPracticesIntegralToLearningOrganizations
Theadultlearningpracticesthatareintegralforlearningorganizationdevelopmentarederivedfromafoundationofhumanism.Humanismisaphilosophyassociatedwithbeliefsaboutfreedomand
autonomy,beliefsthathumanbeingsarecapableofmakingtheirownsignificantpersonalchoices.Amongthemajorassumptionsunderlyinghumanisticthoughtisthatindividualshaveanurgetowardself-actualizationandthatindividualshaveresponsibilitytoboththemselvesandothers(Hiemstra&Brockett,1996).Humanistviewssupporttheessenceofthelearningorganizationasindividualsstruggletolearnandchange.Forlearningtooccur,individualsmustcourageouslytakeresponsibilityastheyconfrontpersonaltransitions.Providingnourishingenvironmentstomeethumanneedswillenhancelearning(O'Hara,1996).
Adultlearningtheoriesareacriticalfactorinthedevelopmentofthelearningorganization.Transformativelearningprovidesasolidfoundationformanyofthehumandevelopmentstrategiesnecessaryfortheevolutionofthelearningorganization.Transformativelearning,accordingtoMezirow(1990),islearningthatproduceschange,whichuponreflection,hasasignificantimpactonthelearner'ssubsequentexperiences.Withinthecontextoftransformativelearning,actionlearning,
experientiallearning,andcriticalreflectioncanbeappliedtothedevelopmentofthelearning
organization.
TheLearningOrganizationandTheLearningCulture
AsorganizationsmovefromtheIndustrialageintotheInformationage,andcompetitionincreasesthroughouttheinternationalmarketplace,ithasbecomeimperativeforthesurvivaloftheorganizationtodevelopacapacitytochangeandlearn.Thedevelopmentofthelearningorganizationisassociatedwiththeneedtoprovideforinternalrenewaloftheorganizationinthefaceofacompetitiveenvironment.AlearningorganizationhasbeendefinedbyWatkinsandMarsick(1994)asonethatlearnscontinuouslyandcan"transform"itselfasitempowersthepeople,encouragescollaborationandteamlearning,promotesopendialogue,andacknowledgestheinterdependenceofindividualsandtheorganization.Senge(1990)seesalearningorganizationasone"wherepeoplecontinuallyexpandtheircapacitytocreatetheresultstheytrulydesire,wherenewandexpansivepatternsofthinkingarenurtured,wherecollectiveaspirationissetfree,andwherepeoplearecontinuallylearninghowtolearntogether".Figure1summarizeslearningorganizationsaspresentedbySenge,Marsick,andGarvin.Transformativelearningandcriticalreflection,theprocessof"testingthejustificationorvalidityof'takenforgranted'premises"(Mezirow,1990,p.354)arepivotalpracticesindevelopinglearningorganizations.
DefinitionHRDStrategyBarriers&Disabilities
OnewherepeoplePersonalMasteryIammypositionSenge
continuallyexpandtheir
capacitytocreatetheresults(1990)MentalModelsTheenemyisouttheretheytrulydesire,wherenewandexpansivepattersofBuildingSharedVisionTheillusionoftakingchargethinkingarenurtured,wherecollectiveaspirationissetTeamLearningFixationofeventsfree,andwherepeopleare
continuallylearningSystemsThinkingTheparableoftheboiledfrogtogether.
Thedelusionoflearningfrom
experience
Themythofthemanagement
team
OnethatlearnscontinuouslyAction-reflectionlearningInabilitytochangementalMarsick
andcantransformitself.Itmodels
empowersthepeople,Programsthatfocusonand
encouragescollaborationworkredesignLearnedhelplessnessandteamlearning,promotesWatkins
opendialogue,andSystemsThinkingTunnelvisionacknowledgesthe(1994)
interdependenceofMechanismstolearnfromTruncatedlearningindividuals,thecustomers
organization,andtheIndividualismcommunity.Dialoguing
Acultureofdisrespectandfear
Anentrenchedbureaucracy
SocietalissuesAlearningorganizationisSystematicproblemsolvingGarvin
anorganizationskilledat
creating,acquiring,and(1993)Experimentation
transferringknowledge,and
atmodifyingitsbehaviortoLearningfromexperience
reflectnewknowledgeandNotaddressedbyGarvininsights.Learningfromothers
Transferringknowledge
Figure1.Acomparativedescriptionoflearningorganizationdefinitions,HRDstrategiesappliedtodeveloplearningorganizations,andthebarriersanddisabilitieswithinlearningorganizations.
Theorganization'scommitmenttoandcapacityforlearningcanbenogreaterthanthatofitsmembers(Senge,1990).Buildinganorganizationthatcantrulylearncannotbeaccomplishedwithoutdevelopingalearningculturewherepeoplecanlearnandthink."Learningisacontinuous,
strategicallyusedprocess,integratedwithandrunningparalleltowork.Learningisbuiltintoworkplanning,careerpaths,andperformanceawards"(Watkins&Marsick,1995).Withinalearningculture,criticalreflectioncanprovideafoundationfordialoguewhich,whendeveloped,canteachemployeesatalllevelstogobeyondtheirunderstandingoftheirassumptionsandgaininsighttoa"largerpool"ofmeaningforinquiryandfeedback(Marsick,1994).Peoplesharetheirlearningwithothersthroughnetworkedstructuresandteamsandtheyareempoweredtomakedecisionsthataffecttheirjobs.Learningisrewarded,plannedfor,andsupportedthroughacultureofopenrisktaking,experimentation,andcollaboration(Watkins&Marsick,1995).
Currentorganizationalculturesmaybeunabletosupportthekindoflearningneededtotransformtheircapacityforlearningandthinking.Learningforcesindividualstofundamentallyrethinkthewaytheyviewtheworld--aprocessthatisdifficultinpartbecauseculturalassumptionspredisposethemtotakecertainthingsforgranted,ratherthantoreexaminethemcontinually(Schein,1996).Inunderstandingtheinterrelationbetweenlearningandculture,itisimportanttoidentifywhatelementsofaculturemighttrulyfacilitatelearningtolearn.Learningtolearnrefersto"knowledge,processes,and
proceduresbywhichpeoplecometoandareassistedtomakeappropriateeducationaldecisionsandcarryoutinstrumentaltasksassociatedwithlifelonglearning"(Smith,1990,p.4).Knowinghowtolearnisthekeythatunlocksfuturesuccesses(Smith,1990).AccordingtoSchein(1996),twotypesoflearningareinvolvedinchangingthelearningculture.Thefirsttype,adaptivelearningfocusesona
problemorgapbetweenwhereweareandwherewewanttobe,welearn,solvetheproblem,andclosethegap;generativelearning,focusesonlearninghowtolearn.Inotherwords,thelearnersdiscoverthattheproblemorgapiscontingentonlearningnewwaysofperceivingandthinkingaboutproblems,orrethinkingculturalassumptions(Schein,1996).Thegenerativelearningprocesscanbeappliedacrosstheorganizationtohelpcreateandsustainalearningculturethatsupportslearningattheindividual,group,andorganizationallevelsovertime.
Acultureisnoteasilychanged.Organizationsmustfirstbecomeawareoftheirculturalbiases,andthroughreflection,dialogue,andinquirylearntobecomeobserversoftheirownthinking(Senge,1990).Seng
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING
![提示](https://static.bdocx.com/images/bang_tan.gif)