Paradigm Shift in Today's World

After the course introduction, I knew the difference between organizational learning and learning organization. Organizational learning is the way firms build, supplement, and organize knowledge and routines around their activities and within their cultures and adapt and develop organizational efficiency by improving the use of the broad skills of their workforces. (Dodgson, 1993) A learning organisation is a company that facilitates the learning of all its members and continually transforms itself. (M. Pedler, J. Burgoyne and Tom Boydell, 1991) Moreover, learning is acquiring new knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, preferences or understanding, and may involve synthesizing different types of information. Learning occurs everytime in this changing world.


"Cultural mix gives course the edge"

According to the article “Cultural mix gives course the edge”, students can meet people from all parts of the world and learn from them about how they might deal with problems, decisions and challenges. Nowadays people share many global values and practices; also they are more and more working for global organizations, so it is good to understand others’ culture to handle problems. Moreover, this program provides a systematic transfer of knowledge that can help reframe students’ vision, upgrade their existing business skills and knowledge of the latest business trends. Knowledge and brainpower is becoming a company’s most valuable asset. Therefore organizations need to maintain and learn more to increase their competitive advantage. Also, the classes are attended two weekends out of every four in Hong Kong and the programmes are adjusted to meet the evolving needs, because most students are overseas workers, then the courses become more suitable for them. During the paradigm shifts in today’s world, organizations are forced to continually learn and adapt the changes in the economic environment caused by globalization and technology. Therefore, organizational learning is important to companies survive.

Reference:
1. ‘What is Organizational Learning? Definition’, available in: http://www.12manage.com/methods_organizational_learning.html
Accessed: 2009/ Feb/ 1
2. Wikipedia, ‘Learning Organisation’, available in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_organization
Accessed: 2009/ Feb/ 1
3. Wikipedia, ‘Learning’, available in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning
Accessed: 2009/ Feb/ 1
4. ‘Cultural mix gives course the edge’. South China Morning Post. 19 Jan, 2009: B8