Replying to LO29772 --
Based on this assessment then there are no learning organizations
multinational or not. Most organization in the US have bad compensation
systems, have been known to treat some group of people badly, and lack an
understanding of how their tools, procedures, and system negatively impact
the world.
While GE and others may not be perfect learning organizations they are
learning organizations because they are seeking to make themselves better
via learning. Some are further down the road then others - GE is further
down then most based on their own outcomes (not mine or yours).
I never respond to Nazi analogies because the are loaded with political
implications.
Ellery July
>From: Malcolm Burson [mailto:mburson@gwi.net]
>Jon, while GE is frequently cited for its LO practices such as workout
>(for which see "The Dance of Change"), I remain convinced after many
>years of consideration that process, practice, and learning technology
>are not sufficient. If LO is to mean anything, then a learning
>organization's values and actions-in-the-world must be consistent with
>the underlying ethic (respect for difference; care for the systemic
>whole of the planet/universe and life, et al.) that I, for one, find
>running as a constant and vibrant stream through The Fifth Discipline
>and its successor volumes.
[... snip by your host ...]
>It's an argument that's been made before, but I risk making it again:
>if the Nazi government had faithfully used LO practices to ensure that
>all its followers were learning through the use the tools of the five
>disciplines, would we consider them an example of a learning
>organization?
[... snip by your host ...]
--"Ellery July" <ejuly@NWAF.org>
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