Double Loop Learning LO20762

Winfried Dressler (winfried.dressler@voith.de)
Mon, 1 Mar 1999 14:33:45 +0100

Replying to LO20737 --

Gustav Hultin asked:

>Is there anything that information professionals can do to stimulate
>double loop learning!

Isn't the result of double loop learning the ability to change the rules
of information processing according to the newly learnt lessons, so that
the underlying decision rules can be altered?

In my view, information processing stimulates double loop learning, if it
is capable to ask and answer "what if"-type questions. This is usually the
case with systems simulation tools. Unfortunately, the dog bites in its
tail, because the s(t)imulation requires already openness to double loop
learning as a prerequisite (my opinion).

On the contrary, I think most information processing, which is fixed in
the sense that it is tailored to support single loop learning (detect and
quantify any kinds of "deviations") will tend to inhibit double loop
learning.

On the issue that single loop learning inhibits double loop learning, I
learnt quite a lot from Gareth Morgans Images of Organisation. If you have
more references on this conflict, I would be interessted in.

Liebe Gruesse,

Winfried

-- 

"Winfried Dressler" <winfried.dressler@voith.de>

[Host's Note: In association with Amazon.com, these book links...

Images of Organization : The Executive Edition by Gareth Morgan (400 pg, paperback, abridged edition June 1998) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1576750388/learningorg

Images of Organization by Gareth Morgan (2nd ed December 1996, "ships in 4-6 weeks", paperback) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0761906320/learningorg

...Rick]

Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>