Organizational Learning and Performance: The Science and Practice of Building a Learning Culture

by Ryan Smerek

Overview

In Organizational Learning and Performance: The Science and Practice of Building a Learning Culture, Ryan Smerek combines organizational examples with insights from research, to provide readers with a unique and distinctive lens to improve personal and organizational performance. The first section of the book provides an overview of what it means to learn as an individual and how individuals vary in their openness to learn. Drawing from cognitive and personality psychology, thinking dispositions such as a growth mindset, curiosity, and intellectual humility are explored and how they help foster learning in organizations. In the second section, Smerek describes the principles of a learning culture, providing a look into the world's largest hedge fund, a renowned food company, a highly-regarded children's hospital, and a preeminent innovation and design firm. Through these examples, readers will come to understand the social norms that increase learning. These include a commitment to transparency of thinking and the pursuit of truth, "Big Picture thinking," a willingness to learn from failure, and the social norms needed to foster innovation and creativity. Throughout the book, Smerek draws from compelling examples of organizations and research in the social sciences to demonstrate what it means to build a learning culture -- and how it can improve personal and organizational performance.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190648398
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	11/01/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	785 KB

About the Author

Ryan E. Smerek is an Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of Academic Affairs in the Master's of Science in Learning and Organizational Change program at Northwestern University. Over the last decade, in addition to organizational learning, Ryan has researched, taught, and published in the areas of learning and new executives, decision-making, innovation, and organizational culture. In these areas, Ryan applies research to promote insight and action. Before coming to Northwestern University, Ryan taught organizational behavior as an Assistant Professor at Hiram College. He also worked at Denison Consulting - a culture and leadership assessment firm. He received a B.A. from Dartmouth College, an Ed.M. from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. For additional publications visit ryansmerek.com.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Organizational Learning and Performance Section I: Learning as an Individual Chapter 2: Three Metaphors of Learning as an Individual Chapter 3: Thinking Dispositions that Foster Learning Section II: Building a Learning Culture Chapter 4: Transparency and Pursuing Truth Chapter 5: Big Picture Thinking and Learning Chapter 6: Learning from Failure Chapter 7: Learning and Innovation Chapter 8: Leadership and Building a Learning Culture Appendix: Learning Culture Survey

Editorial Reviews

"Building a culture of learning is crucial for organizational performance. Simply put, those who fail to learn will be left behind. Ryan E. Smerek's new book draws upon our best knowledge to help organizations develop a robust learning culture." —Michael Bastedo, Professor and Director, School of Education, University of Michigan

"Organizational Learning and Performance is an excellent and well-written introduction to factors that drive people's ability to learn and the things organizations can do to promote the acquisition of knowledge. This book will benefit anyone who wants to truly understand the factors that can turn any firm into a learning organization." —Arthur B. Markman, Professor of Psychology and Founding Director of the Program in the Human Dimensions of Organizations at the University of Texas and author of Smart Thinking

"Organizations function in various ways. Some value the bottom line; others value their employees such that they choose to create learning cultures within the organizations. Smerek presents concepts about the value of supporting employees by focusing on ways in which companies foster learning. The first part focuses on the ways some individuals make the move to become learners and find ways to foster learning within their organizations. The recognition of the value of employees within an organization is the product of who they are and the culture in which they work.

In the second section, the ways corporations choose to develop learning cultures focuses on the leaders of organizations who worked to empower employees. Recognizing that leaders often understand their own ability to access power, the concept presented offers a more thoughtful approach, one that good leaders use to promote rather than suppress learning among their employees. The idea of developing social norms to promote learning encourages the potential to achieve positive aspirations. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty." —CHOICE

From the Publisher