Examining Organizational Learning for Application in Human Service Organizations

The Spanish Army in Security Force Assistance

“…To this end, learning requires a systematic and structured process, composed of rules and organizational pedagogy. Among the elements that influence learning, Busch and Hostetter (2009) point to leadership and the chain of command as core to establish a learning-oriented culture. Furthermore, a change management process involving self-criticism and reflexivity is needed to foster organizational learning.…”

Organizational Learning and Individual Values

“…Under these circumstances, public organizations have come to recognize that knowledge provides a competitive edge. Understanding the factors that facilitate or inhibit learning would thus be highly valuable for public sector organizations struggling with limited resources and the need to demonstrate their service effectiveness (Busch & Hostetter, 2009). Bureaucracies are often criticized for their inability to manage uncertainty and environmental complexity, and in particular, to implement and exploit the learning activities required to adjust to change.…”

“…It has been a concept of interest in the search for efficiency, innovation, and knowledge management in both the private and public sectors (Barrette, Lemyre, Corneil, & Beauregard, 2007). OL has chiefly been studied in business organizations, but the concept has value in the context of human service organizations as well (Busch & Hostetter, 2009). Indeed, at a time of major budget reductions in public organizations, there is an increasing call for demonstrating the difference that careful spending can make in services provided, and taxpayers and their representatives are demanding that public entities prove their accountability and effectiveness through performance-based evaluations and outcome measurements.…”

“…Under these circumstances, public organizations have come to recognize that knowledge provides a competitive edge. Understanding the factors that facilitate or inhibit learning would thus be highly valuable for public sector organizations struggling with limited resources and the need to demonstrate their service effectiveness (Busch & Hostetter, 2009).…”