Organisational learning for the common good: an emerging model

Abstract

This study argues that the common good, besides organizational performance, should be the final goal of organizational learning. However, the organisational learning literature lacks conceptual tools that allow scholars to understand and measure the common good at the ecosystem level as a final goal of organisational learning. Further, the literature has not yet investigated the specific organisational capabilities that are key to pursuing the common good, and lacks conceptual tools to explain the dynamics linking organisational learning, organisational performance, and the common good. We illustrate how these gaps can be addressed by cross-fertilising the literature on organisational knowledge with other viable and intertwining research streams-namely, literature on the commons, adaptive co-management and organisational fields. We argue that the resulting model of organisational learning paves the way for interesting innovations in theory and practice.

Dynamic Performance Management: An Approach for Managing the Common Goods

“…The main findings obtained describe a fair number of documents, countries and journals involving the research of dynamic performance management, but do not cover sufficient studies in system dynamics adopted for managing common goods according to the last managerial definition of common goods [1].…”

“…From the management perspective, the last definition includes the concepts of value and availability [18,19]. For instance, the value of Wikipedia, that is, a common good, is the quality of content; whereas the availability regards its contents online [1]. The common good can also lose its value through the users' behaviour (e.g., beneficiaries' neglect, mistakes, or disorganization) [1,20].…”

“…Organizations need innovative approaches for managing common goods and linking the (re)generation of common goods and organizational performance management [1]. In fact, the common good can lose its value, for instance, through the users' behaviour (e.g., beneficiaries' neglect, mistakes, or disorganization) [1]. In this sense, the users have to contribute not only to the generation of common goods, but also their regeneration; otherwise, they lose value.…”

“…In this sense, the users have to contribute not only to the generation of common goods, but also their regeneration; otherwise, they lose value. We here define this concept with the term "(re)generation" [1].…”

“…Since 1970, system dynamics has been recognised as a useful approach to study the complexity of a public context in terms of economic, environmental and social changes [8]. In particular, its recent application, known as dynamic performance management, can better support the management of common goods and organizational performance [1,9]. It is an adaptive, feedback-based and learning-oriented performance management system.…”