Sustainability, organizational learning, and lessons learned from aviation

Abstract

Purpose -While the importance of organizational learning for sustainability has been stressed by a number of authors in the literature, the practicalities of how organizational leaders might foster such learning are seldom treated. This paper seeks to demonstrate that there is much that could be learned from the aviation industry about organizational learning practice that could be gainfully applied by organizations in attempting to address the demands of triple bottom line sustainability. Design/methodology/approach -The exemplary safety record of the US commercial aviation industry is explored in this paper, and the principal functions of its underlying learning and adaptive system are reviewed. Generalized application of such a learning and adaptive system in an organization operating according to triple bottom line sustainability principles is described. Findings -Through the interaction of various functional components described in the paper, the commercial aviation industry has created a learning and adaptation support system that has significantly and effectively increased air travel safety. The characteristics of such a learning and adaptive system can be employed by any organization to vastly improve its performance as it pursues triple bottom line sustainability. Originality/value -The learning and adaptive system approach presented expands the steps of understanding, creating and delivering triple bottom line sustainability by changing internal processes, organizational learning, and employee mindsets.

Organisational learning for the common good: an emerging model

“…Gap 3: The organisational learning literature lacks conceptual tools to explain the dynamics linking organisational learning, organisational performance, and the common good. The organisational learning literature is converging on the idea that an evolutionary approach is necessary to explain the possible positive and negative links between organisational learning and organisational performance, on the one side, and the common good, on the other side (Aldrich & Ruef, 2006;Crossan et al, 2011;Nelson & Winter, 2002;Pourdehnad & Smith, 2012;Zollo, Cennamo, & Neumann, 2013). A similar trend is observable in the knowledge management literature (Cheng, Niu, & Niu, 2014;Ford, Myrden, & Jones, 2015;Labedz, Cavaleri, & Berry, 2011;Manning & von Hagen, 2010;Parent, Roy, & St-Jacques, 2007;Sherif, 2006).…”

Organizational Learning Climate Pada Perusahaan Jasa Transportasi Udara

“…Perusahaan X sebagai perusahaan baru, saat ini berusaha untuk membangun sistem yang ada di dalam perusahaan. Pembelajaran organisasi penting diterapkan di perusahaan berbasis aviasi, karena melalui pembelajaran tersebut dapat meningkatkan performa kinerja karyawan, yang berdampak pada peningkatan secara signifikan pada kepuasan dan keselamatan perjalanan dari konsumennya; dimana dengan pembelajaran organisasi yang baik dapat mengubah proses kerja internal perusahaan menjadi lebih efektif dan dapat mengubah cara berpikir karyawan agar sejalan dengan visi dan misi perusahaan (Pourdehnad & Smith, 2012). Selain itu, dengan usia yang muda dan adanya persaingan dengan perusahaan sejenis, pembelajaran di dalam organisasi dapat membantu perusahaan untuk dapat bersaing dan membantu keberlangsungan organisasi dalam waktu Panjang (Smith, 2012).…”

Silo-Busting: Overcoming the Greatest Threat to Organizational Performance

“…The level of capability an organization has to readily adapt itself to what is needed to survive and thrive in the environment is an indication of organizational enhancement and, finally, organizational success [29,30]. Such characteristics include creating clarity in the organization (characteristics 5, 13), embedding supporting processes for aligning, coordinating and facilitating collaboration between units (6,7,8,9), instigating cross-functional events and initiatives where people can interact (10,11), making sure conflicts between units can be resolved quickly (12), and putting information systems in place to enable and facilitate information sharing and communication across the organization (14,15). Silo-busting factor 3 is described as 'collaborative environment', as this factor contains characteristics that relate to fostering a collaborative mind-set, focus, behavior, and culture in the organization.…”

“…The more complex, dynamic, and turbulent an organization's environment is, the more necessary organizational learning is considered to be [4]. A main source of organizational learning is the exchange of knowledge between the various parts of an organization [7]. Unfortunately, many organizations experience some form of 'silo working', be it across vertical divisions or departments, or teams within horizontal functions.…”