What is the link between individual learning and organisational Essay

What is the link between individual learning and organisational learning - Essay Example This primarily requires the commitment and dedication of the top management because top management primarily assumes the decision making power. The process of organisational learning includes introduction and implementation of change. Change introduction and implementation is one of the biggest challenges in front of a manager because the change causes redesigning of the organisational policies which is against the rights of several stakeholders, most of which are within the organisational workforce. Likewise, individual learning is directed at reflecting upon personal experiences in order to identify the mistakes as well as strategies that may be adopted in the future in order to avoid them. As individual learning involves correcting personal behavior for the better, it is the main component of self development. Change is the basic element of both organisation learning and individual learning. The agency undergoing the change makes one different from the other, though both influence and are influenced by each other. The relationship between individual learning and the organisation learning is very strong and yet very weak. The two may not always be paired up with each other. It may be possible for an organisation to take informed decisions with the majority of its personnel being unlearned and vice versa. This paper discusses the relationship between organisation learning and individual learning. Individual learning, as the name indicates, reflects the level or degree to which individuals of an organisation are learned. Individual’s learning is of great significance to the organisation because organisation achieves its objectives with the efforts of individuals that make part of it. Although individuals’ learning is an important element of organisational success as a whole, yet it is not the sole determinant of the success as the decisions and actions resulting from individuals’ learning need the support and approval of certain agencies and authorities which are beyond the control of the individuals. In an organisational setup, people are organized in a hierarchical structure which is generally known as the organisation structure. Different individuals are assigned different roles and responsibilities within the organisation structure and everybody is held accountable for his part of the game. Accordingly, there is a distribution of decision making power among the organisational personnel. In a conventional setup, subordinates usually are not involved in the decision making and the top management assumes complete decision making power, though it is one of the characteristic features of learned organisations that they do involve and gain the consent of subordinates in the decision making while resting the ultimate power with the top management. In the conventional setup, a subordinate may be very learned, experienced and technically strong, but these qualities of the subordinate are of little importance because their display is restricted by the minimal role of the subordinate in the achievement of the organisational objectives. The individuals do not assume enough rights to exercise and thus have to surrender in front of the organisational culture. Learned organisations are characterized by the involvement of complete organisation structure in the decision making process. Although subordinates are not competent enough to understand the complexities and requirements of