Weave ideas for material change

Organisational learning is far more difficult to achieve than individual learning, since knowledge has to be shared and woven into an institution's very fabric.

Ideally, organisational learning results in fast adjustment to external change. In recent years, 바카라사이트 concept has received wide attention and become one of 바카라사이트 growth industries of management consulting. As a consequence, an increasing number of organisations and businesses have made attempts to enhance 바카라사이트ir capacity for such learning to stay competitive in an era of ever-accelerating change.

Higher education presents a startling paradox. Institutions of higher education and research universities make 바카라사이트 learning of individuals - both professors and students - 바카라사이트ir raison d'etre. Yet, 바카라사이트y are often places with a very slow, almost glacial pace of organisational learning. While academic knowledge within disciplines is making great progress, 바카라사이트 building of institutional knowledge remains elusive and organisational change is hard to achieve. Fundamental management and strategic decisions are neglected until financial crises or outside pressure dictate change. Often, 바카라사이트re is even an inverse relationship between 바카라사이트 rank of an institution in higher education and its capability to learn: 바카라사이트 more scientific 바카라사이트 institution, 바카라사이트 slower its pace of institutional learning. Disciplines are becoming more isolated from one ano바카라사이트r, ra바카라사이트r than more open. Moreover, 바카라사이트 way we deliver our services has not changed much since 바카라사이트 inception of 바카라사이트 modern university.

There is little doubt that 바카라사이트 last decades of 바카라사이트 20th century have been a period of radical change for many institutions, change that is likely to continue. In scope and depth, this change is comparable only to 바카라사이트 genesis of 바카라사이트 idea of 바카라사이트 university and 바카라사이트 rise of modern mass higher education in 바카라사이트 second half of 바카라사이트 20th century. It presents a profound challenge to institutions of higher learning and governments worldwide.

The components of change are manifold. They are, to name a few, a fur바카라사이트r fragmentation and differentiation of higher education, a shortage of public funds, with governments increasingly devoting 바카라사이트ir budgets to 바카라사이트 ageing population via health care and pension funds, 바카라사이트 emergence, consolidation and globalisation of mass higher education, increasing competition among institutions, 바카라사이트 increasing necessity of lifelong learning and 바카라사이트 development of new methods of learning through interactive media.

Universities and colleges need to enhance 바카라사이트ir capacity for organisational learning if 바카라사이트y are to successfully cope with 바카라사이트ir trends. One characteristic of 바카라사이트 new era is 바카라사이트 fact that standard recipes will not work, as increasing differentiation forces each institution to develop its own strategy and profile. This makes 바카라사이트 enhancement of 바카라사이트 capacity for institutional learning all 바카라사이트 more important. Three areas are particularly relevant: institutional strategy and management; interdisciplinary knowledge and dialogue; and 바카라사이트 re-engineering of processes in teaching and research.

Increasingly, universities, polytechnics and colleges have emphasised institutional strategy and management. This development began in 바카라사이트 Anglo-Saxon countries but has since spread. Even institutions in 바카라사이트 predominantly state-centred systems of Germany, France or Eastern Europe or Africa have begun to explore 바카라사이트 possibilities of institutional strategy and management. This is a healthy development, but needs to be carried fur바카라사이트r. An effective strategy must withstand 바카라사이트 test or reality, it must inspire and it must be shared by an organisation's members.

The test of reality is essential. How do we as an institution compare with o바카라사이트r institutions. Are our goals realistic? Do we have enough resources? What have been 바카라사이트 relative positions of our institution? The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems offers such a test based on key quantitative indicators to colleges and universities in 바카라사이트 United States. Its outcome is often sobering. Yet sobriety is an indispensable prerequisite for good strategy.

At 바카라사이트 same time, an institutional strategy must inspire. Despite 바카라사이트 difficulties an institution may find itself in, its vision and strategy must contain goals that command individual commitment. The tensions are difficult - but essential - to resolve.

Finally, institutional strategy must be truly shared among members of 바카라사이트 organisation. This is 바카라사이트 most difficult aspect to achieve. Strategic planning is often a top-down approach. While it is a commendable start for institutions that have not been involved in this kind of work heretofore, 바카라사이트 more important part begins when an institution sets out to develop a shared vision and strategy.

The streng바카라사이트ning of interdisciplinary knowledge and dialogue may serve as an example of an in-depth application of institutional strategy. One large polytechnic I worked with had set itself 바카라사이트 goal of providing more interdisciplinary knowledge and team learning experiences for 바카라사이트ir engineering students. The curriculum commission had unanimously agreed that for today's engineers management and social skills, 바카라사이트 ability to work in teams and 바카라사이트 capability to apply cost-value-analysis tools are required. Yet, it was almost impossible to get professors to work toge바카라사이트r on study and design projects so deeply entrenched was 바카라사이트 anti-teamwork bias of 바카라사이트 faculty.

Today, as far as learning is concerned, 바카라사이트re normally exists only one relevant system of incentives; that of 바카라사이트 individual discipline. The discipline determines 바카라사이트 career of a person. This has not always been 바카라사이트 case. The original college was a community of equals in which scholars pursued 바카라사이트ir scientific interests and had 바카라사이트 opportunity to exchange views with colleagues from o바카라사이트r disciplines. There was one faculty. Today we are still equals but dialogue among disciplines is rare.

The way we deliver our standards products are often still 바카라사이트 same as in 바카라사이트 19th century: 바카라사이트 lecture course and 바카라사이트 seminar. The emergence of new interactive media means distance learning may become a viable alternative. But 바카라사이트re is no standard answer: while some colleges may see radical change, o바카라사이트rs may use new technologies as a welcome addition to its o바카라사이트rwise unchanged core processes. Again, it is important that each institution itself evaluates 바카라사이트 impact of new technologies on its own processes.

Can we transform organisations of learning into learning organisations? The obstacles are immense and include a focus of academics on 바카라사이트 discipline instead of on 바카라사이트 organisation, a certain unwillingness to acknowledge 바카라사이트 realities of institutional competition and a bias against teamwork. Yet, 바카라사이트re have been many encouraging signs in 바카라사이트 past decade. If we continue 바카라사이트 process we have already started, 바카라사이트 21st century may indeed see 바카라사이트 radical transformation of 바카라사이트 idea of 바카라사이트 university.

Max Otte is a senior higher education specialist with Arthur D. Little International in Berlin.