Peter Hawkins

Organizational Learning: Taking Stock and Facing the Challenge

This paper examines the current state of development in the field of Organizational Learning and looks at the current state of its development. By drawing parallels with other approaches to organizational development, some of the traps and pitfalls for the further development of this field are illustrated. This is followed by a resume of the important writings and thinking in the field. Finally the author proposes an agenda for the further development of Organizational Learning both in theory and in practice.

Book Reviews : Review Article: the Addictive Organisation Schaef, a. W. and Fassel, D: Harper and Row, New York, 1990 Paperback, 232 pp. ISBN 0 06 254874 3 £7.99

Since 1987 we have witnessed in Britain the trial of the Guinness Five resulting from their illicit battle to take over United Distillers. We have seen how Robert Maxwell gambled millions of pounds of other people’s pension funds to stay ’at the top’ and to sustain his denial of the collapse of his business empire. More recently we have seen the accusations that British Airways, the flagship of successful turn-around in British industry, were involved in a variety of dirty tricks to beat off the competition of Virgin Airways and preserve their market share.

A Response to John Heron, David Kalisch and Roger Horrocks

The collection of papers in the January 1990 issue of Self and Society have led to more writing. We print a reply by Peter Hawkins to John Heron, David Kalisch and Roger Horrocks. This is followed by a piece by Juliana Brown and Richard Mowbray urging us to be clear that “the current moves towards regulation and licensing derive from an implicit association with the medical model and with the medical profession as a model for professionalisation.” They point out that this is inconsistent with what the Human Potential Movement has to offer. They go on to argue for methods of accreditation, which preserve the integrity of Humanistic Psychology. This is followed by an afterthought by David Kalisch and a letter from an American psychotherapist who has also worked extensively in this country.This collection completes the arguments about accreditation and points to a need for the AHPP to adopt humanistic procedures instead of the bureaucratic ones used at the moment. The AHPP deserves credit for organising itse...