Roland K. Yeo

Revisiting the roots of learning organization

Purpose – This paper aims to provide a literature synthesis of the learning organization and discuss several pertinent theoretical concepts on the subject.Design/methodology/approach – A range of works mainly from 1990‐2004, which aim at providing a variety of perspectives on the learning organization, have been analyzed and discussed based on its theoretical roots and ontological perspectives.Findings – The synthesis of the literature reveals several common themes from the various learning organization definitions and discovers the greater significance of systems thinking in Senges five disciplines.Research limitations/implications – It is not an exhaustive coverage of the learning organization literature. However it offers great research implications where several key concepts can be further explored. For example, is systems thinking really crucial to organizational learning?Practical implications – Practitioners may find the analysis of the various models in relation to Senges five disciplines useful...

Brewing Service Quality in Higher Education: Characteristics of Ingredients that Make up the Recipe.

Purpose – The paper seeks to explore the influences of service quality in higher education and the perceptions associated with the implementation of a Singapore tertiary institution. It draws on the underpinnings of SERVQUAL, and discusses the dichotomy and interrelation between customer perception and expectation.Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative methodology was employed and data were collected by means of structured in‐depth interviewing with both internal (18 academics and ten current students) and external samples (ten graduates and five industry representatives). Content analysis was utilized to examine three key aspects of service standards: customer orientation, course design/delivery, and support services.Findings – The way students are perceived, whether as customers or products, will have an influence on the type of learning dynamics that develop both within and outside the classroom. Service quality, therefore, needs to be evaluated based on an integrated experience which occurs in a ne...

Linking organisational learning to organisational performance and success: Singapore case studies

This paper addresses the development of organisational learning, which involves various groups of people and different stages. It further explores the link between organisational learning and performance outcomes, providing an insight into the various interpretations of organisational success associated with learning. The study was conducted through in‐depth interviews and data were collected from four Singapore organisations from the private and public sectors. Data were subsequently analysed using qualitative techniques of content analysis, particularly within‐case analysis, cross‐case analysis, matrix displays and pattern matching. Findings addressed most of these issues adequately but revealed that there were several aspects on the linkage between learning and performance that had not been mentioned in the literature. The main contribution of this theory‐building study is the development of an empirically confirmed, theoretical and practical model of the influences of organisational learning on organisational performance and success.

Beyond SERVQUAL: The competitive forces of higher education in Singapore

The paper explores the influences of service quality in higher education and how they contribute to the overall performance of a higher learning institution in Singapore. It draws on the underpinnings of SERVQUAL, and discusses the dichotomy and interrelation between customer perception and expectation in response to current tertiary contexts. Based on an actual framework of a Singapore higher learning institution, the paper further examines three key aspects of service standards: customer orientation, course design/delivery, and support services. Qualitative methodology was employed and data were collected by means of structured in-depth interviews with 12 academics of the institution. Our findings reveal that the way students are perceived will have a direct influence on the learning dynamics that occur both inside and outside the classroom. More importantly, service quality needs to be evaluated on the basis of the integrated experience of students supported by a network of learning spaces created to promote dialogue, inquiry, and reflection. At the core is the collective effort of all individuals that function as active carriers of change.

Resource‐based approach to IT shared services in a manufacturing firm

Purpose – Driven by cost reduction and improved quality of service, some firms have adopted shared services as a governance model to manage their staff functions. This paper seeks to explore this behavior using the resource‐based view.Design/methodology/approach – The case of an information technology (IT) unit of a multinational manufacturing firm is presented to provide insight into the issues involved when adopting and migrating an IT resource system to a shared services model. The analysis is extended using conceptual models of the relevant sub‐systems developed through the soft systems methodology (SSM), using a set of root level definitions that are intended to express the transformation to a shared services model.Findings – The results suggest that the major changes involved when transitioning to shared services are process and communication related. Aligning the team members and gaining their commitment are necessary for success.Practical implications – The case analysis and SSM models provide som...

Change in(ter)ventions to organizational learning: bravo to leaders as unifying agents

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between change interventions and organizational learning. It seeks to identify the process through which team learning is developed, the factors that affect organizational learning and its influences on organizational effectiveness.Design/methodology/approach – Two groups of samples from a Singapore large manufacturing firm that had implemented change interventions for two years were selected. Qualitative data from 45 employees using the laddering, non‐directive interviewing technique, and 20 leaders using focus group discussions were gathered.Findings – Changes to organizational systems and structure have led to a state of not‐knowing which contributes to defensive dynamics. Learning begins with the unlearning of old habits by encouraging new thinking patterns through rigorous feedback loops. Expectations of leaders should also be redistributed to facilitate and integrate the various aspects of learning.Research limitations/implication...

(Re)viewing problem‐based learning

Purpose – The paper seeks to explore the role of problem‐based learning (PBL) in the workplace context. Its aim is to explain the relationship between PBL and workplace learning by examining PBL as an approach to continuous learning in the workplace.Design/methodology/approach – Through an exploratory orientation, data were collected at two stages. Stage 1 involved convergent interviewing with ten international PBL trainers. The data gathered here partly formed a questionnaire to be tested in the next stage. Stage 2 involved an Ideas Unlimited™ qualitative survey with 50 Singapore working professionals through face‐to‐face and online means. Follow‐up telephone interviews were also conducted to minimize lost data. In addition, a second questionnaire, developed through literature review, was given out in both stages.Findings – Findings reveal that there is a significant relationship between PBL and workplace learning. For instance, PBL systematizes learning in a way that informal learning patterns are trans...

Learning Institution to Learning Organization: Kudos to Reflective Practitioners.

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to explore if reflective inquiry and action learning have an influence on job and organizational effectiveness. A reflective‐action learning framework will be used as a prior theory to illustrate its link to organizational learning.Design/methodology/approach – The case organization is a Singapore higher learning institution. In‐depth interviewing with 50 faculty members and the Deputy Director of academic affairs was employed to find out more about the practice of reflective‐action learning group (RALG) that had been established for over three years. Additionally, ethnographic observation was used to support and strengthen empirical evidence.Findings – Key findings reveal that RALG is closely aligned to Kolbs experiential learning cycle where a series of learning dynamics is involved. For instance, the role of reflection motivates individuals to shift from single‐ to double‐loop learning, increasing their competence and capacity to undertake greater challenges. In addi...

Learning within organisations: linking the theoretical and empirical perspectives

Argues that there is a close relationship between theories in organisational learning and the research methodologies utilised to verify such theories. Presents an evaluation of two distinct approaches to learning in the light of their methodological differences, strengths and weaknesses. For instance, research based on behavioural learning is generally conducted using the quantitative methodology, while researchers of cognitive learning are more likely to use the qualitative methodology. The former deals largely with the macro aspects of the organisation involving strategic directions, whereas the latter deals with micro practices within organisational or trans‐organisational settings. Most importantly, organisational learning should contribute to perceivable outcomes. Draws the conclusion that case study which embodies quantitative and qualitative methodology is a useful approach to dealing with both the behavioural and cognitive aspects of organisational learning theories.

Optimizing the Learning in Action Learning: Reflective Questions, Levels of Learning, and Coaching:

Action learning has become a popular tool in the workplace and is frequently included as part of corporate leadership development programs. Often, what is called action learning focuses on action—and little or no learning occurs. Too often the “urgency” of the action drives out the “importance” of learning. This article focuses on the learning side of the action learning equation, presenting some theoretical perspectives on action learning and then demonstrating the enhanced power of action learning when attention is given to both the learning as well as the action. We explore reflective questions and the role of the action learning coach. We then discuss how the coach enables the team to reflect on their dynamics and processes in real time, thus encouraging dialogue versus discussion, listening versus speaking, and deeper creativity in problem solving. We conclude by exploring the importance of a skilled action learning coach.