Project
LEARNING SCHOOL OF THOUGHT
Origins of the Learning School
This school of thought views strategy formulation as a process that is emergent in nature-a dynamic process that depends on the trends of times that come and go. The school actually relies on the history of the organization and the industry in which it lies in the formulation of its strategies (Mintzberg et al, 2005). Therefore, the method is analytical to some extent.
Key to the learning school is its foundation in description rather than prescription. Its proponents keep asking the simple but important question: how do strategies actually form in organizations? Not how are they formulated, but how do they form. The process involves paying close attention to what works and what does not work for the organization as time goes by in the running of daily business’ activities.
The school’s basis lies in the learning before implementing theory-use of experience in making decisions. The lessons learned out of the experience and monitoring are incorporated into the plan of action. The school’s argument is that the world is to intricately complicate for strategies to develop in a pop up mode and have them implemented as visions and plans with clarity.
Therefore, according to this school of thought strategies must emerge gradually in bits over time and tasting which will allow organizations to learn and adapt. Thus, organizations are advised to learn and apply and if they do not succeed they could re-try the same or something else.
Premises of the learning school
1. The complex and unpredictable nature of the organization's environment, often coupled with the diffusion of knowledge bases necessary for strategy, precludes deliberate control; strategy making must above all take the form of a process of learning over time, in which, at the limit, formulation and implementation become indistinguishable.
2. While the leader must learn too, and sometimes can be the main learner, more commonly it is the
Origins of the Learning School
This school of thought views strategy formulation as a process that is emergent in nature-a dynamic process that depends on the trends of times that come and go. The school actually relies on the history of the organization and the industry in which it lies in the formulation of its strategies (Mintzberg et al, 2005). Therefore, the method is analytical to some extent.
Key to the learning school is its foundation in description rather than prescription. Its proponents keep asking the simple but important question: how do strategies actually form in organizations? Not how are they formulated, but how do they form. The process involves paying close attention to what works and what does not work for the organization as time goes by in the running of daily business’ activities.
The school’s basis lies in the learning before implementing theory-use of experience in making decisions. The lessons learned out of the experience and monitoring are incorporated into the plan of action. The school’s argument is that the world is to intricately complicate for strategies to develop in a pop up mode and have them implemented as visions and plans with clarity.
Therefore, according to this school of thought strategies must emerge gradually in bits over time and tasting which will allow organizations to learn and adapt. Thus, organizations are advised to learn and apply and if they do not succeed they could re-try the same or something else.
Premises of the learning school
1. The complex and unpredictable nature of the organization's environment, often coupled with the diffusion of knowledge bases necessary for strategy, precludes deliberate control; strategy making must above all take the form of a process of learning over time, in which, at the limit, formulation and implementation become indistinguishable.
2. While the leader must learn too, and sometimes can be the main learner, more commonly it is the