Org. Interventions

The readings for this week in both classes seem to keep pointing me in the direction of organizational culture and leadership. How does the culture specifically relate to the learning that goes on or not in organizations? We've read in N and T about the creation of knowledge and theories, how knowledge is shared or not and how knowledge is managed. In Petersen, we've learned about effective communication and public relations, as it relates the the organization, the community and reform. Leaders are the key and the most common factor. Culture and climate- culture, culture, culture! Schein describes culture as a phenomenon that surrounds us all. It is customs and rights...behavior, norms, values, missions, habits, routines, metaphor and symbols, embedded skills, and shared meaning and history. Open vs. closed systems. Informal vs. formal communication. Impact from inside forces and external forces. How does all of this relate? How do I make sense of it? Organizational diagnosis and interventions target what is going on within the organization- the policies, it's people, resources, it's successes, failures or shortcomings. I'm realizing the value and utmost importance of org. culture- and the influence and effects the leaders in the org. have on the culture.
Linda Darling-Hammond states in her 1996 criticisms of the report of the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, that students can reap the benefits of current knowledge of teaching and learning only if schools and schools of education are dramatically redesigned. How do we redesign schools into learning organizations? Our reading offer interventions strategies as they relate to conceptual models.... double loop and model II theories by Chris Argyris, management by analysis, and operations analysis (as examples)- aren't these directly associated with leaders in the organizations? What is the culture? Does it truly foster org. learning? Or is part of the culture the orgs' stubmling block? What can leaders do to shape culture that fosters org learning? In the Ethics of Org. Interventions they use the Taylorism example of how to increase performance by determining the best practices. This IS what we're talking about. They suggest (1) empowering the employees by pushing authority, responsibility, and information downwards. N and T suggests similar things- as knowledge and knowledge creation- how information goes from tacit to explicit and how to share it. (2) empowering employees to change the system- orgs are designed by people, let the people be a part of the solutions. (3) Provide a clear vision and help everyone understand the org. strategy. All related to leadership- the leaders and his or her establishment, development, evolving and learning culture. The culture and the role modeling by leaders within the org. (including influencial stakeholders) set the ability and capacity for organizational learning. Interventions seem to become a slippery slope when reform is imposed by complete ousiders (federal mandates). Wow- that's a blog for a different time. Culture is key to learning-> leaders are key to org. culture-> leaders are key to org. learning.