Gauging Learning in Public Sector Organizations

There has been a fascination without foundation
about organizational learning theory among scholars
of public sector organizations because the validity
and utility of organizational learning has not been
tested in public sector organizations. This study
tested the relevance of organizational learning
theory to public sector organizations and found
evidence of some differential, dispersed, and
intermittent learning in various localities due to a
policy intervention in collaboration with
univerisity. The evidence suggested four types of
learning- conscious, façade, unaware, and absent-
took place. Those localities that learned and
exhibited evidence of a learning environment are
referred to as conscious learners; those localities
that saw the presence of learning environment but
had not been able to learn are referred to as having
experienced façade learning; those localities that
have learned but did not see a presence of a leaning
environment are referred as to being marked by
unaware learning; and those localities that did not
learn and did not have a presence of a learning
environment are referred to as exhibiting absent
learning.

Autorentext

Mohan P. Pokharel, Ph.D., is an Adjunct/Instructor at the Department of Management, Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech, where he teaches Strategy and Entrepreneurship. His research interests are in organization and management theories, strategic management, and policy analysis.

Klappentext

There has been a fascination without foundation about organizational learning theory among scholars of public sector organizations because the validity and utility of organizational learning has not been tested in public sector organizations. This study tested the relevance of organizational learning theory to public sector organizations and found evidence of some differential, dispersed, and intermittent learning in various localities due to a policy intervention in collaboration with univerisity. The evidence suggested four types of learning- conscious, façade, unaware, and absent- took place. Those localities that learned and exhibited evidence of a learning environment are referred to as conscious learners; those localities that saw the presence of learning environment but had not been able to learn are referred to as having experienced façade learning; those localities that have learned but did not see a presence of a leaning environment are referred as to being marked by unaware learning; and those localities that did not learn and did not have a presence of a learning environment are referred to as exhibiting absent learning.