Re: Emergent Learning LO2196

David J. Skyrme (david@pop3.hiway.co.uk)
Sun, 23 Jul 1995 13:44:53 +0100

Replying to LO2156 --

Bernard writes in LO2145:
>Could we imagine an organization that would be a knowledgenet?
>Could that organization be called a learning org?

Michael replied in LO2156:
>It seems that 'knowledgenet' would refer more to how the
>organization -stores- and makes available what it already
>has rather than how it acquires additional knowledge, or
>how it achieves new learning.

We can not only imagine. I think you will find examples of (parts of) such
organisations already in existence.

There was a good example in a recent issue of CIO Magazine (the exact
reference escapes me at the moment) describing a problem solving network
of experts that work together on specific client problems - the company
organising this originally worked in cryogenics.

We have also heard how many consultancy companies are organising know-who
(as well as know-how) into Lotus Notes and similar databases. Within my
former company, Digital, some of us (see Charles Savage's book 'Fifth
Generation Management') talked of Knowledge Networking. To us a knowledge
net (aided by computer conferencing) is a symbiotic human/computer network
for not only sharing, but also generating, redescribing and applying
knowledge. Individuals, teams and the orgnisation increased its learning
through use of such techniques. The computer network acted as a store and
"organisational memory". To the extent that a learning organisation learns
from its environment and generates new knowledge I would maintain that a
knowledgenet is an almost essential enllber in this day and age to create
a global learning organisation (or network) in an effective way. I know of
some networks claiming to be learning networks but who without using such
technology seem to be very inefficient at developing and sharing their
learning.

--
David J. Skyrme
Management Systems Consultant
david@skyrme.hiway.co.uk