by actually putting them into practice.20
Working together in groups involves a natural integrating
process: developing shared understandings
can lead to collective actions, which in turn can influence
others in the organization, including leadership.
The organization as a whole and its leadership need to
be involved if the new idea or innovation is to be fully
implemented in the final stage of institutionalization
at the organizational level. Institutionalizing involves
transforming an idea into a structured process with
systems and procedures in place to ensure that specific
actions occur on a routine basis.21 For innovations
to become sustainable, the learning that has occurred
among individuals and groups within the organization
must be embedded into the regular practice of the
organization as a whole.22
Organizational Learning at UMB
A critical question with regard to organizational
learning is whether these processes can be employed
prospectively or whether they are inevitably analyzed
retrospectively with the benefit of 20/20 vision in
hindsight. One goal of this essay is to provide a frame