7. PARADIGM OFFERED BY THE FIELDWORK--A
DISCUSSION
It is not possible to know from the fieldwork
whether the paradigm offered in Fig. 7 will be sustained,
or indeed if it is sustainable in its present form.
It could be that this is an intermediate stage, a function
of time, which allows the company to continue to
perform successfully during a period of more radical
change, leading to the model of a learning organization
with the characteristics identified earlier. It is not
known whether the feedback loop 'a' will develop
until there is equality of learning between more
groups within the company. What is quite clear is that
the conceptual model has provided a mechanism for
exploring and understanding the development and
transfer of knowledge within the company and has
identified that successful technology change has
occurred before the assimilation stage of the model.
The effect of achieving successful technologychange without achieving the final stage of the model
is that the process is incomplete. It is not creative
in the sense that it is sustainable through the natural
organizational processes. It requires constant driving
from the senior levels of the company, the hierarchical
roots of the organizational culture supporting
this style of management. The core routines that guide
the behaviour of the organization do not, at this stage,
support a knowledge transfer process throughout the
company. Thus, in the example of LPB, the senior
management are exhibiting behaviour and attitudes
consistent with learning and knowledge transfer but
it is not permissible to remove the routinization and
control from the less senior members of the company
(as illustrated in Fig. 7). The latter are still bound by
core routines that require direction and consistency of
application. The question must be asked whether an
organization of this type may ever become a totally
learning organization or whether the definition of a
learning organization might be differently articulated
for different types of organization.
The company studied is a successful company in
terms of competitive performance and implementation
of new technology. The fieldwork has shown
that it does not slot simply into the proposed paradigm
for the learning organization. It has changed the procedures
without changing the process. It is therefore
exhibiting a knowledge transfer process that employs
both high and low levels of diversity and creativity in
clearly defined functional areas. This balance (March,
1991) may contribute to the competitive success of
the company and its ability successfully to implement
change. It suggests a variation of the application of
the five-stage model that would describe different
paths on the model for different functions, and offers
the possibility of these paths being responsive to the
particular needs and stage of innovation of the organization.
The relationship between the two paths of
competitive performance and successful implementation
of new technology with different types of
organization is something that might be the subject
of further research.
The revised five-stage model presented in Fig. 6,
based as it is on practical fieldwork, cannot be construed
as idealized in the same way as its parent. The
model has recognized that technology change may be
successfully achieved by reaching acceptance rather
than assimilation. The activities demonstrate changing
behaviours within the organization. These are
embraced by the individuals and have their consent
but do not, at this stage, become accepted norms and
produce attitude change. Recognition of this stage
places a more practical aspect on the model, yet
retains the notion of true cultural change being a factor
of time. Organizations may strive to introduce
knowledge transfer and encourage learning throughout
an organization, but change may be effected
before the total climate of learning is present. What
is not evident from this outcome is whether, when
assimilation, the final stage of the process of knowledge
transfer, is achieved, the process of technology
implementation will prove more successful or
whether most organizations will implement at the
acceptance stage. It is clear that competitive performance
has been achieved at theacceptance stage.
Would this performance be increased should assimilation
occur, or does assimilation provide a creativity
that enables innovation whilst acceptance enables
increased performance to be achieved? These
relationships are interesting and may be explored in
a further study.
The model has provided a mechanism for exploring
the complex interactive processes that enable knowledge
transfer to occur in organizations. It has provided,
as a by-product of this exploration, considerable
if not comprehensive understanding of the
organization in the area under study. The use of the
model may be pursued as a framework for understanding
organizational processes in all areas, not just
knowledge transfer. It may be used as a comparative
tool for differentiating between learning processes in
organizations with different organizational characteristics.