2.2 Adult learning theory: a motivator for sharing and spread of tacit knowledge
Many obstacles of learning came from the top managing levels being "unable to learn". Therefore, [2] Argyris and Schone (1978) suggested, every new scenario should have a re-think. And the best way to understand other people's thoughts is to see how they understand things. Top managers are mostly key for organizational learning: they can help to create double-loop learning, or play the facilitator role. Norms are usually obstacles impeding individual learning. Therefore, values that could impede organizational learning should be re-defined with other values such as caring, support, honesty, and integrity. That is why the adult learning theory was adopted. Based on Argyris and Schone's work, the virtual hatchery (the core place for happening of the new mode of changing in the individual level) helps the hatching of new individual thinking patterns to become possible. The creative changing method depicted in this study shows the route that an organization adopts to correct its value system.
Individuals' interactive relationships can stimulate or impede organizational learning from problem solving ([2] Argyris and Schone, 1978). Argyris and Schone suggested that: only the changes in the individual thinking patterns and in the sharing information process of an organization, could an organization continuously change -from a protective value system to a system that motivates error corrections. The principle of adding adult learning theory to the new mode of changing activity in a learning organization is as follows: starting with changing the interactive relationships of managerial members and making them communicate and understand each other, the company aims to reduce the impedances of organizational learning. Thus, from the above literature review, with regard to the problem whereby top managers tend to have lower learning capabilities ([2] Argyris and Schone, 1978), it is obvious that the initial stage is the most difficult step to complete in creating a learning organization. The authors present information showing that the learning difficulties confronted by Firm A were conquered by adopting the principles of adult learning theory.
The foci of the researchers in the past have been how to let employees share information and develop a knowledge management system; jobs were only viewed as the basis for creation of knowledge.
[24] Nonaka and Konno (1998) emphasized the importance of self-development in the growth in knowledge of an organization. This concept is good at explaining the mechanism of learning organizations: whether on-job training or off-job training, they both need to emphasize the concept of self-development at the individual level, so that the idea of the learning organization becomes practicable. Self-development is the development of an individual's values and attitude, which are included in the field of intellectual ability in adult learning theory. The promotion of intellectual capacity has three important factors:
creation of knowledge;
accumulation of knowledge; and
transformation of knowledge.
These three factors are key in creating a learning organization ([19] Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). Intellectual ability is also the basis for values, attitudes, and other significant skills, including socialization, professionalism, and managerial abilities. Intellectual capacity is the key for knowledge transformation from implicit knowledge (values and attitudes) to explicit knowledge (socialization, professionalism, and managerial skills). Based on the principles of self-development of intellectual capacity, existing learning organizations tend to focus too readily on formalized and prescriptive training, not on learning needs and styles. Factors influencing learning include communication, teamwork of people, and the environmental and cultural contexts ([1] Jones and Hendry, 1994). However, the adults would learn better when there is interconnection and meaning. Self-directed learning and active participation in the construction of learning events is important. [12] Knowles's (1980, [13] 1984) principle argued that instead of learning from formal training programs, people preferred self-directed learning, experiential learning, and learning from routines and daily work. As indicated by [4] Brookfield (1986), effective learning was linked to the adult's subscription to a self-concept of himself as a learner. Thus, in section 4, we present how the "virtual hatchery" is designed to "self-develop" employees' intellectual capacity within an interactive, communicative, self-directed, and value-added learning environment, which significantly motivates and enhances learning effectiveness.