the chinese learning organization

8/14/2019 The Chinese Learning Organization

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-chinese-learning-organization 1/22

The Chinese Learning Organization: New Concepts for International HRD

The Chinese Learning Organization

New Concepts for International HRD

James Keating




The concept of learning and organizational attempts to capitalize on information

predates an attempts to st!d it as a model within a H!man Reso!rce De"elopment

#HRD$ framewor%& HRD 'egan with apprenticeship training programs in the

eighteenth cent!r and de"eloped into (factor schools) ' the late *+,,s& #-erner .

De/imone0 1,,2$ Toda 0 man large corporations ha"e corporate !ni"ersities that

c!stomize emplo ee ed!cation programs to meet organizational re3!irements& In

organizational de"elopment #OD$0 learning ta%es place in d namic organizations that

m!st adapt to a changing en"ironment& 4 learning organization ac3!ires0 organizes0

manages0 and !ses %nowledge to (mo"e 'e ond sol"ing e5isting pro'lems to gain the

capa'ilit to impro"e constantl ) and incl!des organization learning and %nowledge

management& #C!mmings . -orle 0 1,,2$

The learning organization concept can 'e traced 'ac% to the research of /enge

#*22,$ and his colleag!es who defined the learning organization as (a gro!p of people

contin!all enhancing their capacit to create what the want to create&6 /enge #*22,$

also descri'ed (fi"e disciplines) representing f!ndamental attri'!tes of a learning

organization0 which incl!ded s stems thin%ing0 personal master 0 mental models0

'!ilding a shared "ision0 and team learning& K7C Corporation cited ('ecoming a

learning organization) as one of its fi"e competiti"e ad"antages allowing it toesta'lish a dominant presence in the Chinese mar%et& #8ell . /helman0 1,**$

9ephart and arsic% #*22;$ descri'e a learning organization with a (foc!s

primaril on s stems<le"el organizational learning) in which (learning processes are

anal zed0 monitored0 de"eloped0 managed0 and aligned with impro"ement and

inno"ation goals) /t!dies cond!cted in China #=hang0 =hen0 . 8ai in0 1,,>$ ha"e

s!pported the learning organization concept within the Chinese conte5t& ?5isting

literat!re s!ggests that '!ilding a learning organization is necessar to enhance

organizational performance& # @iaoh!i0 8ai in0 . cLean0 1,,A$ -atson and arsic%

#*22;$ identified se"en dimensions of a learning organization:promoting in3!ir and

dialog!eB enco!raging colla'oration and team learningB esta'lishing s stems to

capt!re and share learningB empowering people toward a collecti"e "isionB and

connecting the organization to its en"ironment&




4ltho!gh definitions and models esta'lish the field of HRD0 these constr!cts (do not

capt!re "ariations in practice or0 for that matter0 the di"ersit of empirical realit &)

#K!chin%e0 1,, $ Th!s0 it 'ecomes necessar to f!rther !nderstanding of s!ch

a'stract characteristics of HRD ' 3!alif ing these topics according to the ind!stries0

strategies0 mar%ets0 and e"en the c!lt!res within which these "ario!s HRD concepts

are 'eing emplo ed& odels m!st 'e consistent across an entire spectr!m of factors

while definitions0 altho!gh re3!iring fle5i'ilit within an a'stract academic model0

m!st e"ent!all 'e operationalized in practice and c!stomized to a changing

socio<economic conte5t with c!lt!ral and strategic constraints re3!iring meas!ra'le0

tangi'le0 and sociall accepta'le o!tcomes&

In addition0 these definitions and models ha"e o"er weighted the -estern c!lt!ral

conte5t!al factors potentiall s%ewing res!lts leading to 'ias& This co!ld 'e 'eca!se

Comm!nication has not recei"ed m!ch attention in organizational literat!re #Daft .

H!'er0 *2+A$& There is also a lac% of organizational change comm!nication research

#7rahm . 8rown0 1,, $& Howe"er0 international HRD research depends on incl!ding

c!lt!re as a (maEor infl!encing factor and to acco!nt for c!lt!reFs infl!ence on

phenomena !nder in"estigation) which re3!ires (a 'etter !nderstanding of o!r own

and othersF c!lt!rall conditioned perspecti"es and ass!mptions&)#4rdich"ili .

K!chin%e0 1,,1$

Comm!nication and participation0 important characteristics of a learning

organization #4garwal01,, B Khadra . Rawa'deh0 1,,;B /%erla"aE . DimG"s%i0

1,,;B Lim0 et al&0 1,,;B Kanta'!tra0 1,,;B Heath . 8rown0 1,,A$0 are affected '

c!lt!ral "al!es #Lei et al& #1,**$B Hofstede0 *2+>$& #8ar%er . Camarata *22+$

concl!de that comm!nication is at the core of the learning organization and

empowerment is a prere3!isite for personal master 0 one of /enge s #*22,$ fi"e

disciplines& C!mmings . -orle #1,,2$ state that a learning organization is where

(empowered mem'ers ta%e responsi'ilit for changing the organization and learning

how to do this 'etter and 'etter&) 4 learning organization (facilitates the learning of all

its mem'ers and contin!o!sl transforms itself # edler et al& *22*$& This a'ilit to

transform itself not onl depends on open comm!nication and empowerment of

emplo ees0 '!t also on (a c!lt!re of colla'oration&) #/lotte0 T nEala0 . H tonen0

1,,>$

The Chinese learning organization is a s!'Eect that has recei"ed relati"el little

attention in the field of HRD despite China s increasing social0 political0 and

economic infl!ence in the world& If c!lt!ral factors affect learning and organizational




de"elopment then it comes to reason that the c!lt!ral dimension m!st 'e considered

when prescri'ing inter"entions0 designing organizations0 or managing emplo ees& The

Chinese learning organization represents a !ni3!e aspect of the learning organization

concept and one that will 'ecome increasingl important in the f!t!re of HRD

research&

Researchers ha"e realized that Chinese social0 economic0 and organizational

change not onl pro"ides a rich conte5t for testing e5isting theories0 '!t also

offers the potential for disco"ering new or !ni3!e wa s of organizing and

managing in China

#=hao . Jiang0 1,,2$

China has emerged as the man!fact!ring and economic center of the world in the

post 1,,+ financial crisis en"ironment0 passing 9erman in 1,,2 and Japan in 1,*, in

9D terms& China is e5pected to pass the / in 9D terms meas!red ' p!rchasing

power parit # $ ' 1,*+& #The ?conomist0 1,**$ The lac% of mainstream academic

literat!re in"ol"ing HRD practices in China presents researchers with an opport!nit

to anal ze c!lt!ral differences and test the "alidit of general ass!mptions in social

sciences0 which ha"e historicall de"eloped from st!dies in"ol"ing -estern

organizational acti"ities& 4s China0 and 4sia in general0 de"elops and esta'lishes afirm position in a m!ltipolar sphere of economic and c!lt!ral infl!ence0 Organization

De"elopment #OD$ sho!ld logicall 'alance 'est practice ideolog 'ased on a glo'al

conte5t that e5ceeds the 'o!ndaries of -estern c!lt!re&

There are doc!mented differences 'etween Chinese and -estern ad!lt st!dents

learning st les in the classroom #Cheng0 4ndrade0 . an0 1,**B Heffernan et&al 1,*,$&

4sians and -estern ad!lts also ha"e different wa s of (percei"ing and acting in the

world&) # !intero0 *22>$ In general0 Chinese thin%ing is comple50 circ!lar0 and cantolerate opposing tho!ghts and ideas #Li0 1,,+B -ang0 C!i0 . =ho!0 1,, $ 4ltho!gh

Chinese ad!lt learners ha"e 'een characterized as passi"e learners who rel on rote

learning and memorization compared to their acti"e learning -estern co!nterparts0

these stereot pes ha"e 'een challenged& #Jie0 1,,2B Kenned 0 1,,1$ Regarding acti"e

learning0 ancient Chinese philosopher Conf!ci!s # *<>A2 8C$ once said0 (I hear0 I

%now& I see0 I remem'er& I do0 I !nderstand&) Conf!ci!s also warned0 (He who learns

'!t does not thin% is lost& He who thin%s '!t does not learn is in great danger&)




ang and L! #1,,1$ concl!ded that HR theor in China is "er different from that

of the /& Conf!cian "al!es contin!e to ha"e an impact on Chinese c!lt!re and0

conse3!entl 0 organizational practices in China& Jia0 -ang0 R!ona0 . RoEews%i0

#1,, $ arg!e0 (C!lt!ral ass!mptions !nderl ing -estern management theories ma

ma%e their applications less appropriate to Chinese organizations&) In addition0 (gi"en

the profo!nd infl!ence of Conf!cian "al!es0 international HRD practitioners sho!ld

realize the importance of ens!ring that -estern management practices are adopted

criticall in China&) #Jia et al0 1,, $

Hofstede and Bond #*2++$ s!mmarized Conf!cian teaching as

*& The sta'ilit of societ is 'ased on !ne3!al stat!s relationships 'etween people&1& The famil is the protot pe of all social organizations&

& Mirt!e with regard to one s tas%s in life consists of tr ing to ac3!ire s%ills and

ed!cation0 wor%ing hard0 not spending more than necessar 0 'eing patient0 and

perse"ering&

#Jia et al0 1,, $ e5plain Conf!cian ideolog as 'eing represented ' fi"e "irt!es: ren

#h!manit <'ene"olence$0 i #righteo!sness$0 li #propriet $0 zhi #wisdom$ and 5in

#tr!stworthiness$ Chinese c!lt!re is steeped in ancient traditions and s m'olism&

These "al!es em'edded in Chinese c!lt!re ha"e a significant impact on e"er aspect

of life in Chinese c!lt!re&

Contin!o!s Change in Chinese Organizations

Learning Organizations operate !nder and adapt to conditions of contin!o!s change&

Contin!o!s change in"ol"es fast<paced en"ironments (where timing is critical0

technological change is rapid0 and competiti"e press!res are !nrelenting and diffic!ltto predict&) #C!mmings . -orle 0 1,,2$ The Chinese econom has 'een growing at

an e5traordinar rate and is e5pected to contin!e growing o"er the ne5t two decades

while !ndergoing d namic transformation #Lin0 1,*1$




Chinese Organizational Conte5t

C!lt!re is often anal zed !sing Hofstede s dimensions of national c!lt!re: power

distanceB !ncertaint a"oidanceB indi"id!alism "ers!s collecti"ismB and masc!linit

"ers!s femininit B and long< term "ers!s short<term thin%ing& Hofstede and 8ond

#*2++$ incl!ded the fifth dimension after st!d ing Chinese c!lt!ral "al!es&

7ig!re *: Chinese c!lt!re thro!gh the lens of Hofstede s D model

#so!rce: http: geert<hofstede&com china&html$

4ccording to Hofested:

(4t +, China sits in the higher ran%ings of DI i&e& a societ that 'elie"es that

ine3!alities amongst people are accepta'le& The s!'ordinate<s!perior relationship

tends to 'e polarized and there is no defense against power a'!se ' s!periors&)

(4t a score of 1, China is a highl collecti"ist c!lt!re where people act in theinterests of the gro!p and not necessaril of themsel"es& In<gro!p considerations

affect hiring and promotions with closer in<gro!ps #s!ch as famil $ are getting

preferential treatment& (

(4t ;; China is a masc!line societ s!ccess oriented and dri"en& The need to ens!re

s!ccess can 'e e5emplified ' the fact that man Chinese will sacrifice famil and

leis!re priorities to wor%&)

(4t , China has a low score on !ncertaint a"oidance& Tr!th ma 'e relati"eP

adherence to laws and r!les ma 'e fle5i'le to s!it the act!al sit!ation and

pragmatism is a fact of life& The Chinese are comforta'le with am'ig!it )

(-ith a score of **+ China is a highl long term oriented societ in which persistence

and perse"erance are normal& Relationships are ordered ' stat!s and the order is

o'ser"ed& Nice people are thrift and sparing with reso!rces and in"estment tends to

'e in long term proEects s!ch as real estate& Traditions can 'e adapted to s!it new

http://geert-hofstede.com/china.html





conditions& Chinese people recognize that go"ernment is ' men rather than as in the

Low LTO co!ntries ' an e5ternal infl!ence s!ch as 9od or the law& Thin%ing wa s

foc!s on the f!ll or no confidence0 contrasting with low LTO co!ntries that thin% in

pro'a'ilistic wa s&)

#so!rce: http: geert<hofstede&com china&html$

The implications for organizational de"elopment are:

ower Distance

Chinese organizations can accept more hierarchical s stems with less empowerment

than -estern co!nterparts can& This most li%el affects areas of hiring and promotion0moti"ation0 and am'ition& It also implies that Chinese are less li%el to find

gratification in percei"ed opport!nities for !pward mo'ilit in an organization&

Chinese managers tend to ma%e decisions (regardless of the standardised HR policies

and practices and the low power distance organisational c!lt!re&) #7! . Kameno!0

1,*1$

Collecti"ism

Chinese organizations rel more on teamwor% and collecti"e goals rather thanindi"id!al aspirations& This affects areas of moti"ation and percei"ed indi"id!al "al!e&

The o'Eecti"es of the organization are E!st as important0 if not more so0 than

indi"id!al aspirations&

asc!line /ociet

Chinese emplo ees are li%el to sacrifice famil life and leis!re for wor% and

achie"ement& This ma 'e an ad"antage when meeting proEect deadlines or wor%ing

o"ertime '!t 'ecome a lia'ilit if o"erwor% leads to stress and a'senteeism&




ncertaint 4"oidance

In China0 laws e5ist in so m!ch as the can ser"e people& -hen laws fail to ser"e

people the are a'andoned or e"en ignored& Chinese do not re3!ire that e"er thing 'e

e5plicitl "er'alized or written& Compared to the / s stem0 which faces potential

collapse d!e to ha"ing a'o!t ,Q of the world s law ers and onl Q of the world s

pop!lation #8lac%0 1,**$0 the Chinese settle most differences o!t of co!rt and often do

not re3!ire formal doc!ments to esta'lish o'ligations&

-hen formal doc!ments e5ist0 the are often considered fle5i'le o!tlines rather

than a mandator g!ideline& The conte5t is more important than words and

doc!ments& Organization de"elopment in China sho!ld emphasize conte5t o"er

polic & 4ccording to the Conf!cian tradition (the cond!ct of people s affairs is 'asedon moralit or the law of the gentleman &?nacted laws and reg!lations are not

necessar &)# e0 Tweed0 . To!lson0 1,**$

Long Term Orientation

In Chinese organizational de"elopment0 more time m!st 'e spent in preparing

inter"entions& Relationships sho!ld 'e c!lti"ated and so!rces of contention wor%ed

o!t "er earl & 7or a learning organization0 this ma in"ol"e more time spent on

en"ironmental anal sis and !nderstanding the larger role of the organization rather

than foc!sing too m!ch on c!rrent e"ents&

Transferring -estern Concepts to China

The idea of a one<size fits all prod!ct has long since 'ecome o'solete in toda s

cons!mer dri"en rapidl changing mar%etplace& J!st as one wo!ld e5pect to find

prod!cts with specifications conforming precisel to their needs0 concepts in HRD

m!st also conform to the organizations that will 'e appl ing them&




#7! . Kameno!0 1,*1$ confirmed some of Hofstede s findings '!t were e3!all

critical ' claiming0 (C!lt!ral "al!es appeared to 'e richer and more comple5 than the

c!lt!ral dimensions and norms that are concept!alised in the e5isting literat!re)& The

samples were onl 'ased on !ni"ersit st!dents from 11 co!ntries not E!st China and

the findings ma 'e o!t of date0 as China has !ndergone significant c!lt!ral changes

since Hofestede s original st!dies o"er 1, ears ago& Hofstede s wor% also attempts to

place a comple5 s!'Eect li%e c!lt!re into a (c!lt!ral dimension 'o5&)

?"en if Hofestede s characterization of the differences 'etween ?astern and

-estern c!lt!re o"erl generalizes and the criteria are too narrow0 it still pro"ides an

anal tical tool to concept!alize c!lt!ral differences and gi"es the -esterner a lens to

"iew 4sian c!lt!re& O'"io!sl 0 the s!'Eect remains an opport!nit for researchers to

in"estigate in international HRD and will most li%el recei"e more attention in thef!t!re&

Transferring ed!cation policies to China has re"ealed se"eral iss!es& /ome

generic determinants for transferring ed!cational polic were proposed ' De Jong

and @i0 #1,,1$& odels are sometimes 'ased on one e5ample or set of circ!mstances

re3!iring a (s nthesis of "ario!s models) instead of foc!sing on one& Interpreting

models freel is prefera'le to d!plicating them& 4 strong sense of !rgenc m!st e5ist

and there m!st 'e some adE!stment to str!ct!ral or c!lt!ral differences& 4lso0 policinitiati"es sho!ld 'e (p!lled in) ' adopters within the organization rather than

(p!shed) ' donors o!tside of the organization& #7! . Kameno!0 1,*1$ arg!ed that

transnational corporations (ma need to na"igate thro!gh the distincti"e c!lt!ral

"al!es when practising the HR policies which co!ld s!pport specific strategies and

de"elop organisational c!lt!re&)

Chinese organization c!lt!re is also defined ' moral and ethical standards0

which are !nwritten r!les manifest thro!gh o!tward displa s of h!milit andh!m'leness& ?"en tho!gh there ma 'e respect for roles and positions within a

compan 0 the C?O ma 'e indisting!isha'le from a common wor%er in appearance

and ha'its&

DeEong and @i #1,,A$ listed specific determinants for s!ccessf!ll transferring

-estern ed!cational polic to China& The also arg!e that awareness of these factors

is necessar for s!ccessf!l polic transfer according& The -estern foc!s is on tas%

orientation while the Chinese foc!s is on personal tr!st& -esterners foc!s on ethical

standards "ers!s Chinese attachment to good intentions and lasting commitments&




-esterners ha"e an inclination to act while Chinese prefer to wait for the right

opport!nit & -esterners foc!s on interpersonal e3!alit and open comm!nication

while Chinese prefer to respect roles or positions and sa"e face& #De Jong . @i0 1,,A$

-ithin the conte5t of c!lt!ral ramifications and polic transfer 'etween c!lt!res0

the Chinese learning organization e5ists as an independent form of HRD str!ct!re&

4ltho!gh a deri"ati"e of the -estern model0 it remains a !ni3!e organization form

ni3!e com'ination of c!lt!rall infl!enced components separate it from its -estern

co!nterpart&

The learning organization ta%es on different characteristics in China d!e to the

aforementioned factors and ass!mptions& Of co!rse0 man ideas0 concepts0 anddefinitions can 'e transferred seamlessl across c!lt!res while others ris% 'eing

ne!tralized ' differences in perceptions0 translation0 and c!lt!ral mismatches& -a s

of learning in Chinese c!lt!re ma also differ from -estern practices&

In a s!r"e of the literat!re on learning in China some of the %e 'eliefs a'o!tlearning that g!ide learning 'eha"io!r that emerged were: the idea of lifelonglearning to disco"er and achie"e one s life p!rposeB a foc!s on character traits thatwill facilitate this process incl!ding resol"e0 diligence0 end!ring hardship0

perse"erance and concentrationB an aim to deepen !nderstanding thro!gh theintegration of %nowledge to impro"e moral character and the emotionalcommitment to this proEect which re3!ires passion0 h!milit and shame g!ilt&

#?l%in0 0 Haina0 . Cone0 1,**$

The Chinese learning organization represents a tr!l international concept0 an

idea de"eloped and propagated in the -est '!t one that HRD practitioners m!st

c!stomize to ens!re that localization conforms to c!lt!ral 'o!ndaries and conte5ts&

The glo'al shift in polarit of socio<economic factors has introd!ced deficiencies inpre"io!s models that were de"eloped !sing -estern e5amples& 8efore anal zing the

c!lt!ral factors and their impact on the strategic de"elopment of a learning

organization0 the concept m!st 'e f!rther refined&

4ccording to one st!d 0 HRD practitioners perspecti"e of learning at the

organizational le"el (em'raced str!ct!ral0 managerial0 c!lt!ral and '!siness aspects

and the processes ' which the can 'e transformed in organizations&) #/lotte0

T nEala0 . H tonen0 1,,>$




4g r!s #*2A+$ descri'ed learning as a single loop or do!'le loop process where

the single loop learning is the disco"er of pro'lems and correcting de"iations from

e5pected performance standards while achie"ing a fi5ed o'Eecti"e& /econd loop

learning is the 3!estioning of the o"erall paradigm within which s stems and

processes operate and determining if there is a need to change& /econd loop learning

in"ol"es changing or modif ing processes or s stems to meet challenges in a

t!r'!lent en"ironment& 4ppel'a!m and Reichart #*22+$ descri'ed organization

learning as a series of stages&

C!mmings and -orle #1,,2$ descri'ed learning organizations as 'eing

composed of two componentsB organizational learning and %nowledge management&

Organizational learning has characteristics s!ch as str!ct!re0 information s stems0

h!man reso!rce practices0 c!lt!re0 and leadership& 4ltho!gh the idea of a learningorganization is relati"el new in OD0 the concept of organization learning was alread

well esta'lished& 4rg ris and /chGn #*2A+$ defined organization learning as: 6 the

detection and correction of error6 C!mmings and -orle #1,,2$ e5plain organization

learning as a process in"ol"ing disco"er of error or performance gaps0 in"ention or

creating new sol!tions0 prod!ction or implementing sol!tions0 and generalizing or

adapting the sol!tions in other areas of the organization&

4n organizational str!ct!re in"ol"ing teamwor% is consistent with the Chinesecollecti"e wor% ethic& The collecti"e aspect of c!lt!ral "al!es in"ol"es wor%ing as a

gro!p to achie"e common o'Eecti"es& /ince the str!ct!re of organization learning is

dependent on teamwor% #C!mmings and -orle 0 1,,2$ this ma enhance the Chinese

firms competiti"e ad"antage& Howe"er0 C!mmings and -orle #1,,2$ also point o!t

that learning organizations also in"ol"e (lesser n!m'er of la ers) which ma conflict

with Hofested s #1,*1$ assertion that power relations tend to 'e (polarized) and

(ine3!alities amongst people are accepta'le&) The challenge in implementing

organization learning inter"entions in Chinese enterprises ma rest in implementing aprocess of '!rea!cratic dela ering to facilitate organization learning&

Information / stems in Chinese organizations

In organization learning0 information s stems (facilitate rapid ac3!isition0 processing0

and sharing of rich0 comple5 information and ena'le people to manage %nowledge for

competiti"e ad"antage&)#C!mmings . -orle 0 1,,2$ Importing ad"anced technolog

is a priorit in the Chinese go"ernment #chinadail &com0 1,**$ China is e"en seen '

some as 'ecoming a leader a technological inno"ation& #8r !ner0 1,**$




Howe"er0 it was fo!nd in 1,,A that o'stacles to Chinese information s stems

de"elopment remained s!ch as centralized decision<ma%ing0 mandator management

st le0 and less e5perience with information technolog and information s stems

applications&#9!o3ing et al0 1,,A$

C!mmings and -orle #1,,2$ indicate the h!man reso!rces practices sho!ld

(reinforce the ac3!isition and sharing of new s%ills and %nowledge&) The process of

sharing %nowledge is facilitated thro!gh the attri'!tes of collecti"e c!lt!re where

people often colla'orate with others 'efore arri"ing at decisions and decisions are

often made in the interests of the gro!p or team& 4ccording to one st!d 0 Chinese

emplo ees prefer to (de"elop and maintain a positi"e and personal g!an<5i

#relationship$ with their colleag!es and managers&) Howe"er0 (one needs to respect

seniorit when de"eloping g!an<5i with others& (# 7! .Kameno!01,*1$ 9!an5i

foc!ses on personal relations and the e5change of fa"ors rather than impersonal

commercial networ%s& #7!0 Ts!i .Dess0 1,,;$

Organization C!lt!re

C!mmings and -orle #1,,2$ indicate that learning organizations ha"e (strong

c!lt!res0 that promote openness0 creati"it 0 and e5perimentation among mem'ers) and

(n!rt!re inno"ation&) Chinese inno"ation is defined ' geographic and regional

'o!ndaries&

In general0 pro"inces and m!nicipalities with pro"incial stat!s on the east coast

are more inno"ati"e than the pro"inces in the central and western parts of China&

Regional le"els of inno"ati"eness are highl correlated with their 9D per capita

and their contri'!tion to high<technolog e5ports0 '!t less with their shares in

national R.D e5pendit!res&

#4r'olino0 1,**$

The rising n!m'er of Chinese patents #Re'iS01,**$ and the Chinese go"ernment s

science and technolog initiati"e s strategic fo!r pillar plan incl!ding (indigeno!s

inno"ation) as a %e component #4r'olino0 1,**$ ha"e also 'een cited as

contri'!ting factors to China s impro"ement in inno"ation& o"ing from imitation to

inno"ation will certainl remain the traEector of Chinese HRD initiati"es in the

f!t!re as '!siness search for new wa s to moti"ate and enco!rage emplo ees to 'ecreati"e and inno"ati"e&




Leadership

?ffecti"e leadership is essential for the learning organization to de"elop in terms

of the other characteristicsB str!ct!re0 information s stems0 h!man reso!rces practices0

and organization c!lt!re& Open comm!nication 'etween leaders and emplo ees

promotes learning #4rg ris and /chon 0*2A+0 *22;$

4ccording to one Chinese st!d of firms recr!ited in /hanghai0 -ong0 TEos"old0

and Jiafang #1,*,$ fo!nd that (leader commitment to participation0 people0 and

prod!cti"it were fo!nd to predict ps chological safet among team mem'ers) and

(predicted learning&)

7ig!re 1

#so!rce: -ong0 TEos"old0 and Jiafang 01,*,$

This ma conflict with Hofestede s #1,*1$ assertion that Chinese ha"e low

!ncertaint a"oidance and can tolerate am'ig!it & Ne"ertheless0 ?dmondson #*222$

has identified ps chological safet as a necessar condition for team learning&

Team ps chological safet sho!ld facilitate learning 'eha"ior in wor% teams

'eca!se it alle"iates e5cessi"e concern a'o!t othersF reactions to actions that ha"e

the potential for em'arrassment or threat0 which learning 'eha"iors often ha"e&

#?dmondson *222$

s chological safet ma 'e especiall important in the Chinese conte5t& DeEong

and @i #1,,A$ indicated that Chinese prefer to respect roles and sa"e face to

maintaining open comm!nication and interpersonal e3!alit & 7or Chinese0 it ma 'e

more 'eneficial to learn within a team framewor% where mista%es and achie"ements

can 'e shared&

Knowledge anagement




8esides organization learning0 %nowledge management represents another %e

component of the learning organization& #C!mmings . -orle 0 1,,2$ Conf!ci!s

'roadl defined %nowledge ' sa ing0 ( -hen o! %now a thing0 to hold that o!

%now itB and when o! do not %now a thing0 to allow that o! do not %now it < this is

%nowledge&6 Knowledge can 'e fo!nd ' st!d ing historical e"ents and trends&

Conf!ci!s e5plained0 (6I am not one who was 'orn in the possession of %nowledgeB I

am one who is fond of anti3!it 0 and earnest in see%ing it there&6 Knowledge can 'e

e5plained in terms of its a'sence as Conf!ci!s pointed o!t in sa ing0 (Real %nowledge

is to %now the e5tent of oneFs ignorance&) Knowledge is a so!rce of competiti"e

ad"antage as ancient Chinese general and militar strategist /!n Tz! s!ccinctl

artic!lated0 (He who %nows when he can fight and when he cannot will 'e

"ictorio!s&)

Contemporar academics ha"e e5plained %nowledge in terms of tacit and e5plicit

%nowledge& Tacit %nowledge is a'stract implicit %nowledge s!ch as e5perience

deri"ed from s%ill0 E!dgment0 and practice # olan i0 *2;A$ while e5plicit %nowledge is

3!antifia'le and can 'e comm!nicated easil thro!gh lang!age or signals&

Knowledge creation is a process of ma%ing tacit %nowledge e5plicit and the "al!e

of new %nowledge is meas!red not onl ' economic indicators '!t also ' how well

the %nowledge contri'!tes to a compan s "ision and strategic goals0 as well as

de"elops (potential to '!ild the compan s organizational %nowledge networ%&)

#Nona%a0 *22*$

Knowledge is created 'etween firms in d namic conte5ts where tacit %nowledge

is transmitted 'etween acti"e participants in a networ%& Knowledge is initiated

#initiation$0 transacted thro!gh colla'oration #enco!nter$0 and de"eloped into a higher

le"el cooperation and organizational commitment #intimac $& #Corno0 Reinmoeller0 .

Nona%a0 *222$

8oth internall and e5ternall 0 %nowledge creation within a Chinese conte5t co!ld 'e

affected ' factors s!ch as collecti"eness0 g!an5i0 and power relations& 4lso0 there is

less regard for intellect!al propert in china than in -estern co!ntries so %nowledge

ma 'e also 'e held to the same collecti"e standards as shared goals and

achie"ements&




Nona%a #*22*$ contended that -estern tradition "iews %nowledge management

in terms of 3!antifia'le facts while Japanese managers were a'le to harness the tacit

%nowledge of their emplo ees thro!gh the !se of anoligies0 metaphors0 and other

a'stract "is!alization acti"ities&

This co!ld also 'e the case in China which is a high conte5t c!lt!re meaning that

it is more sociall oriented0 confrontation a"oiding0 and complacent with e5isting

wa s of life than -estern co!ntries& #Kim0 an0 . ar%*22+$ Hall #*2AA$ recognized

differences in wa s c!lt!res comm!nicate proposed the high low conte5t contin!!m&

Low conte5t c!lt!res are considered to re3!ire more e5plicit meaning in the form

"er'al or written comm!nication while placing less "al!e on conte5t!al

circ!mstances& Despite "ario!s models and definitions0 which cannot 'e e5plicitl

defined0 the am'ig!it of a'stract concept!al theor ma 'e welcome in China&

erhaps China will pla a role in the ne5t ro!nd of iterations in a process of contin!al

refinement of these a'stract HRD concepts&

Concl!sion

Chinese c!lt!re is constantl changing and has 'een hea"il infl!enced 'Conf!cianism& #-ang0 -ang0 R!ona0 . RoEews%i0 1,, $ The Chinese learning

organization will contin!e to 'e an area of st!d for f!t!re HRD practitioners& 4

learning organization composed of organization learning and %nowledge management

de"elops differentl in China than in -estern co!ntries& 4 Conf!cian tradition0 high

conte5t c!lt!re0 long term perspecti"e0 and differences in st les of engaging in

relationships are s!re to ignite de'ate and in"estigation into this !ni3!e model&

The Chinese learning organization can 'e defined as a learning organization with

!ni3!el identifia'le c!lt!ral aspects gro!nded in Conf!cian tradition0 respect for

roles or position0 and comm!nication& These aspects incl!de the wa %nowledge is

distri'!ted thro!gh networ% relationships and the f!nctioning of teams& The world

will remain di"erse and the Chinese learning organization will contin!e to e"ol"e into

a !ni3!el 4sian form of '!siness0 learning0 and c!lt!ral e5pression& In the f!t!re0 the

-estern companies co!ld 'e loo%ing to China to 'etter !nderstand tacit %nowledge0

leading ' protecting and safeg!arding0 red!cing relationship 'arriers thro!gh the

concept of g!an5i0 and managing highl effecti"e teams despite ine3!alit among

mem'ers& The Chinese learning organization is a !ni3!e model deri"ed from earlier




-estern concepts& Toda it has de"eloped into an identit of its own and merits

f!rther research as a differentiated form of learning organization&

References

4garwal 4& 1,, & Learning Organization& Retrie"ed fromwww&hrfol%s&com 4RTICL?/ LearningQ1,Organization Learning

Q1,Organization&pdf

4r'olino0 R& #1,**$& Inno"ation in China: ?"idence 7rom the ro"incial Data&

Chinese Business Review 010#*,$0 + <+;A&

4ppel'a!m0 /& H& and Reichart0 -& R& #*22+$ How to meas!re an organization s

learning a'ilit : the facilitating factors art II 0 Jo!rnal of -or%place Learning *:* 1+

4rdich"ili0 4& and K!chin%e0 & K& #1,,1$ The concept of c!lt!re in international and

comparati"e HRDresearch: methodological pro'lems and possi'le sol!tions&

H!man Reso!rce De"elopment Re"iew0 *#1$0pp& *> <;;&

4rg ris0 C& and /cho Un0 D& #*2A+$ Organizational Learning: 4 Theor of 4ction

erspecti"e0Reading0 4: 4ddison<-esle &




4rg ris0 C&0 and D&4& /chon& *22;& Organizational learning II: Theor 0 method0 and

practice& Reading0 4:4ddison<-esle &

8ar%er0 R& T&0 . Camarata0 & R& #*22+$& The Role of Comm!nication in Creating and

aintaining a Learning Organization: reconditions0 Indicators0 and Disciplines&Journal Of Business Communication 0 35#>$0 >> <>;A&

8ell0 D& ?&0 . /helman0 & L& #1,**$& K7CFs Radical 4pproach to China& Harvard

Business Review 089#**$0 * A<*>1&

8r !ner0 O& #1,**$& ? and China s Tech Rise V'logW& Retrie"ed from

http: the<diplomat&com new<leaders<for!m 1,** ,A 1; e!<and<china

Q?1Q+,Q22s<tech<rise

8lac%0 C& #1,**$& Collapse of / J!stice / stem in /ham'les& Retrie"ed arch *0

1,*10 from

http: www&n s!n&com opinion collapse<of<!s<E!stice<s stem<into<a<sham'les +A +

A

China /ho!ld rioritize Technolog Import: Mice< remier& #1,**$& Retrie"ed arch

*01,*10 fromhttp: www&chinadail &com&cn china 1,**<,; 11 contentX*1A>A2,*&htm

Cheng0 H&0 4ndrade0 H& L&0 . an0 =& #1,**$& 4 cross<c!lt!ral st!d of learning

'eha"io!rs in the classroom: from a thin%ing st le perspecti"e& Educational

s!cholo"! 0 31#A$0 +1 <+>*& doi:*,&*,+, ,*>> >*,&1,**&;,+ 1;

Corno0 7&0 Reinmoeller0 &0 . Nona%a0 I& #*222$& Knowledge Creation within

Ind!strial / stems& Journal Of #ana"ement $ %overnance 0 3#>$0 A2< 2>&

doi:*,&*,1 4:*,,22 ;A*1A

Daft0 R& L& . H!'er0 9& & #*2+A$ How Organizations Learn: 4 Comm!nication

7ramewor%& Research in the &ociolo"! of Or"ani'ations 0 0 *< ;&

?l%in0 9&0 Haina0 =&0 . Cone0 & #1,**$& The 4cceptance of /engeFs Learning

Organisation odel among anagers in China: 4n Inter"iew /t!d & (nternational

Journal Of #ana"ement 0)8 #>$0 >< ;>&

http://www.nysun.com/opinion/collapse-of-us-justice-system-into-a-shambles/87587/


http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-06/22/content_12747901.htm



http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-06/22/content_12747901.htm




C!mmings0 T& 9&0 . -orle 0 C& 9& #1,,2$& Organization de"elopment and change #2th

ed&$& Cincinnati0 OH: /o!th<-estern College !'lishing&

?dmondson 4& s chological /afet and Learning 8eha"ior in -or% Teams&

*dministrative &cience +uarterl! Vserial onlineW& J!ne *222B>>#1$: ,< + &4"aila'le from: 8!siness /o!rce Complete0 Ipswich0 4& 4ccessed arch ,0

1,*1&

7rahm0 J& 4&0 . 8rown0 K& 4& #1,, $& 8 ILDIN9 4N OR94NI=4TION4L

CH4N9? CO NIC4TION TH?OR & *cadem! Of #ana"ement *nnual

#eetin" roceedin"s 0 C*<C;& doi:*,& >; 4 8 &1,, &*+A+*12;

7! 0 Ts!i 40 Dess 9& The D namics of 9!an5i in Chinese High<tech 7irms:

Implications for Knowledge anagement and Decision a%ing& #ana"ement

(nternational Review ,#(R- Vserial onlineW& 1,,; rd !arter 1,,;B>;# $:1AA< , &

4"aila'le from: 8!siness /o!rce Complete0 Ipswich0 4& 4ccessed arch ,0

1,*1&

7! 0 Kameno! N& The impact of Chinese c!lt!ral "al!es on h!man reso!rce policies

and practices within transnational corporations in China& (nternational Journal Of

Human Resource #ana"ement Vserial onlineW& Octo'er 1,**B11#*;$: 1A,< 1+2&

4"aila'le from: 8!siness /o!rce Complete0 Ipswich0 4& 4ccessed arch ,0

1,*1&

9ephart0 & 4&0 . arsic%0 M& J& #*22;$& Learning organizations come ali"e& .rainin"

$ /evelo ment 050#*1$0 >&

9!o3ing C0 R!ipeng -0 @!nh!a 9& Ke iss!es in information s stems management

in China&Journal Of Enter rise (nformation #ana"ement Vserial onlineW& 7e'r!ar1,0 1,,AB1,#1$:*2+<1,+& 4"aila'le from: 8!siness /o!rce Complete0 Ipswich0 4&

4ccessed arch ,0 1,*1&

Hall0 ?dward T& *2AA& 8e ond C!lt!re0 9arden Cit 0 N : 4nchor ress Do!'leda &

Heath0 R&/& and 8rown0 Jr&0 J& 7& #1,,A$0 4 Re<?5amination of the ?ffect of

Jo'<rele"ant Information on the 8!dgetar articipation& Jo' erformance Relation

d!ring an 4ge of ?mplo ee ?mpowerment& Jo!rnal of 4pplied 8!siness Research0

*st !arter0 1 #*$0 pp&***<*1>&




Heffernan0 T&0 orrison0 &0 8as!0 &0 . /weene 0 4& #1,*,$& C!lt!ral differences0

learning st les and transnational ed!cation& Journal Of Hi"her Education olic! $

#ana"ement 0 3) #*$0 1A< 2& doi:*,&*,+, * ;,,+,,2, >>,

Hofstede0 9&0 . in%o"0 & #1,*,$& Long< "ers!s short<term orientation: new

perspecti"es& *sia acific Business Review 01 #>$0 >2 < ,>&

doi:*,&*,+, * ;,1 +*,, ; A;,2

Hofstede0 9ert #*2+,$ C!lt!res Conse3!ences& /age !'lications&

Hofstede0 9eert #*22A$&Culture and Or"ani'ations2 &oftware of the #ind & New or%:

c9raw<Hill #chA$&

How to get a date: The ear when the Chinese econom will tr!l eclipse 4merica s is

in sight& #1,,*$& Retrie"ed arch *0 1,*10 from

http: www&economist&com node 1* >1*

Jia0 -&0 -ang0 9& 9&0 R!ona0 -& 4&0 . RoEews%i0 J& -& #1,, $& Conf!cian Mal!es and

the Implications for International HRD& Human Resource /evelo ment

(nternational 08# $0 **< 1;& doi:*,&*,+, * ;A++;, ,,*> 1+

Jie0 Li!& 1,,2& 67rom learner passi"e to learner acti"eY The case of Chinese

postgrad!ate st!dents st!d ing mar%eting in the K&6 (nternational Journal Of

#ana"ement Education A0 no& 1: <>,&Business &ource Com lete 0 ?8/CO host

#accessed arch 120 1,*1$&

Jie0 & #1,**$& The determinants of corporate growth: e"idence from Chinese high

technolog firms& (nternational Journal Of .echnolo"! #ana"ement 05 #*$0 >,< 1&

Kanta'!tra0 /& #1,,;$0 Leader and 7ollower 7actors in C!stomer and ?mplo ee

/atisfaction: It ta%es Two to Tango& Jo!rnal of 4pplied 8!siness Research0 > th

!arter0 11#>$0 pp& <>;&

Kenned 0 & #1,,1$& Learning c!lt!res and learning st les: m th<!nderstandings a'o!t

ad!lt #Hong Kong$ Chinese learners& (nternational Journal Of ifelon" Education 0

)1 # $0 > ,<>> & doi:*,&*,+, ,1;,* A,1*,* ;A>

http://www.geert-hofstede.com/geert_hofstede_resources.shtml

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0071439595/bigdogsbowlofbis/

http://www.geert-hofstede.com/geert_hofstede_resources.shtml

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0071439595/bigdogsbowlofbis/




Khadra0 07& and Rawa'deh0 I04& #1,,;$0 4ssessment of De"elopment of the

Learning Organization Concept in Jordanian Ind!str Companies& The Learning

Organization0 * # $0 pp&> <>A>&

Kim0 D&0 an0 &0 . ar%0 H& #*22+$& High< Mers!s Low<Conte5t C!lt!re: 4

Comparison of Chinese0 Korean and 4merican C!lt!res& s!cholo"! $ #ar4etin" 0

15#;$0 ,A< 1*&

K!chin%e0 eter K&Contingent HRD: Toward a Theor of Mariation and

Differentiation in 7ormal H!man Reso!rce De"elopment Human Resource

/evelo ment Review &e tem er )003 )2 )967309 doi210 11::;1536686303)5 885

Lei0 C&0 iranda C& K&0 &0 Tong0 L&0 8ao ei0 -&0 8in 8in0 C&0 . H!i Jing0 L& #1,**$&

C!lt!ral 4daptations to ?n"ironmental Maria'ilit : 4n e"ol!tionar acco!nt of

?ast<-est differences& ?d!c s chol Re" #1,**$ 1 :22 *12

Li0 &0 ang0 =&0 . -ang0 L& 1,,+& De"eloping theor from the conte5t of Chinese

management practice: 4n integrati"e perspecti"e& Chinese Jo!rnal of anagement0

#>$: >;2 >A1&

Lin J& China and the glo'al econom & China Economic Journal Vserial onlineW&

7e'r!ar 1,**B>#*$:*<*>& 4"aila'le from: 8!siness /o!rce Complete0 Ipswich0 4&

4ccessed arch 120 1,*1&

Lim0 L&L&K&B Laosirihongthong0 T& and Chan0 C&C&4& #1,,;$0 4 Case /t!d of

Learning in a Thai an!fact!ring Organization& Journal of * lied Business

Research 0 1nd

!arter0 11#1$0 pp&>2<;,

Nona%a I& The Knowledge<Creating Compan & Harvard Business Review Vserial

onlineW& No"em'er *22*B;2#;$:2;<*,>& 4"aila'le from: 8!siness /o!rce Complete0

Ipswich0 4& 4ccessed arch ,0 1,*1&

edler0 &0 8!rgo ne0 J& D& and 8o dell0 T& #*22*$ The Learning Compan 0 London:c9raw<Hill&

olan i0 & #*2;A$&.he tacit dimension & New or%: Do!'leda 4nchor&




!intero0 ?& #*22>7$& Mal!ing di"ersit in the m!ltic!lt!ral classroom&

Re'iS & D?M?LO ?NT /TR4T?9 O7 R CHIN4: INNOM4TION 4ND TH?

ROL? O7 4T?NT/ IN R4I/IN9 TH? CO ?TITIM?N?// O7 TH?

?CONO & #?nglish$& < orni4 Radova E4onoms4o" =a4ulteta > (stocnom

&ara?evu Vserial onlineW& Jan!ar 1,**B:**2<*>>&

/enge0 & #*22,$ The 7ifth Discipline: The 4rt and ractice of the Learning

Organization0 New or%: C!rrenc Do!'leda

/lotte0 M&0 T nEala0 &0 . H tonen0 T& #1,,>$& How do HRD practitioners descri'e

learning at wor%Y H!man Reso!rces De"elopment International0 A0 >+* >22&

doi:*,&*,+, * ;A++;,>1,,,1> 2A+

/%erla"aE0 & and DimG"s%i0 M& #1,,;$0 /ocial Networ% 4pproach to Organizational

Learning& Jo!rnal of 4pplied 8!siness Research0 1 nd !arter0 11#1$0 pp+2<2+&

-ang0 D&0 C!i0 H&0 . =ho!0 7& 1,, & eas!ring the personalit of Chinese: = /

"ers!s N?O I<R& 4sian Jo!rnal of /ocial s cholog 0 +#*$: 2A *11&

-ang0 J&0 -ang0 9& 9&0 R!ona0 -& ?& 4&0 . RoEews%i0 J0 -& #1,, $& Conf!cian "al!es

and the implications for international HRD& H!man Reso!rce De"elopmentinternational0 +0 **< 1;&

-at%ins0 K&?& and arsic%0 M&J& #*22;$0 In 4ction: Creating the Learning

Organization0 4merican /ociet for Training and De"elopment0 4le5andria0 M4&

-erner0 J& &0 . De/imone0 R&L& #1,,2$& H!man reso!rce de"elopment # th ed&$&

ason0 OH: /o!th<-estern Cengage&

-ong 40 TEos"old D0 Jiafang L& Leadership "al!es and learning in China: The

mediating role of ps chological safet & *sia acific Journal Of Human Resources

Vserial onlineW& 4pril 1,*,B>+#*$:+;<*,A& 4"aila'le from: 4cademic /earch remier0

Ipswich0 4& 4ccessed arch ,0 1,*1&

@iaoh!i0 -&0 8ai in0 &0 . cLean0 9& N& #1,,A$& Infl!ence of demographic factors

and ownership t pe !pon organizational learning c!lt!re in Chinese enterprises&

(nternational Journal Of .rainin" $ /evelo ment 011# $0 * ><*; &

doi:*,&**** E&*>;+<1>*2&1,,A&,,1A+&5

http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/HRD

http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/HRD




ang0 8& and L!0 7& #1,,1$ /!ccession management in China and 4merica: a

theoretical comparison and implications for de"eloping glo'al h!man reso!rces0 in:

T& & ?gan and /& 4& L nham #?ds$ roceedings of the 4cadem of H!man

Reso!rce De"elopment International Research Conference0pp& 1,*<+ #Honol!l!0

HI$&

=hang0 D&0 =hen0 =&0 . 8ai in0 & #1,,>$& Learning organization in mainland China:

empirical research on its application to Chinese state<owned enterprises&

(nternational Journal Of .rainin" $ /evelo ment 08#>$0 1 +<1A &

doi:*,&**** E&* ;,< A ;&1,,>&,,1* &5

7ig!re *

Hofstede0 9& #1,*1$& Hofstede s C!lt!ral Diminions VChartW& Retrie"ed fromhttp: geert<hofstede&com china&html

7ig!re 1

-ong 40 TEos"old D0 Jiafang L& Leadership "al!es and learning in China: Themediating role of ps chological safet & *sia acific Journal Of Human

Resources



the chinese learning organization

Documents