Module 2 550 activity 2

OGL550_Module_2.pdf

OGL 550

Organizations as Brains Morgan Ch. 4

Organizations as Brains

Is it possible to design “learning organizations” that have the capacity to be flexile, resilient, and inventive as the functioning of the brain?

Is it possible to distribute capacities for intelligence and control throughout an enterprise so that the system as a whole can self-organize and evolve along with emerging challenges?

Organizations as Brains

• Information processing brains

• Complex learning systems

• Holographic systems combining centralized and decentralized characteristics

Organizations as Information Processing Brains • Organizations are information systems

• “the decision-making approach” – Herbert Simon and colleagues

• Electronic brain

Creating Learning Organizations

v How can one design complex systems that are capable of learning in a brain- like ways?

v Cybernetics v Systems must have the capacity to sense , monitor, and scan significant aspects of their environment v They must be able to relate this information to the operating norms that guide system behavior v The must be able to detect significant deviations from these norms v They must be able to initiate corrective action when discrepancies are detected

v Single loop learning v Double loop learning

Guidelines for Learning Organizations

• Scan and anticipate change in the wider environment to detect significant variations.

• Develop an ability to question, challenge, and change operating norms and assumptions.

• Allow an appropriate strategic direction and pattern of organization to emerge.

Organizations as Holographic Brains • The metaphor of a hologram allow us to think of systems where qualities

of the whole are enfolded in all parts so that the system has an ability to self-organize and regenerate itself on a continuous basis. • Build the whole into all the parts • The importance of redundancy • Requisite variety • Minimum specs • Learning to learn

Summary

“Leadership needs to be diffused rather than centralized; even though goals, objectives, and targets may be helpful managerial tools, they must be used in a way that avoids the pathologies of single-loop learning; goal seeking must be accompanied by an awareness of the limits needed to avoid noxious outcomes; and hierarchy, design, and strategic development must be approached and understood as self-organizing, emergent phenomena” (p. 113)

module2survey1.docx

1. Complete many of the required readings for this module (e.g., the Chapter assigned, and various articles on the Learning Materials page).

2. Please take the Learning Organization survey under the “Activity” tab of this module. That will take about 20 minutes to complete. https://hbs.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b7rYZGRxuMEyHRz

3. Watch this video (which you will discuss in your post): Name of Video on YouTube is: Basketball awareness text. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB_lTKZm1Ts Write and submit your initial DB post of at least 600 words addressing the points below.

5. Respond in detail to one of your classmates’ posts by answering the question(s) they posed in their initial post (within 48 hours of the initial due date). Your response post should be at least 200 words.

Initial post

Write a post of at least 600 words addressing the following three items. Please use topical headings or numbers to make it easy for readers to see that you’ve covered each required item:

1. Summarize your results from taking the Learning Organization survey . What areas is your organization strong in? What are its opportunities for improvement? Did the results surprise you? Why or why not? Does your organization allow for self-organization, or is it structured more mechanistically?

2. Based on what you’ve learned in this module (reading various articles, etc.) , what recommendations would you make for improving your organization’s results? Draw specific interventions and methods from the learning materials, citing your sources. You can also do external research if helpful. Explain why the interventions you chose are appropriate, e.g., how and why they will help resolve the issues you raised. Be sure to use vocabulary and concepts from this module, and cite appropriately, to demonstrate your mastery. You can also weave in ideas and terms from Module 1 if relevant to integrate and synthesize what we’ve covered so far.

3. Discuss what you learned by watching the awareness video (above, on this page). For example: --How does attention influence what people and organizations perceive? --Why does diversity increase organizational capacity for information intake and learning? --What implications do these ideas have for organizations and leaders?

4. Conclude your post with a question to your classmates as to how Module 2 ideas (e.g., organizational learning, self-organization) might relate to their applied project. Be sure it is a substantive question requiring an explanation, far more than a simple “yes” or “no.”

Resources

https://www.youtube.com/embed/BatkSenrN0k?autoplay=1&rel=0&hl=en_US&fs=1

https://www.visual-paradigm.com/scrum/what-is-self-organizing-team-in-scrum/

https://www.corporate-rebels.com/blog/morning-star

· Self-organizing teamsLinks to an external site. A black and grey play button Description automatically generated

· The Fifth Discipline in 3 MinutesLinks to an external site. A black and grey play button Description automatically generated

I will post the resources in separate documents.

image1.png

OGL550_Module_2.pdf

OGL 550

Organizations as Brains Morgan Ch. 4

Organizations as Brains

Is it possible to design “learning organizations” that have the capacity to be flexile, resilient, and inventive as the functioning of the brain?

Is it possible to distribute capacities for intelligence and control throughout an enterprise so that the system as a whole can self-organize and evolve along with emerging challenges?

Organizations as Brains

• Information processing brains

• Complex learning systems

• Holographic systems combining centralized and decentralized characteristics

Organizations as Information Processing Brains • Organizations are information systems

• “the decision-making approach” – Herbert Simon and colleagues

• Electronic brain

Creating Learning Organizations

v How can one design complex systems that are capable of learning in a brain- like ways?

v Cybernetics v Systems must have the capacity to sense , monitor, and scan significant aspects of their environment v They must be able to relate this information to the operating norms that guide system behavior v The must be able to detect significant deviations from these norms v They must be able to initiate corrective action when discrepancies are detected

v Single loop learning v Double loop learning

Guidelines for Learning Organizations

• Scan and anticipate change in the wider environment to detect significant variations.

• Develop an ability to question, challenge, and change operating norms and assumptions.

• Allow an appropriate strategic direction and pattern of organization to emerge.

Organizations as Holographic Brains • The metaphor of a hologram allow us to think of systems where qualities

of the whole are enfolded in all parts so that the system has an ability to self-organize and regenerate itself on a continuous basis. • Build the whole into all the parts • The importance of redundancy • Requisite variety • Minimum specs • Learning to learn

Summary

“Leadership needs to be diffused rather than centralized; even though goals, objectives, and targets may be helpful managerial tools, they must be used in a way that avoids the pathologies of single-loop learning; goal seeking must be accompanied by an awareness of the limits needed to avoid noxious outcomes; and hierarchy, design, and strategic development must be approached and understood as self-organizing, emergent phenomena” (p. 113)

module2survey1.docx

1. Complete many of the required readings for this module (e.g., the Chapter assigned, and various articles on the Learning Materials page).

2. Please take the Learning Organization survey under the “Activity” tab of this module. That will take about 20 minutes to complete. https://hbs.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b7rYZGRxuMEyHRz

3. Watch this video (which you will discuss in your post): Name of Video on YouTube is: Basketball awareness text. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB_lTKZm1Ts Write and submit your initial DB post of at least 600 words addressing the points below.

5. Respond in detail to one of your classmates’ posts by answering the question(s) they posed in their initial post (within 48 hours of the initial due date). Your response post should be at least 200 words.

Initial post

Write a post of at least 600 words addressing the following three items. Please use topical headings or numbers to make it easy for readers to see that you’ve covered each required item:

1. Summarize your results from taking the Learning Organization survey . What areas is your organization strong in? What are its opportunities for improvement? Did the results surprise you? Why or why not? Does your organization allow for self-organization, or is it structured more mechanistically?

2. Based on what you’ve learned in this module (reading various articles, etc.) , what recommendations would you make for improving your organization’s results? Draw specific interventions and methods from the learning materials, citing your sources. You can also do external research if helpful. Explain why the interventions you chose are appropriate, e.g., how and why they will help resolve the issues you raised. Be sure to use vocabulary and concepts from this module, and cite appropriately, to demonstrate your mastery. You can also weave in ideas and terms from Module 1 if relevant to integrate and synthesize what we’ve covered so far.

3. Discuss what you learned by watching the awareness video (above, on this page). For example: --How does attention influence what people and organizations perceive? --Why does diversity increase organizational capacity for information intake and learning? --What implications do these ideas have for organizations and leaders?

4. Conclude your post with a question to your classmates as to how Module 2 ideas (e.g., organizational learning, self-organization) might relate to their applied project. Be sure it is a substantive question requiring an explanation, far more than a simple “yes” or “no.”

Resources

https://www.youtube.com/embed/BatkSenrN0k?autoplay=1&rel=0&hl=en_US&fs=1

https://www.visual-paradigm.com/scrum/what-is-self-organizing-team-in-scrum/

https://www.corporate-rebels.com/blog/morning-star

· Self-organizing teamsLinks to an external site. A black and grey play button Description automatically generated

· The Fifth Discipline in 3 MinutesLinks to an external site. A black and grey play button Description automatically generated

I will post the resources in separate documents.

OGL550_Module_2.pdf

module2survey1.docx

OGL550_Module_2.pdf

module2survey1.docx

image1.png

OGL550_Module_2.pdf

module 2 reaction