Theories of Learning in Organizations: A Detailed Analysis Essay

This essay delves into the three major theories of learning: behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism, within the context of a learning organization. It explains behaviourism as the acquisition of new behaviours through stimuli and responses, emphasizing employee motivation and leadership styles. Cognitivism is presented as a theory dependent on internal thought processes and knowledge management, highlighting the importance of understanding situational reality. Constructivism focuses on individual perspectives and the construction of knowledge based on personal experiences, advocating for constructive criticism and problem-solving. The essay concludes that all three theories are integral to organizational learning, contributing to behavioural changes, internal information processing, and individual knowledge construction, respectively. Desklib provides access to more essays and study tools.

Running head: THE LEARNING ORGANIZATION
The Learning Organization
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author Note

1THE LEARNING ORGANIZATION
Organizational learning is the method to create, retain, as well as transfer organizational
information. There occurs improvement in an organization over time with the gaining of
experience. Organizational learning occurs with the help of the processes of learning that is
associated with the aspect of facilitating, impeding, directing the change, disseminating as well
as using the organizational knowledge. Organizational learning is also considered being the
manner in which a company will be creating as well as organizing knowledge in relation to their
functional aspects as well as cultural aspects (Yousef, 2014). The objective of organizational
learning is having a successful adaptation of the changing environments, for adjusting under
doubtful circumstances as well as for increasing the effectiveness.
According to me, there are three theories of learning such as behaviourism, cognitive
information processing as well as constructivism. In respect of behaviourism, it can be stated
that there is the existence of knowledge in an independent manner and outside of individuals.
The behaviourists are having the belief that there is the actual occurrence of learning when new
behavioural changes are acquired via relations amongst stimuli as well as responses. Therefore,
association is leading towards a behavioural change. (Thurlings, 2013) I believe that, learning
process in respect of behaviourism is depending upon objectively observable behavioural
changes. According to the behaviour theorists, learning is defined as the gaining of a new
behaviour or behavioural change. This organizational theory states that there occurs the
commencement of learning when an indication from the environment is presented and there
occurs the reaction of the learner to the stimulus with certain kind of response (Johnson, 2014).
Outcomes that are doing the reinforcement of the needed behaviour are arranged for following
the behaviour that is being desired. The repetition of the new pattern of behaviour keeps on
happening for becoming automatic. The behavioural change within an organizational employee

2THE LEARNING ORGANIZATION
will be signifying the fact that there has been the occurrence of learning. From the organizational
perspective, behaviourism regarding the employees lead towards their motivation. The
motivation of the employees is a process that is targeting the physiological requirement and is
leading towards increased output. An employer might desire the improvement of motivation
through the empowerment of the staffs in making decisions or solving the workplace problems
(Lau, 2014). Certain employers are also offering the staffs the capability of having a schedule
that is considered flexible or having participation in programs related to training. In relation to
this, I also believe that the choice of leadership style of an employer might be eliciting varied
responses from the staffs. Majority of the leaders are not using a single leadership form but
various types of leaderships in varied circumstances. For instance, an autocratic leader will be
making decisions in respect of the team members without consulting them, whereas a democratic
leader will be allowing the members if the team in providing their viewpoint prior to the making
of a decision (Merriam, 2013). A laissez-faire leader will not at all be making any interference
and will be allowing the organizational staffs in making various organizational decisions.
Another effective way of understanding employee behaviour is to relate the previous experiences
of the employee. The most effective means of predicting in what ways a staff will be acting is by
looking at how the behaviour of the staffs was in the past, when he/she was faced with a similar
situation earlier. For example, as per the organizational context it can be stated that the
companies will be offering raises for the staffs who are exhibiting outstanding performances. The
motivation for getting a raise will be serving as motivation in respect of the staffs for doing their
jobs in a productive way.
In respect of cognitive information processing or cognitivism, it can be stated that it is
depending upon the thought process behind the behavioural aspect. The theory is depending

3THE LEARNING ORGANIZATION
upon the idea that individuals are processing the information that is received by them, and not
just providing mere response to stimuli. There occurs the use of cognitivism when an
organizational staff will be playing an active role to seek the ways for understanding as well as
processing information that is being received by him/her and relating it to what is already known
and has been stored in the memory (Hodges, 2015). According to the theorists of cognitive
learning, there is the occurrence of learning via internal information processing. There occurs the
governing of cognitive information processing by an internal method rather than by external
situations. The cognitive learning approach will be paying more attention to what is going on
inside the head of the organizational staff and focusing upon the mental processes in comparison
to the observable behavioural aspects. Learning is having the involvement of the process of
reorganizing the experiences, either through the attainment of new insights or discarding the ones
that are old. In addition, there occurs the observation of the knowledge properties in respect of
the cognitive management (Kennedy, 2014). These properties will be including the aspects that
knowledge is developing in a continuous manner. Knowledge assists in understanding the
situational reality in respect of the past, present as well as future of an organization in the
steadfast fact synthesis. There can also occur the storing of knowledge in a systematic ways in
different storage media that will be facilitating its use. There also might occur explicit
knowledge as well as implicit knowledge. As because cognitivism is having an association with
organizational knowledge, there are two knowledge related approach that can be identified. The
first approach is regarded as a paradigmatic or functionalistic knowledge that is relating to the
organizational theory and originates from positivism (Harasim, 2017). Organizational managers
functioning in this manner are mainly having an interest in universal laws of cause and effect
organizational relationships. Another approach is considered being the thematic approach, which

4THE LEARNING ORGANIZATION
is focusing upon the understanding of a fact and as a result, the context is having a major
significance in this regard. This approach takes into consideration the actions as well as goals of
human beings. This assists in revealing the organizational values at the level of the different
employees, organizing them as well as passing the culture of the organization on to the new
staffs (Ertmer, 2013). As a result, I can elucidate on the fact that the descriptive approach in
comparison to the paradigmatic approach is more effective in relation to the culturally defined
scenarios of organizational behaviour as well as interaction. For example, as per the
organizational context, it can be stated that the managers of a company will be implementing
cognitive information processing by assigning this learning theory regarding the staffs who are
struggling in respect of focusing on the results. Organizations might as well do the adaptation of
goal-setting strategic aspect where, the goals will be providing the staffs with the means for
gauging their development.
In respect of constructivism, it can be stated that every individual employee is
constructing their individual perspective about the workplace, depending upon their personal
experiences as well as internal information. Learning is depending upon the ways by which an
individual will be interpreting as well as creating the meaning of his/her experiences (Kesim,
2015). According to the constructivist theories, learning is considered being a method in which
new viewpoints or concepts are constructed by the employees of an organization depending upon
the previous information or experiences (Kolb, 2014). Each of the organizational employees does
the generation of their mental models that is used by them in making sense of their experiences.
According to me, the theory of constructivism is used for focusing on the aspect of preparing the
individuals for solving the problems. As a result, for getting success, an organizational employee
is having the requirement of an important knowledge base upon which there occurs the

5THE LEARNING ORGANIZATION
interpretation as well as creation of ideas (Crook, 2017). In addition, regarding constructivism
there does not always occur predictable results since the employees are doing the construction of
their individual knowledge.
Constructivism is considered being a methodical theory that provides the explanation
regarding the systems as well as the interface amongst the systems as well as their parts.
Moreover it is a methodical theory due to the fact that it is offering the most effective way to
understand the process of system transformation. For example, in respect of constructivism, it
can be stated that within an organization if a staff does the submission of a report with some
typographical errors, the individual should not be criticized for his mistakes and instead he
should be encouraged by providing constructive criticism that will assist him to discover ways
for making improvements.
In conclusion, I would like to state that the three theories of learning such as
behaviourism, cognitivism as well as constructivism are the part and parcel of any organization.
Briefly speaking, behaviourism is related with new behavioural aspects as well as behavioural
changes whose acquiring is done with the help of relations amongst stimuli as well as response.
Cognitivism is related with the fact that leaning takes place via internal information processing.
Last but not the least, constructivism is related with the process of constructing individual
information regarding the organization depending upon personal experiences. Knowledge
provides assistance in acknowledging the situational reality regarding the past, present as well as
future of a company in the persistent fact synthesis. There can also occur the storing of
information in methodical ways in different storage media that will be facilitating its use.
Moreover, the learning process for behaviourism is depending upon objectively observable
behavioural changes. The behaviour theorists state that, learning is explained as the achievement

6THE LEARNING ORGANIZATION
of a new behaviour or behavioural change. This organizational theory states that there occurs the
advancement of learning when an indication from the environment is presented and there occurs
the reaction of the learner to the stimulus with specific kind of response. The first approach
regarding cognitivism is considered as a paradigmatic or functionalistic knowledge in relation to
the organizational theory and initiates from positivism and the second approach regarding
cognitivism is the thematic approach, which is focusing upon the understanding of a fact and
therefore, the context is having a huge importance in this respect.

7THE LEARNING ORGANIZATION
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