The Importance of Organizational Learning Icmt Strategy

Organizational Learning Culture: ICMT Strategy

Why is it important for an organization to be a learning organization in regards to creating and implementing an ICMT strategy?

A learning organization can be defined as an organization that assumes learning as a continuous process, and which consequently develops, adapts and transforms itself in response to the aspirations and needs of people, both within and without (Gray, 2012). In a learning organization, employees are not just passive players in the equation; rather, they are allowed to express their views and ideas, and to challenge themselves as a way of contributing to an improved environment in the organization. Employees are allowed to create the results that they truly desire, and to learn together for the betterment of the entire organization (Gray, 2012).

It is crucial for organizations to act as learning organizations when creating and implementing their ICMT strategies. This are several reasons why this so. First, lifelong learning enables an organization to remain relevant and competitive in the industry within which it operates (Gray, 2012). Technology is constantly evolving; what may be the best technological tool to use for a specific job today may not be the best tomorrow. As such, when dealing with technology, organizations need to adopt a process of continuous learning, where they are constantly equipping their members with information on technological trends within the industry, how to use promising technologies that have been adopted in other industries, but are yet to be adopted in the specific industry within which the organization operates, and so on. In so doing, the organization will be able to remain technologically relevant and competitive in its industry.

Secondly, the concept of learning organizations is based on teamwork -- in order for an organization to learn, team members need to come together and learn how to work together to achieve a specific goal. This kind of unity and cohesion is crucial for the implementation of a successful ICMT strategy. In order for members to be committed towards implementing an ICMT strategy, they need to feel like part of the greater team. People are deemed to be more committed to seeing a strategy or initiative succeed if they have a sense of belonging, and if they feel like part of the team that owns that particular strategy or initiative.

These are perfect indications of how organizational learning could influence the effectiveness of one's ICMT strategy.

Part Two: What type of culture must exist in order for an organization to have a successful ICMT strategy?

Organizational culture refers to the values and beliefs that influence the way people behave and interact with each other in the organization (Schein, 2010). A positive culture within the organizational setting fosters the development of effective business and business-related strategies. Such a culture is characterized by several crucial elements. First, it allows for the effective sharing of information between managers and employees. Such a culture does not emphasize the maintenance of a wall or boundary between managers and employees; rather, it encourages bottom-up communication, where employees can easily interact with and share ideas with their managers (Schein, 2010). Employees could, for instance, share with their departmental managers ideas on how to make the organization's ICMT strategy simpler and more convenient to use. There are no barriers of authority between employees and the organization's top leadership, and bottom-up communication is valued just as much as top-down communication (Schein, 2010).

Moreover, such a culture encourages the process of continuous learning (Schein, 2010). Training and learning are taken as priorities for the organization, with the organization investing sufficient resources for the same. Such leaning enables an organization to remain relevant in regard to its ICMT strategy, and to maintain its competitiveness in the industry (Gray, 2012).