The Role Of Learning Organization In Organizational Growth: A Case Study Of Pilkington Building Products Australasia

Discuss about the Learning Organization In Organizational Growth.

Many of the Chief Executive Officers and executive managers claim that people or human resource is the greatest assets of any company or organization. A learning orientation and value-adding market orientation both have a most significant and important positive impact on the organizational performance or organizational function. However, there is a strong and positive relationship between the business performance and learning organization rather than the value adding marketing orientation (Argote, 2012). This research paper can able to explore their ideas supporting and depending on the arguments that organizational learning may be the main factor for any organization for getting success in future and that learning organization may be one and only source through which the company or organization can able to gain the sustainable competitive advantages. According to many researchers nowadays the organizational business value basically depends on the physical assets of the organization. A learning organization is that which can able to facilitate their organization through development and learning of their employees and always try transform themselves. Learning is a process by the help of which an organization can able to create knowledge within the organization. In every modern organization, there is a team who is known as the fundamental learning unit of that organization (Hitt, 2013). Organizational learning basically takes place along with the organizational skill through which an organization can able to create, acquire and transfer knowledge and also can able to modify these behaviors for reflecting a new knowledge within the organization. This research paper helps the researchers to understand the application of a theory of learning organization in an Australian manufacturing organization.

In this research paper, the researchers explain the process through which the Pilkington building Products Australasia applied the theory of learning organization in their business or company. Pilkington Building Products Australasia is a subsidiary industry of Pilkington Inc. This Pilkington Inc. The company basically manufactures float glass (Bartsch, 2013). They have around 26,500 numbers of employees through all over the world. They have an annual turnover of around 2.8 billion pounds. They include three numbers of major production sites which supply their products through all over New Zealand and Australia. They utilize highly automated machines at the time of operating the main float process within their business. This plant runs their functions continuously for 24 hours a day and for 7 days a week. However, in the recent years, they again restructure their process and bring a major change in the business of their organization (Burke & Noumair, 2015). By the help of these this major change the company can able to lift the profitability level of the company from the situation of extreme losses in the past years. After investing in automation within the business, the current numbers of the employee has decreased to 310 numbers of employees from 610 numbers of employees around 10 years ago.  By the help of this automation, the company can able to move their operations towards downstream and also outsource the non-core activities from outside. The workforce within this organization is multicultural (Baldwin, 2016). The entire workforce is of moderate intelligence. They all have an experience of several years in this field of operation which is identified by 12 years of average service.  These three main production sites are consists of a strong industrial culture. According to the theory of Adam Smith, the wealth creation of a company can become a power vision for that particular organization and this type of competition helps the company to gain financial benefits (Scott & Davis, 2015). According to Herman’s argument learning organization is that organization who applied reduction strategy in their organization which helps them to reduce the option numbers which are available and utilize by an organization to bring the products and services into a manageable size. Whereas according to the Soliman argument a better innovation in knowledge can have a positive impact on the innovative organizational performance (SALEHI et al., 2012). By the help of this innovation, the organization can also able to deliver a performance to convert the organization into an innovative firm. According to Soliman, knowledge is a very useful factor which can able to help a company to perform an innovative project within their business. The renowned researcher Connell in his argument said the fact that why learning organization in the workplace of a company is important for the growth of an organization. It helps the company to explore creativity and to share innovation. According to Perrott, a learning organization also helps the company by giving strength at the time of globalization and competition with other competitor companies (Crona & Parker, 2012). The learning organization also helps the company to create awareness about the growth of the company and the position of the organization within the market. Learning is a process by the help of which an organization can able to create knowledge within the organization. According to the researchers, in the recent days, the organizational business value mostly depends on the physical assets of the company. A learning organization is that which can able to facilitate their organization through development and learning of their employees and always try transform themselves (Pitta & Franzak, 2013). According to Zineldin, innovation is a combination of the function of experience and learning which help the organization to develop with the help of knowledge.  CSR Limited Company is the chief competitor of the Pilkington Australasia Company in the field of glass manufacture and distribution business Australia.  The CSR Limited Company acquires the business of Pilkington Australasia Company by $690 million. To overcome this loss the Pilkington Australasia Company needs to introduce the theory of learning organization within their company and also applied it to their business operating process. They need to invest in automation within their business process to bring some creativity and innovative ideas to uplift the level of profitability. By the help of this learning organization theory, the Pilkington Australasia Company can able to create awareness about the growth of their company and the position of the organization within the market (Senge, 2014). The theory of learning organization also helps the Pilkington Australasia Company by giving strength at the time of globalization and competition with the CSR Limited Company within the field of glass manufacturing and distributing business. The idea and activity wealth creation of the Pilkington Australasia Company can become a power vision for that particular float glass manufacturing organization. By the help of this type of innovative idea and creativity, the company can able to get help at the time of competition with their competitors to gain financial benefits for the organization. The Pilkington Australasia Company includes three numbers of major production sites which supply their products through all over Australia and New Zealand. The Pilkington Australasia Company utilizes highly automated machines within their main float process of operation within the business. This plant runs their functions continuously for 24 hours a day and for 7 days a week. However, in the current years, they again restructure their process and bring a major change in the business of their organization (Smith, 2012). By the help of these this major change the company can able to lift the profitability level of the company from the situation of extreme losses in the past years. Learning organization is a new concept in the field of contemporary management. The company who accepts the learning organization theory and applied it to their business has become a workplace where the people continuously explore and enhance their capacity and ability to create innovative ideas and can able to gain the desired results and profitability for that particular organization (Weldy and Gillis, 2010). By introducing learning organization theory within the business process the Pilkington Australasia Company can able to improve the quality of service and products by the help of which again they can able to overcome the losses and achieve a great profitability for the organization.

Conclusion

The word “learning organization” and “organizational learning” are not same. The organizational learning may be the main factor for any organization for getting success in future and the learning organization may be one and only source through which the company or organization can able to gain the sustainable competitive advantages. A learning organization is that which can able to facilitate their organization through development and learning of their employees and always try transform themselves. Learning is a process by the help of which an organization can able to create knowledge within the organization. Organizational learning basically occurs along with the organizational skill through which an organization can able to create, acquire and transfer knowledge and also can able to modify these behaviors for reflecting a new knowledge within the organization. However, a learning organization can able to help a company to expand their business globally by including innovative automation machines within their business process. By the help of this research paper, the researchers can able to understand the fact that why learning organization is very important for the growth of the Pilkington Australasia Company.

References

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Smith, P. (2012). The importance of organizational learning for organizational sustainability. The Learning Organization, 19(1), pp.4-10.

Weldy, T. and Gillis, W. (2010). The learning organization: variations at different organizational levels. The Learning Organization, 17(5), pp.455-470.