Building the Learning Organization: Achieving Strategic Advantage through a Commitment to Learning

by Michael J. Marquardt

This new edition of the essential best-practices toolkit shows how to transform an organization into one that continually learns from its experiences, and more importantly, translates that knowledge into improved performance. Rich in hands-on tools, this much-anticipated update of the award-winning classic features lessons from world-class leaders such as Nokia, Alcoa, and others. With all new case studies, a revised section on technology, and more focus on action learning, Building the Learning Organization puts the power of the author's Systems Learning Organization model into the hands of any manager who wants to participate in building, maintaining, and sustaining the next generation of learning organizations.

Genres: Leadership

228 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Jessica Buike · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a required reading in one of the courses I took while obtaining my Master's degree. While I liked that it wanted to cover best practices in some of the most successful companies in the world, I think that it just plain dragged along and was incredibly dry and boring. It could have easily been gleaned down to fewer pages, and have been reorganized to read a little more interestingly. While I agree that every organization should strive toward being a more flexible, learning-based organization, I don't necessarily recommend reading this book because it is so uninteresting.

[Andrei Gavrila · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many things.

Long, attacking many things about many other things, this book feels like a never-ending journey.

I found it dry and lacking, especially in the how-to area. In a way, it is filled with how-to ideas, but as the book, they are quite dry.

There were also some good parts like:
* The first chapter is a great introduction to how change affects us and why it is the number one reason for a learning organization
* Each chapter has a great ending with the top 10 strategies from the chapter

I recommend reading chapter 1 and probably also 2 and then skipping to the end of each chapter.

[Dr. Chad Newton, PhD-HRD · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read for organizational scholars, executives, HR personnel, theorists of andragogy, and systems thinkers! Dr. Marquardt wrote a brilliant text for integration of key aspects of adult learning with organizational objectives.

[Duong Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very practical book for implementor.
Good companion with Senge's Fifth Discipline.