Purpose: This paper aims to review organizational studies literature and related fields to explore the parallel between organizations and organisms in dealing with change. Design/methodology/approach: The authors reviewed the literature to explore organizational change theories. Additionally, they referred to biological studies to explore the…

This article was written in response to the editor's invitation to provide an alternative perspective to Zarestky and Cole's article in this same issue. While appreciating the perspective provided, I question the assumption that SOAR (strengths, opportunities, aspirations, results) as an approach to strategic planning will strengthen organization…

This empirical study, using Western concepts incorporated into the Dimension of Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ) instrument and data collected from 919 employees in nine companies located in Guangdong Province, China, explored organizational learning culture in Chinese business settings. Findings suggest that the DLOQ is applicable to…

Organizational learning (OL) is about how individuals collect, absorb, and transform information into organizational memory and knowledge. This case study explored how six high-technology firms in Taiwan chose OL as an organization development intervention strategy. Issues included how best to implement OL; how individuals, teams, and…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships among strategic HRD (SHRD) practices and organizational learning; and the relationships among organizational learning and HRD outcomes through a literature review. Design/methodology/approach: Keywords were identified to use in the literature search: HRD, SHRD practices, and…

Presents criteria for making decisions about the use of videotapes in Continuous Quality Improvement training in academic media centers: use of case studies; clear objectives and concepts; race/gender sensitivity; balance of simplicity and complexity; clarity of sound and visibility; graphics quality; content relevance; humor; length; variety in…

The Department of Vocational and Technical Education at the University of Minnesota explored the possibility of incorporating an emphasis on training and development into existing programs. Activities undertaken to determine the need for such a program included extensive interviews with training and development personnel in the Minneapolis/St.…